Late-Diagnosed Adult ADHD and Autism Therapy
Dr. Christine Henry is a licensed psychologist with over 20 years of clinical experience. As a late-identified neurodivergent herself, she provides online, neurodivergent-affirming therapy for adults who are questioning, recently diagnosed, or discovering ADHD, autism, or AuDHD later in life.
Available throughout Texas and PSYPACT states.
Maybe you've spent years reading self-help books, listening to podcasts, trying different strategies, or even going to therapy. Some things help for a while, but eventually you find yourself right back where you started.
Perhaps you've been told your struggles are related to anxiety, depression, or trauma. And while those explanations may fit some of your experiences, they haven't explained everything. You've worked hard to understand yourself, improve your relationships, and keep up with everyday responsibilities, but some things still feel harder than they should.
Then you start learning about ADHD, autism, or AuDHD, and suddenly you're connecting dots you didn't even realize were related. You're looking back at childhood, relationships, and things you've struggled with for years, thinking, "Wait, THAT'S why I do that?"
Discovering you're neurodivergent later in life can bring an enormous sense of relief and excitement. But it can also bring grief, anger, and the question, "How did nobody, including me, recognize this sooner?"
What ADHD and Autism Can Look Like in Adulthood
Friendships Can Feel Complicated
Maybe you rehearse conversations beforehand, then replay them afterward, wondering if you talked too much, overshared, or missed a social cue. You might struggle to keep in touch, even with people you care about, or need time alone to recover from socializing.
Sensory Experiences and Emotions Can Feel Intense
Bright lights, strong perfumes, background noise, or scratchy clothing can feel overwhelming. And seriously, why do some socks have such terrible seams?
You might feel deeply affected by criticism or struggle to recognize your emotions until you're completely overwhelmed.
Everyday Tasks Take More Energy Than People Realize
You've tried the planners, apps, and organizational systems. They work great until they don't.
Maybe you can handle complicated responsibilities at work but struggle to respond to an email, make a phone call, or remember why you walked into a room. Other times, you get so absorbed in something interesting that hours disappear.
Sometimes Your Brain Wants Opposite Things
You love having routines but get bored following them. You crave new experiences but get overwhelmed when plans suddenly change. You need structure to get things done but feel restricted when there's too much of it.
And sometimes you're left wondering what the heck your brain actually needs.
Does This Sound Like You?
You may have spent years masking, compensating, or working twice as hard just to keep up. Because you seem to be managing, others may not realize how much you're struggling. Recognizing yourself in these experiences doesn't necessarily mean you're ADHD or autistic, but it might be worth exploring why some things have felt so difficult for so long.
For more about what happens after discovering your neurodivergence, read:
Suddenly Everything Makes Sense… So Now What?
Understanding your neurodivergence is one thing. Figuring out what to do with that knowledge is another.
Maybe you have plenty of insight into your patterns but still struggle to make changes, particularly when you're overwhelmed, exhausted, or falling back into old habits.
Sick of researching and ready to start figuring out what actually works for you?
In therapy, we can explore what's keeping you stuck, try different approaches, and figure out what fits your needs rather than what you think you should be able to do.
This Work Is Personal to Me, Too
I didn't discover I had ADHD until I was 40. When I shared this revelation with some of my fellow therapists, their response was, "Oh, I thought you knew!" Apparently, I was one of the last people to figure it out.
I'm also dyslexic and have dysgraphia. Suddenly, so many things made sense. Why I struggled with paperwork, lost my keys, ran late, and missed deadlines. Even everyday things like getting laundry into the dryer on the same day, doing dishes, or making phone calls could feel ridiculously difficult. I felt like I sucked at adulting, and I carried a lot of shame about it.
What started as trying to understand my own brain quickly became a special interest. I sought out additional training in ADHD and autism, and over time, working with late-identified neurodivergent adults became the primary focus of my practice. Neurodivergence is also part of my family life, with an AuDHD spouse and two neurodivergent kids, giving me both personal and professional perspectives on this work.
I've also written more about my own experience in I'm ADHD, Now What?
What Does Neurodivergent Affirming Therapy Look Like?
My approach is conversational, curious, and collaborative, with some humor mixed in. As an ADHDer, I'm happy to follow your tangents, geek out with you over your latest discoveries, and help connect dots you might not have realized were related.
You don't have to sit still, maintain eye contact, or worry about communicating the "right" way. Feel free to fidget, move around, or take a break when you need one. You don't need an agenda, organized thoughts, or even know where to start. We'll figure that out as we go.
If You're Exploring Whether You're ADHD or Autistic
You don't need a formal diagnosis or even be certain you're neurodivergent to work with me. We'll start with your experiences, what you've noticed about yourself, and the questions that brought you to therapy.
Our work may include:
Looking for patterns: Exploring your childhood, relationships, sensory needs, and everyday challenges to better understand experiences that may have gone unnoticed or misunderstood for years.
Considering different explanations: Looking at how ADHD, autism, trauma, anxiety, and other experiences might overlap without assuming everything has a single explanation.
Making sense of what you discover: Connecting the dots between your past and present and exploring what these insights might mean for your life moving forward.
When helpful, we can also use clinical interviews or questionnaires as part of our exploration, but your lived experience remains central to our work. You can also read my article on unexpected traits of autism to explore experiences that may not fit common stereotypes.
If You've Already Discovered You're Neurodivergent
Depending on what brings you to therapy, our work might include:
Processing your experiences: Making room for the grief, anger, relief, or complicated feelings that can come with late identification, including seeing your past experiences and trauma in a different light.
Exploring masking and unmasking: Understanding why you've learned to hide or change parts of yourself, when masking may still be useful, and where you might feel comfortable doing things differently.
Working with your brain instead of against it: Finding ways to manage executive functioning, sensory needs, and everyday responsibilities without constantly expecting yourself to function like someone else.
Navigating relationships and boundaries: Understanding your needs, communicating them to others, and working through patterns that aren't serving you anymore.
Some sessions may involve making sense of past experiences, while others focus on what's happening in your life right now. We can move between the two depending on what you need..
Interested in working together?
I offer a free 20-minute video consultation to see whether we'd be a good fit. Just fill out my contact form, and I'll email you to arrange a time. No phone call required!
Why Does Neurodivergent-Affirming Therapy Matter?
Understanding what's behind someone's struggles matters. Sometimes the answer isn't learning to do more, but figuring out how to do less without feeling guilty about it.
Take neurodivergent burnout and depression, for example. Both can involve exhaustion, withdrawal, and difficulty managing everyday responsibilities, but what helps depends on what's contributing to those struggles.
Someone experiencing depression might benefit from gradually reconnecting with activities and relationships. But if someone is burned out after years of masking, sensory overload, or pushing beyond their limits, encouraging them to take on more could make things worse.
And sometimes depression and burnout happen together. That's why understanding the whole picture matters.
I've written more about how these experiences can overlap in When Neurodivergent Burnout Turns Into Depression.
Ready to Explore What Comes Next?
I offer individual online therapy for adults ages 27 and older throughout Texas and participating PSYPACT states. You can attend therapy from your own comfortable, private space without the added effort of traveling to an office. And yes, your pets are always welcome!
My practice is private pay, and I provide superbills if you'd like to seek possible out-of-network reimbursement.
I offer a free 20-minute video consultation to see whether we'd be a good fit. Simply fill out my contact form, and I'll email you to arrange a time. No phone call required!
Still Researching? Not Ready to Start Therapy?
No problem, I got you!
I've created an Adult Autism & ADHD Resources page with articles, videos, and practical information about relationships, emotional regulation, sensory needs, parenting, and workplace accommodations.
Feel free to explore at your own pace. And if you'd like support making sense of what you've learned, you're always welcome to reach out.
Information for Referring Providers
Are you a therapist, healthcare provider, or other professional considering a referral? Visit my Who I Help page for an overview of the clients I work with, my therapeutic approach, and who may be a good fit for my practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
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No. You’re welcome whether you’re formally diagnosed, self-identified, questioning, or exploring. In my approach, self-identification can be a valid and meaningful part of understanding yourself.
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I can use screeners, structured clinical interviews, and a therapy-based assessment process to help clarify your experience and guide treatment.
This is not the same as a neuropsychological evaluation (the full testing battery often needed for formal documentation). If you need that level of testing or paperwork, I can refer you to trusted colleagues. -
Yes! ADHD and autism frequently occur together. You might crave routines but struggle to maintain them, or love new experiences while finding unexpected changes overwhelming. I work with adults who are exploring or have already identified as AuDHD.
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Yes. You might look like you have it all together, but behind the scenes you're barely keeping up. Maybe you're doing great at work, but by the time you get home, you have nothing left for yourself, your relationships, or the things you actually enjoy.
You've spent years finding ways to compensate, push through, and make things work. And because everyone thinks you're doing fine, they have no idea how much effort it takes. Just because you're managing doesn't mean you're not struggling.
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That doubt is incredibly common, especially for high-maskers who learned to minimize their needs. Therapy can help you reality-test your patterns, reduce shame, and build clarity without you having to prove anything.
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My approach is conversational and collaborative rather than highly structured. I don't follow a set protocol, assign worksheets, or expect us to work through a specific agenda each week. We explore what's coming up for you and make connections along the way.
If you're looking for a therapist who provides a structured treatment plan, specific exercises, and regular homework, I may not be the best fit. But if you have a workbook, article, or something else you'd like to bring into therapy, I'm happy to incorporate it into our work.
When Another Type of Support May Be More Helpful
You're looking for highly structured therapy. This includes having me provide a set agenda for each session, a clear roadmap for the course of treatment, worksheets, or step by step protocols. My approach is more conversational and flexible, although I'm happy to incorporate structure or resources you bring into our work.
You need a therapist with a very predictable or linear communication style. My ADHD definitely shows up in how I communicate! I think out loud, make connections that might seem random at first, and sometimes interrupt, even though I try not to. I'm also pretty direct. I do my best to adjust to different communication needs, but I recognize that my style can feel overwhelming for some people.
You're looking for specialized OCD treatment. I'm happy to explore how OCD experiences may overlap with ADHD and autism, but I don't provide intensive or highly structured OCD treatment, such as exposure and response prevention (ERP).
You need crisis intervention or a higher level of care. This includes significant or ongoing self harm, frequent suicidal crises, or needing support outside of scheduled sessions.
You don't understand or respect the connections people have with animals. You don't need to have pets yourself or even be an animal person. But animals are a big part of my life and my practice, and I value the relationships people have with them. If you dismiss those relationships as unimportant, we're probably not going to be a great fit.
I want therapy to feel comfortable and useful for you. Part of that means being upfront about how I work so you can decide whether my approach feels like a good fit.