Autism and person-centred counselling (Part 2)
In ‘part 1’ I introduced my reflections around autism that were explored during my research project for my degree in person – centred counselling and psychotherapy.
The type of research I chose is called ‘Heuristic’ and involved something called “creative synthesis”. Part of my own self-care is creating art and music. So, I was able to combine my self – care with the research process to create a song and accompanying artwork which I would like to share to this website.
The song is presenting words, phrases and imagery explored by myself and my ‘co – researchers’. The co – researchers were three 2nd year diploma students from the same university as me (although I did not know them at the start). The song is called “This is me”. This can be played at the end of this post. The video that goes with the song can be viewed via a post on my Facebook page using the following link:
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02s8pttwGdnUzVnXyauoPv9NLqxDyXKxPCC2de1S849GPdoSUEgePz5xDnS59M1jATl&id=100906559245496
The artwork in the video is capturing the different interviews I had with each co – researcher and were created as part of the data analysis process. The image shown at the start of this blog is called “This is us”.
Together, we explored what the term ‘autism’ meant to us and what comes up when considering this in the context of our chosen modality of counselling: the person-centred approach.
The themes that jumped out of the creative synthesis included the term autism essentially relating to a difference that is diagnosed and labelled. That this difference is about ways in which we communicate or the expectations of how we interact in society. We considered the theory we have been immersed in and how therapy might ‘look’ with clients who identify as being autistic.
The label sometimes felt to us like a distraction from seeing the unique individual in front of us but that it is also potentially useful to have an idea that perhaps we might want to adjust the way we work to meet that person where they are. Whilst also respecting that many individuals find comfort in identifying with such a label and it is important to respect that.
The sense of ‘coming alongside’ an individual and meeting them wherever they are – whatever their own experience of the world is. That with every client we ‘co – create’ a therapeutic environment that is bespoke. For example, checking the lights aren’t too bright, moving the chairs so that we are not sat facing each other with an expectation of eye contact when this feels awkward for some people. Or bringing into the rom materials for creative therapy – such as art supplies or fidget toys/games.
That therapy is possible but perhaps arrived at via a route that looks different from working with people who don’t identify as autistic.
That with every client we are the ‘other’, stepping into their world and identifying with their internal frame of reference and so why would this be any different for the autistic client? The ‘spectrum’ refers to the various ‘degrees of autism’ and the colours represent personality traits and characteristics. We are all, therefore, potentially on that spectrum (because we all have personality traits and characteristics). We are all different.
When the whole world is telling us how to think, feel, interact, and communicate perhaps the non – directive (or ‘self – directive’) nature of the person – centred approach is uniquely suited to individuals who feel too many people are already dictating how they should be in our ‘socially constructed reality’.
Creating the song was a moving experience for me. My co – researchers felt it had captured the essence of what we had explored together accurately.
I wonder what your thoughts are of the song and the reflections that I have touched upon in this blog…I wonder if somehow the song touches on your own experiences…