ADHD / Autism informed trauma therapy

This page is for GPs and other health professionals referring adults for trauma therapy where ADHD and/or autism is relevant to engagement, pacing, and treatment planning.

I provide structured, evidence-based trauma therapy that is adapted for ADHD/autistic clients, with a particular focus on high-functioning, masking professionals.

Submit referral form

Current wait time: approximately 1 week
Delivery: Online (UK-wide and international)
Fees/funding: This is a private service. Sessions are self-funded. (Click here for fee information.) If the client has private health insurance, they typically pay upfront and then claim reimbursement (subject to their policy).
HCPC: PYL35705

When this is a good fit

Referrals are often a good fit when a client:

  • Has trauma symptoms and finds “standard” therapy hard to engage with or sustain

  • Has ADHD and/or autism (diagnosed or suspected) and needs therapy that is explicit, structured, and paced appropriately

  • Is high-functioning externally but struggling with burnout, shutdown, overwhelm, shame, or emotional dysregulation

  • Has sensory/communication needs that require reasonable adjustments

  • Wants practical tools and clear treatment focus rather than vague or open-ended work

What “ADHD/autism-informed” means in practice

This is still evidence-based psychological therapy. Adaptations may include:

  • Clear structure and agenda-setting (with flexibility where needed)

  • Explicit pacing and expectations (no guesswork)

  • Practical between-session work that is realistic and scaled

  • Communication adjustments (written summaries, clear action points)

  • Attention to sensory load, fatigue, and burnout patterns

  • A shame-reducing approach that avoids framing difficulties as “lack of effort”

Common presentations

Referrals commonly include:

  • PTSD/complex trauma symptoms (intrusions, hypervigilance, avoidance)

  • Burnout and chronic overwhelm

  • Emotional dysregulation, shutdown, or “masking collapse”

  • Shame, self-criticism, perfectionism, people-pleasing

  • Relationship difficulties linked to trauma history and threat & rejection sensitivity

  • Anxiety/panic and avoidance patterns

Therapy approach

Therapy is collaborative, structured, and skills-based. I primarily use:

  • EMDR

  • CBT

  • Trauma-informed, ADHD/autism-informed adaptations (clear structure, practical tools, and a focus on functioning)

Where clinically appropriate, work often follows a phased approach (stabilisation → processing → integration), with careful pacing and attention to safety.

  • Private outpatient therapy isn’t the right setting for every presentation. I’m not able to accept referrals where there is:

    • Active suicidality

    • High risk of harm to self or others

    • Substance dependence

    • Unmanaged psychosis

    • Severe eating disorders

    • Any presentation that is otherwise unsuited to private practice/outpatient work or requires a higher level of care

  • To help me screen for fit and offer the right level of care, it’s helpful if the referral includes:

    • Reason for referral (main trauma-related difficulties and what you’d like therapy to support)

      • Risk summary (any current/historical risk issues and your current risk plan, if applicable)

      • ADHD/autism considerations (diagnosis/suspected traits; sensory/communication needs; reasonable adjustments)

      • Relevant history (brief mental health history; high-level trauma history; previous therapy/treatment response)

      • Current treatment (medication(s) and any other services involved)

      • Client goal (what the client wants to be different after therapy)

How to refer

If you have a referral query, please contact Dr Thanh Luu directly (thanh@beyondtraumapsychology.com).

Submit referral form