48. S4, Ep5: Fatigue, hypnotherapy and getting in tune with your own energy as an autistic person

Kathy Carter is a writer and neurodiversity-affirming hypnotherapist. She was diagnosed autistic herself in 2017, after realising that her son was probably autistic. She in her 40s and lives in Kent in the UK. She works with neurodivergent, highly sensitive and anxious clients and her hypnotherapy is adapted to autistic needs. She has recently been appointed Neurodivergence Advisor to Therapy Today, the journal of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. Their Advisory Board is a new initiative launching in September 2021 made up of a hand-picked range of counsellors and psychotherapists from marginalised groups across the black and ethnic minority, LBGTQ+, neurodiversity, and disabled communities. In our conversation we talk about  ➡ Her experiences of fatigue and burnout as a teenager ➡ Learning to listen to your body and be in tune with your own energy ➡ Polyvagal theory, and how it works for autistic people ➡ Bringing a holistic approach to therapy, and adapting therapy to autistic needs Squarepeg is a podcast in which neurodivergent women, and trans and nonbinary people, explore navigating a neurotypical world and share their insights, challenges and successes. I hope that these conversations will be inspiring and thought provoking, open you up to new ways of thinking about being neurodivergent, and help you feel more connected to a worldwide community of people with similar experiences. I'm Amy Richards, and after being diagnosed autistic at the age of 37 I'm now on a mission to learn more about different perspectives and issues around being a neurodivergent adult in a world that feels like it doesn't quite fit.   EPISODE LINKS: Kathy's hypnotherapy practice: www.arrivetherapy.co.uk Her blog post on polyvagal theory: https://spectra.blog/news-views/autistic-superpower-days-why-autists-may-be-on-an-autistic-spectrum-within-a-spectrum-different-autistic-days-and-a-nod-to-polyvagal-theory/ Thriving Autistic: https://support.thrivingautistic.org/en   If you'd like to connect or get in touch with Squarepeg, you can find me on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/squarepeg.community/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/squarepegautism  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/squarepegautism/  Or on my website: https://squarepeg.community/    THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS! A HUGE thank you to my amazing patrons, who support my work on the podcast: Abigail J Moore, Caroline, Cat Preston, Catrin Green, Corinne Cariad, Elise, Jackie Allen, Karawynn Long, Kate Faust, Katharine Richards, Katherine Lynch, Laurie Green, Lea Li, Lilli Simmons, Pete Burke and Vera Cady. If you're enjoying the Squarepeg podcast and would like to help me carry on making new episodes, you can become a member of the Squarepeg community on Patreon from just £3 per month: https://www.patreon.com/squarepegpodcast