Vauna Beauvais Receives Autism Post Grad Cert From University

Vauna Beauvais, a trainer at Vanguard Neurodiversity Training, has recently been awarded a Post Graduate Certificate in Autism. This academic achievement recognises Vauna's commitment to furthering her expertise in understanding autism. Vauna's passion for learning about neurodiversity shines through in her activities with autistic people in that she has developed new ways of working therapeutically and co-designed the training course (with Eoin Stephens) to bring this out to counsellors and psychotherapists to apply in their practice. Vauna believes that all therapists want to be anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive and do want an inclusive practice, but they may not know yet exactly how to go about this. She states:

We therapists have not known enough about autism because society itself has not known enough about autism in real people. The training institutes where we did our core training were not themselves knowledgeable, and so did not include training for therapists on how to work with autistic people. The work that i have done for many years, working solely with neurodivergent clients, has helped me to know autistic people. Going on this course at Sheffeild Hallam University, desgined and delivered by Dr Luke Beardon, has introduced me to some of the academic history of autism, as well as given me access, through the University library, to study up-to-date research and papers about autism and autistic people.

I enjoyed the challenge of this course. It wasnt a course that was specifically designed for learning how to do therapy with autistic clients, so i have needed to ingest the academic material and relate it to doing therapy with autistic clients. Integrating the learnings from Dr Beardons course with what I already know about pschology, mental health, and wellbeing, and applying it to the principles of doing therapy helped me to gain a lot of clarity around what I had already been doing in practice in my work with autistic adults. I was able to clarify and create the extra layer of the autistic lens that we therapists need to have when working with clients, so that therapy meets the needs of autistic people, and that has underpinned much of the Vanguard Neurodiversity Training Course that is on offer.

For therapy to be effective for autistic people, its crucial that we gain a comprehensive understanding of the relevant differences in cognitive style. If therapists do not know about the differences in processing, relating, emoting, and communicating, then how can they know their client, understand the point of their narratives, and gain a deeper insight into their experiences?

Futhermore, it is of paramount importance that we shift our focus to see through the autistic lens when considering whats happening in the therapeutic dyad. We already know from our core training that when we look at the dynamic interactions between therapist and client, we see how these interactions shape the therapeutic process. It is vital to take into account the social and political aspects, alongside the interpersonal dynamics, in order to prevent any manifestations of oppression or marginalisation. Recognizing the broader social and political context within which therapy takes place is essential for providing a safe and inclusive environment. By understanding the systemic barriers and societal biases that autistic individuals face, therapists can ensure that the therapeutic space remains free from perpetuating oppressive practices. Moreover, therapists should actively work to challenge and dismantle power imbalances in the therapeutic relationship, allowing for the authentic expression of autistic experiences and perspectives. Embracing this holistic approach can drive meaningful change and promote neurodiversity acceptance, ultimately fostering an environment where all individuals can thrive and experience true psychological growth.

ALl therapists that I have spoken with want to have an inclusive therapy practice that does not harm autistic clients, but they do not know what are the factors that cause the barrier to therapy, what causes harm, and how to do therapy that helps. In the Vanguard Neurodiversity Training learning materials and training courses the emphasis is on equipping therapists to add the layer of the autistic lens to what they already have the professional expertise to do, and are doing every day. The benefits of the training at Vanguard Neurodiversity training empowers us to customise our interventions and strategies, ensuring that we avoid an oppressive or discriminatory therapeutic envirnment, and instead we provide optimal support and empowerment to our autistic clients.

Vauna Beauvais. Psychotherapist and Trainer, and Autistic Person.