Is this you?
- You are fed up of Autistic Burnout
- You have been struggling for a long time
- You feel stuck
- You worry things will never get better
- You wish you had the energy to enjoy things again
- You want a fulfilling and meaningful life but you just find everything too hard
- You feel overwhelmed
- You don't know where to start
- You wish you could find something to help
It's not your fault
Autistic Burnout happens when we are exposed to too much stress and not enough support. It is a common response to living in a society designed to suit the needs of neurotypical people. You are not alone, every day I meet Autistic people trying to manage family, work, study, finance, health, sensory needs and a constant flow of information and overstimulation without adequate support and rest. Its no surprise that so many of us end up in Autistic Burnout.
You need help to work out exactly what your needs are and how to get them met. But it's not that simple, there are practical barriers, making it hard to get your needs met and advocate for yourself. And then there are those internal barriers too, caused by years of masking and difficult experiences.
It can be hard to know where to start. This is why I've set up the Autistic Burnout Recovery Membership. You need to do one thing at a time, learning and understanding more about yourself in manageable chunks. Having time to process information and apply it to yourself. Being taught strategies with clear examples and being able to ask questions and getting help to apply techniques to your own specific situation. Being part of a community of people going through similar experiences.
What do I know about it?
My name is Dr Alice Nicholls, you can call me Alice. I've had three major periods of Autistic Burnout in my life, each lasting several years. I've also had some mini ones in-between. I'm a professional, a mother, a daughter, a partner and I have a busy household to run. I know, first hand that even when you know what you need there is a massive gap between understanding it and actually being able to do something about it.
I have a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and I'm registered with the Health Care Professions Council in the UK. I worked in the NHS until 2017 when I left and became self-employed. Since then I have gradually refined my focus to Autistic Burnout, consuming all of the research and applying my existing knowledge of Clinical Psychology and the experiences of my clients and myself to the research evidence.
I dislike the word expert, I don't think I know everything there is to know about Autistic Burnout. I don't think anyone does, but I am committed to staying up to date with the latest research in this area and listening to wealth of experiences within the Autistic Community.
Membership Testimonials
“So far I am definitely appreciating the community here & on the live workshops. Even though connection can be hard for me, it's very important and ultimately healing”
“I haven’t felt able to contribute too much with the group, however, having the FB group to dip into each day and understand that I’m not mad and there are others out there that are similar to me has helped enormously. Burn out is scary and this course along with help from Charlotte at AuPeer is like having a kind hand walking me through it. Thank you"
“thank you for the exceptionally ‘spot-on’ content & approach so far. If this is the most valuable learning I get from this course, then it’ll be 100% worth it”
"Your way of presenting the role of the self-critic has profoundly shifted something in me, opening me up to exploring why I’ve felt ‘chained’ all these years, and particularly freeing me from self-critical beliefs that were instilled in me in childhood. Still very much a ‘work in progress’ but it’s so liberating! ”
"I love that you start with the understanding that the person taking the course is actively struggling with burnout before moving into ways to prevent it. So helpful with how I feel right now, and I'm looking forward to building skills that will help me in the long-term as well"
Example Curriculum
More Details
On joining the Autistic Burnout Recovery Membership you will get access to the Core Module "Measuring your Autistic Burnout" This module is the foundation of the membership. I have designed it so you can just read the summary and get started if you do not feel ready to sit through the whole 30 minute presentation.
In the membership area you will find the notice board which contains the link to the Facebook group. If you want to join the Facebook group you just click on the link and answer the questions. The group is private, so only people in the group will be able to see that you are a member.
Each month you will receive a pre-recorded version of that month's workshop and worksheets. You will also receive the information from the workshop in a written format if you prefer, or are more able, to read.
The workshops will also be run live, normally in the first week of the month. The live workshops will include time for questions and answers.
There will be a week long, asynchronous group conversation on the topic of the month in the voxer group. Details of how to join this are contained on the noticeboard section of the membership area.
Each week there will be the opportunity to 'check in' in the Facebook group, connect with other members, review your week, and discuss the content from the monthly workshops.
Previous Workshop Topics
November:
When your Inner Critic won't Rest: An Introduction to Compassion
December:
Navigating Social Demands: Communicating your Needs to Friends and Family
January:
New Year, Same You: Identifying what really matters
Frequently Asked Questions
- Do I Need to have an Autism Diagnosis? No, I appreciate that diagnosis can be difficult to access for many people so you are not required to have a formal diagnosis. The workshops are written assuming that you are Autistic so as long as you can relate to the difficulties described by Autistic people and don't mind being referred to as Autistic you are welcome to join.
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I do not Identify as Autistic but want to join to help my child/relative/friend can I join? This membership is exclusively for people who identify as Autistic so it is not appropriate for friends or relatives to join unless it is specifically to support the Autistic person to work through the materials. I am going to launch a different membership specifically for carers who want to help other people in Autistic Burnout. If you are interested please watch out for an email about this launch.
- Do I need to use Facebook? No, the Facebook group is there for people who want to have a sense of community and discuss the materials. You are welcome to just use the workshops and email me with any questions.
- What is Voxer and do I need to use it? Voxer is a messaging service like WhatsApp, to use it you need to download a free app, it allows for us to have conversations about the monthly content as a group regardless of time zones. The voxer conversations will run for the week, during the same week of the month as the live workshop.
- I'm not sure if I should join the Membership or buy your Autistic Burnout Recovery Programme? The answer to this question really depends on what you are looking for. The membership workshops are designed to be useful in any order and at any stage of your Autistic Burnout Recovery. The membership also comes with the additional benefit of having live workshops and a Facebook community to discuss the material. In contrast, the Autistic Burnout Recovery Programme is designed to be a more intensive course that you work through in order and at greater depth at your own pace. It does not have a live component but you are welcome to email me with any queries.
- I don't want to attend live workshops, is that okay? Yes, absolutely, you can watch the pre recorded workshops or read the slides and notes that accompany each workshop. You are also welcome to discuss the content in the Facebook group or during the week of voxer group coaching.
- Will I be expected to talk in the live workshops? No, the workshops will comprise of a taught session with time for questions and answers at the end. The questions will be submitted via the chat function.
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What time will the live workshops be? The live workshops run at 2pm (London time) on the first or second Tuesday of the month, members can find out dates via logging into the membership area and looking at the noticeboard section.
- I am not British, can I still attend? Yes, as long as you are able to access materials written and spoken in the English language. Please be aware that my qualifications, professional registration are UK based and any disputes will be handled under UK law.
- I can not afford the membership but I think it would really help, do you have a low cost option? I am able to offer a low-cost scholarship option for a small number of people. To apply simply select the lower rate from the membership options above. You will be asked to provide written feedback I can use anonymously as a case study but this is not mandatory.