AuCT - What is Autistic-Centered Therapy?

Autistic-Centered Therapy (AuCT) is neuro-affirming therapy designed by and for autistic people. According to Matt Lowry, LPP, it's "equal parts trauma work, advocacy work, autistic interpersonal therapy, and automotive [body] maintenance."

I came across the idea of autistic-centered therapy through the Autistic Culture Podcast, where they did an episode about AuCT. It reimagines what therapy might look like if it affirmed neurodivergence, encouraged autistic coping strategies, and were administered by an autistic therapist who understands and uses autistic communication styles themselves.

The most common kind of therapy in the US is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and my personal experience as an autistic person is that multiple facets of it simply do not work for me. In some cases, they can actually harm my mental health, even if delivered with nothing but good intentions.

These sentiments have been echoed by many autistic people who find that most available types of therapy are either made for neurotypical/allistic people or attempts to "fix" our autism. Neither is ideal!

The concept of AuCT gives me some hope for a world where autism-affirming therapy is accessible to anyone who needs it.

This article and podcast episode made me feel much more educated on what to look for when searching for a therapist myself. Thus, I highly recommend them to any autistic person who feels like traditional therapy might not be for them, as well as any clinician interested in learning more about how to support autistic clients.