Emily Kenny
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About me
My work is counselling and mentoring for neurodivergent adults and young people aged 11 and over, in Newcastle, Consett, online or outdoors. Sessions last an hour and are built around doing something together. Activities are shaped around what you enjoy, whether that's sorting cards, working with objects or talking while we walk.
I'm Emily Kenny. I founded Counsel of Neurodivergent Minds Ltd, developed its therapeutic framework, CIF, and wrote Understanding Me, a published workbook on ADHD and autism. Most of the people who find their way to me have spent years being very good at seeming fine, and my room is a place to put that effort down. Some arrive with a diagnosis, some with a strong suspicion, and some with a long-held sense that the way other people manage life has never quite fitted them. You don't need a diagnosis or a referral to get in touch.
Why neurodivergent-led matters
I'm neurodivergent myself, so you won't need to spend the hour explaining what shutdown is, why a phone call can take three days to work up to, or why something that looks small from the outside has taken everything you had. My own experience gives me a starting point for listening. It never replaces hearing what life is like for you.
When communication breaks down between neurodivergent and neurotypical people, the difficulty usually runs in both directions. Many of the people I see have spent years being told that the problem was them. Counselling with me doesn't start from that assumption.
What people bring
- autistic burnout, and the exhaustion that builds up after years of masking
- late identification, whether you were assessed at 25 or 55, or are still wondering
- ADHD, and the self-criticism that so often grows up around it
- a PDA profile, for young people, adults and their families
- emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA)
- difficulties at work, from sensory overload to managers who don't understand
- anxiety, low mood, trauma and strain in relationships
- and more
How I work
I'm relational and activity-led, and I don't work from worksheets. Underneath the work is Collaborative Identity Formulation (CIF), a framework I developed. It's formulation-first and non-diagnostic. Together we build a picture of what drains you, what restores you and where your patterns came from, and nothing gets written about you that you haven't had a hand in. CIF works as a guide, so its stages flex around you.
The work usually runs to around 10 sessions, or around 12 if we need more time to build trust. We review together around the midpoint and name the ending two sessions before the last one. If you want to continue, we can agree a further block of four sessions, and longer-term work is available.
With young people, and with anyone in or recovering from burnout, I use a low-demand approach: no homework if you prefer, no timetable for progress, and room to say "not today". Online, cameras can stay off. In person, we can sit side by side, change the lighting, take breaks or head outside.
Young people and families
I work with young people from 11 upwards, often through something they already care about, such as games, stories or being outdoors. I also offer sessions for parents and carers. Where school has become impossible, I can work with the young person and the adults around them, keeping the young person's own voice at the centre.
Counselling and mentoring
Some people want to talk through what has happened to them. Others need practical help getting through the week, such as planning around their energy levels or preparing for a conversation with a manager. Combined counselling and mentoring sessions cover both, at the same rate as counselling.
Training, qualifications & experience
- Level 6 (degree level) qualified counsellor
- MA in Professional Development for Counselling, Newcastle College University Centre (in progress)
- BACP member, membership number 01000806, working within the BACP Ethical Framework
- Enhanced DBS check
- Registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ZC136583)
- Insured for counselling, mentoring and training
- Regular clinical supervision
Additional training
- Trauma
- Cultural issues and LGBTQ+ affirmative practice (dedicated teaching within my degree)
- ASIST, Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (LivingWorks)
safeTALK, suicide alertness (LivingWorks) - Mental Health First Aid
- Mental Health in the Workplace
- Children's Mental Health and Infant Mental Health
- Safeguarding Children
- Developing Mentoring Skills
- Shadow work. MAD studies.
- Substance Misuse
Experience
- Founder and director of Counsel of Neurodivergent Minds Ltd.
- Developer of Collaborative Identity Formulation (CIF), a non-diagnostic, activity-led framework for neurodivergent clients. My MA research, an interview study with counsellors who work with neurodivergent adults, feeds into its development.
- Author of Understanding Me, a neuro-affirming workbook for people exploring ADHD and autism.
- Young person mentor with Children North East's CAN Project.
- Lived Experience Volunteer with Tyneside Integrated Musculoskeletal Services (TIMS).
- Volunteer counsellor with Durham County Carers Support. Placement at Whickham High School
- Referral partner for Celebrate Difference at The HUB, Consett, for counselling and Access to Work support.
- Designer and facilitator of neurodivergence workshops for workplaces, schools, parent groups and community organisations.
Member organisations
BACP is one of the UK’s leading professional bodies for counselling and psychotherapy with around 60,000 members. The Association has several different categories of membership, including Student Member, Individual Member, Registered Member MBACP, Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Accred) and Senior Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Snr Acccred). Registered and accredited members are listed on the BACP Register, which shows that they have demonstrated BACP’s recommended standards for training, proficiency and ethical practice. The BACP Register was the first register of psychological therapists to be accredited by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA). Accredited and senior accredited membership are voluntary categories for members who choose to undertake a rigorous application and assessment process to demonstrate additional standards around practice, training and supervision. Individual members will have completed an appropriate counselling or psychotherapy course and started to practise, but they won’t appear on the BACP Register until they've demonstrated that they meet the standards for registration. Student members are still in the process of completing their training. All members are bound by the BACP Ethical Framework and a Professional Conduct Procedure.
Accredited register membership
The Accredited Register Scheme was set up in 2013 by the Department of Health (DoH) as a way to recognise organisations that hold voluntary registers which meet certain standards. These standards are set by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).
This therapist has indicated that they belong to an Accredited Register.
Areas of counselling I deal with
Other areas of counselling I deal with
Access to Work support
Emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA)
Masking
Therapies offered
Photos & videos
Fees
£50.00 - £55.00
Additional information
Sessions are £50 per hour during the day and £55 in the evenings and at weekends. This applies to counselling, mentoring and combined sessions. Your first 20-minute consultation is free (one per person).
Sessions at a community venue closer to you are £10 extra. Access to Work sessions are usually funded through the scheme. Payment is taken in advance. With at least 48 hours' notice, you can move a session to another time in the same week for free, or cancel and be refunded minus an £8 admin fee. With less than 48 hours' notice, the full fee may apply
Access to Work priced separately.
Further information
Your first session
The first step is a free 20-minute consultation, booked through the link on counselofneurodivergentminds.co.uk. There's no obligation to book anything afterwards. At your first full session, we go through the client agreement together, and you sign it. You set the pace, and you're welcome to say you'd rather not go into something yet. If it would help, I can send directions and a short outline of what to expect before we meet.
Access to Work
If you're in work or heading back to it, Access to Work sessions are usually funded through the scheme rather than by you. The first conversation about it is free.
