Lii Brooke, autistic therapist
In person in Chalfont St Giles (near Gerrards Cross) and online across the UK and the Republic of Ireland
Connect with me on LinkedIn
How does therapy help?
Therapy is a space to unpack what is happening in your life and decide what to do about it. There is a great deal of usefulness in being properly listened to, in being genuinely accepted as you are and in working through your concerns with someone who understands what it is to be autistic.
However, please know there are no guarantees of transformation. I am here to guide and support you but it is the action that you take that makes good things happen.
I offer counselling to autistic professionals in demanding careers. My clients often arrive worn out from work and from trying to fit into a way of being that never quite fits them. Some have recently discovered they are autistic. Others have known for years but are only now looking for help. You might come with a specific concern in mind or just a strong sense that life has to be different for you.
Whatever brings you here, my aim is to help you understand what is going on and how to deal with it. Often it goes back to self-kindness, belief in yourself and vision for the future.
Concerns I work with
My clients are autistic adults navigating demanding professional lives in tech, healthcare, law and academia. They come with a range of concerns, often several at once. Some of the most common are:
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Autistic burnout, the seemingly inescapable cycle of exhaustion and depression many autistic professionals experience from prolonged mismatch between demands and resources
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Long-term impact of workplace masking, including the sense of not knowing who you are underneath the performance
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Anxiety and rumination, which often become so pervasive you forget what it is like not to feel the dread
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Challenges with task initiation, decision-making and building routines that actually stick.
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Identity exploration, whether after a formal assessment or self-identification
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Making sense of competing drivers as an AuDHD adult
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Strained relationships at work or in personal life, often related to cross-neurotype communication, unmet needs or long-accumulated resentment
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Loss of purpose or direction, particularly at midlife transitions where the life you built no longer fits who you have become
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Low self-esteem that defies professional success
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Building a life that fits your neurotype rather than one that requires you to fight it
My clients are of different genders, sexualities, ethnicities and religions. Being a peculiar East/West mix myself, an immigrant, bisexual, autistic and Jewish, I hold facets of human experience with openness and empathy. All are welcome.
H., lawyer
"As an autistic person suffering with chronic anxiety, I came to Lii for support to cope with burnout associated with constant masking and the social difficulties of working in a high-pressure professional environment. Lii identified my deep-rooted need for self-compassion and approached the sessions with kindness and pragmatism that was very much needed. I am very grateful to have found Lii."
My approach
My work is grounded in the person-centred approach, drawing on solution-focused brief therapy elements. This means I draw attention to your sense of agency, use open questions and help formulate goals. I do not arrive with a fixed programme to walk you through. Instead we work together to understand what mix of exploration and direction suits you. Therapy with me is first and foremost collaborative.
I am autism-affirming in the practical sense of the term. That means I see autism as a way of being, not a disorder to be corrected. My aim is to help you get your needs met and create a sense of connection with others.
Alongside my clinical practice I am a doctoral researcher in Autism Studies at Sheffield Hallam University, supervised by Dr Luke Beardon and Dr Stephen Connolly. My research investigates how autistic adults' own understanding of autism shapes their life outcomes. This work informs my practice and my practice informs the research.
What I do not offer
I do not teach social skills to autistic adults. The assumption that autistic communication needs to be corrected to match neurotypical norms is, in my view, pathologising and infantilising. There are things I can help you think through, including how to advocate for yourself, how to hold difficult conversations and how to build relationships that work for you. But nothing I offer is about learning to be less autistic.
What a session looks like
Duration: 50 minutes
Format: in person in Chalfont St Giles or online via Google Meet or Microsoft Teams, whichever you prefer
Availability of online sessions: across the UK and the Republic of Ireland
Days of the week: sessions are available all day Thursday and on Sunday afternoons
Frequency: most clients see me weekly or fortnightly to begin with, then space sessions further out as therapy progresses
Session structure: varies with what you bring. If open-ended questions are difficult, we can co-create a light structure that gives sessions shape without turning them into a checklist
Between-session contact: please email me for anything administrative, such as rescheduling or asking a practical question. If you have concerns about your safety or the safety of someone else, please email and I will respond as soon as I am able
In a crisis: please contact emergency services, your GP, NHS 111 or the Samaritans on 116 123
How therapy typically progresses
Therapy with me tends to move through phases, such as exploration and planning and ending. The pace depends entirely on you.
At first we spend time understanding what has brought you here, what you have already tried and what you would like to be different. You might arrive with raw emotion or intense confusion. We allow time to work through troubling life experiences and to process thoughts and feelings.
A point comes when you feel lighter and more at peace. Your gaze may turn from the past to present and future. I often ask you to describe in detail how you want your life to unfold. You form a compelling vision. Together we take stock of your resources and make a plan for achieving a realistic version of the ideal outcome. Then you take action towards that. You may choose to spread the sessions out to give yourself the opportunity to implement what we discuss. I hold you accountable, we test, revise and implement. It’s an interactive process.
Eventually a point comes when life is engaging enough that our sessions have served their purpose. Some clients feel genuinely joyful. Others feel steadier, clearer, more themselves. Whatever it looks like for you, a meaningful change occurs. That is when I know I have done my job well. I am goal-oriented through and through and I deeply believe life is for living, not for talking about living.
We review what has shifted and you decide when the counselling work is done. Some clients return later for further support when circumstances change.
Most clients I see work with me for around three months, though this varies considerably. The right length is the one that gets you where you want to go.
Fee and practical points
Session fee: £120
Payment: by bank transfer, due 48 hours before each session
Cancellation: at least 48 hours before the session or the full session fee applies
Insurance: I am an approved mental health services provider for Aviva, AXA Health, Cigna Healthcare, General & Medical and WPA. The fee may be covered by your policy, please check with the insurer.
How to book
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Book a free 15-minute call using the link below. This is a chance to talk briefly about what you are looking for and whether we would work well together
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If we decide to proceed, I will send you a working agreement to review and sign digitally, along with details for booking your first session
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Ongoing sessions are scheduled between us directly, either at a regular time or session-by-session, whichever suits you
Still have questions? My frequently asked questions page covers the most common ones. If yours isn't there, please contact me.