I’m Lyndsay MacAulay, a specialist neurodivergent counsellor, an Accredited member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (MBACP 398389), a mum of two teenagers, a Labrador, a Ragdoll cat, and a very dramatic kitten.
I work with teenagers and adults in Birkenhead, Wirral and online, with a particular focus on neurodivergent clients and those exploring what neurodivergence means for them. Whether you’re questioning, newly diagnosed, or have always felt a little different, counselling can be a place to understand yourself without judgment or pressure to change who you are.
My “Why”
I didn’t always plan to become a counsellor.
I was working in secondary schools when I first started wondering about the responsibility we hold as adults when we speak to teenagers. I saw how much a comment, a tone, a moment of misunderstanding could land heavily. I wanted to make sure that when I tried to help young people navigate their lives, I wasn’t accidentally doing harm.
So I began training.
And somewhere along the way, I was hooked.
I became fascinated by the power of being listened to properly. By what happens when someone slows down enough to really understand a young person’s world. That curiosity grew into a profession.
My Professional Journey
Since qualifying, I’ve worked in private practice and within local schools, supporting young people and adults navigating anxiety, identity, trauma, burnout and life transitions.
Co-directing a counselling centre in Birkenhead, Wirral has been a particularly meaningful chapter. It allows us to shape the environment intentionally; lighting, sensory considerations, pace; so that counselling feels accessible and safe for neurodivergent clients. Environment matters more than we often realise.
Alongside clinical work, I’ve also co-developed and launched training to support other counsellors in working more effectively and confidently with neurodivergent clients. Improving understanding at a professional level feels like part of the bigger picture.
- Level 4 Diploma in Counselling
- Certificate in Children’s and Young People Counselling
- Level 5 Clinical Hypnotherapist
- Level 5 Adult Trauma
- Level 5 Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
- Level 6 Counselling Supervision
- Level 1 EMDR
- Rewind Therapy
- Level 3 Safeguarding (DSL)
- Level 2 Autism Training
- Tier 2 Training in Learning Disabilities and Autism
- Leanbh – Ausome Training: Neurodiversification Program for Professionals Working Therapeutically With Autistic Minors
- ADHD Certified Practitioner (PESI)
- BEAT – Autism and Eating Disorders
- Sunshine Support – Understanding and Supporting Disordered Eating and Eating Disorders in Autistic People
- Intro to LGBTQIA+ Affirmative Therapy
- Open University – Working therapeutically with trans (including non binary) people
Why Neurodivergence Became My Specialism
During my placement at RASA Merseyside, I began working with neurodivergent teenagers. Something just clicked. The way we thought, the way we explored ideas, the way meaning unfolded, it felt natural and energising.
At the same time, I was becoming increasingly aware both professionally and personally of how hard it was for neurodivergent young people and their families to access timely, understanding support. Waiting lists were stretching for months, sometimes years. Families were exhausted. Teenagers were misunderstood.
As a parent of two neurodivergent teenagers myself, I understood that frustration deeply not just academically, but in lived experience. That’s when I decided to specialise and pursue further training to make that focus intentional and informed.
One moment that shaped my approach significantly was training with Ausome. It deepened my understanding of neuroaffirming practice and strengthened my commitment to creating spaces that feel genuinely safe, respectful and collaborative, not corrective.