TRAINING 101: Fundamentals of Working with Neurodiverse Couples in Therapy

Learn to Recognize, Understand and Treat Neurodiverse Partners

The Neurodiverse Couples Institute offers online courses for couples/partners and therapists/coaches who work with Neurodiverse couples/partners together or individually.

Therapists or coaches who work with partners together or separately can expand both their skillset and their client base with Training 101, an innovative course that teaches you to recognize, understand and effectively treat one or both partners in a neurodiverse relationship. The demand for and importance of specialized knowledge has been substantiated by AANE surveys.

* Earn up to 10 ASWB ACE CE Credits

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Questions about TRAINING 101?

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Neurodiverse Couples Institute

AANE has gathered over 780 responses to a survey of partners in neurodiverse relationships and has found:

*93% of partners said that working with a therapist who has training to work with neurodiverse couples is important or very important.
*47% of survey respondents reported that having a therapist that lacked this specialized training was harmful or very harmful.

*Source: AANE Neurodiverse Couples Survey, 2018 – 2023

Fortunately, AANE’s online training for therapists and coaches can meet the overwhelming demand for specialized training.

With first-hand perspectives from Neurodiverse partners and an on-going support network of professionals, AANE’s courses help ensure that professionals are trained and prepared to assist their Neurodiverse clients in the best way possible.

This online, 10 hour, self-paced course is a comprehensive training featuring:

expert lectures
video interviews with neurodiverse couples
skill-building tools
downloadable resources
a case study with online discussion review questions
and more

Video interviews with neurodiverse couples provide real-world insight

Many couples realize that they are in a neurodiverse relationship decades into their relationship after reading a book or watching a movie that includes an Autistic character that one or both of them can relate to. This realization might lead them to ask how neurodiversity impacts an intimate relationship and each person in it. Recognizing neurodiversity is only the beginning of a couple’s journey.

The couples profiled in course videos love each other and work hard to understand and accept their differences.

Pete—a physician, and Ann, a nurse, who work together—were married for many years before they discovered that they were a neurodiverse couple. Once they recognized that Pete is Autistic, they were determined to learn more about how neurodiversity affects their relationship and interactions.

Ann & Pete

Downloadable PDFs

The course provides over 10 downloadable PDFs for you to keep with insightful articles and personal stories from couples like you. Topics include advice on interacting effectively as a couple, traits, disclosure, perspectives from partners, special interests, and how couples came to the realization they were neurodiverse.

“Very informative! I enjoyed watching the different couples as well.” – R.M. in Massachusetts

Benefits of Training 101:

Shift your lens to recognize neurodiversity in one or both partners and how to identify specific Autistic traits contributing to a couple’s issues.
Understand the impact of neurodiversity not only on a relationship but on your treatment approach and your practice, so you can adjust and accommodate.
Effectively treat individuals or partners in neurodiverse relationships through skill-building and creative problem-solving to help them improve their communication and enhance their emotional connection.

Like many neurodiverse couples, Liz and Lisa figured out that they are neurodiverse decades into their relationship, from a podcast, a book, or a movie about an Autistic character. But recognizing neurodiversity is just the beginning … then what? How does neurodiversity impact an intimate relationship? What is the effect on the couple together and on each partner separately?

Liz and Lisa

“I thoroughly enjoyed the course and think it covers a lot of really great material. The downloadable PDFs are an incredible wealth of information.”
— Leslie Sickels, LCSW

TRAINING 101 includes:

90-day access from registration date to complete our 10 hour comprehensive, self-paced online training course
Intimate interviews with 10 neurodiverse couples
In depth lectures and panel discussions from experts in the field of neurodiverse couples therapy
Case study with online discussion
Downloadable tools, tips, and resources for you to keep
Training 101 Certificate of Completion (with 80% or better score on Final Test)
Inclusion in AANE’s Neurology Matters Online Community of those who register for this course
Expert lectures

Note on language use: This course was developed at the time AANE used the terms “Asperger/Autism Profile to describe the community we serve. Language use around autism has evolved and the organization now identifies those in the “autism” community as our constituents. We want to recognize people’s freedom to choose the language they use to identify or describe themselves.

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TRAINING 101: Course Instructor Bios

Grace Myhill, MSW Grace Myhill, MSW, is a pioneer and leader in the field of neurodiverse couples therapy. Since 2004, she has worked with hundreds of neurodiverse couples together and separately in her private practice and through the AANE neurodiverse couples coaching program. She has developed numerous skill-building tools and lessons to enhance communication and emotional connection.

Grace oversees a variety of in-person and video support groups for the many facets of this unique population. Support is very important for these couples; it provides normalization and validation for both the neurotypical partners and the Autistic partners.

She trains professional clinicians about understanding and treating neurodiverse couples through individual and group consultations. Her webinars and podcasts include such topics as Courtship in Neurodiverse Relationships, Common Challenges and Realistic Strategies for Neurodiverse Couples, and Navigating Neurodiverse Relationships.

Together with AANE’s founder and former executive director Dania Jekel, Grace co-authored two articles for NASW Focus, Neurology Matters: Recognizing, Understanding, and Treating Neurodiverse Couples in Therapy, and Asperger Marriage: Viewing Partnerships through a Different Lens.

She currently holds the titles of Director of Couples and Partner’s Services and Director of the Neurodiverse Couples Institute at AANE.

Carol Feldman-Bass, JD. received her Juris Doctorate from Boston University and is a graduate of the Hudson Valley Psychodrama Institute. She has advanced trainings and certifications in DBT in Action, CBT in Action, Psychodrama for Couples and Families, Positive Psychology, and Sociodrama. Other areas of expertise include working with individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Nonverbal Learning Disorder, and Social Anxiety.

She is the first practitioner and sole expert on the use of Psychodrama with Neurodiverse couples and has written and presented on the topic throughout the East Coast. She incorporates Improvisational theater and comedy into all of her individual and group work.

Jamie Freed, MSW, is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker, in private practice working with Autisitc, Neurodivergent and trans/gender expansive adolescents, adults and their families as well as those with co-occurring mental health conditions. Jamie served as the Director of Adult Services at the Asperger/Autism Network for over a decade, where she worked closely with Neurodivergent adults and their families as well as creating and facilitating many innovative groups and programs for this underserved population. Jamie has been a frequent presenter on topics related to autism, gender, employment and co-occurring mental health conditions.

Lynda Geller, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist specializing in autism and the unique challenges it presents in both individual struggle and public perception. For most of her professional career she has worked with this population at various medical schools, and trained physicians, psychologists, and social workers about their diagnosis and treatment. She then founded Spectrum Services, a group of professionals in many fields, who were all dedicated to providing specialized services to children and adults on the autism spectrum.

Michael Glenn, MSW, is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (MA), has completed a 2 year Fellowship in sex therapy at McLean Hospital’s Department of Human Sexuality and has a MA Department of Education Certification as a School Adjustment Counselor. He graduated from Columbia University School of Social Work in 1973. From 1973-1983 he was on the clinical staff at South Shore Mental Health Center. From 1983-2012 Michael was an Adjustment Counselor and Sex Educator for The Wellesley Public Schools. Since 1984 he has maintained a private practice which has evolved from a more general practice working with families and couples to his current practice which focuses on Autistic individuals and neurodiverse couples. Because of his training in sex therapy and sex education, his work frequently involves issues related to sexuality among the Autistic community.

Margaret R. Kriss, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts specializing in cognitive-behavioral interventions for outpatient adults. She received her B.A. in Psychology in 1979 from the University of Pennsylvania, her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology in 1987, and postdoctoral training in Human Resources/Organizational Development Consultation from the Boston Institute of Psychotherapy in 1991. She has a clinical appointment with Harvard Medical School where she teaches and supervises psychology and psychiatry trainees and teaches a seminar for professionals on research and practice in behavioral medicine. She has a particular specialty in working with individuals, families and couples dealing with issues related to neurodiversity. She is a former board member of AANE.

Leslie Sickels, MSW is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker based in midtown Manhattan. She received her Master’s Degree from Hunter College School of Social Work and has received extensive trainings and certifications in CBT, DBT and trauma-informed practices. Leslie’s areas of expertise include autism, anxiety, depression and trauma. Leslie provides psychotherapy, which often includes building social skills, improving executive functioning and strengthening relationships. Much of her work focuses on gender and sexuality as they relate to the unique concerns of Autistic individuals. Along with individual and family counseling, Leslie provides counseling to neurodiverse couples, in which one partner is Autistic. She supports couples in enhancing communication and working through challenges in their partnership. In addition to direct couples’ work, Leslie also provides supportive services, including consultation, training and coaching for family members, siblings and partners of Autistic individuals.

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