Group Coaching – Couples & Partners
AANE provides guidance and support for partners in neurodiverse relationships.
Intimate relationships can be hard, but they can be especially challenging when partners have different perspectives, communication styles, approaches, and skill sets. AANE offers coaching groups for those in neurodiverse relationships where one or both partners identify as Autistic or Neurdivergent. An autism diagnosis is not required to participate in coaching groups.
Questions about autism or AANE’s services?
Schedule a call to speak with a member of AANE’s staff, or fill out a form to be contacted by email.
Looking for individualized neurodiverse couples or partners coaching? Click below.
Find a Neurodiverse Couples Therapist or Coach Trained and Certified by AANE
Neurodiverse Couples Institute
Founded in 2016, the Neurodiverse Couples Institute offers training and resources for neurodiverse couples and the therapists and coaches who work with them.
Online courses, Training 101 and Certification 201, are based on the Myhill/Jekel* model for effectively treating neurodiverse couples in therapy. In 2021, a new online course for couples, 101 for Couples, was developed by the Neurodiverse Couples Institute to help couples recognize and understand what it means to be in a neurodiverse relationship.
Successful completion of the two online courses for couples/partners therapists entitles participants to be certified by AANE and included on a Map of AANE Certified Neurodiverse Couples Therapists so neurodiverse couples in need can find trained therapists.
* Grace Myhill, Director of the Neurodiverse Couples Institute, and Dania Jekel, founder and former Executive Director of AANE, developed and copyrighted the model for treating neurodiverse couples in therapy.
Neurodiverse Couples Coaching sessions allow for discussion of the unique issues faced in a neurodiverse relationship. Spouses or partners are free to participate in coaching groups individually or together. Coaching can help partners learn to problem solve, develop coping strategies, and build skills to improve their relationship. Topics that neurodiverse couples often seek help with include:
- Communication
- Social or general anxiety
- Executive function challenges
- Need for consistency
- Special interests and collections
- Sensory needs
- Emotional reciprocity and/or physical intimacy
Online Fee-Based Coaching Groups
Neurodiverse Couples Coaching Groups
These groups are for couples where one or both individuals in the relationship is Autistic. Our groups are often the first time that neurodiverse couples have the chance to speak with other neurodiverse couples about how neurodiversity affects their relationship. They offer you the opportunity to realize that the issues you are working on are not unique to your relationship. This makes it possible to take things less personally and learn new tools and strategies from the other couples who have similar experiences and issues. Sessions are facilitated by Grace Myhill, MSW, who understands both partners perspectives. No formal diagnosis is required.
GROUP DETAILS:
- Meetings are 90 minutes and are offered monthly with at least 4 couples, no maximum limit.
- Dates: To let Grace know when you are available, email [email protected].
- Cost: $55 for each meeting.
Partners of Autistic Adults Coaching Groups
These groups are just for the non-Autistic partner in a neurodiverse relationship. No formal diagnosis for your partner is required. Get support and strategies from others who truly understand what being in a neurodiverse relationship is like. Learn tools from Grace Myhill, MSW, who will address the specific questions from the group participants. You can come once or multiple times each month.
GROUP DETAILS:
- Each group generally consists of 5 – 15 people. New members are always welcome. Meetings are 90 minutes.
- Dates: The group meets one Sunday each month, one Tuesday evening each month, and every other Thursday each month. To get the schedule, email [email protected].
- Cost: $45 per person
Ex-Partners of Autistic Adults Coaching Groups
This group for ex-partners of someone who may be Autistic is distinctive. No formal diagnosis of your ex-partner is required. Group members share their wealth of knowledge and experience coping with a variety of issues including legal, financial, practical, and emotional, including navigating communication with your ex. Discussions are focused on the topics that group members bring up. Grace Myhill, MSW, is the group facilitator.
GROUP DETAILS:
- Each group generally consists of 5 – 15 people. New members are always welcome. Meetings are 90 minutes.
- Dates: The group meets one Sunday each month. To get the schedule, email [email protected].
- Cost: $45 per person
Autistic Partners Coaching Groups
These groups are just for the partner who identifies as Autistic. No formal diagnosis is necessary. Even if you don’t think you are Autistic, but your partner thinks you might be, you are welcome. Come and ask your questions or just listen to suggestions from Grace Myhill and the others who will offer tools and strategies that may improve your relationship.
GROUP DETAILS:
- Each group generally consists of 5 – 15 people. New members are always welcome. Meetings are 90 minutes.
- Dates: The group meets one Tuesday evening each month. To get the schedule, email [email protected].
- Cost: $45 per person
Additional Programs & Services
If these groups don’t seem right for you, here are other ways to connect to AANE.
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