Writing, Publications & Professional Contributions
This work brings together clinical practice, lived experience and professional contribution, shaping a neurodivergence-informed approach across therapy, assessment and professional practice.
Introduction
This page brings together selected publications, reflective writing and conference contributions exploring neurodivergence within clinical practice and professional life.
The work spans academic writing — including contributions to autism-informed understanding within complex clinical presentations — alongside reflections shaped by lived, family and professional experience. It is also informed by involvement in neurodivergent staff networks, visibility as an autistic psychologist, and ongoing efforts to support more neuro-inclusive systems and environments.
Across these pieces, common threads include autistic burnout, contextual disability and the role of lived experience in shaping more thoughtful and responsive services.
Publications
Choose your words carefully: The language dilemmas of positive autistic identity and pragmatic navigation of systems
Redhead, A. (2022). Clinical Psychology Forum, 358, 12–13.
https://doi.org/10.53841/bpscpf.2022.1.358.12
This article explores the challenges clinicians can encounter when navigating language around autism, identity and diagnosis within psychological practice, particularly where affirming identity language intersects with the realities of diagnostic systems.
Dissociation and CoMorbid Complexity: Psychosis, autism and OCD.
Kennedy, A., Černis, E., Leaper, R., James, D., Langthorne, P., Crockford, H., Okoye, V., & Redhead, A. (2026).
Chapter in Working with Dissociation in Clinical Practice. Routledge.
This chapter explores the complex relationship between dissociation and common comorbid presentations. Anthony contributed to the section examining the relationship between autism and dissociative experiences, considering conceptual overlaps and implications for clinical understanding.
Writing & Professional Reflections
Language, identity and the neurodivergence dilemma
A reflective piece exploring the tension between deficit-based language used within systems and the importance of developing positive autistic identity.
This piece reflects on navigating these dilemmas as:
- a clinical psychologist
- an autistic person
- a parent of neurodivergent children
Burnout, Expectations and Neurodivergent Ways of Being
A reflective piece exploring autistic burnout, internalised ableism, and the challenges neurodivergent clinicians can face navigating neurotypical systems.
The article discusses:
- autistic shutdown and burnout
- reasonable adjustments in the workplace
- internalised neuro-normative expectations
- creating neuro-inclusive environments
Parallel Stories: Navigating Neuro-Normative Systems
This reflective piece was originally developed as part of a contribution to a presentation to an NHS Trust Executive Board exploring the experiences of autistic staff working within healthcare systems.
It explores the parallels between the experiences of autistic professionals, autistic children and autistic service users as they navigate environments largely shaped by neurotypical expectations.
Drawing on personal, family and professional experience, the reflection considers:
- autistic burnout and fluctuating capacity
• contextual disability within everyday environments
• the impact of neuro-normative expectations within systems
• the importance of including lived experience in shaping services.
Professional Contributions
“Becoming” an Autistic Psychologist in a Neurotypical World
Poster presented at the Teesside University Doctorate in Clinical Psychology Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Conference (2022).
This poster explored reflections on pursuing a career in clinical psychology as an autistic person, drawing on post-identification reflections across training and early professional practice.
It considers themes including:
- navigating professional systems shaped by neurotypical expectations
- social camouflaging and its relationship to burnout
- the challenge of integrating autistic and professional identity
- the importance of adjustments and neuro-inclusive professional environments.
Supporting trainees with disabilities, long-term health conditions and neurodiversity
Supervisor Workshop, Newcastle University Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (2023)
I co-delivered this workshop for clinical psychology supervisors, focusing on how training environments can better support trainees with disabilities, long-term health conditions and neurodivergence.
My contribution centred on lived experience as an autistic trainee and practitioner, exploring the often-unseen challenges of navigating professional training within neuro-normative systems. This included reflections on masking, burnout, fluctuating capacity and the impact of contextual demands within training and clinical roles.
The workshop aimed to support supervisors in developing more responsive, neuro-inclusive approaches — recognising the role of environment, expectations and culture in shaping trainee experience.
Training and Professional Development
As part of my NHS role, I have delivered training and CPD sessions for psychological professionals aimed at supporting more neurodivergence-informed practice within services.
This has included work on:
- Autism and psychosis
- Adapting Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT) for autistic clients
- Working with alexithymia in crisis contexts
- Treating OCD where autism is also present
- The autism and ADHD intersection
The focus of this work is often on bridging the gap between established therapeutic models and the realities of neurodivergent experience — supporting clinicians to think more flexibly, contextually and collaboratively.
While materials from these sessions are not publicly available, this work reflects ongoing involvement in service development, consultation and workforce training.