In this short video, I explain how I work one to one with someone in a neurodiverse relationship that is suddenly in trouble, and how I fit each session to the way you process.
You can also send me an email
Acute online neurodiverse couples therapy alone is for you if you, your partner or both of you are autistic, have ADHD or are AuDHD, the relationship is in crisis, and you are facing it alone. We meet by video soon, in 1-hour sessions, at an hour that suits your time zone.
We start by calming your own system, so you can think and sleep again. Then we look at what has been happening between two different minds, and plan your next move without panic. It is the one-person form of acute online neurodiverse couples therapy.
You can ask for a free 30-minute call, book a session, read my client policy or write to me.
Acute online neurodiverse couples therapy alone is for you if you or your partner, or both, are autistic, have ADHD or are AuDHD, the relationship has hit a crisis, and you are seeking help on your own.
This page is for one person in the first raw weeks. If something else fits better, follow the link.
You can also send me an email
These reviews describe clients’ experiences of working with me. They come from my wider practice and do not all relate to online sessions. Each person’s experience is their own, and a review does not promise a particular outcome.
“In my experience, the person who comes alone in a neurodiverse crisis is often the one who has been compensating the hardest. You may have learned to read every flicker of your partner’s mood, or to mask your own needs so well that nobody saw them. When the relationship cracks, that effort suddenly has nowhere to go, and you feel both empty and on fire. The first step is not fixing anything. It is letting your system come down far enough that you can see yourself, and your partner, clearly again.”
Mark Colclough, MA, psychotherapist and EFT couples therapist
I am Mark Colclough, MA. I have practised since 2004 and offer online psychotherapy and couples therapy in English.
My training brings together your emotions, your thoughts and your relationships. My deep passion is the moment when what happens between you finally makes sense, to each of you and to each other. I have lived and worked in nine countries, so I know something of life across languages, cultures and borders.
Read about my background, or explore online psychotherapy and online couples therapy.
I meet regularly with experienced psychotherapists to reflect on my work, question my understanding and develop my skills. Supervision is part of the professional care I bring to individual and couples work, including online sessions.
My focus is thoughtful practice, integrity and responsibility.
You are welcome to ask about the kind of support you need.
Tell me where you are based and your time zone. We can then consider whether online sessions together are suitable.
Priya lives in Singapore with Tom, who is autistic. After a stressful move for her job, Tom has gone almost completely silent at home and now sleeps in the spare room. When she asks what is wrong, he says he does not know. Priya has stopped sleeping and keeps rereading old messages, convinced she has ruined everything.
In our first sessions, we focus on Priya: rest, a few quiet evenings and a short written note to Tom about what she has noticed and what she would like. Tom replies two days later, in writing, for the first time in weeks. It is a small opening, and they start from there.
I have presented this clinical example as a compound of 22 years of clinical practice.
The relationship is shaking, your partner is not joining, and your own reserves are nearly gone.
Maybe your partner has pulled away, moved out or refuses to talk about it. Maybe they simply cannot face therapy right now. Whatever the reason, you are the one looking for help.
Working alone can still change a great deal. When one person understands the pattern and steadies themselves, the whole relationship often shifts with them.
Your partner may have gone silent for days, left to stay with family or said they need to be alone. You are left guessing.
We look at what the withdrawal might mean, and decide how and when to reach out without adding to their overload or yours.
Perhaps you have been the planner, the reminder and the translator for years. Now you have nothing left.
We look at how you got here and what you can put down, at least for now.
Many people in neurodiverse relationships go over every conversation again and again, hunting for the moment it broke.
We slow that replay down and turn it into understanding, rather than self-blame.
A recent diagnosis, for you or your partner, can explain a lot and still knock your story of the relationship sideways.
We make room for both the relief and the grief that a diagnosis can bring.
When the relationship is in crisis, work, sleep and self-care tend to collapse at the same time.
We find small, realistic routines that keep you going while the bigger questions wait.
Friends and family may not grasp how autism or ADHD shapes your relationship. Their advice can miss the point entirely.
Here you have someone who knows both neurotypes and does not treat either as the problem.
If this is where you are, request a call or book a session, or write to me if that is easier.
You can also send me an email
Tell me briefly what kind of support you are looking for.
Include your country and time zone so we can discuss whether online work together is possible and find a suitable time.
You do not need to explain your whole story in your first message.
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Calm your system first. Understand the pattern second. Decide last.
Acute online neurodiverse couples therapy alone keeps to that sequence. First we lower your own stress, then we look at the pattern between you and your partner, and only then at the choices in front of you.
We write down a short plan for the coming days: rest, food, quiet time and what you will and will not do in contact with your partner.
Having it in writing helps when your head is full.
Yes. Many people in this place lie awake rehearsing arguments or drafting long messages. We find ways to park those thoughts until morning, and decide together what is worth sending.
We look at how your partner takes in information best: short written messages, clear facts, time to reply. Then we shape what you want to say to fit.
You cannot decide how your partner reacts or whether they come back. You can decide how you communicate, what you ask for and where your limits are.
Once you are steadier, we look at what you want: to repair, to wait or to let go. We break it into small steps, with time to think between them.
Some people go on to online neurodiverse couples therapy alone at a calmer pace. Some invite their partner into joint sessions. Some move towards separation. Whatever you choose, you choose it with a clear head.
You can also send me an email
You do not need a diagnosis, a plan or the right words before we meet.
In the first sessions I listen to what has happened, ask how you are coping and look at how your partner’s mind and yours work.
If another kind of help would serve you better right now, I will say so honestly.
You join for one hour by video. I ask what has happened, how you are sleeping and who supports you. We end with a short written plan for the days ahead.
Yes. You can type, send me notes before a session or take time to answer. Many people find writing helps them say what they really mean.
Usually soon, depending on my calendar that week. Book the earliest open slot, or send me a few lines about what is happening.
In the first weeks, acute online neurodiverse couples therapy alone usually runs at a quicker rhythm than ordinary therapy. As you find your feet, the sessions spread out.
Getting through a crisis like this usually takes several sessions in a short time. A bundle gives you a predictable plan and a lower price per session. The bundle cards below show the options.
You are sleeping again, you can face a working day and you can think about your partner without being flooded. That is when we look at the longer term.
Not sure acute online neurodiverse couples therapy alone is your page? Here are the closest options.
| Option | Choose it when | Pace |
|---|---|---|
| Acute online neurodiverse couples therapy alone (this page) | Your neurodiverse relationship is in crisis and you are facing it alone. | 1-hour sessions, frequent at first |
| Acute online neurodiverse couples therapy | Your partner is willing to take part. | 2-hour sessions with breaks |
| Online neurodiverse couples therapy alone | Things are hard but not acute. | 1-hour sessions every few weeks |
| Acute online couples therapy alone | Neurodivergence is not part of the picture. | 1-hour sessions, frequent at first |
It is short, structured support by video for one person in a neurodiverse relationship that is in crisis, when the partner is not joining. We steady you, make sense of the pattern and plan your next step. I offer it in English, wherever you live.
Yes. Whether you are autistic, have ADHD or are AuDHD yourself, this page is for you. We look at how your own mind works under stress and what you need right now.
Yes. Many people come because their partner is neurodivergent and they want to understand what is happening. I help you see their side without losing sight of your own needs.
No. A suspicion, a self-identified neurotype or a recent assessment is enough. What matters is how things work in daily life.
Yes. Understanding how your partner experiences the world often eases a great deal of hurt. I will also help you see where your own needs have gone unmet.
Yes. When they are ready, joint acute online neurodiverse couples therapy or calmer online neurodiverse couples therapy can follow. What you learn alone carries over.
Not for our work. You join from wherever you are, and the calendar shows times in your own time zone. Distance can add strain, and we take it into account.
It varies. Some people feel steadier after a few sessions, others want close support for several weeks. We review together as we go.
Sessions alone last one hour, online. Current fees, in US dollars, are on my prices page, and a therapy bundle saves you 10 per cent.
Book the earliest open session directly, or ask for a free 30-minute call. If writing is easier than talking, send me a message.
You can also send me an email
I want therapy to help you understand your experience and make choices you can use in everyday life. We pay attention to feelings, needs and the responses that happen before you have time to think.
Our online room should offer enough trust and honesty to explore what is difficult. I bring attention and professional judgement. You bring your experience, questions and the right to say when something does not fit.
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P.S. I’ll call you in a bit!
