The Neurodiverse Couple

Education, insight, and guidance for couples in which one partner is or may be autistic | TheNeurodiverseCouple.com | Sarah Swenson LMHC

Welcome!

Here's where you'll find online courses developed just for you

If one of you is or might be autistic, you already know it can be difficult to find resources or support to help you figure things out. Sometimes, it’s confusing even to know which questions to ask. 

My goal with these courses is to offer you sound clinical information as well to introduce new skills and strategies you can practice that will help improve communication and understanding in your relationship. 

Derived from my many years of working as a therapist with neurodiverse couples, the information in these courses is designed

---to help you sort out any confusion you may have; 

---to show you that developing understanding and compassion toward your partner will lead to compassion for yourself;

---and to help you chart a path toward healing that may not seem possible at the moment.


You want to understand your relationship

You’re not here to criticize or demonize your partner.

You understand that challenges in any relationship happen between two partners, not because of one partner or the other.

You want to know what you both can do to create harmony and a feeling of connection in your relationship.

About me and how I can be helpful to you

Through my coaching practice, I work with couples in all states and around the world. I am a licensed therapist in Washington. To see the difference between therapy and coaching, you are welcome to visit my professional website, TheNeurodiverseCouple.com, which also contains a great deal of additional information.

Also, I write a weekly newsletter and also provide online workshops and a podcast. You are welcome to visit and subscribe to The Neurodiverse Couple at SarahSwensonLMHC.Substack.com.

About the courses

A course runs approximately three hours. It is divided into smaller segments which makes it easy for you to stop at any point and to review previous segments. Once you purchase a course,  you will have unlimited access to it.

The courses are audio accompanying slides that contain key words and concepts, so you can listen to them anywhere. You are welcome to share any course you purchase with your partner.

Each three-hour course costs $250. The fee for the equivalent time for coaching or therapy for a couple in my office is $1000.

What you can expect

These courses present a comprehensive approach to the neurodiverse relationship with a focus on your needs and experience. Topics covered in each course include specific reference to the following:

  • An exploration of neurodiversity: What is autism? What does it mean to be neurotypical?

  • Your unique experience: Why is your relationship so challenging? Why are you so lonely? Why is it so difficult to explain to friends and family?

  • Effective communication strategies to enhance your relationship

  • Guidance regarding choices you have for creating a sound and healthy future

Course 1 - Sorting It All Out: The Neurotypical and Autistic Worlds

We explore the subject of neurodiversity as it applies to a couple in which one partner is or may be autistic. This includes both what it means to be autistic and what it means to be neurotypical. You will see the differences in how you each view reality and experience the world, and begin to understand how these differences affect your relationship. The course runs 3 hours 20 minutes, equivalent to four one-on-one sessions. View the introduction. Enroll below. $250.
Watch Intro Video

Introduction to the Course: Sorting It All Out

Course 2 - The Neurodiverse Relationship: Challenges to Love and Intimacy

We discuss what I call The Tragic Dance of the Neurodiverse Couple: love, conflicting emotions, unspoken expectations, and your sex life in light of what can change and what cannot. The course runs three hours, which is equivalent to four one-on-one sessions. View the Introduction to determine whether this course would be helpful to you. Enroll below. $250.
Watch Intro Video

Introduction to the Course: Challenges to Love and Intimacy

Course 3 - Maybe My Partner Is Autistic

This is an exploration of behaviors and attitudes that might help you discern whether to consider autism in your partner. It is educational for you and not meant to be diagnostic. It is a place to start if you're unsure and would like to understand autism as a root of behaviors you may not understand. Covers the main areas of potential conflict in the neurodiverse relationship to see whether they may be present in yours. This course runs three hours and is equivalent to four one-on-one sessions. Click to view the introduction, which will help you decide whether this course might be of interest to you. Enroll below. $250
Watch Intro Video

Introduction to the Course: Maybe My Partner Is Autistic

Enroll Here

click on an image to enroll

The following courses are in development and will be available as they are completed

Course 3 - Communication Skills and Strategies

COMING SOON: We cover why you're so frustrated when you try to express your feelings; the verbal and nonverbal aspects of communication; the structure of argument; differences in processing times; how to break through old communication patterns and establish new ones. This course runs two hours. $250

Course 4 - Talking to Your Partner about Autism: Where Do You Start?

COMING SOON: What might you expect? What are your own expectations? What are your goals? And what if it doesn't go well? You'll understand how to create the best environment for successful conversation. This course runs two hours. $250

Course 5: If You Have Children

COMING SOON: The challenges are unique. What do the children need from you? We talk about children at home and children who are now out on their own. Are you wondering whether your children are on the spectrum? We also discuss broken relationships with adult children. This course runs two hours. $250

Course 6 - Your Life, Love, and Sense of Self

COMING SOON: Many women in neurodiverse relationships lose their sense of personal identify over time. Guilt, shame, depression can follow, overwhelming her. What happened? We will look at the woman you used to be and discuss ways to welcome her back into your life. This course runs two hours. $250

Course 7 - Talking to Friends and Family

COMING SOON: What are the considerations for bringing things up? This is especially challenging when you've been misunderstood or misjudged in the past. We'll talk about the very personal decision regarding what to disclose, why, when, and to whom. I'll also discuss privacy, both yours and your partner's. This course runs two hours. $250

Course 8 - Looking Forward Toward Your Future

COMING SOON: Deciding where to go from here requires a frank appraisal of what you can live with and what you cannot live without. We explore these questions and consider possibilities for reformatting your relationship. A new territory requires a new map, but this doesn't always mean divorce. This course runs two hours. $250

Your Instructor

Licensed Mental Health Counselor

Sarah Swenson

For many years, I have had the privilege of working with neurodiverse couples as a therapist in Seattle. I created an international online coaching practice to support these couples around the world. The other focus of my practice is working with high intelligence. Because there are not many therapists or coaches specialized in this unique and complex field, I offer these classes to make sound clinically-based information and guidance available to everyone. If you're interested in learning about my coaching practice in support of neurodiverse couples, please visit TheNeurodiverseCouple.com for complete information about my practice and how to schedule an appointment. Availability is limited. That's one of the main reasons why I offer these courses.

Questions You May Have

  • How long will I have access to my course?

    Once you enroll, you will have permanent access. You may log in and out as your schedule permits and there is no limit on how much time you spend in a course.

  • What if a course is not what I expected it to be?

    Your experience in my courses is of utmost importance to me. If you're not satisfied, please let me know immediately and I will issue a refund.

  • Now that I've learned from your courses, how can I find a coach or a therapist to work with?

    I suggest using one of the directories such as GoodTherapy.org or PsychologyToday.com. Search for someone who understands neurodiversity, both the autistic and neurotypical ways of being in the world, not only academically and clinically, but also from personal experience. I encourage you to ask a prospective therapist or coach specific questions about their experience so you can make an informed decision. Conventional therapeutic modalities designed for neurotypical couples tend to be ineffective with neurodiverse couples.

  • Are you my therapist?

    I offer these courses as education. Taking a course on this site doesn't create a professional relationship between us.

A Few of My Published Articles

to show you how I approach various topics

Identifying the Partner of Someone who May Be Autistic: They're Usually Misdiagnosed

How to Deal with Loneliness in a Relationship when One Partner is Autistic

Married with Undiagnosed Asperger's: Why Women Who Leave Lose Twice

The Blameless Burden: Scapegoating in Dysfunctional Families

Learning to Trust Again after Gaslighting

This is When You Think You're Crazy

Is It Still Gaslighting if My Partner Has Asperger's?


I write as a Topic Expert for Autism for GoodTherapy.org where will find my therapist profile and many additional articles I have written.

Sarah Swenson LMHC

The Neurodiverse Couple

© 2024 Swenson Coaching LLC. All Rights Reserved. All artwork is my own.