Welcome!

Here's where you'll find online courses just for neurodiverse couples

If one of you is autistic, or if one of you might be, 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 and 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

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

---and to offer you tips and strategies for improving your communication skills

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.

A little background information

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, visit my professional website, TheNeurodiverseCouple.com, where you'll also find additional information.

My full bio including a photo appears at the bottom of this page.

I write a newsletter for neurodiverse couples and I also provide online workshops and support groups. These are available to subscribers. SarahSwensonLMHC.Substack.com.

About the courses

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

The courses are audio and accompanying slides with key words and concepts, so you can listen anywhere on any device. Many share their courses with their partners.

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

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.

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

Course Previews

Audio introductions to the courses


Sorting It All Out

Challenges to Love and Intimacy

Maybe My Partner Is Autistic

These can also be found here on my YouTube Channel

Click to enroll

My Subscription Newsletter

$60 for a year or $7 monthly

If you'd like to receive regular emails, you might want to subscribe to my Substack which is also called The Neurodiverse Couple. I write articles, present online workshops, provide information regarding comunication strategies, offer support groups, review books and video, and recommend experts in the field with a goal of offering you sound clinical information about neurodiversity and the experience of both partners in neurodiverse relationships. Free subscribers have access to everything but the groups and workshops, which are only for paid subscribers. $60 for a year or $7 monthly.
Click Here for Link to Newsletter

The courses described below are in development.

Add your email to the mailing list to receive notifications when new courses are available.

Thank You

Communication Skills and Strategies: 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

Talking to Your Partner about Neurodiversity: 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

If You Have Children: The challenges are unique. What do the children in neurodiverse families experience and what do they 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

Your Life, Love, and Sense of Self: Many women in neurodiverse relationships lose their sense of personal identify over time. Guilt, shame, depression can seem overwhelming. How and why does this happen? 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

Talking to Friends and Family: What are the considerations for bringing up the topic of neurodiversity in your relationship? This is especially challenging if you've been misunderstood or misjudged by friends or family in the past. We'll take a look at 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

Looking Forward Toward Your Future : 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

About me

and why I create these courses for you

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

I write as a Topic Expert for Autism for GoodTherapy.org where will find my therapist profile and many additional articles I have written. Asperger's is no longer a clinical diagnosis in the USA and is now part of Autism Spectrum Disorder. 

I am also a member of Mensa.

Sarah Swenson LMHC

The Neurodiverse Couple © 2024 Swenson Coaching LLC. All Rights Reserved.