Alicia Danforth, PhD

Thank you for visiting my website. Due to recent increased demands for mental health care, my practice is full. I am currently not accepting new clients or providing informational consultations, and I do not keep a wait list. For information about a free referral service headquartered at Stanford that maintains a database of services in the Bay Area for autistic adults, click here.

Autism-friendly Therapy: You do not need to be fixed.  

You are not broken, but difficulties navigating the social world might be a source of anxiety, confusion, disappointment, fear, or sadness for you.

You don’t need an official autism spectrum or Asperger’s diagnosis to benefit from working with a therapist who knows how to connect with adults (age 18+) who have autistic traits. We might be a good match if:

• You have a recent or late diagnosis and would like to explore your new autistic identity.
• You have questioned for some time if you might be on the autism spectrum and are ready to take next steps to find out.
• Your autistic traits are not always readily apparent to others, so you feel pressured to “just know” all of the unwritten rules of socializing or getting along with co-workers.
• Maybe you’re a woman on the spectrum who was told, “autism is for boys,” or you have become burned out by trying to “act normal” to fit in.
• You could benefit from some extra help transitioning to college or independent living.
• Many of my clients on the autism spectrum are also exploring their identities along the broad spectrums of gender and sexuality.
• You have a partner or family member on the spectrum and would like to learn how you can relate better.
• Someone in your family got a diagnosis and you’re realizing now that you might be on the spectrum, too.

If you feel ready to form a supportive alliance with someone who knows how to listen to adults on the autism spectrum, I want to help you feel more comfortable in social settings so you can have more fulfilling connections at home, at work, in your community, and with yourself.

You won’t waste your time in the office explaining autism to me. I have worked with autistic adults with social anxiety in clinical research settings. That’s where I learned how to support autistic preferences in therapy, and I want to share effective tools and strategies for overcoming social barriers with you.

To avoid conflicts of interest, I do not provide assessment for autism diagnosis, but have a referral network of quaified neuropsychologists and specialists who have experience working with adults in the Bay Area.

Keywords: Autism, Asperger’s, Therapy, Adult, Women, Teen, Social Anxiety, Diagnosis, Anxiety, Depression, Grief, Trauma, South Bay, Los Gatos, Neurodiversity