Elaine Nicholson MBE Founder and CEO, Action for Neurodiversity | Counsellor & Body Psychotherapist Elaine Nicholson MBE is an internationally recognised autism specialist, counsellor, and body psychotherapist with more than two decades of clinical experience supporting autistic individuals and their families. She is the Founder and CEO of Action for Neurodiversity, the world's first specialist neurodiversity counselling charity, established to provide autism-informed therapeutic support across the lifespan. A BACP-registered counsellor and UKCP-accredited body psychotherapist, Elaine holds a Master's degree in Autism and has dedicated her career to understanding the complex relationship between autism, emotional wellbeing, relationships, identity, and shame. Her work integrates contemporary neuroscience, attachment theory, and embodied psychotherapy with a deeply neurodiversity-affirming approach. Elaine is widely respected for her pioneering contribution to autism-specialist counselling and has worked with thousands of autistic children, adults, couples, and families. She is a sought-after speaker, trainer, and author whose work challenges outdated deficit-based models of autism and promotes a compassionate understanding of autistic experience. In this presentation, "Autism and Shame: Understanding the Hidden Impact," Elaine explores how shame develops in autistic individuals, the profound effect it can have on mental health and relationships, and how connection, understanding, and neurodiversity-affirming support can foster healing and resilience.
