“By bearing witness to each other’s stories, we validate and give meaning to our own experiences.” Yalom (2005)

A small, neurodiversity-affirming therapy group for autistic adults—exploring sensory and emotional experiences, energy and capacity, relationships, masking, everyday challenges and sense of self with people who may understand them from the inside.
Co-facilitated by two psychologists.

This group may suit you if any of these feel familiar:

You are late-diagnosed, self-identified or still making sense of what autism means for you.

You experience sensory overwhelm or find it difficult to recognise what your body is telling you.

You want to better understand your emotions and capacity.

Social situations, communication demands or masking can leave you exhausted.

You would like practical approaches to everyday challenges, including executive functioning, relationships, boundaries and self-advocacy.

You want to explore your autistic identity without pressure to feel or think about autism in a particular way.

You are interested in learning alongside other autistic adults in a small, supportive group over 10 weeks.

Is this for me?

Upcoming Autism Group Program – Secure Your Spot

In-person in Fitzroy | Small group size (up to 7 participants)

Join our 10-week group program for autistic adults in a supportive, reflective, and engaging environment.

Now accepting expressions of interest for the upcoming program starting in September 2026.

Sessions run weekly on Mondays from 6:30pm to 8:30pm.

Register Your Interest

Program Overview

This 10-week, in-person program combines structured psychological information with guided reflection, experiential activities and learning through shared experience.

Each session introduces a theme relevant to autistic adult life. Participants are invited to consider how it relates to their own experiences, hear different perspectives and explore strategies that may be useful in everyday life. The group is aimed to help you identify which strategies genuinely support you, which may be contributing to exhaustion, and where you may have more choice—so life can feel more manageable, sustainable and more on your terms.

Learning also occurs through taking part in the group—by exploring communication preferences, practising boundaries, encountering different perspectives and making sense of experiences that may be shared by others.

Participants may gain support and insight from their peers while also recognising the value of their own perspectives and contributions. Participation is encouraged but not forced: you may take time to process, pass on a question or activity, use sensory supports or take a brief break when needed.

What we’ll cover?

Setting personally meaningful goals and understanding your autistic experience

Emotion regulation, stress, sensory sensitivities, and autistic burnout

Identity, masking, and moving toward authentic self-expression

Self-advocacy, communication, and executive functioning in daily life

Social connection, relationships, and building a life aligned with your values

Reflecting on your journey and planning your next steps

How it works?

  1. Register your interest (see form below)— we’ll get in touch.

  2. Brief intake call — a low-pressure chat to confirm fit and answer questions

  3. Start — no preparation is required; we set clear group agreements and pacing together.

Have more questions?

If you’re looking for the practical details — fees, MHCP rebates, NDIS options, and other common questions —

you’ll find them in the FAQ below. You can also meet the team in the co-facilitators’ bios at the bottom of the page.

Registration Form

Please complete the form below. Simone or Yan will contact you for a brief intake conversation to assess whether the program is a good fit. Submitting the form does not guarantee or commit you to a place. Enrolment is confirmed after the conversation and mutual agreement.

FAQs

  • This program was co-designed by Dr Simone Mizzi and Dr Yan Yang after they recognised a gap in therapy group programs for autistic adults. Since planning began in 2024, they have continued to refine the program through participant feedback, facilitator observations and ongoing reflection. The current 10-week format reflects this continued development and a growing understanding of what participants find most useful, affirming and practical.

  • Individual therapy offers a private space to focus on your own experiences, while group therapy provides something different: the opportunity to learn alongside others and notice how you communicate, connect and respond within a supportive, structured setting.

    Participants may discover that experiences they once viewed as personal failures are shared by others. They can also encounter useful strategies developed by peers, hear different perspectives on communication, relationships and identity, and explore ways of relating that feel more natural and sustainable.

    Group therapy can complement individual therapy. During the intake process, you will have an opportunity to speak with Simone or Yan, the psychologists who facilitate the program, about whether the group is likely to be a good fit for you.

  • The group is open to autistic adults aged 18 and over. Participants may come from different backgrounds, but share an interest in understanding themselves better, learning from others and making sense of experiences that may feel familiar.

    You do not need to know exactly how to participate or connect with everyone from the beginning. Simone and Yan will guide the discussions and help ensure that everyone has space to take part in a way that feels comfortable. The aim is to create an inclusive setting where shared experiences offer recognition and different perspectives can open up new ways of understanding yourself.

  • Connections may develop naturally, but the group is a structured psychological program that goes beyond friendship or conventional social-skills training.

    Social experiences are explored through mutual understanding, communication preferences, boundaries, relationships and self-advocacy. The group setting also creates opportunities to deepen self-understanding and practise new ways of communicating and relating that feel authentic and useful.

  • Not necessarily. Some anxiety about joining is understandable, particularly after difficult experiences in other social settings. 

    The program uses a small group, predictable structure and clear expectations. Participants can pass on questions, use sensory supports, take brief breaks and discuss access needs with the facilitators beforehand.

    The intake conversation will help determine whether these supports are sufficient for your circumstances.

  • The program is not a crisis service and does not provide intensive individual support.

    A different or additional service may be recommended when someone is experiencing acute risk, severe instability or support needs that cannot be safely met within the group. This will be discussed respectfully during the intake process.

  • The full cost of the 10-week program is:

    • Standard rate: $220 per session ($2200 for the full program)

    • Reduced rate: $180 per session ($1800 for the full program) — limited concession places available

    Medicare Rebates

    Participants with a Mental Health Care Plan are eligible for a Medicare rebate of $70.05 per session, reducing out-of-pocket costs.

    NDIS Participants

    Self-managed and plan-managed NDIS participants may be able to use their funding to cover the cost of the program. Please contact us if you’d like support with this process.

Dr Simone Mizzi is a registered clinical psychologist with experience in both the private and public sector. As an active researcher, she has contributed to large-scale projects aimed at gaining deeper insights into the experiences of autistic individuals in Australia. Drawing from both her research and clinical work, Simone has identified acceptance and connection as important components in navigating autistic identity. These insights have played a pivotal role in shaping the development of this neuroaffirming program for autistic adults.

Dr Yan Yang is a registered psychologist in Australia and the UK. Her commitment to supporting neurodivergent adults developed through her work in the public sector and private practice. There she has grown a more nuanced understanding of the resilience, strengths, and core values of autistic clients who experience significant psychosocial and physical health challenges. In collaboration with Dr. Mizzi, she co-designed this program to bring together a small group of autistic adults, exploring key aspects of their lives and identities through a reflective, strengths-based approach.