Dr. Emma Offord: Navigating an autism diagnosis later in life

Welcome back to Dial Emma and a very happy new year to you all!

Each week, I'll be answering your dilemmas with honesty, empathy, and a few therapeutic truth bombs to help you make sense of life's stickiest moments. If you've ever wished you had a therapist in your back pocket, Dial Emma is here to help.

This week, I'm joined by Dr. Emma Offord, a clinical psychologist, neurodivergence specialist and founder of Divergent Life. We're unpacking a dilemma from a listener who has been diagnosed with autism at 38. The diagnosis initially brought her relief, but now the dust has settled, she has been left with a sense of being unmoored from everything she once knew.

How does this listener find her authentic self again, after a life spent blurring her true identity by people-pleasing and masking?

In this episode, we discuss the challenges of receiving a neurodivergent diagnosis later in life, the complexities of identity, the societal expectations that contribute to masking, and the importance of self-acceptance and understanding our own sensory needs. Dr. Emma Offord also emphasises the need for a supportive community during the process of unmasking and embracing who we truly are.

If you have a dilemma for Emma, please fill out this form.

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Dial Emma is hosted by Emma Reed Turrell, produced by Lauren Brook.

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