Many women in California and Tennessee discover they are autistic in adulthood. Sometimes this happens after one of their own children receives a diagnosis. Sometimes it happens after encountering descriptions of autistic women that feel unexpectedly familiar. That’s what happened to me! And sometimes it happens after years of therapy that addressed anxiety or depression without ever quite explaining the deeper pattern.

Realizing you may be autistic later in life can bring a complicated mix of emotions—relief, grief, anger, confusion, or a sense that many past experiences suddenly make more sense.

In my work with late-diagnosed autistic women across California and Tennessee, therapy often focuses on helping people understand how years of masking and adaptation shaped their lives and relationships.