Who We Are
Our Story: From Lived Experience to Professional Change
Hi, we are Carolyn and Sarah
We met years ago while training to be counsellors. We didn't just find colleagues in each other; we found a rare kind of safety and acceptance. As two women living with ADHD—one diagnosed, one self-diagnosed—our lives have been a mirror of the joys and the deep-seated traumas that come with being neurodivergent in a world not built for us.
We’ve navigated the exhaustion of parenting neurodivergent daughters, the pain of being overlooked, and the weight of being misdiagnosed. We founded Authentically Us CIC to ensure that the current generation of women has a place to go where they are understood without judgment or the hurdle of a formal diagnosis.
Our Mission for Change
We know that the systems meant to support us are often overwhelmed. That’s why we act as a vital "overflow" for the NHS, GPs, and local charities—providing low-cost, trauma-informed counselling that bridges the gap for women who might otherwise fall through the cracks.
But we don’t just want to support women within the current system; we want to change the system itself.
Working Toward a Neuro-Inclusive Future
Beyond the therapy room, we partner with workplaces, civil services, and community organisations. We provide training, talks, and consultancy to help businesses move beyond "awareness" toward true accommodation. We believe a forward-thinking society is one that values the uniqueness of neurodiversity as both normal and necessary.
Meet Us
Carolyn Ley
MBACP
Founder & Director
I hold a BSc in Counselling and Psychotherapy and am dedicated to working directly with clients. My professional approach is informed by a commitment to creating a truly understanding and congruent space for growth.
My work is underpinned by an enhanced ability to support neurodivergent clients through all life transitions, including the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and menopause. Hormonal shifts, particularly the drop in estrogen during the luteal phase and perimenopause, can significantly intensify neurodivergent traits. This can make long-established coping strategies feel ineffective, leading to a breakdown of executive function, sensory overwhelm, and emotional dysregulation. This hormonal sensitivity often manifests as conditions like Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD), which is highly prevalent in autistic women, or severe perimenopausal symptoms such as intensified brain fog, anxiety, and a sense of losing control. I provide a therapeutic space that validates this unique biological reality and builds a foundation of congruence and shared understanding.
Alongside private practice, I have significant experience working with national charities, specifically in roles focused on suicide prevention strategies. This includes providing support services to the recently bereaved and individuals experiencing suicidal ideation. This work offers valuable insight into the critical challenges clients often experience, such as trauma, compassion fatigue, vicarious trauma, and burnout.
The primary focus of my practice is client-centered work. While respecting that your experience is unique, my role is to help you navigate your way towards a wider understanding and a stronger sense of self-identity. If you are a neurodiverse woman seeking a congruent and deeply understanding space for growth, I invite you to reach out.
Founder & Director
Sarah Conti
MNCPS (Acc)
My journey into the world of psychology began at the kitchen table. As a stay-at-home mother watching my daughters grow, I became fascinated by the distinct ways they moved through the world. This curiosity led me to a BSc in Psychology, deepening my understanding of how the brain and body influence our choices, our relationships, and our very sense of self.
It was during my subsequent counselling training—where I first met Carolyn—that the mirror was turned toward me. As I studied the human experience, I began to toy with a realisation that would change everything: I, too, was neurodivergent. For years, I had "achieved," but always at a significantly higher cost than my peers. I had spent a lifetime unknowingly constructing elaborate accommodations just to "adult" and parent, masking the impulsiveness and the internal chaos of disorganisation.
The true turning point arrived when both of my daughters were recognised as neurodivergent in their teens. Seeing the genetic thread was the final piece of the puzzle, but it was the onset of perimenopause that truly dismantled my ability to "cope." Already highly sensitive to noise, textures, and bodily sensations, I found myself submerged in a sea of overwhelm, hot flushes, and brain fog. My "window of tolerance" vanished, and I no longer recognised the person I saw in the mirror. It was this transition that eventually led me to seek a formal diagnosis and medication —not as a label of deficit, but as a long-overdue act of self-acceptance and clarity.
My professional background includes intensive work within the fields of sexual abuse and violence, which, combined with my training, and research into the "hormonal cliff" neurodivergent women face, allows me to offer a truly holistic approach. I understand how neurodiversity in women is often dismissed and I am passionate about moving past those tropes to the scientific and lived reality of how our brains function.
I aim to meet you in your own experience. Whether you are seeking to work through past trauma, understand your diagnosis, or celebrate the woman you are becoming, I offer a congruent, informed space for that growth. If my story sounds familiar to you, I invite you to get in touch.
