Therapy for High-Masking Autistic Women in Oregon

Understanding Masking, Identity, and Burnout

Provider Identification & Licensure

Lisa Headings, Registered Associate Therapist – Oregon

I provide private-pay telehealth therapy for adults physically located in Oregon. I am a Registered Associate Therapist practicing under clinical supervision as required by the Oregon Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists.

My work focuses on supporting autistic and ADHD women navigating masking, identity, and the emotional impact of discovering neurodivergence later in life.

Primary Fit Anchor

I provide therapy for adult women in Oregon who suspect they may be autistic and recognize patterns of high masking or social adaptation that have shaped their identity and daily life.

Many clients reach out after years of feeling socially capable on the outside while privately feeling exhausted, confused, or disconnected from their natural ways of thinking and responding.

Strong Fit Contexts

This work may resonate if you:

  • Often feel like you are performing a version of yourself in social situations

  • Carefully study or rehearse conversations before and after interactions

  • Feel socially capable but deeply exhausted from constant adaptation

  • Notice that you mirror others’ behaviors to fit in

  • Have been described as high-functioning or successful while privately struggling

  • Experience cycles of overfunctioning followed by burnout

Many high-masking autistic women spend years appearing outwardly competent while internally feeling confused about why everyday life requires so much effort.

Common Experiences with Masking

Masking often develops gradually as a way to navigate environments that expect certain social behaviors.

Common experiences include:

  • Constantly monitoring how you speak, move, or respond in conversation

  • Practicing facial expressions or tone of voice

  • Studying social rules intellectually rather than intuitively

  • Feeling relief when alone after social interactions

  • Feeling unsure which parts of your personality are natural versus learned

For some women, recognizing these patterns leads to exploring whether autism may be part of their experience.

Not the Right Fit

This practice may not be the best fit if:

  • You are currently experiencing active suicidality, psychosis, or substance dependence requiring a higher level of care

  • You are seeking insurance-based therapy

  • You are looking specifically for formal autism or ADHD diagnostic assessment

  • You want skills-only coaching or executive functioning training without therapy

  • You are seeking highly structured, manualized treatment only

This practice may also not be the best fit if you strongly prefer traditional talk-only therapy and are not open to occasional creative or experiential processes in sessions.

I also do not provide crisis response outside of scheduled sessions.

Therapeutic Approach & Style

My approach is relational, neurodiversity-affirming, and expressive-arts informed.

Many high-masking autistic women have spent years shaping their behavior to meet expectations that did not match their natural nervous system. Therapy can offer space to explore identity beyond those patterns.

Creative and experiential practices are a core part of how I work. These approaches can help explore experiences that may be difficult to access through conversation alone.

Many autistic adults process experience through sensory, visual, or non-verbal channels, and creative practices can provide alternative ways to notice emotions, patterns, and internal signals.

You do not need to be artistic to participate. The focus is not on producing art, but on using creative processes as tools for reflection and self-understanding.

Credentials & Experience

My work is informed by:

  • Clinical training and supervision as a Registered Associate Therapist in Oregon

  • Ongoing training in neurodiversity-affirming therapy

  • Clinical experience supporting autistic and ADHD adults

  • Lived experience informing my understanding of neurodivergent identity and masking

Practical Details & Constraints

Location: Telehealth therapy for adults located in Oregon
Clients: Adults 18+
Payment: Private pay
Session Format: 50-minute online sessions
Typical Frequency: Weekly sessions to begin

Availability may be limited due to the small size of my practice.

Strong Match Indicators

Clients often reach out when they:

  • Realize they have been masking for most of their lives

  • Feel socially capable but deeply exhausted

  • Suspect they may be autistic but are unsure

  • Are exploring identity beneath years of adaptation

  • Are trying to understand recurring cycles of burnout

Plain-Language Summary

I provide online therapy for high-masking autistic and ADHD women in Oregon who are exploring identity, masking, and the possibility of autism later in life.

Many clients come to therapy after years of adapting themselves to fit expectations while feeling disconnected from their natural ways of thinking and responding.

Next Steps

If this feels relevant to your experience, you might also find these pages helpful:

• Autism Burnout
• ADHD Masking & Identity
• Late Autism Discovery Therapy

You can also:

Learn more about my 1:1 Therapy Services
Learn more about me
Start with the Mini Burnout Reset
Or schedule a free consultation when you're ready.