I’m an aspie who is good with people, is this weird?

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I’ve only recently got an ASD diagnosis which was a big surprise. You see, I’ve worked as a psychotherapist for a long time and I’m told I have good empathy, which a lot of people on the spectrum seem to have trouble with.

I’ve always been ultra-sensitive to others emotions, but only with one person at a time. I get overwhelmed counselling couples or running groups. I now work almost exclusively with children, who are more fun and less work to decipher (if a child or a teenager hates you it’s easy to tell, adults are too polite). I think my job is good and I do it well and I really like to help people.

But I'm currently cautious about telling too many people. An autistic therapist almost seems an oxymoron. How would you feel about seeing a therapist on the spectrum, or allowing your kid to see one?

Why would you need to tell them about anything? The therapy is for them, not for you. It isn't about you. I don't mean that in a put-you-down way, I mean they don't need to know, and therapy is all about listening and dealing with their struggles.

How do you feel it would benefit you to tell your colleagues? How much do they know about autism?

Autism doesn't affect empathy. That is just an outdated myth that needs to be demolished. You can have autism and be able to show empathy to others.

^Empathy is impaired in those who suffer with autism, but it's a qualitative, rather than quantitative impairment.


For my own part, I feel rather like the OP in many ways. I'm perfectly able to get along with people when I want to.

I have a long career during which people have found me to be very empathetic and supportive. It is interesting to me that I am very good at relating to people with disabilities, and nonverbal autists...and this is before I realized I was an aspie

I am not good in relating to multiple people at the same time. Parents often interfere with my relating to their autist child than in listening to them

Been in such role for several times now both online and offline, everyone trusted me on certain matters once upon a time. It's no surprise to me.
I can even go beyond that by connecting connections, mediating, cultivating networks, fixing miscommunications (an even bigger irony) and at some point merging social circles.

Sometimes it's a headache, but I do enjoyed doing it.


My own drawbacks though? I'm losing verbal abilities lately, my short term memory got worse and I could barely able to get hold of the bigger picture unlike before.
And I'm asocial in nature. I don't truly sought out these things even if I'm capable and enjoying it.

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I am a highly feeling, empathetic, *expressive* person. I am considered to by "warm". Probably why I had to initially self-diagnose ASD. It came up for me when my more stereotypical *unexpressive* daughter showed ASD traits. Even so, she is also highly empathetic. I guess the idea is that we process empathy differently than NTs, not that we don't have it.

I thought most counselors are in the profession because it's close to their hearts or minds? So you're a perfect fit that way. Funny thing for me: I did the cliché thing and even though I was an engineer, I STUDIED psychology and communication. I got the highest grade on a communication paper: I analyzed meeting my boyfriend's parents for the first time. Perhaps unusual, but valid. When I'm in my element, I am an excellent communicator. When I am out of my element, I got nothing. My personality mostly bounces back and forth from Champion to Mentor, but Counselor comes up from time to time.

There is social awareness that many Professors are ASD. As the "unfeeling" (unexpressive) ASD stereotype is put aside, now perhaps we'll discover that many Counselors are ASD also!

Autism doesn't make you an misanthrope. That's just a stereotype. A LOT of autistic people are people lovers.