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Autistic sleuthing: following the trail of the comet in counselling


Illustration from a 1587 treatise on comets and meteors
Illustration from a 1587 treatise on comets and meteors

I secretly always admired detectives in TV programmes when I was growing up. I was envious of Clarice Starling in Silence of the Lambs, following the clues and solving investigations with her psychological sleuthing! I really wanted to be her! But now, when I think back on my life, I realise that actually I have always been a detective – and this is one of the biggest spikes in my autistic profile.


When I was in my twenties (long before I knew I was autistic, but still was autistic!) I read a book called The Long Walk, a ‘true’ story about polish soldier Slavomir Rawicz who fled a Siberian labour camp and hiked to freedom across the Gobi desert and the Himalayas. The story left a lasting impression on me; I used to call it one of my favourite books of all time. A few years after reading the book, I happened to be reading a newspaper and came across a news article about how George Clooney’s production company had acquired the rights to the book and that Slavomir Rawicz was now living in Sandiacre, UK. I caught that instant detective buzz of

Book with title The Long Walk by SLavomir Rawicz

following a lead and decided to phone the local newspaper in Sandiacre to ask if anyone there happened to know him. I managed to find a journalist who had interviewed him in the past and he offered, on my request to contact Slavomir to ask if he’d happy to meet me. Slavomir said yes! So off I went in my yellow mini with some recording equipment I borrowed from a friend, and Slavomir and his wife invited me into their home. We spent the afternoon in his lounge, the tape recorder button on record as I interviewed him about his life. The most important question for me was – “Did you really see a yeti?!” Slavomir answered “People can believe what they want to believe, but I saw what I saw”. It was a joy to be with this lovely couple for the afternoon and as much as I still struggled to believe aspects of his account, I came away with a realisation that that the veracity of the account was not as important as the story itself, which celebrates hope in the face of adversity.


For me, to be autistic is to be Clarice. To have an insatiable motivation for hunting out the story and discovering its most salient points. In the counselling room I sometimes call it ‘following the trail of the comet’.


It’s what got me to the discovery of being autistic. In my private practice as a counsellor, the puzzle offered to me was ‘Why is it that I attune so well to late diagnosed autistic clients?’ So off I went into detective mode, only to discover clues that had been hiding there all along.


I have to admit though that it is also a double-edged sword to have this monotropic hyperfocus, and this is something I discuss with clients regularly – how can we be mindful of the risk of burnout for these types of brains? For me, this bloodhound-focus means that I make sure to offer my brain smaller projects in my downtime so I don’t get burnt out (e.g. making flextangles!).


It’s a trait to be careful of! My brain and nervous system is finely attuned to the subtle details; I pick up on the faintest trails, whether they’re patterns, nuances in conversation, or the energy of a space. My mind locks onto threads with an intensity that is both instinctive and purposeful, piecing together fragments that form a bigger picture. It shows itself most keenly in the counselling room where I immerse myself in the intricate worlds of my clients, decoding nuances as we collaborate together in untangling the puzzles of their lives.


For me, to be autistic is to embrace a life filled with discovery, where every detail, pattern, and nuance holds meaning. It’s not just about solving puzzles but about finding connection, truth, and hope in the process. Whether I’m sitting with a client unravelling the intricacies of their experiences or following my own inner trails of curiosity, I am constantly reminded that this detective spirit is an autistic trait. It allows me to see the world in vivid detail, to honour the beauty of the unsolved mystery, and to revel in the joy of the search itself. Like Clarice, like the bloodhound, like the part of me that finds magic in the unseen—being a seeker is a trait to hold with the utmost care.


For all the people out there whose brains end up in perseveration mode as a result of this spiky profile, I see you! I get it. And when this happens, it’s no longer a blessing but a curse. There are a number of way to approach this, and I’ll do my best to support you with finding ways out! :-)

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