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London is one of the most dynamic and demanding cities in the world. For the professionals who power it — from finance and law to technology, healthcare and the creative industries — the pressures of city life can take a serious toll on mental health.
At London Trusted Therapy, they work with professionals across every sector. They know that the mental health challenges faced in the workplace are real, complex, and often go unaddressed for far too long.
High-performance cultures celebrate productivity and results, but they rarely make space for vulnerability. Many London professionals experience burnout, anxiety, stress and depression for months or even years before seeking support. By the time they do, the impact on their health, relationships and career can be significant.
Common workplace mental health challenges they see at LTT include burnout and chronic stress, performance anxiety, imposter syndrome, conflict in professional settings, difficulty managing emotional triggers at work, and the strain of leadership and high responsibility.
Different industries carry distinct psychological pressures. Financial services and investment banking face high performance culture, long hours and market volatility. Legal and professional services contend with perfectionism, billable hour pressure and adversarial environments. Technology and start-ups bring rapid scaling, founder pressure and always-on culture. Healthcare workers navigate patient care pressure and the emotional burden of their work. Each of these environments shapes the type of support a professional needs.
Effective support for professionals goes beyond stress management tips. At LTT, they offer individual therapy for professionals, executive coaching, leadership resilience support, and corporate mental health programmes for organisations. They also provide specialist coaching to help individuals navigate conversations with their employers about workplace adjustments.
Their approach is evidence-based, confidential and tailored to the demands of professional life. Sessions are available in person at Harley Street and online, with flexible scheduling to suit busy diaries.
One of the most consistent themes in LTT's work with London professionals is the erosion of boundaries. Learning to say no effectively, managing communication expectations, protecting personal time and space — these are not luxuries. They are the foundations of sustainable performance and long-term wellbeing.
Mindfulness practices for busy schedules, breathing exercises for high-pressure moments, and prioritisation strategies for overwhelming workloads are all practical tools their therapists work with. But lasting change comes from deeper work: understanding your emotional triggers, developing self-awareness, and building psychological resilience.
Visit LTT at: https://londontrustedtherapy.com/
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THE PRESSURES OF MODERN LIFE
Dr Rai from The London General Practice discusses the effects of stress on the body and how this can become a problematic condition.
We all know the feeling, be it at work or at home; there’s just not enough time, and too much to do. Demanding deadlines in an unforgiving world where we’re always contactable and everyone expects an immediate response. Stress affects us all; a little pressure can be good, making us more alert and responsive, but too much leads to declining performance, fatigue and potentially an inability to function. Dr Angela Rai, London’s leading Longevity Doctor with dual expertise in Cardiology and Anti‑Ageing Medicine, applies her cutting‑edge longevity and preventative health experience to the understanding of fatigue. “In some respects, stress and anxiety are subjective measures and the outcome is dependent on several factors including the subjects own personal resilience. However, what we do know is that there are strong physiological links between stress, anxiety, and an individual’s ability to function correctly. It’s important to realise that there are direct links between stress (which can feel like an intangible concept) and our medical health and wellbeing, resulting in real discernible changes to how we perform. We also know that there are several factors which may make a person more susceptible to becoming severely impacted by stress or anxiety. These include their lifestyle, sleep patterns, alcohol, workload, underlying physical health as well as genetic or hereditary pre-dispositions. Through our work with patients and organisations we provide consultations including screens for underlying medical issues, as well as give practical advice on relaxation, exercise, nutrition and sleep. There are also medical interventions which can be appropriate in some instances.”
Dr Rai also advocates thinking of our personal resilience’ as a fixed resource. We may feel that the best way to deal with a stressful day is to hit the gym, or go for a run – burning off the tensions of the day. However, if our reserves are already depleted as a result of prolonged stress then moderate or light exercise may be more beneficial, aiding recovery and guarding against further illness or injury.
Whilst this is a complex area there is a lot that can be done to help identify the issues and proactively implement changes in order to reduce the consequences of stress.
The London General Practice provides a wide range of Private Medical Services including helping individuals and organisations understand and deal with stress.
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Do you lie in bed, exhausted but wide awake, your mind racing with thoughts that won’t stop? You get things done, meet deadlines, smile in meetings — but inside, it’s chaos. If that sounds familiar, you may be living with high-functioning anxiety — a condition that often goes unnoticed but takes a deep emotional toll.
High-functioning anxiety isn’t a clinical diagnosis, but it’s very real. People who experience it often appear calm and successful on the outside, but behind closed doors, they struggle with:
Because these individuals can “perform well,” their distress is often dismissed — even by themselves.
If you can’t stop thinking — especially at night — it’s not just stress. Your brain may be stuck in a loop of anticipatory fear and perfectionism. Without tools to interrupt the cycle, the anxiety only grows stronger.
Left unaddressed, high-functioning anxiety can lead to burnout, physical illness, or even depression. That’s why early support is vital.
At London Trusted Therapy Harley Street, they understand the unique pressure faced by professionals and high achievers. Their therapists create a safe, confidential space for you to
They offer flexible appointments both in person and online, so you can access support on your terms.
High-functioning anxiety isn’t weakness. It’s a sign you’ve been coping silently for too long. Therapy isn’t about “fixing” you — it’s about helping you feel safe enough to finally switch off.
Ready to quiet your mind? Contact London Trusted Therapy Harley Street today to explore how therapy can help you regain control and live with more ease.
Website: londontrustedtherapy.com
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Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is one of the most researched and effective forms of psychological treatment available today. Whether you’re dealing with anxiety, depression, or unhelpful thought patterns, CBT offers practical tools to manage your mental health. In this guide, London Trusted Therapy Harley Street walks you through what CBT is, how it works, and whether it might be the right therapy for you.
CBT is a structured, short-term therapy that focuses on the link between your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. It’s based on the idea that negative thinking patterns can lead to emotional and behavioural issues — but with the right strategies, they can be challenged and changed.
CBT has been shown to effectively treat:
Even if you’re not experiencing a mental illness, CBT can help improve decision-making, confidence, and stress management.
CBT typically involves:
Sessions often include “homework” — small tasks or reflections between appointments to apply what you’ve learned.
At London Trusted Therapy Harley Street, they work with experienced CBT-trained professionals who offer compassionate, evidence-based care. Whether you prefer in-person sessions in their private therapy rooms or convenient online appointments, they tailor your experience to suit your needs.
If you often feel stuck in your thoughts or find it difficult to control your emotions, CBT may provide the clarity and structure you need. Many of London Trusted Therapy Harley Street's clients begin to feel empowered and more in control after just a few sessions.
Taking the first step can be daunting, but you don’t have to go through it alone. Contact London Trusted Therapy Harley Street to schedule a confidential consultation with one of their CBT specialists.
Website: londontrustedtherapy.com
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From the outside, your life looks perfect — a good job, a stable income, relationships, and maybe even admiration from others. But inside, something feels… missing. You find yourself asking, “Why do I still feel this way?” If you’re feeling emotionally numb or unfulfilled despite apparent success, you’re not alone. This silent struggle is more common than you think — and it has a name: depression despite success.
Depression doesn’t always look like sadness. For many high achievers, it shows up differently:
When your life is “objectively good,” it can feel even harder to speak up. You may feel undeserving of support — or afraid others won’t understand.
Success often comes with sacrifice — emotional suppression, high pressure, people-pleasing, and perfectionism. Over time, these habits can wear down your sense of self. You may achieve more yet feel less connected to who you are.
Left unaddressed, this disconnect can lead to emotional burnout or chronic low mood — even if you’re “functioning” on the outside.
At London Trusted Therapy Harley Street, they help professionals and high performers explore the roots of emotional numbness. Therapy offers a safe, confidential space to:
Whether you prefer in-person or virtual sessions, their tailored support meets you where you are.
You don’t need to hit rock bottom to ask for help. Feeling empty — even when you have everything — is a valid and important signal. It means it’s time to reconnect with yourself.
If you’re silently struggling, you don’t have to do it alone. Contact London Trusted Therapy Harley Street to book a confidential consultation and explore how therapy can help you find meaning, joy, and connection again.
Website: londontrustedtherapy.com
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Mental health treatment is evolving beyond the traditional therapist-client conversation model to embrace comprehensive approaches that address the whole person. At London Trusted Therapy Harley Street, they recognise that lasting mental health improvement often requires attention to multiple dimensions of wellbeing, including physical health, spiritual needs, social connections, and environmental factors. Understanding holistic mental health can help you access more complete and effective treatment.
Holistic mental health recognises that psychological wellbeing is interconnected with physical health, relationships, spiritual beliefs, cultural background, and life circumstances. Rather than treating mental health symptoms in isolation, holistic approaches address the complete person and their environment.
This comprehensive perspective acknowledges that depression, anxiety, trauma, and other mental health challenges don’t exist in a vacuum. They’re influenced by sleep patterns, nutrition, exercise, relationships, work stress, spiritual beliefs, and countless other factors that traditional talk therapy might not directly address.
At London Trusted Therapy Harley Street, holistic mental health means they consider all aspects of your life when developing treatment plans. They might recommend therapeutic approaches that include body-based interventions, lifestyle modifications, spiritual exploration, or environmental changes alongside traditional psychotherapy.
Traditional talk therapy, while valuable and effective for many people, has inherent limitations that holistic approaches can address. Cognitive-focused therapy primarily engages the rational mind, but mental health challenges often involve emotional, physical, and spiritual dimensions that require different therapeutic approaches.
Trauma and the Body – Traumatic experiences are stored in the body as well as the mind. Traditional talk therapy might help you understand your trauma intellectually, but body-based approaches are often necessary to release trauma held in the nervous system and physical body.
Emotional Regulation – Many mental health challenges involve dysregulated emotional states that can’t be resolved through thinking alone. Holistic approaches teach emotional regulation through breathing techniques, mindfulness practices, and somatic awareness.
Lifestyle Factors – Mental health is significantly influenced by sleep, nutrition, exercise, and stress management. Traditional therapy might acknowledge these factors but doesn’t typically provide specific guidance or interventions in these areas.
Spiritual and Existential Needs – Many people struggle with questions of meaning, purpose, and spiritual connection that traditional therapy approaches don’t directly address, even though these concerns significantly impact mental health.
Mind-Body Integration forms the foundation of holistic mental health. This approach recognises that mental and physical health are inseparable, with each significantly influencing the other. Stress, anxiety, and depression create physical symptoms, while physical health problems can trigger or worsen mental health challenges.
At London Trusted Therapy Harley Street, they might incorporate breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, yoga principles, or movement therapy to help clients develop body awareness and use physical practices to support mental health.
Nutritional Psychiatry acknowledges the powerful connection between diet and mental health. Research shows that certain nutrients directly impact brain function and mood regulation. While London Trusted Therapy Harley Street don’t provide nutritional counselling, they might recommend consultation with qualified nutritionists when dietary factors appear to be influencing mental health.
Sleep and Mental Health are intimately connected, with sleep disruption both causing and resulting from mental health challenges. Holistic treatment addresses sleep hygiene, stress management, and circadian rhythm regulation as integral parts of mental health care.
Spiritual and Existential Exploration doesn’t require religious beliefs but acknowledges that humans have spiritual needs for meaning, purpose, and connection. At London Trusted Therapy Harley Street, they might explore values clarification, purpose-driven living, or spiritual practices that support mental health.
Environmental Wellness considers how your physical and social environments impact mental health. This might involve addressing workplace stress, relationship dynamics, living situations, or community connections.
Mindfulness-Based Interventions combine ancient wisdom traditions with modern psychological techniques. These approaches teach present-moment awareness, acceptance, and non-judgmental observation of thoughts and feelings. Mindfulness practices can be secular and adapted to various cultural and spiritual backgrounds.
Somatic Therapy works with the body’s wisdom to process trauma and emotional experiences. These approaches recognise that the body holds important information about our emotional states and can be a powerful resource for healing and growth.
Expressive Arts Therapy uses creative modalities like art, music, dance, or writing to access and process emotions that might be difficult to express verbally. Creative expression can bypass intellectual defenses and provide alternative pathways to healing.
Nature-Based Therapy incorporates the healing power of natural environments. This might involve outdoor sessions, nature visualisation, or assignments that involve spending time in natural settings. Research consistently shows that nature exposure reduces stress and improves mental health.
Energy Psychology approaches like EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) work with the body’s energy system to address emotional and psychological challenges. While these approaches might seem unconventional, they have growing research support for various mental health conditions.
Exercise and Mental Health have a well-established connection, with regular physical activity showing effectiveness comparable to medication for some mental health conditions. Holistic treatment might include movement recommendations, exercise planning, or collaboration with fitness professionals.
Stress Management goes beyond relaxation techniques to include comprehensive approaches to stress reduction. This might involve time management, boundary setting, workplace wellness, or lifestyle modifications that reduce overall stress load.
Social Connection is crucial for mental health, yet many people struggle with loneliness and social isolation. Holistic approaches might address social skills, relationship patterns, or community involvement as part of mental health treatment.
Sleep Optimisation involves more than sleep hygiene tips. Holistic approaches might address underlying anxiety or depression that disrupts sleep, stress management that improves sleep quality, or lifestyle factors that support healthy sleep patterns.
At London Trusted Therapy Harley Street, holistic mental health assessment goes beyond traditional psychological evaluation to include comprehensive review of all factors affecting your wellbeing. They explore your physical health, sleep patterns, nutrition, exercise habits, relationships, work environment, spiritual beliefs, and life circumstances.
Physical Health Assessment includes reviewing medical history, current medications, chronic health conditions, and physical symptoms that might be related to mental health challenges. They might recommend medical consultation when physical factors appear to be influencing mental health.
Lifestyle Evaluation examines daily routines, stress levels, work-life balance, recreational activities, and self-care practices. This information helps them understand how lifestyle factors might be supporting or undermining your mental health.
Relationship and Social Assessment explores your support systems, relationship patterns, family dynamics, and social connections. Mental health is significantly influenced by the quality of our relationships and social environment.
Spiritual and Values Assessment doesn’t assume religious beliefs but explores what gives your life meaning and purpose. They examine your values, beliefs, and spiritual practices that might support or complicate your mental health journey.
Environmental Evaluation considers your living situation, work environment, community connections, and exposure to stressors or supportive factors in your daily environment.
Holistic mental health doesn’t mean abandoning evidence-based treatments. Instead, it means integrating proven therapeutic approaches with complementary interventions that address the whole person. At London Trusted Therapy Harley Street, they ensure that all holistic interventions are supported by research and appropriate for your specific needs.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) remains a cornerstone of effective mental health treatment, but they might enhance it with mindfulness practices, somatic awareness, or lifestyle interventions that support cognitive and behavioural change.
Psychodynamic Therapy can be enriched with body-based awareness, creative expression, or spiritual exploration that helps access and process unconscious material in multiple ways.
Trauma-Informed Care naturally aligns with holistic approaches, as trauma affects the whole person and requires comprehensive healing approaches that address mind, body, and spirit.
Attachment-Based Therapies can be enhanced with practices that support nervous system regulation, such as breathing techniques, mindfulness, or somatic interventions that help clients develop secure attachment patterns.
Anxiety and Holistic Treatment might include traditional CBT combined with breathing practices, progressive muscle relaxation, mindfulness meditation, lifestyle modifications to reduce caffeine and improve sleep, and stress management techniques that address both psychological and physical aspects of anxiety.
Depression and Comprehensive Care could involve traditional psychotherapy enhanced with light therapy, exercise recommendations, nutrition consultation, social connection building, and meaning-making activities that address the multiple factors contributing to depression.
Trauma Recovery benefits significantly from holistic approaches that address trauma’s impact on the whole person. This might include traditional trauma therapy combined with somatic approaches, creative expression, spiritual exploration, and lifestyle modifications that support nervous system healing.
Stress Management requires holistic approaches that address stressors at multiple levels. This might include traditional stress management techniques combined with lifestyle modifications, relationship improvements, workplace wellness, and practices that build resilience across multiple domains.
Collaborative Partnership is essential in holistic mental health care. You become an active participant in your healing process, working with your therapist to explore what approaches resonate with you and what interventions feel most helpful.
Cultural Sensitivity is crucial when integrating holistic approaches, as different cultures have varying beliefs about mind-body connections, spiritual practices, and healing approaches. At London Trusted Therapy Harley Street, they honour your cultural background while exploring holistic interventions that align with your beliefs and values.
Individualised Treatment recognises that holistic approaches must be tailored to your unique needs, preferences, and circumstances. What works for one person might not work for another, so at London Trusted Therapy Harley Street, they carefully customise holistic interventions based on your specific situation.
Professional Collaboration might involve working with other healthcare providers, such as physicians, nutritionists, massage therapists, or spiritual counsellors, to provide comprehensive care that addresses all aspects of your wellbeing.
Daily Practices might include morning mindfulness routines, regular exercise, healthy eating habits, adequate sleep, and evening reflection practices that support ongoing mental health maintenance.
Weekly Activities could involve therapy sessions, creative pursuits, social connections, nature exposure, or spiritual practices that provide regular support for your mental health.
Monthly Reviews help assess progress and adjust holistic interventions based on what’s working and what needs modification. This ongoing evaluation ensures that your holistic approach remains effective and relevant.
Seasonal Adjustments recognise that mental health needs can vary with seasons, life circumstances, and changing stress levels. Holistic approaches remain flexible and adaptive to your evolving needs.
“It’s Not Scientific” – Modern holistic mental health is firmly grounded in research and evidence-based practices. At London Trusted Therapy Harley Street they integrate complementary approaches with proven therapeutic methods, not replace them.
“It’s Too Complicated” – Holistic approaches can be as simple or comprehensive as needed. At London Trusted Therapy Harley Street, they start with basic interventions and gradually build more comprehensive approaches based on your interest and capacity.
“It’s Not Covered by Insurance” – Many holistic interventions can be integrated into traditional therapy sessions. At London Trusted Therapy Harley Street, they work within your insurance coverage while providing comprehensive care.
“It Conflicts with My Beliefs” – Holistic approaches are highly adaptable and can be modified to align with your religious, cultural, or personal beliefs. At London Trusted Therapy Harley Street, they never impose interventions that conflict with your values.
Comprehensive Healing addresses multiple factors that influence mental health, leading to more complete and lasting improvement. Rather than just managing symptoms, holistic approaches promote overall wellbeing and resilience.
Increased Self-Awareness develops as you become more attuned to the connections between your thoughts, emotions, physical sensations, and behaviors. This awareness becomes a valuable tool for ongoing mental health maintenance.
Enhanced Coping Skills include a broader range of strategies for managing stress, anxiety, depression, and other challenges. You develop both cognitive and somatic tools for emotional regulation and stress management.
Improved Overall Health often occurs as mental health improvements support physical health, and lifestyle modifications benefit both mental and physical wellbeing.
Greater Sense of Empowerment develops as you learn to actively participate in your healing process and discover your own resources for maintaining mental health.
Initial Consultation at London Trusted Therapy Harley Street includes discussion of your openness to holistic approaches and exploration of which interventions might be most helpful for your specific situation.
Gradual Integration allows you to slowly incorporate holistic practices into your life and therapy without feeling overwhelmed. At London Trusted Therapy Harley Street, they start with approaches that feel most comfortable and gradually expand based on your interest and results.
Ongoing Support ensures that you receive guidance and encouragement as you develop new practices and integrate holistic approaches into your daily life.
Progress Monitoring helps track how holistic interventions are impacting your mental health and overall wellbeing, allowing for adjustments and refinements as needed.
Holistic mental health represents the future of comprehensive, effective mental health care. As our understanding of the mind-body connection continues to grow, integration of multiple therapeutic approaches will become increasingly standard in mental health treatment.
At London Trusted Therapy Harley Street, they’re committed to staying at the forefront of holistic mental health care, continuously updating their approaches based on the latest research and best practices in comprehensive mental health treatment.
If you’re ready to experience mental health care that addresses your whole person, London Trusted Therapy Harley Street is here to support you. Their holistic approach ensures that your treatment considers all aspects of your wellbeing, maximising your potential for lasting positive change.
Contact them today to schedule a consultation and explore how holistic mental health approaches might benefit you. Their experienced therapists are trained in integrative approaches and committed to providing comprehensive care that honours your unique needs and circumstances.
London Trusted Therapy Harley Street is conveniently located in central London, providing accessible, comprehensive mental health care for individuals and families throughout the city. Experience the difference that holistic, whole-person treatment can make in your mental health journey.
Website: londontrustedtherapy.com
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I was 52 years old when I finally understood why I had always felt slightly out of step with the world.
I had spent those decades building a career as a psychotherapist. I had trained rigorously, supervised carefully, and sat with hundreds of clients in their most difficult moments. I had, by most measures, managed my life extremely well. And yet there was always something — a persistent hum of effort that other people did not seem to need to make, a quality of exhaustion that did not respond to ordinary rest, a sense that I was performing fluency in a language I had never quite been taught natively.
When I received my autism diagnosis, I did not fall apart. I did not grieve, at least not immediately. What I felt — and I have since heard this described by nearly every late-diagnosed autistic adult I have worked with — was recognition. A deep, almost physical settling. That is me. That has always been me.
The diagnosis did not change who I was. It changed the story I had been telling about who I was — and that, it turned out, changed everything.
I want to write about compassion, because that is what the diagnosis gave me most unexpectedly. Not compassion as a soft or sentimental thing, but compassion as a clinical and cognitive reorientation — a fundamental shift in how I understood my own history.
Before my diagnosis, I had a story about myself that most high-achieving, high-masking autistic women will recognise. It was a story organised around effort and inadequacy. Why did social situations cost me so much more energy than they seemed to cost everyone else? Why did I need so much time alone to recover from ordinary days? Why, despite succeeding at almost everything I attempted, did I always feel one step behind — as though I were running a race that everyone else had been given different instructions for?
The implicit answer to all of those questions, the one I had absorbed without quite noticing, was: because something is wrong with you. You are oversensitive. You are not trying hard enough. You are too much, or not enough, depending on the day.
A diagnosis does not erase that story overnight. But it does offer a different one. The exhaustion was not weakness — it was the predictable consequence of a nervous system that processes the world with greater intensity, navigating an environment not designed with that nervous system in mind. The social effort was not social failure — it was the entirely logical result of having learned a set of social rules as an intellectual exercise rather than absorbing them intuitively. The need for solitude and recovery was not selfishness — it was essential maintenance.
Compassion, I have come to believe, is not possible without accuracy. You cannot be genuinely compassionate towards a version of yourself you do not actually understand.
This is what I now carry into my clinical work, and what I believe is most missing from how neurodivergent adults — particularly women who receive their diagnoses in midlife — are supported after assessment. The diagnosis itself is important. The understanding that follows is transformative. But neither is sufficient without the space to revisit your own history with new eyes: to look back at the child who struggled, the teenager who never quite fitted, the adult who succeeded brilliantly and exhaustedly, and extend to each of them the compassion that was withheld.
I have sat with many clients since my own diagnosis who describe some version of this same process. The tears that come not from grief but from recognition. The letters they write, sometimes, to their younger selves. The quiet and occasionally startling reframing of relationships, careers, and choices that had previously seemed like failures and reveal themselves, in this new light, as acts of extraordinary resilience.
Late autism diagnosis is, in the end, a narrative event as much as a clinical one. It reorganises the past. It changes what was possible to know about yourself, and what you were therefore able to offer yourself at the time. It creates the conditions — perhaps for the first time — for a relationship with your own experience that is grounded in understanding rather than judgement.
I received my diagnosis at 52. I am a better therapist for it, a more honest writer because of it, and a considerably kinder person to myself than I was before. That is not a small thing. That is, in fact, the whole thing.
Dr Olena Edwards-Skadowska PhD MA PGDip MBACP Accredited FMBPsS is the Founder and Clinical Director of London Trusted Therapy, a multi-disciplinary private practice at 115A Harley Street, London W1G 6AL. She is a psychotherapist with over twenty years of clinical experience specialising in neurodiversity, late autism and ADHD diagnosis, trauma, and couples therapy. She received her own autism diagnosis at 52 and draws on lived experience throughout her clinical and public-facing work. She is the author of Anxie the Hedgehog (2024), a children's book on anxiety, and is working on a second book on late autism diagnosis in women. londontrustedtherapy.com
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