A Bunch of Therapists Podcast

A Bunch of Therapists Podcast goes behind the doors of the therapy room, turning candid conversations with fellow therapists into powerful revelations about the human experience - from both sides of the couch.

Hosted by our CEO, Michaela McCarthy, and Dipti Solanki, each episode shares insightful and sometimes unexpected stories from people who’ve experienced counselling and psychotherapy – and the lessons they’ve learned along the way.

Whether you’re in therapy, considering it, or simply curious about how it works, this podcast offers real insight into the therapeutic journey – what it feels like, why it matters, and how it can change lives.

New episodes every other Thursday. Listen and watch wherever you get your podcasts.

The Awareness Centre

The A Bunch of Therapists podcast is sponsored by The Awareness Centre & The Awareness Centre Training School.

Subscribe, listen and watch wherever you get your podcasts

Season 2, Episode 19: Autism, Empathy & How to Read Minds | Aimee Cliff

This episode discusses autism, sensory issues, communication problems, anxiety, masking, therapy and empathy.

This episode of A Bunch of Therapists is proudly sponsored by The Awareness Centre, a leading counselling and psychotherapy practice in London with over 300 therapists, offering therapy both in person and online. With a range of fee options designed to make support more accessible, no GP referral needed, no waiting list, and appointments available seven days a week. Visit theawarenesscentre.com to find the right therapist for you.

Join us for an insightful conversation with psychotherapist and author Aimee Cliff as she discusses her own diagnosis and experience of autism, her journey into therapy, and the inspiration behind her book ‘How to Read Minds’. This compelling discussion explores the multi-faceted nature of empathy, the impact of masking, and the myth that autistic people lack the ability to feel empathy.

In this compelling episode, Aimee openly shares:

  • Her experience of masking her struggles with life
  • Living with sensory issues, communication problems and anxiety
  • Being diagnosed with autism in her twenties
  • The diagnoses of two of her siblings
  • How her experience of therapy inspired her to become a therapist
  • Wanting to ‘look under the hood’ and better understand herself
  • Encountering research from the 1980s about autism and empathy during her training
  • How this research made her question her own abilities
  • Experiencing a crisis of confidence
  • Exploring the myth that autistic people lack empathy
  • Her research into the science and art of empathy
  • Writing her book ‘How to Read Minds’

This essential conversation offers valuable insight into autism, masking, empathy, therapy, and the importance of questioning assumptions about autistic people’s emotional experiences.

 Key Topics Discussed: 

  • Autism and adult diagnosis
  • Masking autistic experiences
  • Sensory issues and communication problems
  • Anxiety and the experience of therapy
  • The journey from therapy client to therapist
  • Research into autism and empathy
  • The multi-faceted nature of empathy
  • Questioning assumptions about autistic people
  • The science and art of empathy
  • Writing ‘How to Read Minds’

Chapters:

02:15 Aimee’s Path to Therapy & Autism Diagnosis
06:10 Understanding Masking, Anxiety & Hiding Behind Achievements
11:36 Autism Diagnosis in Family and Gendered Presentation Differences
14:42 Discovering Sensory Issues & Their Impact on Daily Life
17:57 Aimee’s Book ‘How to Read Minds’ and Its Core Message
19:12 Tracing The Origins of The Autism Empathy Deficit Myth
21:47 Reflecting on Personal Views and Experiences of Empathy
24:05 Exploring the Five Pillars of Empathy and Non-Judgement
25:37 Distinguishing Between Empathy, Sympathy & Over-Identification
28:47 Empathy Across Cultures and Its Relational, Social Nature
34:11 Rethinking How Empathy is Taught and Therapy Accessibility
38:10 The Importance of Neurodiversity-Affirming Approaches in Therapy
40:08 Aimee’s Message on Self-Diagnosis and Internal Validation
41:46 Discussing the Concept of Agency Within the Therapy Room

Find out more about Aimee Cliff, and her book ‘How to Read Minds’.

Subscribe, listen and watch wherever you get your podcasts

More from A Bunch of Therapists

YOUR HOSTS

Michaela McCarthy

Michaela McCarthy

Michaela McCarthy is a psychotherapist, entrepreneur, and the creator and host of A Bunch of Therapists podcast. Born into a working-class Irish immigrant family, Michaela was exposed early to the realities of mental illness and addiction within her own home. Her personal experiences, including witnessing her mother’s psychiatric hospitalisation and her father’s struggle with alcoholism, shaped a deep commitment to understanding the human psyche.

Feeling different from a young age and struggling with her own issues, Michaela embarked on a long and transformative journey towards self-discovery, healing, and belonging. Years of personal therapy led her to train as a counsellor, psychotherapist, psychosexual & relationship therapist and clinical supervisor. Her mission has always been clear: to support others in navigating their own paths, allowing space to explore, heal and grow.

Michaela is the founder and CEO of The Awareness Centre, The Awareness Centre Training School, and Michaela McCarthy & Associates. Through these platforms, and now her podcast, she brings together insight, empathy, and unfiltered conversations to de-stigmatise therapy and empower others.

Grounded in lived experience and professional expertise, Michaela describes herself as a “person of knowing” who approaches life with honesty, grit, and a passion for connection.

Dipti Solanki

Dipti Solanki

Dipti Solanki is a therapist, grief coach, and founder of Grief Matters 4 All CIC, with 19 years of experience supporting people through life’s transition and emotional crossroads. Whether that’s loss, identity shifts, emotional overwhelm, or navigating complex relationships. Her work sits at the meeting point of therapy and coaching, helping people feel seen, supported, and reconnected to their own sense of self, even in the most difficult seasons.

Dipti brings a unique depth to her work, blending the insight of therapy with the action-oriented clarity of coaching. Whether she’s holding space one-to-one, facilitating group work, training organisations on grief and wellbeing, or speaking to larger audiences, her approach is grounded, inclusive, and always real.

She’s been featured in a range of media, including a BBC documentary ‘Living with Loss’, BBC London Radio, The Independent, The Observer, and OK! Magazine, and is the creator of ‘Grief, Heartbreak and Hope – There’s So Much More to Say’ a guided journal designed to help people gently process and make space for their grief after losing a loved one.

Dipti is passionate about creating emotionally honest spaces. She works at the intersection of emotional wellbeing, compassion, and cultural sensitivity, with a deep commitment to making mental and emotional support feel accessible and human.

On this podcast, Dipti brings all of that and more: therapist, coach, speaker, and human – offering honest, heart-led conversations about therapy, life, healing, and what it means to grow through the things that shape us.