Kate McNulty, LCSW
Kate McNulty, LCSW is an autistic clinician in private practice. Kate’s professional experience includes 20 years in community mental health and as an ER Social Worker, followed by 20 years in private practice and clinical supervision. Kate is certified as an AASECT Sex Therapist and Supervisor through the American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors and Therapists, and as a Gottman Relationship Therapist and Trainer by the Gottman Institute of Seattle, a research institute that has spent 40+ years studying couple and family relationships with true scientific rigor. Kate’s two books on relationships were published in 2020 and 2021 and a third is in the works.
Upcoming Live Kate McNulty, LCSW Webinars
Neurodivergence Competency Training - Intermediate Level
A 10-Session Microcredential Course
Starting Friday, February 21st, 2025 through Friday, June 20th, 2025
All 10 sessions will run: 9am-11:30am PT / 11am-1:30pm CT / 12pm-2:30pm ET
Or register for individual sessions using the buttons below
Introduction - Theoretical Foundations and Lived Experience: Effective Practice with Neurodivergent Clients Across the Life Span
Friday, February 21, 2025
9am-11:30am PT / 11am-1:30pm CT / 12pm-2:30pm ET
Co-Occurring Disorders in Assessment and Ongoing Therapy
Friday, March 7, 2025
9am-11:30am PT / 11am-1:30pm CT / 12pm-2:30pm ET
Relationship Issues in Therapy with Neurodivergent People
Friday, March 21, 2025
9am-11:30am PT / 11am-1:30pm CT / 12pm-2:30pm ET
Unique Features of Neurodivergent Brains
Friday, April 4, 2025
9am-11:30am PT / 11am-1:30pm CT / 12pm-2:30pm ET
Work with Children, Adolescents and the Family System
Friday, April 18, 2025
9am-11:30am PT / 11am-1:30pm CT / 12pm-2:30pm ET
Effects of Neurodivergence on Mood and Sleep Disorders
Friday, May 2, 2025
9am-11:30am PT / 11am-1:30pm CT / 12pm-2:30pm ET
Multidisciplinary Collaboration with Medical Providers on Health Issues of Neurodivergent Clients
Friday, May 16, 2025
9am-11:30am PT / 11am-1:30pm CT / 12pm-2:30pm ET
Gender, Sexual Identity and Expression with Neurodivergent Clients
Friday, May 30, 2025
9am-11:30am PT / 11am-1:30pm CT / 12pm-2:30pm ET
Supporting Neurodivergent Adults in the Workplace
Friday, June 6, 2025
9am-11:30am PT / 11am-1:30pm CT / 12pm-2:30pm ET
Conclusion - Applying Knowledge to Independent Practices
Friday, June 20, 2025
9am-11:30am PT / 11am-1:30pm CT / 12pm-2:30pm ET
Kate McNulty, LCSW Courses Available for Homestudy
Autistic Burnout: Risk Factors and Protective Strategies
Burnout is recognized in the general population as a state of depleted energy, associated with unusual demands of employment, caregiving or other transient challenges. Autistic burnout is attributed to nervous system dysregulation; this may be caused by life stress but can also result from social or sensory overwhelm that would not affect most people. Autistic burnout diminishes quality of life and executive function. Left unaddressed it can precipitate job loss, panic symptoms and suicide ideation or attempts.
Autistic people benefit from prevention of burnout and can learn strategies and habits that leave them equipped to ward off or at least diminish the effects of burnout. Through observation and reconstructing a personal history of previous burnout episodes, clients are likely to successfully reduce the destructive impact of burnout and maintain greater life satisfaction and connection with suitable supports. This session will review the risk factors contributing to autistic burnout and the strategies to address burnout with autistic clients. Furthermore, this session will address how to incorporate these strategies into treatment plans to improve burnout.
Autism and Sexuality
Autism is a neurodevelopmental diagnosis associated with differences in communication, cognition, and social behavior. All of these dimensions influence the experience of one’s sexuality. Autism is highly heterogeneous and the full continuum of human sexual and gender expression are seen in this population.
Participants will learn techniques to address common concerns related to sex and intimacy that autistic adults bring to therapy, with modifications and approaches that are customized to autistic needs. We will discuss methods to assess comfort with discussing sexual topics; managing sensory sensitivities; negotiating frequency and types of sexual activity with partners; and supporting clients as they explore and develop sexual confidence.
How to Support Autistic Adults in Dating
Intimate relationships are a cornerstone of social support and strength for most people, but autistic adults encounter multiple barriers when dating and looking for a romantic partner. Widespread advice on this stage of adult development is not always applicable to autistic social norms; in fact, suggested behavioral strategies for dating conventions may be impossible for autistics to replicate.
Autistic people can, however, strengthen self-confidence and learn to take control of their dating experiences with affirmative support and a strategic approach, including negotiation of consent and intimacy.
Therapists can provide objective feedback, inform clients of self-care practices, prevent emotional setbacks and allow clients the sustained effort required in the dating process. During this session, participants will learn practical strategies for supporting autistic clients with their dating endeavors.
How to Support Autistic Adults in Developing Friendships
Autistic individuals typically seek out friendship and connection, yet frequently report experiences of rejection and social isolation. This difficulty with establishing a network of social support only compounds the severity of symptoms in common co-occurring disorders such as anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Social skills training programs for autistics have failed to produce robust outcomes. Instead, autistic adults are developing their own pathways to identify and select fulfilling friendships through shared interests and passions.
This program will provide discussion on strategies for assisting autistic clients with forming and building friendships. Participants will learn techniques for building empathy when working with autistic clients and methods for assisting autistic clients identify interests and how this can be used to create and build stronger friendships.
What Therapists Need to Know about Covid-19
There has been limited guidance for mental health clinicians about how COVID can impact the body, brain, and mental health—and how this fits into clinical practice. Research shows that COVID can cause significant changes to the brain, bringing on new mental health issues as well as exacerbating existing ones. As clinicians, you may already have COVID-related issues showing up in your practice, even if you are not aware of them. As more people are infected and re-infected with COVID, we will continue to see these problems increasingly in the therapy room. In this training you will learn about the different ways that COVID can alter brain structures, common mental health issues associated with long COVID, social justice considerations, and clinical implications for working with those who have been impacted by long COVID.
Autistic-Affirming Couples Therapy
Couples therapy requires a neutral stance by the therapist in order to maintain rapport with both parties. Yet therapists have often regarded autistic partners as stunted in their ability to love or deficient in their communication skills.
Current research demonstrates autistic clients’ interest and motivation in finding connection and developing healthy relationship habits. This event will provide you with new insights and perceptiveness about helping partners better understand and communicate with one another.
Adult Autism Assessment for Master's Level Therapists
According to the CDC (2022), more than 5 million adults in the United States lives with undiagnosed Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Assessment and diagnosis of adult ASD falls within the scope of practice for Master’s level therapists. With proper training, mental health professionals can help Autistic adults recognize their strengths and challenges. Well-informed, thoughtful diagnosis can be achieved through a series of thorough interviews, including taking a family history; reviewing sensory issues, social difficulties and language development; assessment of cognitive functioning; and using self-report questionnaires.
This session will discuss the various diagnosis tools clinicians can use along with the various co-occurring and differential diagnoses associated with ASD in adults. Participants will learn what to look for when making an ASD diagnosis and participants in collaborative case studies to apply discussed topics.. Additionally, this session will discuss the ethical challenges in reporting of diagnosis and the proper reporting methods to state registries.
Assessment of Adult ADHD for Master's Level Therapists
Mental health professionals who are non-psychologists may hesitate to identify ADHD in clients due to their inability to conduct psychometric testing. However, using self-report tests and taking a careful history, Masters-degree therapists can diagnose and support adult ADHD clients.
As cited in JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association, ADHD diagnoses among adults are growing four times faster than those of children in the U.S. ADHD symptoms persist into adulthood for as many as 60 percent of patients diagnosed while adolescents. Adults with ADHD often face challenges with organizing and prioritizing tasks, managing their time and making decisions. Accurate diagnosis and effective treatment can ameliorate these problems and allow those experiencing ADHD to optimize their lives. Vocational, medical and social improvement all begin with correct diagnosis and Master’s level therapists are qualified to do these assessments. In this training you will learn to use assessment tools and gather the relevant the elements of a client history.
Autism and Gender Variance: Clinical Considerations
Literature and clinical practice reflect growing evidence of the overlap between autism and gender variance. Autistic people experience non-conforming identities such as trans, non-binary and other forms of gender flexibility in greater numbers than the general population. This trend suggests that clinicians have an ethical obligation to recognize and identify these vulnerable clients, who present in therapy with a variety of indistinct symptoms. These clients may seek services without fully recognizing their own inner experience and may not have language for expressing their needs.
This class will include current terminology and concepts in use among autistic and gender-variant people. Participants will examine social biases and clinical misconceptions. We will review techniques for exploring sensitive topics with tact and ease. This training will help prepare you to deliver informed services to this client base through case presentation examples of gender-questioning clients; the array of gender expressions you may encounter in your practice; autistic identity and how it relates to gender; and pertinent resources for this type of client.
Autistic Trauma and Recovery
Autistic people are more vulnerable to traumatic experiences than the general population. Due to heightened sensitivities and lack of social support, their trajectory of healing from trauma is prolonged and interferes with optimal functioning. Clinicians who treat trauma can refine their skills to work more effectively with this population. Through heightened observation and attunement, therapists can provide clients with skills and habits that serve their neurotype and bring greater relief.
This presentation will provide insight into the diagnostics factors in autism that increase the risk of exposure to trauma. Through interactive discussion, participants will learn methods to build rapport in the therapeutic relationship with autistic clients and discuss methods to gather client feedback to inform empathic responsiveness. This session will conclude with interactive case study discussions and a question answer segment.
Helping Autistic Clients Surviving Sexual Trauma
Autistic individuals, especially those with more severe disabilities, are more likely to be exposed to unwanted sexual content, violence, and victimization (Brown et al., 2017). They also experience higher rates of bullying by peers and maltreatment by caregivers. This predisposes them to acquiesce to predatory behavior and to lack self-protective skills.
Therapists who work with sexual victimization are likely to encounter this problem with autistic survivors and will benefit from specialized knowledge of effective approaches for supporting individuals with developmental disabilities. Identifying factors contributing to the vulnerability of autistic clients is necessary for mental health providers to provide optimal care. During this session participants will discuss methods to modify services for greater accessibility for autistic clients. Participants will then participant in collaborative case studies to assist in identifying the factors contributing to vulnerability and applying the various methods for making services more accessible for the autistic population.