1. Website Boundary Wording 

1:1 Autism Coaching

1:1 Autism Coaching is a practical, supportive service for adults who want help understanding autistic needs, reducing overload, building sustainable routines, improving communication, and making life feel more manageable.

This service is available to:

• autistic adults;
• adults who identify as neurodivergent or suspect they may be autistic;
• adult parents or carers of autistic children who want support understanding needs, routines, communication, sensory stress, burnout and family life.

Although this work is informed by my experience as a Consultant Clinical Psychologist, this coaching service is not psychological therapy. It does not include diagnosis, formal psychological assessment, trauma processing, crisis support, treatment of mental disorder, medico-legal opinion, employment/legal advice, or safeguarding investigation.

Coaching may include work on:

• autistic alignment and self-understanding;
• sensory mapping and overload reduction;
• burnout prevention and recovery planning;
• communication strategies;
• emotional literacy;
• boundaries and energy accounting;
• workplace or family adjustments;
• values, goals and sustainable routines;
• applying ideas from my books, courses or resources.

Sessions are delivered by Zoom and are charged at $300 per hour, unless otherwise agreed in writing.

Between-session contact is for administration only, such as booking, payment, rescheduling or brief clarification. Coaching, risk support and clinical advice are not provided by email.

If during coaching it becomes clear that psychological therapy would be more appropriate, we can discuss that. Therapy would require a separate agreement, separate consent, and a clear change of contract. Coaching does not automatically become therapy.

This service is not suitable for emergencies. If you are at immediate risk, feel unable to keep yourself or someone else safe, or need urgent mental-health support, please contact emergency services, your GP/doctor, local crisis team, NHS 111/999 if in the UK, or the equivalent emergency/crisis service in your country.

2. Full Coaching Consent Form

1:1 Autism Coaching Agreement and Consent

1. About this service

This agreement sets out the boundaries for 1:1 Autism Coaching with Dr James P. Manning.

This is a coaching and psychoeducational service. It is designed to help adults better understand autistic needs, emotional and sensory patterns, communication, overload, burnout, routines, boundaries and practical adjustments.

This service is available to adults only. It may be used by autistic adults, adults who identify as neurodivergent or suspect they may be autistic, and adult parents or carers of autistic children.

Where a parent or carer books coaching, the adult is the client. The child is not being assessed, treated, diagnosed or clinically supervised through this coaching service.

2. Coaching is not therapy

Although I am a Consultant Clinical Psychologist, in this service I am working with you as a coach and psychoeducator, not as your treating psychologist.

This coaching service is not psychological therapy. It does not create a therapist–client relationship. It is not a substitute for medical care, psychological treatment, psychiatric care, crisis support or formal assessment.

Coaching does not include:

• autism diagnosis or diagnostic assessment;
• psychological therapy or treatment of mental disorder;
• trauma processing;
• risk assessment or crisis management;
• safeguarding investigation;
• medico-legal reports;
• fitness-to-work opinions;
• expert witness work;
• employment law, legal, HR or occupational-health advice;
• formal letters, reports or professional opinions for third parties, unless separately agreed in writing.

If it becomes clear that therapy may be more appropriate, we can discuss this. Any move from coaching into therapy would require a separate therapy contract, separate consent process, and agreement about clinical notes, privacy, fees, suitability and professional boundaries. Therapy cannot begin informally or automatically within a coaching arrangement.

3. What coaching may cover

Coaching may include discussion and practical work around:

• autistic alignment;
• sensory mapping;
• overload and shutdown planning;
• burnout prevention and recovery;
• emotional literacy;
• anxiety and stress management from a coaching perspective;
• energy accounting;
• routines and transitions;
• communication strategies;
• workplace or educational adjustment discussions;
• family and parenting routines;
• boundaries and self-advocacy;
• values, goals and sustainable change;
• applying relevant exercises, models or ideas from my books, courses or resources.

The focus is practical understanding and next steps. Coaching does not promise a specific outcome.

4. Sessions and fees

Sessions are delivered by Zoom.

The fee is $300 per 60-minute session, unless otherwise agreed in writing.

Payment is due before the session unless another arrangement has been agreed.

You are responsible for ensuring that you have a private space, a stable internet connection and enough time before and after the session to arrive and leave safely.

Sessions are not recorded unless we both agree in advance.

5. Cancellations, rescheduling and missed sessions

Please give at least 24 hours’ notice if you need to cancel or reschedule a session.

Sessions cancelled with less than 24 hours’ notice may be charged at the full fee.

Missed sessions may be charged at the full fee.

If you arrive late, the session will usually still end at the planned time.

If I need to cancel or reschedule, I will offer another appointment or refund the session fee if payment has already been made.

Prepaid packages, where offered, must be used within [insert package expiry period, e.g. six months] unless otherwise agreed. Refunds for unused package sessions are at my discretion and may depend on how much of the package has already been used.

6. Between-session contact

Between-session contact is for administration only. This includes booking, payment, rescheduling, technical issues or brief clarification.

I do not provide coaching, therapy, risk support, crisis support, detailed advice, document review or clinical decision-making by email or message.

Emails are not monitored as an emergency service. I may not respond immediately.

Please do not send lengthy personal material, risk information, trauma material, legal documents, clinical records or sensitive third-party information unless we have agreed this in advance.

7. Crisis and urgent support

This coaching service is not an emergency or crisis service.

If you are at immediate risk, feel unable to keep yourself or someone else safe, or need urgent mental-health help, please contact emergency services, your GP/doctor, local crisis team, NHS 111/999 if in the UK, or the equivalent emergency/crisis service in your country.

If you are experiencing active suicidal intent, serious self-harm risk, psychosis, severe trauma crisis, domestic abuse risk, safeguarding concerns, or any situation requiring urgent clinical support, coaching is unlikely to be the right service at that time.

If significant risk becomes apparent during coaching, I may pause or end the coaching work and recommend that you seek appropriate clinical or emergency support.

8. Confidentiality and its limits

I will treat what you share in coaching as private and confidential.

There are limits to confidentiality. I may need to take action or share information if:

• there is an immediate risk of serious harm to you or someone else;
• a child or vulnerable adult may be at risk;
• I am required to do so by law, court order or professional obligation;
• there is a need to seek professional advice or consultation in order to manage risk or ethical concerns;
• there is a serious concern involving abuse, exploitation, neglect or harm.

Where possible and appropriate, I would aim to discuss this with you first. However, if there is an immediate safety concern, I may need to act without your prior agreement.

9. Notes and records

I keep brief coaching notes. These are not full clinical therapy records.

Notes may include basic details such as attendance, broad themes discussed, goals, agreed actions, relevant boundaries, risk concerns if raised, and administrative information.

Coaching notes are stored securely and separately from therapy records where applicable.

If we later agree to enter a therapy contract, we will discuss whether and how any relevant coaching information is carried forward.

10. Data protection and privacy

To provide this service, I may collect and process personal information such as your name, contact details, booking information, payment information, brief coaching notes and relevant information you choose to share.

Your information is used for service delivery, administration, payment processing, record keeping, safety, legal obligations and communication about your coaching.

Sessions may involve third-party platforms such as Zoom, Kajabi, Stripe or email providers. These services have their own privacy and security arrangements.

Your information will be handled in line with my Privacy Policy: [insert Privacy Policy link].

You may have rights under data protection law, including rights to access your data, correct inaccurate data, request erasure in some circumstances, restrict processing, object to processing, and complain to the relevant data protection authority.

11. Suitability and ending coaching

Coaching works best when the focus is practical, collaborative and within the boundaries of this agreement.

Either of us may decide that coaching is not suitable or is no longer the right service. If that happens, I may suggest therapy, medical support, occupational-health input, legal/HR advice, crisis support or another service.

You can stop coaching at any time. Any unpaid fees or cancellation terms still apply.

12. Consent

By booking or attending a session, you confirm that:

• you are aged 18 or over;
• you understand this is coaching, not psychological therapy;
• you understand this service does not include diagnosis, formal assessment, crisis care, trauma therapy or medico-legal opinion;
• you understand the limits of confidentiality;
• you understand the cancellation and payment terms;
• you understand that between-session contact is for administration only;
• you agree to seek urgent or emergency support if you or someone else is at immediate risk;
• you have read and understood this coaching agreement.

Name: ___________________________

Signature / typed consent: ___________________________

Date: ___________________________

By booking or attending a coaching session, you confirm that you have read, understood and agreed to these terms.