In this short video, I describe how I work with couples where autism shapes the way one or both partners think, sense and connect.
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Autism couples therapy Copenhagen is for couples where one or both partners is autistic, diagnosed or self-identified. We look at how differences in communication, sensory needs and the need for predictability play out between you, and build agreements that respect both of you. We meet for two hours at a time, in Danish or English, in person in my rooms in Copenhagen’s old town or online.
This page sits under neurodiverse couples therapy. Coming without your partner? Try autism couples therapy alone. Autism and ADHD together? Try AuDHD couples therapy.
You can request a free discovery call, book a session, review my client policy or contact me directly.
This service suits couples in or near Copenhagen who come together and where one or both of you is autistic.
Check these alternatives before booking.
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The reviews shown here are shared by clients who have worked with me in therapy and chosen to reflect on their experience. They are collected via Google and displayed through an independent verification service, offering an open and transparent picture of how my work is experienced.
“Looking back over my 22 years of practice, I keep meeting autistic partners who love deeply and are told they do not. Underneath, the non-autistic partner is often asking ‘Do you feel anything for me?’, while the autistic partner asks ‘Why is my way of caring never enough?’. Some feel ‘I want you near’ and ‘Please give me space’ almost at once. Once each sees the other’s love clearly, a lot of pain falls away.”
Mark Colclough, MA, psychotherapist and EFT couples therapist
I am Mark Colclough, MA, a psychotherapist and EFT couples therapist specialising in expats and international couples. I work in English and Danish, from my practice in central Copenhagen and online.
Practising since 2004, I bring a bicultural perspective to work with individuals and couples across languages and cultural contexts. My work integrates depth-oriented psychotherapy with approaches such as integral psychotherapy, Gestalt therapy, Jungian psychoanalysis, and object relations theory. I also have specialist training in attachment theory, narcissism, and borderline personality disorder.
For support with life between cultures, explore expat psychotherapy or expat couples therapy. My practice is supported by ongoing training and supervision. To read more about my background, training, and approach, visit About me.
I regularly meet with experienced senior psychotherapists in Denmark and abroad to reflect on my work, challenge my thinking, and continue developing my skills. This ongoing process supports the quality of my individual and couples therapy, helping me offer thoughtful, ethical, and effective care.
My focus is simple: excellence, integrity, and impact.
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You are welcome to get in touch. We can clarify what’s the right therapy for you.
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Thomas is autistic and works as an engineer; his wife, Camilla, is a teacher. On weekends Camilla wants to see friends and do things on impulse; Thomas wants a plan and a quiet Sunday. When she changes plans at short notice, he goes silent, and she feels punished.
In our sessions, they see that Thomas’s silence is overload, not anger. They agree to plan Saturday on Thursday evening, leaving Sunday morning free for him to recharge. Camilla starts to notice the practical ways Thomas shows care, and he learns to tell her in a sentence when he needs a break.
I have presented this clinical example as a compound of 22 years of clinical practice.
Autistic love is real love. It just does not always look the way the other partner expects.
When one partner is autistic, the two of you may experience the same evening, conversation or touch very differently. Without understanding, both feel hurt.
In our sessions, we make those differences visible and talk about them without blame.
One of you may need a quiet home and a steady routine to recover; the other may long for spontaneity and company.
We look for arrangements that give each of you enough of what you need.
A direct answer or a lack of small talk can sound cold to a non-autistic partner, even when it is meant kindly.
We learn to read each other’s style more accurately.
An unexpected change can be genuinely distressing for an autistic partner, and the reaction can puzzle or upset the other.
We plan ahead together so change feels less like an ambush.
Some people show love through practical help or shared interests, others through words and touch.
We map how each of you gives and receives care.
Masking at work all day can leave an autistic partner with nothing left at home.
We look at how to make home a place where masking is not needed.
A diagnosis in adulthood can make years of conflict suddenly make sense, and can also bring grief or anger.
We give that new understanding room in the relationship.
Does this describe your home? A brief written message is a fine way to start.
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Understanding the difference first. Then agreements you can both live with.
We work on communication, sensory load, routine and closeness, and on the hurt that years of misreading each other can leave.
We take one recent misunderstanding and slow it down. Often the words were fine; the meaning each of you heard was very different.
Often, yes. We try different formats, such as writing, set times to talk or simple scales, until feelings can be shared without overload.
Yes. We agree what the home needs to feel calm, such as quiet hours or a retreat space, and how the other partner gets their needs met too.
Yes. Doing something together side by side, or a practical act of care, can be as loving as words. We help each of you see and value that.
Yes. We set up simple ways to warn each other about changes and to plan the week, so surprises are fewer and smaller.
Usually: fewer painful misunderstandings, less exhaustion and more confidence that you are loved in your own way.
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A diagnosis is welcome but not needed. Curiosity about each other is.
To begin with, I ask how each of you takes in and shares information best, what has been hard and what you hope for. If another kind of help would fit better, I will say so.
The two hours have a clear structure, with breaks if wanted. Each of you describes a recent hard moment, and we begin to see the pattern.
I explain the structure in advance, keep the lights soft and the pace steady, and plan breaks. You can write instead of speaking whenever that helps.
Yes. Many autistic clients find it easier to send a few written notes before the first session. I read them beforehand.
Most couples meet every two to three weeks, which leaves time to try new agreements at home.
A bundle suits couples who like to know the plan ahead. It fixes a number of sessions and costs 10 per cent less; see the cards further down.
The same misunderstandings stop repeating, home is calmer and both of you feel more understood. Then we review together.
Related services side by side.
| Option | Choose it when | Pace |
|---|---|---|
| Autism couples therapy (this page) | One or both of you is autistic; both attend. | 2 hours, every two to three weeks |
| Autism couples therapy alone | Your partner will not come. | 1-hour individual sessions |
| AuDHD couples therapy | ADHD is part of it too. | 2-hour sessions |
| Neurodiverse couples therapy | A mixed or unclear picture. | 2-hour sessions |
Therapy for a couple where autism is part of the relationship, in one partner or both. Sessions run in Danish or English in central Copenhagen.
Somewhat. An autistic man with a non-autistic woman often meets different snags than the reverse, so I tailor the work to you.
That is welcome. Two autistic partners can still misread each other, and we look at how your styles fit together.
No. Many adults self-identify, or are on a waiting list. You are welcome either way.
No. The aim is understanding and fair agreements, not changing who anyone is. Both partners have things to learn.
Many autistic people also have ADHD. If that is you, AuDHD couples therapy covers both.
No. Assessments are done by doctors and specialist teams. I work with how you live together.
It varies. Every few sessions we check together whether the work is still useful.
Couples sessions are 3,700 DKK for two hours, VAT included. You will find every price on the prices page, and bundles are 10 per cent cheaper. Online sessions cost the same and last just as long.
You can email me with written notes, use the booking calendar or start with a free 30-minute call.
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My mission is to help individuals, couples and families rediscover connection, communicate with understanding, and build a stronger, more loving relationship that can thrive through any challenge.
My vision is to create a world where every person in my therapy room feels supported, connected, and empowered to grow, and to step one step closer to your Self.
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