Expand the Circle Associates

Meet my Associate Team 👋

Expand the Circle has been going and growing strong since I started the business in summer 2021. My focus has been on creating high-quality neurodiversity-affirmative support for autistic and AuDHD adults like you. I soon realised that I cannot help personally everyone who contacts me (I’m only human) but I can collaborate with other autistic (or otherwise neurodivergent) professionals to create a circle of support — and that’s when the idea of Expand the Circle associates was born.

All my associates have been carefully selected. I know them personally and their philosophy aligns with the Expand the Circle values of:

Safety and Professionalism: Neurodiversity-affirmative, ensuring the products and services meet the needs of autistic adults and being qualified and accredited (or working towards an accreditation) with a relevant professional body.
Generosity and Giving back to the Community: Contributing to the autistic or more broadly neurodivergent community, whether that’s sharing their knowledge and expertise online through blog posts or similar or supporting neurodivergent-led initiatives and non-profits.
Honesty and Authenticity: Committed to not mis-representing information (for example about own experience and expertise), not being pushy or manipulative and duly crediting other people’s ideas and content.

Scroll down to learn about Expand the Circle Associates.

Katya Johnes (she/her/they)

An autistic mentor and coach, based in Durham and providing support remotely across the UK.

Meet Katya…

After an early life full of mishaps, social mistakes, and unfortunately the odd misdiagnosis or two, I was diagnosed autistic in my twenties. Along the way, I had also picked up a functional neurological disorder (FND), which results in seizure-like episodes, and then went on to be diagnosed with autistic burnout. The result of my little library of diagnoses is a colourful, if somewhat sleepy life. I love improv comedy, music, creative writing, and losing food-related arguments with my cat.

Who does Katya work with?

I work with students and late-diagnosed (including self-diagnosed) autistic people to explore their identity and wellbeing, getting a clearer sense of who they are authentically and what they need in order to live and/or work in the most positive, fulfilling, and sustainable ways for them. Many of my clients have experience of burnout or other chronic conditions, disabilities, or neurodivergences, and we work together on discovering what can help them navigate these in order to achieve their goals.

So far, I've helped my mentees/coachees with the following, and I'd love to work with you on these topics too:

Neurodivergent Identity

Seeking autism diagnosis

Making sense of diagnosis
Unmasking and exploring your authentic autistic identity

Wellbeing

Sensory regulation
Neurodivergent rest and relaxation (click to learn more)

Avoiding or coping with burnout
Executive functioning
Managing disability and/or co-occurring conditions, including ADHD, fatigue-related conditions, and physical disabilities

Studies and work

Navigating university and other studies
Difficulties at work
Career decisions

I conduct my sessions online; most mentees prefer 60-minute sessions on a weekly basis, but session length and frequency can vary according to mentees’ needs.
I normally use video-call, but I'm happy to adapt to your individual needs (e.g. camera off/on, using the chat function if preferred, inserting breaks, or adapting the length of the session).
The cost of one-on-one support starts at £35 (text) / £60 (video-call) per hour. There is no minimum or maximum number of sessions that you need to commit to. I like to work with my mentees/coachees mid- to long-term.
I welcome people who fund their support:
- via Access to Work (workplace strategies coaching /support worker)
- via their employer
- themselves
- Accredited EMCC practitioner, and certified with a Diploma from Coaching Minds (February 2024). My accreditation entails maintaining appropriate indemnity insurance, and abiding by the Global Code of Ethics.
- 3 years of experience in student-support related roles at a top UK university, during which time I worked closely with autistic students, as well as many students with ADHD and other neurodivergences.
- Mentoring autistic adults with Neurodiversity Self-Advocacy on their Pathway wellbeing programme since 2020.
- Master’s degree in Religion and Society from Durham University, with focus on field research with autistic individuals, and thesis research on non-verbal autistic experiences.
- A background of voluntary and professional roles with children, young people, and vulnerable adults in a variety of settings, such as: teaching improvised comedy to a neurodiverse student group; running holidays for children identified by social services as needing a break from their home lives; working with destitute asylum seekers; taking calls for an anonymous listening service.
- Working under the regular supervision of Alicja Nocon, as well as the support of a peer group of certified coaches, for maintenance of excellent practice.