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Catherine Asta

Creator of spaces where stories can be heard.

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About Me

An integrative psychotherapist turned best selling author, podcaster and consultant - creating and designing spaces where stories can be heard.

Across the last two decades, I’ve led multi-million pound community programmes, co-designed NHS strategic advisory and patient forums to support £5 billion strategy development, headed up transformation for a large NHS acute trust, created pioneering neuro inclusive peer led support spaces, and launched and hosted a globally recognised podcast and community 'The Late Discovered Club'.

Listened to in over 130 countries, it was ranked the #1 podcast for ‘female autism’ in 2025, and incorporates peer support circles, an online community space, as well as regular psycho-educational sessions.

Combined, the podcast and post discovery support has reached almost a quarter of a million people since it began in 2022.

For ten of those years, I have also been holding space as a psychotherapist.

My therapeutic approach is integrative, humanistic, embodied, and neuro-inclusive - grounded in compassion and curiosity - focused on helping you find your way home: to yourself, your story, your body and your sense of belonging in the world.

I am currently deep in my 'writing era', and the author of best selling book Rediscovered (JKP, 2025) which is a courageous, heart led part memoir/part guide for late discovered autistic women and the people who walk beside them. Rediscovered is currently being translated in to Dutch, and will be published later this year by the publisher Uitgeverij AnkhHermes.

I'm working behind the scenes on bringing my next book(s) to life.

I also work collaboratively with a wide range of clients through my consultancy, training and associate offering.

My Gather + Belong Circle Design and Facilitator Programme is supporting organisations and individuals to design and deliver meaningful, inclusive peer support circles which are trauma informed, neuro inclusive and deeply human.

Over the last few years, I have also been part of developing content for, and delivering the groundbreaking NHS National Autism Trainer Programme to 100's of mental health professionals; guest lecturing at University College London to the next generation of CAMHS therapists, and also co-authoring a book.

In 2025 I was invited as an associate with AT-Autism both in the UK and internationally, and as an associate of GRRAND (Group for Research in Relationships and Neurodiversity) part of the UCL Department of Clinical, Education and Health Psychology - opening up new opportunities and collaborations as I head into the next chapter.

As part of that collaboration, I was invited in October 2025 to present to a delegation from the Singapore Government at the Anna Freud Centre on my work around autism and mental health.

And in November 2025, I was appointed an Associate Lead for a £6 million NHS Commissioned National Autism Peer Programme (Autism Central) managed and delivered by The Anna Freud Centre. Over the next 3 years I will be producing and hosting a podcast (The 'Autism Central' podcast) as well as co-designing peer support frameworks, content development and quality assurance.

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Why work with me?

In all of the work I do, I work from an integrative and grounded approach, which is trauma informed, experience sensitive, and strengths and compassion focused, and centered around the needs of the individual, and I work from an inclusive perspective and I value difference.

Add to that my skills as a visual big thinker (I'm an ex-NHS Strategist) and my deep, creative mind - which when combined is really powerful stuff.

I am licensed to practice with the National Council of Integrative Psychotherapists (NCIP) and was awarded a Fellow in 2019 for outstanding commitment to my profession.

I have a Degree and MSc in Psychology, a Diploma in Effective Psychotherapy, along with a PGCert in Leadership.

And I'm a graduate member of the British Psychological Society (BPS).

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My Work

From therapy, consultancy, podcasting, peer support circles, writing, training, designing and facilitating, explore the ways you can work with me.

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My Evidence Bank

I took a brave step in arranging 3 of our team clinicians to attend Catherine Asta’s Circles training rather than attend myself. It was a leadership decision and was difficult because I like to crack on and do things myself!! But not only was I 100% confident in my clinicians (such as joy as a leader) but I was also 100% confident in the quality of training and support that Catherine would give my team. The training has now finished and I am blown away by what has emerged from the training. The circle facilitator plans created by Lily Scanlan, with support from Dr. Rachael King and Amy Cats are so very good. Woven through the expertise of this dream team of clinicians, is Catherine’s approach to holding Circles – compassionate, neuroinclusive, trauma informed. They made me want to attend. Can I go to my own team’s circles as a participant?! Sadly, probably not! So, I HIGHLY recommend Catherine’s ‘Gather + Belong Circle Design and Facilitator Programme’. I can see how helpful this would be in facilitating any circles, in any context.

~Dr Becky Quicke, Clinical Psychologist, Founder Autistic Girls and Women

Thanks so much for the thoughtful design and delivery of the Gather + Belong programme Catherine! I feel really resourced and energised about using what I’ve learned in my own facilitation work. The contents were considered and accessible and reminded me that care for ones personal capacity is central to holding space for others.
Gather + Belong participant 

Catherine is a humanistic and kind person who has a wealth of knowledge and patience. She is dedicated to improving outcomes for autistic people and making a real difference and impact in training professionals.

Tristan Kluibenschadl – Director STAK.Life

Catherine is a fantastic interviewer, and wonderful facilitator, who is able to hold space, use her platform and shine a light on important topics. I was a guest on Season 2 of her innovative and inclusive podcast The Late Discovered Club.  Catherine has such an inviting and calming manner and really allows people to open up and be their authentic selves. The work Catherine is doing is brave, raw, genuine, impactful, crucial, creative and beautiful. And I thank her and Caty for welcoming me to be a part of it.

Kirsty Cullen-Campanelli 

A masterclass in vulnerability

If the first two episodes of The Late Discovered Club are anything to go by the rest of this podcast series is going to be incredible listening. I related to so much of what was shared in the first episode, way more than anticipated actually and whilst it seems too easy and trite to say I felt seen it’s the only suitable response. Bravo Catherine for your bravery and desire to help make life better for so many of us who are misunderstood.

I have known Catherine for several years.  Even from the very start of her training she has inspired me with her style, sense of purpose and humility.  I have watched almost mesmerised, but not surprised by her rise to the very top of the Psychotherapy profession. Almost unheard of was her award of a Fellowship of the National Council of Integrative Psychotherapists in no more than four years of private practice.

Director of NCIP

We invited Catherine to join our workshop as an expert speaker and she spoke from her personal and professional experience with great authority, compassion and clarity. She understood immediately what we wanted to get out of the session and worked closely with us to deliver an inspiring and enlightening interview. The client team thoroughly enjoyed hearing about her experiences, and many new understandings and ideas arose from this piece of work.
Consultancy with a Financial Services Client 

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