In April Dr Sue Hartley will be delivering an online workshop on ‘Welcoming People with Autism in our Parishes’ for people of the archdiocese.

The workshop on Saturday 29 April, is aimed at parishioners and clergy to learn more about autism and how they can adapt their practice to best meet their needs.

Revd Dr Sue Hartley is a retired GP and a self-supporting priest in the Church of England. She currently works as a spiritual director and is a member of the London Centre for Spiritual Direction community.

She is also on the leadership team of the Single Consecrated Life network in the Anglican Church. Since being diagnosed with autism herself six years ago, she has been passionate about equipping church leaders and spiritual directors in their ministry to autistic individuals.

Dr Sue said: “As awareness of autism is increasing in society, more autistic people are seeking spiritual direction. People often come with questions such as: Who am I? Why am I different? What is the purpose of my life? How can I connect with God?

“In this workshop, we will be learning about the main features of autism and how it affects people’s lives, concentrating on those who are of average or above average intelligence and who are verbal.  We will think about our attitudes to people who are different. And we will consider how we can help them work through the spiritual issues that arise from living with this condition; and how we can adapt our practice to best meet their needs.”

Elizabeth Parsons, training coordinator at the Archdiocese of Liverpool, said: “We are delighted to be welcoming Dr Sue to deliver this workshop for us.

“I think it will be an incredibly interesting event and will provide attendees with an insight and guidance of how they can create a safe and welcoming space for those with autism.”

‘Welcoming People with Autism in our Parishes’ will be held online on 29 April 2023 between 10am – 1pm. To register for the workshop and receive the Zoom link, please visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/welcoming-people-with-autism-in-our-parishes-tickets-595751367377

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