I felt I didn't know how to relate to my peers and my environment's narrow understanding of what it meant to be a boy fueled my sense of isolation. I was bullied for being different and labeled “gay” because I did not share the interests of my peers. When I tried to reach out for support from male teachers, they often reflected the same traditional masculinity and told me to “fight back”. This left me feeling even more lost in my identity development, and I tried different things to fit in, including having a girlfriend. All my efforts pushed me further into loneliness. I masked my emotions on the outside and fell into despair and depression, including suicidal ideation. See how in early adulthood, I was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (Level 1), which helped me understand myself beyond the prejudice. I used the diagnosis to find a different way to relate to the world, and leaned into my artistic and creative side. This helped me connect with other kinds of people and find a space where I could express myself in new ways and explore my identity further. Learn how psychotherapy allowed me to go deeper and process my experiences, and to understand my coping mechanisms so I could address them consciously. This did not just help me become more comfortable in my own skin, but it also fueled a passion to understand the human condition more deeply. I began studying psychotherapy, and today I work to fill the gap in expertise surrounding autism and identity. This is my story.