The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy has been criticised for a guide which says women are "emotional and concerned with their appearance" - unless they are northern.

Guidance materials for counsellors issued by the organisation advises them that "is important not to assume" that "being a woman necessarily involves being able to bear children, or having XX sex chromosomes, or breasts."

Instead, "being a woman in a British cultural context often means adhering to social norms of femininity, such as being nurturing, caring, social, emotional, vulnerable, and concerned with appearance".

However, the document adds, "not all women adhere to all these things".

"In some northern working-class contexts, femininity is associated with strength and aggression."

It also cites "neurodiverse women" who are "on the autistic/aspergic/ADHD spectrums" and who "may struggle to express emotions, or with social situations" as exceptions to the standard definition.

The advice, entitled "Gender, Sexual, and Relationship Diversity", was called "ludicrous and dangerous" by Sophie Walker, the leader of the Women's Equality Party, who has an autistic daughter.

"Particularly citing autistic women as a first example of what’s not a typical ‘empathetic/concerned with appearance’ woman which further entrenches ‘difference’.

"This is the damage that leaves so many needing counselling! Do better. Much better," she said on Twitter.