Have You Spent Your Entire Life Feeling Like Something Is Wrong With You?

Do you feel broken or out of place because certain treatments you’ve tried never worked? Have you been dismissed as being anxious or depressed and then later diagnosed with ADHD or autism? Were you misdiagnosed as bipolar or placed on medications that didn’t work for you?

Being autistic or an ADHDer can make it challenging for you to feel understood and accepted. It can be exhausting to have to pretend to be neurotypical to fit in. Furthermore, you probably need help finding a modified approach that fits your neurotype because of your unique needs. What you want more than anything is to be your true self and feel validated and accepted by those around you.

Neurodivergent Folks Have Different Experiences

Maybe you’re dealing with autistic or ADHD burnout and chronic exhaustion from masking or camouflaging your true self. Perhaps you’re also experiencing anxiety and depression, conflict with loved ones, distance in relationships, or constantly being told you’re lazy.

You’re probably also experiencing difficulties keeping up with everyday tasks, managing emotions, procrastination, avoidance, and sleep disturbances.

Without the right help and support, living this way can feel lonely and frustrating. Fortunately, through neurodiversity affirming therapy you can discover how to advocate for yourself, accommodate your needs, and finally be comfortable being yourself.

Neurodiversity Affirming Therapy Can Help You Build Self-Confidence

Therapy offers a safe space for self-exploration and building self-confidence. Here, you'll acquire skills to advocate for yourself in various settings, whether at work, home, or school. We prioritize providing validation and support. You'll gain insight into preventing burnout and managing meltdowns or shutdowns. We'll guide you in creating a soothing environment and embracing your individuality. Together, we'll discover effective strategies to enhance your overall quality of life.

Our caring, experienced therapists are here for you to guide you toward discovering who you are post-diagnosis/identification.

Our Approaches To Neurodiversity Affirming Therapy

Our therapists are proudly eclectic and pull from a diverse menu of therapeutic approaches. We are trauma-informed and have begun the process of decolonizing our therapy practices. Many of our clinicians are also IFS-Informed (Internal Family Systems therapy).

Person-centered Therapy anchors the client as the expert of their own experiences. Here, we de-center neuro-normativity in the therapy room and allow the client to lead the conversation. The therapist brings their full, authentic self to the room, which can lead to rich sessions that can center around client interests. We welcome info-dumping and sharing of passions and interests.

Relational Therapy at its core allows the therapeutic relationship to heal and foster positive, meaningful, and mutually fulfilling relationships with others. We may explore your relational patterns, and authentic connection with other neurodivergent folks, and unpack internalized ableism surrounding the ways you communicate or engage socially.

Modified/Neurodiversity Friendly Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) interventions and strategies help navigate day-to-day situations, such as problem-solving, examining the pros and cons of your decision-making, identifying ways to cope with stress, or exploring core beliefs and schemas that can be re-activated in times of stress. We may ask questions to connect thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations to foster better self-understanding and increase emotional vocabulary.

We do not use manualized CBT in the traditional sense, where it may be implied that there is something wrong with the way you think, which then impacts the way you feel. We will never tell you that your thoughts aren’t valid. We may thoughtfully bring in CBT-based interventions if appropriate, and if you are comfortable. 

We also incorporate self-advocacy in our practice, which focuses on securing support and accommodations within your home as well as with family and friends. It involves effectively communicating your needs and preferences to ensure a conducive environment for your well-being.

On the other hand, boundary setting comes into play when navigating social events and interactions. Instead of pushing yourself to endure overwhelming situations, the approach is to establish clear limits, allowing for more comfortable and manageable social experiences.

We can also bring in aspects of Geek Therapy, relaxation training exercises such as self-hypnosis or progressive muscle relaxation, video games, and bibliotherapy.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on identifying and exploring values, developing identity, and fostering self-compassion. We also encourage you to observe your thoughts and emotions without judgment through mindfulness. Ultimately, the goal is to live life in line with your values, that works with and not against your brain, and what a good life looks like to YOU and not what society expects of you. 

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) equips you with a personalized toolkit for tolerating distress and emotion regulation. A focus could be meltdown prevention and self-soothing during moments of overstimulation or overwhelm. This could include creating a sensory soothing kit with the DBT skill of “Self Soothe” or with TIPP skills using temperature and deep breathing as a means to regulate heart rate and reduce overwhelming emotions.

Brainspotting is a cutting-edge therapeutic modality leveraging eye positions, or "brainspots," to access and process unresolved trauma and emotional issues. Developed by Dr. David Grand, it is a bottom-up approach that harnesses the mind-body connection to promote healing. Discover the transformative power of brainspotting for emotional well-being and trauma resolution.