THERAPY FOR NEURODIVERSE CLIENTS

Individual Therapy:

I work with neurodiverse clients to address specific challenges that stand in the way of achieving goals. My approach is individualized, and derived from several different disciplines. I am committed to helping clients better understand themselves and to develop skills to better navigate a world that does not always understand or accommodate neurodiversity. This involves learning how to explain one’s differences to improve others’ understanding and how to advocate for individual needs. I also work to help clients identify others’ thinking patterns and to increase options for improving social communication. Other potentially related issues such as sensory sensitivity, self-regulation/overload, anxiety, depression, perseverative thinking, and executive functioning challenges are addressed as needed for individual clients.

Parent/Caregiver Consultation:

Parents and caregivers of neurologically diverse individuals may benefit from consultation. I can provide educational tools, referrals, and an opportunity to help problem-solve issues ranging from household chores to long-term transition planning.

Challenges often associated with neuro-diversity can be stressful for parents and caregivers, who typically bear primary responsibility for support, planning, education and life skills development. The stress may be even higher if faced with frequent emotional outbursts or behavioral issues at home, or if additional issues are compounding the situation, such as ADHD, learning challenges, anxiety, or highly-restricted eating. As is true for all parents, finding the appropriate level of scaffolding for growing children can be tough to navigate.

Above all, my aim is to help parents and caregivers feel that they are not alone, and to offer a place for them to feel supported and acknowledged for the role they play in the life of their child. 

Examples of ISSUES that are typical for clients:

• Repeated struggles finding friends and maintaining relationships

• Maintaining conversations with others seems difficult or boring

• Difficulty finding motivation to accomplish tasks

• Repeated struggles with organization, planning, time management, or other executive functions

• Intense and/or chronic anxiety

• Frequent difficulty regulating emotions in situations that are frustrating or overwhelming, leading to meltdowns or shutdowns

• Despite consistently doing well with required job duties, a long history of negative performance appraisals at work, or repeated periods of unemployment

• “Looping” or perseverating thoughts

• Feeling constantly confused and/or overwhelmed by things that other people seem to "know" intuitively

• Being told that they “just don’t get it,” “lack empathy” or "don't pay attention to anyone else's point of view"

• Transitions or last-minute changes in the schedule or environment are disturbing, and can lead to overwhelm or conflict

• Difficulty managing sensory stimuli