Neurodiversity & Therapy
Welcome to the Woods
If you’re able to meet in person, we’ll sit outside (more or less). For people highly attuned to sensory input, nature tends to be a solace, a delight, a place to tune in to the world without being overwhelmed. So let’s tap in to that!
Let your system settle
You may not give much thought to your nervous system… or it may be front-and-center throughout your day.
Many people have systems that don’t fit the (so-called norm. Their brains work differently. Sensory input may seem dialed up—or down. Social interactions can look and feel different. Sound familiar?
On one hand, you may:
…feel way overstimulated by the flicker of fluorescent lights, the whine of a blender, the scratchiness of a collar;
…hold internalized beliefs that you’re scattered, unfeeling, melodramatic, or not trying hard enough;
…wonder what it was you said that made someone so angry;
… want to scream with frustration when you did all the“hard” stuff with no problem but miss the last step (like hitting “Send”);
...and on a tough day, you may feel like you’re from a different planet.
The flip side is:
…when you’re able to care for your system and give it the simple, wholesome things it craves —
a quiet space or a soft blanket?
solitude?
time in nature?
or a friend who really gets it—
you can thrive.
When that happens, you get access to the good stuff.
Simple beauty resonates.
Creativity flows.
Sparkly ideas light up your mind.
Connections form.
And things that felt overwhelming can seem like the natural flow of life.
Neuro- ( )
neurodiversity (n)
: the full spectrum of individual differences in brain and nervous-system functioning regarded as normal variations within the human population
neurodivergent (adj)
: having neurocognitive functioning that differs from dominant social norms
Human nervous systems cover a lot of ground.
We have different ways of experiencing sensory input; different ways of processing the input and making meaning of it; different thresholds and sources of pain and pleasure.
A majority of people seem similar enough to be called “neurotypical.” Some other known neurotypes are listed in the box. ▸ ▸ ▸
Neurotype examples
Autism
ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder)
HSP (Highly Sensitive Person)
Dyslexia (processing words)
Dysgraphia (fine motor skills)
Dyscalculia (numbers and math)
Dyspraxia (motor skills)
Sensory Processing difficulties
Tourette’s Syndrome
and others…
Notice that many of those have names that tag them as a “disorder”, without alternative names yet (e.g. ADHD). Also, not all have corresponding mental health diagnoses (e.g. HSP). Whether these neurotypes are differences or disorders is a major question being asked by the neuroivergent community.
“Neurodivergent” is a term that seems to feel right for a lot of people with atypical neurotypes these days, though different communities have different preferences. (It’s best to ask.)
Friendly reminder
You’re not broken.
Surely, Parts of you know that… And hopefully you can already feel your wholeness, and see the ways in which you’re amazing.
Yet… it can be easy to interpret the mismatch between
our own systems and societal norms & expectations
as something wrong with us.
The embarrassment of being late, again.
The look passed between other people that suggests we’ve missed some social… thing.
The idea that pounding music in a restaurant is enjoyable.
None of that is “something wrong with you”.
Frustrating in the context of a society not built for you?—absolutely. Different, sure.
YET ALSO: remarkable in ways you may or may not already know…
Where to next?
Neurodivergence
• What is neurodivergence?
(Is it just ADHD and Autism?)
• How does it feel from the inside?
• How does it look from the outside?
• How can I tell if I’m neurodivergent?
IFS Therapy
(Internal Family Systems)
Simple concept, profound effects
“A part of me wants to cook a really healthy dinner tonight, but a part of me is craving pizza.” It’s not a foreign concept for us to acknowledge that different parts of us feel different ways. Find out more about how getting to know our parts— really know them— allows us to develop a sense of internal trust, so that the tug-of-war becomes collaboration
Where we meet
