Finding the Right-Fit: Neuro-affirming Therapy
As a Mental Health Therapist and ADHD Coach who discovered my own neurodivergence later in life, I bring both professional expertise and lived experience to this conversation. I get it - on multiple levels. After two decades of international healthcare experience across the UK and Australia, I believe that finding the right support as a neurodivergent person shouldn't feel like learning a foreign language.
There’s been a huge influx of services using the terms “neuro-informed or neuro-affirming, but essentially, genuinely supportive and well-informed therapy will have these characteristics. Consider these some of the “green flags” that mean that your provider may be well on track to working with all brains:
ADHD and Executive Function Support:
Understanding time perception differences as natural variations, not deficits
Working with your natural energy cycles and rhythms
Creating systems that match your processing style
Recognizing hyperfocus as a strength to be channeled
Building sustainable routines that honor your natural patterns
Sensory Processing:
Developing personalized sensory toolkits that work for you
Creating environments that energize rather than drain
Validating sensory experiences without pressure to "tolerate" or "overcome"
Honoring your unique sensory needs as non-negotiable aspects of your neurology
Processing and Communication:
Respecting your natural processing timeline
Supporting diverse communication styles
Valuing reflection time as essential, not optional
Working at a pace that matches your needs
Questions to Ask Any Potential Therapist:
"What's your understanding of neurodiversity?"
"How do you view ADHD and executive function differences?"
"What's your approach to sensory processing needs?"
"How do you adapt your communication style?"
"What experience do you have with neurodivergent adults?"
Red Flags to Watch For:
Language that pathologizes neurodivergence
Rigid, one-size-fits-all approaches
Dismissal of sensory needs
Focus on "fixing" rather than supporting
Pressure to mask or "appear more typical"
Green Flags to Look For:
Willingness to adapt their approach
Understanding of masking and burnout
Recognition of different communication styles
Respect for your existing strategies
Openness to feedback and collaboration
At Enriched By Experience, I combine evidence-based mental health therapy, certified ADHD coaching, and insights from both professional expertise and lived experience to work with adults who are:
Exploring their neurodivergent identity
Seeking mental health support that honors their neurology
Looking for strategies that work with their brain, not against it
Ready to embrace their authentic selves
Let's explore if we're the right fit. Book a 20-minute discovery session - Medicare rebates available with GP referral and mental health care plan. Both in-person and telehealth options available on Whadjuk Nyoongar land.
Email: enrichedbyexperience@gmail.com
Website: enrichedbyexperience.com
