Neurodivergent Affirming Therapy
in Orange County

Specializing in Late Diagnosed Autism, ADHD & Giftedness

Feel like a round peg trying to fit in a square hole?

The stereotypical ideas of ADHD and Autism were often painted in negative ways - disruptive, dysregulated or difficult in the classroom and playground. But that never captured the full picture that ADHD and Autism present differently depending on age, gender and especially on individual profile. If the experience of difficulty or dysregulation was all internal, it is likely no one noticed, maybe not even you.

Our understanding of neurodiversity (the umbrella term for brains that function differently - Autism, ADHD, and giftedness to name a few) has come a long way but not in time for a generation of adults who flew under the radar because you weren't disruptive in class or unable to complete your assignments. You may have been described as quirky, marching to your own drum or outside the box but still met external expectations in school and at home. Your outward success may have hidden the inner experience of anxiety and overwhelm.

The journey to discovering your neurodiversity can be indirect and winding. Maybe one of your children has ADHD or Autism and now you are curious about whether some of your experiences parallel theirs. Maybe you're starting to experience a level of burn out from managing daily life that you didn't realize came at a higher cost to you than those around you.

Are you becoming more lazy or less disciplined?

Are you actually less capable than your life experience led you to believe?

Or could there be another explanation?

Challenges that neurospicy brains often encounter include…

Feeling overwhelmed by what others consider “simple” tasks
Difficulty with routines, either needing to stick to them or struggling to follow them
Experiencing greater fatigue or discomfort in loud, crowded or overly busy environments
Having a hard time with sustaining focus and productivity
Emotional responses that seem very different from other people
Struggling to rest and recharge effectively

It's time to meet
your beautiful mind

It is easy to start feeling critical or ashamed when it feels like you’re doing your best but it doesn’t quite meet the mark. But it’s not evidence that you that aren't good enough. I often find it’s the arbitrary expectations that are a poor fit for how you think, create, operate and move in the world. You are not incapable, you just have different needs and strengths than the standard mold. Instead of trying to twist yourself to fit the goal, what if we adjust the goal to make it fit you?

There is no prize for doing it the "standard" way.

Let’s discover your way!

First of all, I want you to know you are not broken or alone. This is a common story I hear all the time. This is not an issue of weakness but rather a sign that life requires more for a neurodiverse brain because the world is generally structured for neurotypical brains. There are undeniably challenges and unique needs that come with neurodiversity, but there are also gifts and strengths that come with it. I am excited to explore this with you and discover the full spectrum of your beautiful mind.

Our work will focus on...

Understanding your unique neurospicy profile - knowing how to work with your brain is the most important piece.
Figuring out your most valuable accommodations - we translate what works and feels good for you into areas of life that are challenging
Increasing your sense of self-compassion - I don't discount your challenges while also holding a bigger picture that includes a strengths based perspective, meaning I help you

First of all, I want you to know you are not broken or alone. This is a common story I hear all the time. This is not an issue of weakness but rather a sign that life requires more for a neurodiverse brain because the world is generally structured for neurotypical brains. There are undeniably challenges and unique needs that come with neurodiversity, but there are also gifts and strengths that come with it. I am excited to explore this with you and discover the full spectrum of your beautiful mind.

Our work will focus on...

Understanding your unique neurospicy profile - knowing how to work with your brain is the most important piece.
Figuring out your most valuable accommodations - we translate what works and feels good for you into areas of life that are challenging
Increasing your sense of self-compassion - I don't discount your challenges while also holding a bigger picture that includes a strengths based perspective, meaning I help you

Therapy for late diagnosed Autism and ADHD can help you...

Understand your unique gifts and challenges
Break free from expectations that don’t fit you
Acknowledge your needs in a non-stigmatizing way
Learn self-compassion and self-acceptance
Discover ways to accommodate your needs to make life a little softer and kinder

Embrace your whole self and experience a new level of authenticity.

Schedule a Free Consultation

Frequently Asked Questions

Neurodivergence (ND) is an umbrella terms for conditions that indicate a different neurotype, or neurological differences in the brain, including ADHD, Autism, high sensitive, giftedness, and Tourette's. This means the brain is structured and functions in a way that is different from the mainstream expectation.

Neurospicy is a term that means the same thing but has been popularized in the ND community because it is fun, quirky and reflective of they playful nature of many ND people.

Getting a formal diagnosis is completely up to you. Self-diagnosis is often many people's first step and there is a lot of data that shows it is largely accurate. If this is enough for you and you don't feel the need to get formal accommodations for school or work, that is valid.

If you do need or want ADA protection at work or accommodations like extended testing time for school, a formal diagnosis is needed and I can help you navigate that.

A diagnosis is helpful for some people. For others, it feels uncomfortable. If you are unsure about wanting to label it, we can explore whether some of the strategies and accommodations that are helpful for ND brains are helpful for you. Even non-ND brains can benefit from common ND tools.

This is a deeply personal decision. Having an ND diagnosis does not mean medication is necessary. For ADHD, the right medication is often a valuable tool to give you more access to your inherent cognitive resources, but not everyone goes that route. Stimulant medication is often what people think of, but there are other options as well.

We can explore your concerns and I can help you understand the ways medication can support you. The decision of what to take will be made between you and a psychiatrist.

Accommodations are adjustments you can make or request that help lower the cost of doing certain tasks. Sometimes they are requested from school or work but often there are subtle things you can do for yourself. Some common ones often involve lessening the strain of sensory overstimulation, such as noise reducing earplugs or light filtering glasses.

When focus is a challenge, a less stimulating environment can be helpful. At school, that may mean taking tests in a testing center that has less noise and visual stimuli. At work, it may mean wearing noise cancelling headphones or having white noise. In your personal life, it might look like making sure TV and phones are silent and that you and your partner are uninterrupted during serious or detail oriented conversations.

We get a lot of messages about how things "should be done" but these are often arbitrary standards in a one-size-fits-all framework. Doing things differently can make a big difference for a ND brain.

Neurodivergent Affirming Therapy in Orange County

Specializing in Late Diagnosed Autism, ADHD & Giftedness

It's time to meet your beautiful mind

Frequently Asked Questions

Neurodivergent Affirming Therapy
in Orange County

It's time to meet
your beautiful mind