How to Unmask and Embrace Your Neurodivergent Self

After years of training yourself to mask and to try to blend in, you know you want to take off that mask, and communicate authentically with others, but you somehow get stuck.  You may be spending your time rehearsing conversations that you never feel confident enough to have.  Maybe you replay awkward conversations and worry about how you could have done better, or what you wish you had said differently.  Maybe you’ve always felt different, and it seems like others don’t always hear what you are trying to say.  You may be longing to be more authentically and comfortably yourself when you are with other people, but you aren’t sure how to go about it.  You may worry that if you communicate more freely you will do or say something wrong, and the relationship will suffer.  You may wish you could build deeper connections with others, but on the other hand, being with others feels like too much work, it takes too much energy, and the risks are too great.  Maybe you are just tired of trying to accommodate for other’s comfort, and want to find greater peace and acceptance with yourself.

My clients want to explore who they are in relation to other people, whether it’s family, friends, co-workers, or other people in their life.  Many clients aren’t even sure about who they are without the mask, and struggle to take their own needs and preferences seriously.  Most of my clients have felt awkward starting therapy and feeling vulnerable connecting with a stranger, and it takes time to find ways to engage that work for them.  Often they aren’t quite sure where to begin.  My clients want to be understood without editing their thoughts so heavily before sharing them.  Some of my clients have recognized that they are, or may be, neurodivergent, and are realizing that this has affected how they move through the world, especially in social situations.  They have had negative experiences in social situations before, but at the same time, they want to learn to be more comfortable in talking with important other people in their life (or establishing important relationships in the first place.) They understand that not all people are safe to unmask around, and may want help in sorting out when and where they need to mask, and when they don’t.

My goal for you as a client is to experience someone really taking time to understand you better, and to become more comfortable with sharing real thoughts and feelings in whatever way they arise within you.  This experience often helps clients take these skills into other relationships out in the ‘real’ world.  They start to realize that the way they communicate is valid, and to build confidence in their way of approaching the world.

During your first session, we’ll review your intake paperwork & the consent forms you signed. After that, I have a few questions to ask, and then I like to spend the remaining time having a conversation about what is arising for you.  You don’t need to know what to say, just bring yourself and share whatever comes up for you in the present moment.  Sessions are 50 minutes, & I recommend in the beginning, we meet once a week for the first 6 weeks to keep up the momentum we see in session, after that some people continue with every week, and some move to every other week. Payment is collected at the end of your session via the credit card that you will put on file.

In session, you are leading the conversation and are free to say whatever is on your mind.  No matter what the topic is, we bring our nervous systems wherever we go.  And our nervous systems want to heal, the healing impulse is in you!.  No pressure to talk about something if you aren’t ready, as we get to know each other, I hope it will begin to feel more easeful to talk about difficult topics.

I provide individual counseling services for adults and teens in Washington state via telehealth. I focus on the process of how to live well with neurodivergence, and understanding more about your individual strengths and challenges. I am happy to help clients explore their thoughts about neurodivergence, and how their own traits fit into that framework. However, I do not offer an evaluation and formal diagnosis process.

It is important to me that people who need counseling sessions and the healing they provide are able to access these services. A world that embraces a variety of neurotypes and abilities, includes dismantling capitalism. Please contact me to discuss sliding scale rates.

Sessions are $165 per hour, starting on the hour or half hour. I am not in network with any insurance, but I can provide superbills which you can submit to your insurance provider for reimbursement depending on your insurance plan.