Divergent minds, divergent therapy
A question we get asked a lot here is this - but why do neurodivergent people need specialist therapy? Doesn’t therapy training provide all the knowledge and skills needed to work with, well, pretty much everyone?
I guess the answer is both yes and no.
Yes, because most initial core trainings for counsellors and psychotherapists include skills training and content about different theories, for example about human development and human psychology, as well as the causes of mental health distress. But on the “no” side, this broad brush approach can mean that different factors affecting neurodivergent people can be glossed over, or even left out entirely. It can also sadly be the case that neurodivergences such as autism, ADHD, brain injuries, Tourette’s Syndrome and other developmental and neurological differences are only taught in terms of pathology and the distress they cause, without looking holistically at what it is like to be neurodivergent in a society that is based around the mythical idea of what is “neurotypical” - that is, the way the majority of society thinks, processes information, and experiences the world around them and their relationships with others.
“In not wanting to name our differences, parts of us can be erased”
Much of the training provided on neurodivergence is also designed and delivered by people without lived experience of actually being neurodivergent. So you can see why, with the best of intentions, newly qualified therapists might often tend to think that we don’t need specific training on it, right? The intention is often good, because in saying that perhaps autistic people might need a different approach in therapy, for example, that might feel like we are “othering” autistic clients and seeing them as different to us, which might feel uncomfortable. But the fact is, we do have neuro-differences, and in neurodiversity affirmative therapy, we acknowledge, celebrate and validate them. In not wanting to name our differences, parts of us can be erased - you can’t treat someone as a whole person, in fact, without acknowledging those differences.
“we have our own experiences of what it’s like to live in this world with a divergent mind”
Valuing lived experience in practice
At Free2BMe, we do understand that divergent minds need divergent therapies, and we especially need the expertise of therapists who are themselves neurodivergent. Our therapists have undertaken additional post-qualification training in working with neurodivergences such as ADHD, autism, learning difficulties, brain injuries, bipolar, PTSD and complex PTSD, but the main asset we all bring is that we have our own experiences of what it’s like to live in this world with a divergent mind, which is a huge asset to our practice. We are always open to learning, of course, but we don’t demand that our neurodivergent clients educate us. We adapt our practice to work with what our clients bring to us - we never expect our clients to communicate with us or engage in therapy in a neurotypical way, because we don’t ourselves!
Finding a neurodivergent therapist
If you’re looking for a UK therapist who can work safely, empathically and effectively for yourself or your neurodivergent child, we have counsellors, therapists and coaches across the UK. We have in person availability in a number of locations in the UK, including Liverpool, Manchester/Greater Manchester, Bedford, London and Dorset. We also offer online counselling, psychotherapy and coaching for children, young people and adults with ADHD, autism, specific learning difficulties, Tourette’s Syndrome, acquired brain injuries, bipolar, CPSTD and other neurological differences.
