Neurodivergent Therapy

You feel different. You can sense that something about you is not the same as your friends and family. Things that seem easy for others give you pause or cause emotional discomfort. You find yourself working twice as hard as others to get the same results. You try hard to fit in and act like those around you, but it just doesn’t work. You aren’t the same as everyone else. You feel alone, othered, and less than. You just feel like you don’t belong. 

You may be neurodivergent. Neurodivergence is an umbrella term that covers a multitude of conditions and behaviors. Some examples include autism, ADHD, sensory processing disorders, highly sensitive persons, and mental health conditions such as bipolar disorder or obsessive-compulsive disorder. 

While labels can make us feel weird or bad, neurodivergence is neither of those things. Being neurodivergent isn’t a problem that needs to be fixed. It is a beautiful part of you that deserves to be nurtured, loved, and supported. You have differences, not deficits. 

Neurodivergence as a concept is always changing and there is a lack of total agreement on what it is as those in the neurodivergent community continue to self-advocate, research and educate. Some people identify as neurospicy and some as neurocomplex and others as neurodivergent, however you identify, you are welcome at Mind Body Wellness.

It is important to note that neurodivergence is an identity, not a disorder. We can support it but there is nothing to be treated—neurodivergent people have strengths and challenges, both of which deserve to be explored. 

ADHD Strengths:

• Creative

• Spontaneous

• Curious

• Empathetic

ADHD Challenges:

• Stigma

• Sensory Overwhelm

• executive Dysfunction

• Emotional Dysregulation

Autism Strengths:

• Rich inner worlds

• Curious how things work

• Special interests that lead to innovation and art

• Perceptive, notice things that others don’t

  Autism Challenges:

• Stigma / Lack of Understanding

• Rigidity and inflexibility

• Need for routine

• Difficulty with transitions

Therapy for ADHD

Adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity (ADHD) is an innate neurotype that includes a combination of challenges such as impulsivity, difficulty paying attention, hyperactivity and executive functioning challenges. You may feel like you’re always on the go. You may feel like you can’t multitask or have poor time management skills. Maybe you feel frequent mood swings or a low tolerance for frustration. However your ADHD presents, it is valid and something that can be nurtured. ADHD is a way that your brain works differently than a neurotypical person—it is not a problem that needs to be fixed. You simply see and perceive the world in a unique way. At Mind Body Wellness, we can help you identify the support that you might need at school, work or home to help you live your most optimal life. 

Autism Therapy

Autism is a neurotype that is defined by an individual's communication differences, desire for predictability, being a system’s thinker or detail oriented, ability to hyperfocus, special interests (SPINS), sensory differences/stimming and perception differences (interoception). You may perform repetitive actions to self-soothe, called stimming. You may have very specific interests. Maybe you are unusually sensitive to light, sound, or touch, getting overwhelmed by sensations that others don’t even notice. No matter where you fall on the autism spectrum, your experience is valid. While there are challenges to autism, there is also beauty in your uniqueness and interests that deserves to be honed. Your brain is wonderfully yours, not something that needs to be changed or suppressed. 

Special Interests (SPINS)

If you identify as neurodivergent, you may have noticed you have special interests, also called SPINS. Special interest is a term for things that neurodivergent people know more about than the average person. These can be anything—a certain animal, a certain band, a certain type of machinery. These interests are as unique and creative as you are and can become part of your time with us. We want to encourage your interests and incorporate them into your care as much as possible. Share with us what interests you! 

Neurodivergent counseling that strives to avoid harm.

We also acknowledge that many mental health providers knowingly or unknowingly cause harm to neurodivergent clients by:

• Gatekeeping diagnoses

• Minimizing the difficulties of living in a neurotypical world 

• Upholing stereotypes

• Minimizing the needs of sensory differences 

We strive to avoid harm. We try and do what we can to make you feel seen and heard, our practice is neurodivergent affirming, meaning we do our best to provide you with tools to help you flourish and feel comfortable in our office. We provide fidgets, low lighting, reduced scents, white noise, and allow you to get comfortable and use blankets if desired. Talk to your therapist about what can be done to make you feel more at home during your session. 

Our neurodivergent affirming therapists in Morgantown are here to help.

Many of our staff at Mind Body Wellness know intimately about neurodivergence because we have been in your shoes–looking for a therapist that is going to “get” us. We are dedicated to reviewing and understanding all of the new research on the ever changing understanding of differing neurotypes and the co-occurring conditions that are frequent with neurodivergence. You might say, neurodivergence is our special interest!

We welcome you and your wonderfully unique neurodivergence to our practice. Please reach out to us today to schedule your first session.

Get started with neurodivergent therapy in Morgantown, WV.

Also available online in Fairmont, Clarksburg, Bridgeport, Kingwood, and across West Virginia.