What Is Neurodiversity-Affirming Care Exactly?
Jessica Piziali, LMHCA, LMHCA on Nov 22, 2022 in Mood and Feelings
You may have seen this term on my website, social media, in articles, etc. and wondered: What exactly does it mean?
“Neurodiversity-affirming” itself means medical/mental healthcare or perhaps education or work environments that respect and support neurodivergences.
“Neurodivergent” means the way the brain functions is different from what is considered typical/neurotypical. Because most things are currently set up for neurotypicals (think education systems, work environments, social norms, etc.), it can make it really difficult for us neurodivergent folks to navigate. It can even lead to anxiety, depression, and negative feelings and beliefs about ourselves, especially feelings of shame.
ADHD is considered a neurodivergency. Practicing neurodiversity-affirming care means that at Grow Like Sunflowers Counseling LLC, we will never try to “fix” ADHD because you are not broken.
What we will do is work with you to come up with ways of doing things that actually feel more intuitive and support your unique brain. You will learn to connect with your authentic self and we will support you in finding peace with feelings of shame and letting go of negative beliefs you may have developed about yourself.
