How can therapy help neurodivergent individuals?

Nancy Wainscott

10 minutes ago

5 min read

What to know about neurodiversity-affirming care and its benefits

A rainbow reflection on a soap bubble outside near green trees.

The invisible risk

Neurodivergent individuals have been shown to be more susceptible to mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, and suicidality. [1]

Why is that?

You have to first understand that a neurodivergent individual’s experience interacting with society is different from that of a neurotypical (individual whose brain functioning aligns with societal expectations). That’s because the neurodivergent brain functions differently from the statistical norm with the result that they exist in a world that was not designed for the way a neurodivergent brain works. [1]

Understandably, this can lead to constant stress and eventually burnout.

Here are some of the major reasons neurodivergent individuals face increased risk of mental health struggles:

Sensory overload: Many neurodivergent individuals are overstimulated by sounds, lights, textures, and smells that neurotypical people can tolerate. This means that their body’s stress response is constantly triggered, contributing to anxiety disorders.
Masking: This refers to the constant suppression of neurodivergent behaviors in order to fit in with others, such as forcing oneself to make eye contact, leading to cognitive fatigue over time.
Social rejection: Being excluded, misunderstood and bullied from a young age, as many neurodivergent individuals are, leaves an imprint on the brain, which can lead to complex trauma, difficulty forming secure relationships and the belief that one is “too much” or “not enough.”
Misdiagnosis or late diagnosis: Many neurodivergent individuals are diagnosed late or not at all, which can cause them to miss out on early interventions that could have helped their functioning and mental health. As a result, they are often led to believe their struggles are their own failings instead of neurological differences.

Therapy can be valuable for neurodivergent individuals because it provides a place for them to be themselves and to feel celebrated, not shamed, for who they are.

It can help them build tools to successfully cope with the challenges and communicate with others as they navigate the world of societal expectations.

Therapy can be valuable for neurodivergent individuals because it provides a place for them to be themselves and to feel celebrated, not shamed, for who they are.

However, traditional therapy methods can sometimes make it worse. Misinformed counselors have tried to “correct” neurodivergent behaviors, which only leads to more stress and anxiety.

Thus, it is most beneficial for neurodivergent individuals to find a therapist who practices neurodiversity-affirming care. [2]

What is neurodiversity-affirming care?

Neurodiversity-affirming care is therapy based on an understanding of the ways in which neurodivergent individuals experience the world differently, leading to unique struggles and needs. [3]

Therapists who practice neurodiversity-affirming care:

Embrace and celebrate what makes individuals different
Do not try to correct behaviors or force them to conform to society’s expectations
Work with the client to create strategies for coping with mental health struggles
Help clients advocate for their needs in a world that often overlooks them or is unaware that they have different needs from the people around them

So how exactly can this type of therapy change people’s lives?

Benefits of therapy for neurodivergent individuals

Therapy can benefit neurodivergent individuals in a variety of impactful ways [4], including

Increased self-acceptance
Improved relationships
Acknowledgment of diversity
Less anxiety and depression
Long-term cumulative improvement and decreased risk

Increased self-acceptance

Neurodiversity-affirming care accepts neurodiversity as part of a person’s identity, boosting their self-esteem by making neurodivergent individuals feel understood and like they belong. It counters the idea that differences associated with neurodiversity must be corrected, instead celebrating the unique strengths of these individuals (e.g. creativity and problem solving in ADHD clients).

This encourages people to accept themselves for who they are instead of constantly feeling like they need to change, which reduces stress and increases resilience.

Improved relationships

Therapy can help neurodivergent individuals improve their social skills, communicate their needs to loved ones, and grow their confidence. Some neurodivergent individuals are highly capable but misunderstood because they haven’t been taught certain unwritten social norms that others pick up on intuitively. A therapist can teach them, in a direct, nonjudgemental way, how to handle these interactions, strengthening their communication with others.

Also, building a foundation of self-acceptance empowers individuals to express their needs and boundaries more openly and clearly. This improved two-way understanding fosters stronger understanding and thus stronger relationships with loved ones and colleagues.

Acknowledgement of diversity

Therapy can help neurodivergent individuals navigate unique, personal challenges, with an understanding that each person has a different set of needs and struggles.

Therapists who practice neurodiversity-affirming care understand that not only do neurodivergent patients experience different stressors than neurotypical clients, but they may experience the stress itself differently. This allows them to adapt their traditional practices to better suit the needs of their clients (e.g. offering more visual aids), understanding that each person will find a unique set of methods that works best for them.

They also recognize that it may be challenging for some clients to express themselves through verbal communication and can encourage clients to find nonverbal ways to communicate such as art, writing or music.

They are here to listen to you, however it is that you communicate.

Less anxiety and depression

Mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, OCD and PTSD often co-occur with neurodivergence. Additionally, ableism and outside pressure to mask one's behaviors and ignore their needs can increase anxiety and stress. [5]

Therapists can help reduce this stress by helping them feel safe and accepted, teaching them to accept themselves and setting them up to advocate for themselves in social situations.

Additionally, therapists can provide neurodivergent clients with coping tools unique to their mental health conditions and their brains, empowering them to handle future stress.

Long-term cumulative improvement and decreased risk

Therapy can help neurodivergent individuals build a life with stronger relationships based in a mutual understanding and an underlying acceptance and celebration of the things that make them different.

By reducing internal conflict, building up healthy coping mechanisms and making neurodivergent individuals feel understood, therapy can decrease the risk of mental health issues such as depression.

By reducing internal conflict, building up healthy coping mechanisms, and making them feel understood, therapy can decrease the risk of mental health issues such as depression for neurodivergent individuals.

Finding a neurodiversity-affirming therapist

At Therapy Fort Worth and Counseling Center, our therapists practice neurodiversity-affirming care.

If you are looking for a therapist who is neurodivergent aware to help you navigate challenges related to neurodivergence or anything else, reach out to schedule an appointment with one of our Fort Worth therapists, either in-person at our Trinity River location, or through an online session.

Schedule now

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