I’m a neurodivergent mixed-culture therapist and an LGBTQIA+ ally, offering a safe, inclusive and neuro-affirming space

I compare myself with the other people sitting in the dentist’s waiting room.

No-one else is jiggling their legs, stretching, shifting around, or constantly chatting and interrupting the person they’re with. No-one else is showing signs of restlessness.

I wonder how different life would feel if I didn`t always feel restless. I wonder how calm I`d be, and how much more capacity I`d have.

I also wonder if I`d have achieved all the things I did, all the travels I`ve had, all the courses I`ve taken, all the people I`ve met, said yes to all the adventures.

I know that while this restlessness can be exhausting, it is also what has gifted me deep joy in being alive, and to truly live my life with every part of my being.

The flip sides of ADHD. 💛

[Image of cloud art in the ceiling of the dentist waiting room]
#ADHD #ADHDWomen #ADHDAwareness #LifeWithADHD #ADHDLife #Neurodivergent #Neurodiversity #ADHDJourney #ADHDReflections #TheFlipSideOfADHD ...

One of the things I`ve become increasingly aware of over the past year is how people`s preferences for communication platforms are changing.

For many years, I connected with clients via WhatsApp, my custom domain email and ProtonMail, and also offered Google Meet and VSee for online sessions. While those options remain available, I`ve noticed that a growing number of people are choosing to move away from WhatsApp for reasons ranging from privacy concerns to simply preferring other platforms.

As someone who works almost entirely online, I think it`s important to adapt to those changes rather than expect clients to adapt to me.

🌿 Offering meaningful choices and making adaptations wherever possible is a key part of how I work, particularly with neurodivergent clients. My practice is grounded in a neuroaffirming approach, which means recognising that there is no one-size-fits-all way of communicating or engaging. If changing the platform helps someone feel more comfortable, more secure or simply better able to engage, that`s an adaptation worth making.

With that in mind, I`m pleased to now offer Signal, Telegram and Wire for both communication and online sessions, and Proton Meet for video calls, alongside my existing options.

Everyone has different priorities when it comes to convenience, security and privacy. My aim is to make it as easy as possible for people to work with me using a platform they already know and feel comfortable with.

✨ I`m also curious to hear what others are using these days. Have your preferences changed over the past few years? If so, what has influenced your choice of platform - privacy, security, ease of use, features or something else? Are there any platforms you think deserve more attention, or even, that I should consider using also?

#Neuroaffirming #Neurodiversity #DigitalCommunication #Privacy #OnlineTherapy #Telehealth #Accessibility ...

This weekend, we had planned to go to Stockholm Pride. Instead, we chose something quieter because sensory needs came first for our family. Even so, Pride still matters to me.

I grew up in a family where traditional views on sexuality and gender were the norm. Even as a child, I found myself questioning the certainty with which people judged others, and wondering whether there might be different ways of seeing the world. That curiosity has stayed with me.

Over the past year, conversations with transgender people, parents, and young people figuring out who they are haven`t changed my values - they`ve deepened my understanding.

Two conversations have stayed with me.

🌿 A pre-teen told me that gender isn`t the thing that matters most to him. He sees people for who they are - their personality, their kindness, their character - rather than feeling constrained by labels. This wasn`t a view he`d adopted to fit in; it was one he`d arrived at over a long period of time, in his own way.

🌿 A parent spoke honestly about grieving the future they had imagined for their child. In this case, their child is transgender, but I think the feeling is broader than that. Parents often carry hopes and expectations for their children`s future. Letting go of those expectations can be painful, but grieving the future you imagined isn`t the same as losing your child. They`re still there - the same person, with the same history, and the same capacity to love and be loved.

It`s left me thinking that we are who we are, regardless of the stories or expectations around us. Those stories don`t create our identity. Sometimes they simply give us permission to live more openly as the person we`ve always been.

Happy Pride. 🏳️‍🌈

#Pride #StockholmPride #LGBTQIA #Inclusion #Belonging #Compassion #Faith #Humanity #Empathy ...

"Children need to be bored."

It`s one of those parenting ‘truths’ we hear all the time, but in our home, boredom doesn`t lead to creativity. It leads to anxiety, dysregulation, and getting stuck.

When we`re transitioning from one activity to another, we can`t simply say, "Go and find something to do." Our children need support at that crossroads. A few ideas, a little structure, and once something sparks their interest, they`re off - creative, engaged, and independent.

The challenge isn`t creativity. It`s getting started.

It also makes me wonder whether we`re all talking about the same thing when we say boredom.

For me, boredom isn`t peaceful empty space waiting to be filled with imagination. It`s restlessness, indecision, and feeling unable to begin. That`s why having a plan or a few options helps - it isn`t avoiding boredom, it`s using supports that work for my brain.

If "boredom breeds creativity" has never felt true for your family, perhaps give a thought to how boredom feels for you and your family, what it means, and how best to navigate it – while letting go of guilt or shame, and letting go of the old rules we grew up with.

Does boredom inspire creativity in your home, or does it create overwhelm? I`d love to hear your experience. 💛

#Neurodiversity #Neurodivergent #ADHD #Autism #ExecutiveFunction #Neuroaffirming #Parenting #NeurodivergentParenting #EmotionalRegulation #ChildDevelopment ...

I`m taking half an hour out of my day to truly relax and take a break, and I`m finally starting to work through the books I`ve had in a pile for months.

The freedom to do this - or rather, awarding myself moments of freedom to do this - is glorious.

#reading #bookworm #hibernatingbookworm #hagitude #sharonblackie ...