Living and Working with Neurodivergence Mental Health and Wellbeing Conference 2024
I attended this year’s conference online and was absolutely blown away by the speakers and workshops. There were so many amazing insights from practitioners who identify as neurodivergent, generously providing ways of managing so many aspects of life with ND. Yasmin Shaheen-Zaffar’s amazing Homestead model as a tool for working with ND clients was incredibly helpful, as was ways to increase interoception and navigate PDA.
It’s also important that as ND practitioners, we also work for our neuro-type and don’t get into burn out so we can be our healthiest and best for ourselves and the work we do. I have often noticed that I have patterns of hyperfocus and enhanced activity, which burn a lot of energy, which I then pay for later. I’m developing ways to stay on the level and make sure I’m meeting my own and my clients needs. To hear the importance of this reflected was very affirming.
There was fantastic discussion on the medical model, it’s uses and it’s problems such as it being deficit based, and huge topics were covered such as our internalised ableism, as well as what does safe practice look like for the ND world.
I attended courses on working and supporting ND students, how to work neuro-affirmingly and a hugely helpful talk on the diagnostic process from Dr Emma Taylor, who is also ND, who clearly explained processes, how to self-advocate and how to allow room for both the validation, relief and also grief that can come from obtaining an official diagnosis, whilst re-affirming the validity of self-diagnosis.
What I loved about this conference, is that every single person’s talk and workshop I attended was neurodivergent. I’ve found that other training and other conferences have been mainly panels of people who work with ND, but don’t necessarily identify, which I think can lead to huge pitfalls in lived-in understanding and empathy.
My ‘special interest’ of neurodivergence was thoroughly engaged and I am working through all of the talks in the recording.
This conference was deeply impactful and will inform both my in person work in Newcastle and my remote psychotherapy work.
If you identify as neurodivergent and want therapy, please feel free to reach out to me at freyabrysonpsychotherapy@proton.me as I am currently taking clients. As an ND psychotherapist, I want to support you in a neuro-affirming way and make sure you get the support you need.
