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It’s not “overreacting.” It’s your nervous system sounding the alarm.
For many of us, diagnosed or not, even a passing comment or shift in tone can trigger hours (or days) of self-doubt.
You might find yourself replaying a moment, trying to decode what went wrong, feeling shame even when nothing was wrong.
This isn’t about being “too sensitive.” It’s often RSD, a trauma-like response that hits hard and fast, especially in neurodivergent nervous systems shaped by years of masking, misunderstanding, or feeling like we’re always “too much.”
If you feel this, you’re not alone, and you’re not broken.
Can you relate to this cycle?
#RejectionSensitiveDysphoria #Neurodivergent #ADHD #MentalHealthAwareness #LivedExperience

A practical, neurodiversity-affirming online course for therapists, counsellors, and mental health professionals. Learn how to support autistic and ADHD clients in safe, adaptive, inclusive ways.

In recent years, there has been a growing awareness of the need for more inclusive and adaptive therapeutic approaches—but traditional training still leaves many therapists unsure of how to support neurodivergent clients in practice.

That’s why I co-created Therapy Unmasked: A Practitioner’s Guide to Working with Neurodivergent Clients, now available on the Help My Child platform.

This neurodiversity-affirming online course is designed for therapists, counsellors, psychologists, and other mental health professionals who work with autistic and ADHD clients, or want to start.

As a neurodivergent therapist myself, I understand how many of the standard therapeutic frameworks can unintentionally pathologise or overlook neurodivergent experiences. And I’ve seen firsthand the transformative impact of adapting therapy to meet clients where they are—whether that means shifting expectations around eye contact, accommodating sensory needs, or learning to recognise masking and shutdown behaviours as forms of communication.

What This Online Course for Therapists Covers

Therapy Unmasked is a self-paced, in-depth course spanning eight modules. Topics include:

• Understanding masking, rejection sensitivity, and executive dysfunction

• Supporting sensory regulation in therapy

• Adapting therapeutic pacing and expectations

• Addressing internalised ableism and building client self-trust

• The overlap between neurodivergence and mental health conditions like anxiety, trauma, and depression

It also includes downloadable tools, real-world clinical examples, and strategies you can begin applying immediately in your work with neurodivergent clients.

Created with Collaboration in Mind

I co-developed this course with educator and neurodiversity advocate Jouré Rustemeyer. Jouré brings lived experience and deep knowledge of home, school, and therapeutic environments. Together, we built this training to bridge the gap between theory and practice, and to reflect the real challenges and strengths of working with neurodivergent clients across different settings.

Why Enrol Now 

CPD accreditation is currently pending, and while I initially considered waiting for formal approval, the need for accessible, affirming training is urgent. That’s why we’re offering early access at a reduced rate while the course is under review.

If you’re a therapist who has ever questioned whether the tools you were given truly fit the clients in front of you—especially neurodivergent clients—this course was built for you.

ENROL NOW

For many neurodivergent clients, therapy isn’t a place to instantly relax.
It can feel like another space where you’re expected to get it right.
– You try to look engaged, even when you’re overwhelmed
– You rehearse what to say before you say it
– You watch the therapist’s face for signs of judgment
– You smile when you’re actually shut down
Masking doesn’t just disappear when the session starts. And for some, unmasking doesn’t feel safe, it feels exposed.
That’s why neurodivergent-affirming therapy is about more than insight.
It’s about co-creating a space where there’s no performance required.
Where regulation comes before reflection. Where stillness, stimming, silence, or saying “I don’t know” are all welcome.
Unmasking isn’t the only goal. Safety is!
#Neurodivergent #Therapy  #Masking hashtag#ADHD #Autistic  #MentalHealthAwareness #NeurodiversityAffirming #TheNeurodivergentPsychotherapist

Checklist: ADHD in Adults; Signs You Might Have Missed
You forget appointments but remember vivid childhood moments
You feel mentally busy 24/7 even when you’re doing nothing
You have half-finished tasks everywhere
You interrupt, not to be rude, but because the thought might disappear
Time slips away; hours or minutes, all the same
You overcommit… then burn out
You feel guilty for resting, even when you’re exhausted
You scroll instead of sleeping, then beat yourself up for it
You’re told you’re “smart but disorganised” or “capable but inconsistent”
You feel like you’re constantly failing at things that seem “easy” for everyone else
If this sounds familiar, you’re not broken and you’re not alone.
This is what ADHD can look like, especially when it’s been missed for years.
Late diagnosis is common. So is self-blame. But there’s nothing wrong with your brain, you just deserve to understand it.
hashtag#ADHD hashtag#LateDiagnosis hashtag#Neurodivergent hashtag#InvisibleStruggles hashtag#TheNeurodivergentPsychotherapist

Holidays are supposed to feel relaxing. But for many people with ADHD, they can feel anything but. Here’s why time off can feel overwhelming instead of refreshing:
Too much unstructured time
– Staring at the hotel wall for an hour trying to “decide what to do”
– Starting 3 things and finishing none
– Feeling frozen by choices: swim? walk? nap? scroll?
Disrupted routines
– Forgetting medication without your usual alarm
– Staying up late and waking up dysregulated
– Time blindness, no clue what day or time it is
Social overload
– Feeling drained from masking with family or friends
– Guilt for needing alone time
– Sensory overwhelm from noise, heat, kids, chaos
Emotional dysregulation
– Getting teary for “no reason” after a long day
– Picking a fight because your nervous system is on edge
– Feeling guilty for not enjoying it enough
Invisible effort
– Overthinking what to pack in case you forget something important
– Reading the restaurant menu 10 times and still feeling unsure
– Needing recovery time after the holiday ends
For many of us, it’s not about being ungrateful. It’s about navigating a world, and a holiday that wasn’t designed for our brains. Rest looks different when you’re neurodivergent. And that’s okay.

1. Masking & Coping Strategies Can Hide Symptoms

Many adults with ADHD develop compensatory coping mechanisms to get by in daily life. They may create rigid structures, rely on high-pressure environments to stay focused, or overwork themselves to meet expectations. This can make their ADHD symptoms less visible—especially to therapists unfamiliar with how ADHD presents in adults.

🔹 Example: A client who struggles with time blindness might overcompensate by obsessively using planners, leading a therapist to assume their executive functioning is fine.

2. Symptoms Overlap with Anxiety & Depression

Many adults with ADHD first seek therapy for anxiety or depression, unaware that their core challenges stem from executive dysfunction. ADHD-related struggles—like forgetfulness, overwhelm, and rejection sensitivity—can look like mood disorders at first glance.

🔹 Common misinterpretations:

• Emotional dysregulation → misdiagnosed as bipolar disorder
• Inattentiveness & brain fog → mistaken for depression
• Hypervigilance & racing thoughts → assumed to be anxiety

While ADHD can co-exist with these conditions, misdiagnosing it leads to treatment that doesn’t address the root cause.

3. Gender Bias in ADHD Diagnosis

ADHD in women is severely underdiagnosed because early research focused primarily on hyperactive boys. As a result, those who present with inattentive ADHD (struggling with focus rather than externalised hyperactivity) often go unnoticed.

🔹 How this affects therapy:

• Women and with ADHD are more likely to be misdiagnosed with anxiety or depression.
• They may internalise their struggles rather than exhibit external signs of ADHD.
• Therapists unfamiliar with ADHD may focus on self-esteem issues rather than recognising neurodivergence.

How Therapy Can Help: A Neurodivergent-Affirming Approach

If ADHD is often missed, how can therapists and clients work together to ensure accurate support?

Screen for ADHD in adults – Therapists should be trained to recognise adult ADHD symptoms, even when they appear subtle.
Focus on executive functioning – Instead of only treating mood symptoms, therapy should explore struggles with task initiation, organisation, and time blindness.
Use CBT tailored for ADHD – Traditional CBT may not always work for neurodivergent individuals. Instead, ADHD-focused CBT helps with dopamine regulation, habit formation, and managing emotional intensity.
Create an affirming space – Therapy should validate the client’s experiences and help them unlearn shame and self-blame for their struggles.

Conclusion: The Need for ADHD-Informed Therapy

For too long, ADHD has been misunderstood and overlooked in therapy. Many adults seeking help are dismissed or misdiagnosed, leading to frustration and ineffective treatment. By increasing awareness and using neurodivergent-affirming therapy approaches, we can help more people get the support they truly need.

Are you looking for ADHD-informed therapy? I specialise in CBT for ADHD, autism, and neurodivergence, providing both in-person sessions in Limerick and online therapy. Get in touch today to learn how we can work together!

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