top of page

To my fellow trauma therapists

It’s so wonderful that our field has developed a trauma-lens but, I think it’s vital that we cultivate a neurodiversity-affirming lens as well.

Before discovering my own innate neurodivergence, I chalked everything I thought was “wrong” with me to my trauma history and the resulting symptoms of depression and anxiety that are often co-occurring. And that didn’t happen on my own, it was backed by every therapist I saw and every training program I completed that focused on trauma only to explain my differences.

I’ve since learned that I wasn’t alone. it is believed that there is a high likelihood that many of the folks who are in therapy as long term clients are possibly undiagnosed, high-masking neurodivergent folks. This is especially true for women, LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and other minorities whose neurodiversity has not been studied or represented accurately. These folks are likely being treated for trauma only, when some aspects of what they are seeking therapy for unbeknownst to both them and their therapist, is actually their unidentified innate neurodiversity.


Let’s continue to heal trauma, but let’s also explore neurodiversity.


Here are some resources to explore:

Overlapping Autism and CPTSD

https://medium.com/@jackieschuld/9-reasons-why-autism-and-cptsd-look-so-similar-d5778e9edb4b

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l51r0MKbxTc

Sensory differences

https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/sensory-differences/sensory-differences/all-audiences

Camouflaging/ high-masking autism in women

https://youtu.be/GdlsYPGKlMg

https://kristenhovet.medium.com/what-is-the-female-autism-phenotype-41a129b5fe73

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-neurodivergent-woman/id1575106243

http://www.myspectrumsuite.com/samantha-crafts-autistic-traits-checklist/

Strengths-based criteria

https://drlizangoff.com/strengths-based-autism-criteria/


125 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All
bottom of page