Therapy in CA
for ADHDers and Autistic Adults
Feel less alone & less overwhelmed.
No one told you that the reason everything felt so hard wasn't because you were broken—it was because the world was never built for the way your brain works.
You've spent your whole life being told you're too sensitive, too much, not good enough, or doing something wrong. So you worked harder. You took up less space. You put on a mask and tried to learn the rules of a game that never quite made sense to you. You watched others and tried to figure out what you were missing.
And it cost you everything. You lost yourself somewhere in there. The pieces started to break. You felt the shame, the anxiety, the disconnection — and still you kept going, because what other choice did you have.
HOW I CAN HELP
Welcome to a world I wish you never had to be a part of. While I can’t cure your illness or pain, I’m here to be your guide.
Everyone’s journey is going to look differently, and I’m here to meet you where you are, whether you are still seeking answers, have been recently diagnosed, or are finally coming to terms with the fact that you have a chronic condition.
I also work a lot with medical trauma. Many people think medical trauma is waking up in the middle of a surgery, waking up in the ICU, or surviving a life-threatening event, injury, or illness. And this is absolutely true. But so is complex medical trauma, like living with chronic illness or pain and continuing to live through a pandemic. We’ll process the impact of this trauma using Internal Family Systems (IFS)—the movie Inside Out is a great example of this modality.
Here are some of the things we might work on in our time together:
Honoring the grief and losses that come with living with a chronic illness
Finding ways to cope with the reality of living in a body that is unpredictable
Understanding and identifying your body’s unique needs, including prioritizing rest
Finding a new normal that honors the pain and suffering, makes space for the joy and beauty that still exists, and celebrates the big and small wins
Exploring how different parts of yourself are adjusting to being sick (e.g. maybe the ambitious part of yourself is fighting against slowing down and resting)
Learning how to separate productivity from worth
Unpacking ableism (including internalized ableism)
Sitting with the multitude of emotions you are feeling
Practicing radical acceptance
Learning how to advocate for yourself and setting boundaries
Imagine if you…
Could be in community with someone who you don’t have to explain yourself to.
No longer felt shame or guilt for having unique needs and accommodations, even if your illness is invisible or your functioning changes every day (or even every hour!)
Weren’t constantly at war with your body
I want you to know:
You deserve to do whatever you need to do to bring about the most comfort and ease
possible.
faqs
Common questions about chronic illness and trauma therapy
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While I work a lot with people who don’t have a formal diagnosis (this does not make your pain and symptoms any less real!), I also have experience with the following conditions.
Lupus
PCOS
Hidradenitis Suppurativa
Fibromyalgia
Long COVID
POTS and dysautonomia
Endometriosis and Adenomyosis
CFS/ME
Chronic Migraine
Occipital Neuralgia
Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS)
Crohn's Disease
Ulcerative Colitis
IBD and IBS
Diabetes
MS
Hashimoto’s and hypothyroidism
PANS/PANDAS
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
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Yes! I know there is a big overlap between neurodivergence and health issues. Many clients are both chronically ill and neurodivergent (I am also a neurodivergent human). We're explore how things like interception, masking, rejection sensitivity dysphoria, sensory needs, overstimulation, and shame and guilt show up for you and the ways they impact your physical illness(es) and having to interact with a healthcare system meant to make people give up.
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I got you! I do things differently than many other therapists as I know what it's like to live in an unpredictable body. I have a 3-hour cancelation policy (this gives me enough time to adapt to the change in my schedule) and do not charge if we reschedule within a reasonable timeframe (typically 3 business days).
I also have individual conversations with all clients to address any concerns, accommodations, or specific needs. I tell all clients to show up in whatever way feels best for them. This may look like being in PJs, laying in bed, having the camera off, doing a phone session, texting instead of talking, having a shorter session, eating, etc.
Ready to get started?