Friday was a pretty big day over here! Almost a year ago, I had an chance to pitch an idea for a short article for Psychotherapy Networker magazine. I JUMPED on this opportunity, and actually had my first meeting with the Editor in Chief from our first Unmasking Retreat right before the guests arrived.
A short article quickly turned into a not-so-short article… which then became two articles… because, shocking no one, I had a lot to say. The therapy world is painfully behind when it comes to recognizing, assessing, and supporting high-masking Autistic adults, and I wanted to take this opportunity and run with it. Two articles then turned into a WHOLE ISSUE about Autism. This issue is filled with big voices, including some that I know personally. Diane Gould and Shoshana Meira Friedman—two rockstars in the PDA (Pervasive Drive for Autonomy) world are featured, and local ND therapist Shir Wolf contributed a must-read on the trans community in crisis. This issue is packed with raw, personal, and necessary stories—not just for me, but for so many in the Neurodivergent community.
And I’ll be honest, it feels really vulnerable to share some of my own story in such a public way. But I believe transparency is a critical part of my work. If therapists don’t understand us, how can they help us? If we don’t tell our stories, the same outdated, clinical, and often wrong narratives will keep circulating. And my pattern seeking brain cannot help but notice how many of my clients are sharing stories that are shockingly similar.
A Note on Being Brave & Taking Risks
Holy imposter syndrome, Batman.
This past year has been challenging and exhilarating for me professionally. Sometimes, you take a shot in the dark and say, “Hey, I think we need to do better in what we’re publishing,” and it works out. And sometimes, it doesn’t. But for any of us with rejection sensitivity and sensitive hearts, putting our experiences and ideas out there is terrifying. But Autistic adults are no stranger to being anxious and scared, so in many ways, isn't this what a life of masking prepared us for? So this year, I'd like to be terrified over and over again. It seems to me that the good stuff comes out of those moments.
At the PDA conference I just attended, one of the speakers said,
“Autistic people are out here doing things that no one else is doing. We think outside the box because we don’t even know what being inside the box looks like.”
That sounds really familiar.
I have one intensity level, and it’s turbo. So let’s do this.
Less than two weeks until the
Psychotherapy Networker Symposium presentation! In the meantime, keep sending me your thoughts for the
“I Wish Therapists Knew” project—because your voice matters too. Let’s make sure they’re listening.
So if you'd like to read my articles, or the entire issue, the links are below. It is a paid magazine, but you can read for free if you put your email address in.
And if the stories in these articles sound relatable and familiar…yeah, that's exactly what I'm saying.
