Every year, Pride hits a little differently. Some years I feel loud and joyful and ready to cover everything I own in rainbow stickers  This year, it feels heavier, like a reminder of how much work we still have to do, and how many people in our community are still not safe.  I'm feeling protective and scared.

 

I’m here to support my clients, my kids, your kids, my friends, and the friends and clients I haven’t met yet. I want my therapy practice to be a safe space, yes, but more than that, I want this world to feel safer for all of us.

June is usually filled with rainbows, glitter, and catchy slogans, and I’m all for the celebration. Joy is radical.  Queer, ND joy?  That’s even better.  But I also want to take a minute to acknowledge that for many people in our community, Pride isn’t just a party. It’s protest. It’s survival. It’s grief. It’s loud for a reason.

 

The overlap between the LGBTQIA+ and Autistic community is a hugely under-supported intersection. Many of my clients, family, and friends, are both.  And not because being Autistic “makes you confused about your gender or sexuality” (no, just stop), but because Autistic people are more likely to question social norms, challenge binaries, and look at the world and say, “Why would I follow that rule if it doesn’t make sense for me?”

 

There’s power in that.  There’s also pain.

 

Many late-diagnosed Autistic adults come to terms with their identity after years (decades, even) of trying to fit into neurotypical and cis-heteronormative expectations. Sound familiar? If you’ve ever tried to contort yourself into someone else’s version of “normal,” you know how deep that trauma can run.  And now, more than ever, it has become very unsafe in our country for the LGBTQIA+ community to be open with their identity.  

 

For anyone who reads this newsletter, or anyone you love….

•. exploring or questioning a new identity

•. who isn’t safe enough to explore their identity yet

•. struggling to accept who they are

•. who had to come out way later than they would’ve liked

•  who’s experienced trauma just for being real

•. who's been told that they “don't know who they are” because they're Autistic

You don’t have to figure it all out by yourself.  My therapy space, which is also my home is queer-affirming, trans-affirming, Neurodivergent-affirming, and just plain human-affirming.  I don't claim to know it all, or have anything figured out in this crazy world, but I offer you my support and safety.  

 

Therapy is messy right now.  I'm here for it, whatever that looks like today.  Pride isn’t just about being out. It’s about being whole.  And if you’re not there yet, that’s okay too.

 

You’re not alone. I’m so glad you’re here.

❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

Kory

 

After two incredible Unmasking Retreats, I’ve been thinking a lot about what happens after.  After we unmask.  After we connect.  After we realize, maybe for the first time, that we’re not the only ones like us.

 

Those retreats were powerful. Not because they were fancy or over-scheduled,  but because people got to be their actual selves….safely.  No pretending. No managing. No “shoulds.” Just a bunch of Neurodivergent adults being weird and real and brilliant together.

 

And I want more of that.

More connection.

More community.

More space to just be, without needing to therapize or explain or mask.

 

So… we’re trying something.

 

 Nature + Neurodivergence = Good Things

 

Next week, we’re gathering for a simple nature walk. Nothing fancy. No signups. No worksheets. Just some Autistic and otherwise Neurodivergent adults walking through the woods, breathing the air, maybe spotting a cool bird or two.

 

We’ll be meeting at Terrapin Nature Park, which has a gorgeous trail that includes views of the Chesapeake Bay, sandy beach paths, and probably some excellent driftwood if that’s your thing.   There are spots to pause, listen, stim, sit, or just observe quietly while someone else identifies the cool tree you’re staring at.

 

If you’ve been craving community but are allergic to forced small talk or networking vibes, this is for you.

 

Come with a friend, or come solo and hover at the edge until it feels okay.  You don’t have to “perform” social. You just have to show up as yourself.  You don’t need to be chatty, sporty, or social. You just need to be you.

 

What: A Neurodivergent-friendly nature walk (not a therapy group, just humans hanging out)

When: Sunday June 8 10:00 a.m.

Where: Terrapin Nature Park

191 Log Canoe Cir, Stevensville, MD 21666

Meet near the bathrooms at 10 a.m.

 

Parking: If the main Terrapin lot is full, park on the road in the business park loop right nearby.

 

What to bring:

  •    Water, sunscreen, bug spray?  I'm guessing?  I'll forget all of this.

  •    Yourself, exactly as you are