IFS for Neurodiversity
Book Contributions
Altogether Us (July 2023)
I contributed to the chapter on Embodying IFS with Neurodiverse Clients.
The book is edited by Jenna Riemersma and has contributors from all over the world.
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Interview on Neurodiversity
Here is an interview in collaboration with Iva Paska, a lecturer and sociologist from Croatia, about the topic of neurodiversity. To read the full interview, please click on the button below.
What do be mean by “Neurodiversity”?
Living on the spectrum of Autism, Dyslexia, ADHD requires specialised therapy
This is new term recently used to indicate people who seem to have a brain that works differently from others. The most common types of neurodiversity include autism, ADHD and dyslexia. The definition expands as we understand more about this. Bipolarism and OCD can also be considered aspects of neurodiversity.
Usually people receive a formal diagnosis during their school years, and very little is known about how these differences in the brain affect human development. Having worked in education for years, I have learnt to recognise how these neurodiversities can have big negative impact on the life of people, and they can remain undiagnosed until adulthood.
This is particularly true for people who are on the autistic spectrum. I encounter an increasing amount of people coming to see me for an anxiety problem, to find out that their anxiety and their way to live life, feel their feelings and relate to other people is deeply shaped by their diversity. In these cases, traditional psychotherapies that invite people to share their emotions with others might not be appropriate and it is necessary to modify the therapeutic approach to meet the needs of a non-standard neural system.