Intersection of Neurodiversity & Trauma

a reflection

The intersection of neurodiversity & trauma is near to my heart as a mother of neurodiverse children, and a trauma-dissociation counselling specialist. It goes beyond me and my family, though..

I think of a sibling that experienced the school system in traumatic ways. Turned out the academic struggles were because of his ADHD uniqueness; the diagnosis of which was approached in a traumatizing way, also, (but literally the only option at the time).

I think of a client whose family & the medical system did not see her neurospicy uniqueness & the resulting traumas until she was coping with a heroine addiction & accessed my counselling as a teen.

I think of a client who experienced early childhood trauma that caused brain injury, probably starting the brain down the development of neurodiversity & traumas related to unique functioning in the world. Or similarly a motor vehicle accident that caused a brain injury, PTSD & development of ADHD (not present prior to the incident).

There are so many examples I could share…

For some, neurodiversity is part of the uniqueness they were born with & PTSD is caused by neglect or lack of understanding the neurodiversity. And for some, neurodiversity is triggered by traumatic experiences.

The overlap of symptoms may confuse both loved ones & professionals alike. We could try to tease out the differences here. Dr. Megan Ann Neff has written about PTSD overlap with Autism – if interested, check it out. Here is a simplified version of her diagram.

I want us to more impactful than being able to diagnose accurately.

One thing I see common between trauma survivors and neurodiverse persons is that their experiences were/are felt to be unbearable& unpredictable at times. They just want to take the “right steps” so that the world will feel safe.

Unfortunately, that often leads people to train them in the “right ways” without truly helping calm their nervous systems. Kelly Mahler writes beautifully about that here.

What can you & I do?

Trauma-informed ways help. Trauma-attuned is even better.

If you’ve been around here a while, this will sound familiar. It’s a passion of mine.

Trauma-Informed includes:

· Awareness of the trauma & stress response

· Providing safety & trustworthiness

· Offering choice & collaboration

· Empowering – a strengths-based approach

· Sensitivity to diversity & inclusion

Trauma-Attuned loved ones may:

Create Space for Attunement& Authenticity … improving Safety.

Recognize when you are projecting your trauma & seek supports or therapies for yourself.

To become more Trauma-attuned:

Hold space for yourself, take a quiet moment to ponder…

Notice that when one of your own issues or traumas is triggered by things your children, partners, or friends do.

Find ways to care for your self when you notice those triggers.

& then find ways to be present for others (its very rewarding when you’ve cared for your own needs first).

Trauma-attuned therapists go further as they also neuroceptively attuned to their clients, & adapt therapies to what fits best for the client.

I just had the privilege of meeting again with our team of therapists this week. I am grateful to reaffirm how Trauma-attuned they are… Have you found your favorite therapist yet?

Warmly,

Tanya Bedford, RCC, ACS

Tanya Bedford

Registered Clinical Counsellor

Approved Clinical Supervisor

MA Counselling Psychology

Living with chronic pain, hurts and trauma? My focus is to offer hope, through meaningful & transformative counselling… for you that are struggling with chronic pain trauma, dissociation, anxiety & attachment hurts. My approach is integrative of your whole self, offering EMDR, OEI, CBT, ACT, Satir systems, Safe & Sound Protocol listening, somatic therapies, and including spirituality & existentialism. You may most benefit from profoundly transformative VIP Intensives where we meet for a longer session to power through a significant block, or integrative co-therapy sessions with Myron’s osteopathy treatment. In other words, I have flexible integrative strategies to offer for your complex needs.