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Managing a toxic by-product of empathy. NATALIE FURDEK, M.ED., LPC Alright, let’s talk about GUILT! Not the stuff you feel when you really DO do something wrong. Like I tell clients, if you punch someone in the nose and feel guilty, we’re not going to try to counsel that guilt out of you. Maybe the anger…but that guilt and remorse is a healthy thing in that moment! (none of my clients have ever punched a nose, I’m pretty sure.) No, we’re gonna talk about the kind we have even

With a lot of "manual" effort NATALIE FURDEK, M.ED., LPC I have a great mom! I'm sure I'll talk more about her in this space, but for today let's start with the fact that she required me to learn how to drive a manual transmission car when I was a teenager. At the time (and still today) I thought it was a pain in the neck, especially driving around town.  But that knowledge and "muscle memory" of how to coordinate the shifting of the gears with the rate of speed and RPMs all

"Fluency" takes time, practice, patience. NATALIE FURDEK, M.ED., LPC In my last post, I talked about a study that has shown a link between self-compassion and unmasking. But how do we learn to be self-compassionate? Especially those of us steeped in ableist conditioning across a lifetime of unrecognized neurodivergence? Well, obviously therapy is a wonderful place to start! But not everyone can afford therapy, not everyone needs therapy, and not everyone wants therapy. So, ho

Discussion of new research on the association between self-compassion and camouflaging in autistic people NATALIE FURDEK, M.ED., LPC As an AuDHD therapist, I kinda never shut up about self-compassion. I incessantly hound my clients to “stay on their own team" and “soften against themselves” when they’re hurting in some way. I strongly believe self-compassion is key to addressing depression and anxiety in neurodivergent clients. And these (along with our friend ADHD) are the m

An introduction to how I modify CBT for neurodivergent clients NATALIE FURDEK, M.ED., LPC First of let me say that I am a person-centered counselor above all else, but I also routinely use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in my work. CBT must be heavily modified for autistic and ADHD clients, and this is one of the topics I will spend a good bit of time writing about in this space. As for these ducklings, if I have any “autistic superpowers” at all, one would be my brain’s

In light of recent political developments surrounding autism and neurodivergence, I want to give potential clients a sense of "where I stand" on these issues. In my case it is quite simple: Visit the website for the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) . I am a member, and each time I read a statement, I feel strongly that they have spoken for me! ASAN has released several statements addressing important concerns regarding initiatives targeting the autistic community. The pl