Neurodivergence is often framed as something to be managed, corrected, or accommodated. But what if we looked at it differently? In this session, we’ll explore the neuroscience of ADHD and AuDHD, highlighting how brain differences show up in attention, memory, emotional regulation, and relational dynamics. We’ll also examine the impact of late diagnosis and misdiagnosis and how missing or mistaken labels affect identity, coping strategies, and access to care, particularly for women, BIPOC, and queer clients.

We’ll connect this science to lived experiences of neurodivergent clinicians and clients, demonstrating how traits like creativity, hyperfocus, and intuitive connection can become assets in therapeutic practice. 

This training addresses systemic barriers and how counseling as a profession often reflects neurotypical norms, from documentation demands to clinical expectations, and what it means to build spaces that affirm difference rather than pathologize it. 

Through a blend of brain science, storytelling, reflection, and strategy-building, participants will leave with practical tools to strengthen their work with neurodivergent clients, colleagues, and communities.

Learning Objectives (for CEUs):

• Recognize how systemic inequities and neurotypical norms contribute to late diagnosis and misdiagnosis, and the implications for client identity and clinical care.

• Explain key differences in ADHD/AuDHD brain wiring compared to neurotypical brains, including impacts on attention, regulation, and relational styles.

• Identify ways neurodivergent traits can be leveraged as tools in therapeutic work.

• Reflect on their own practice: Commit to one concrete action that fosters neurodivergent well-being in their own professional or community setting.