Scratch paper area :)
module titles
-
Embracing the Neurodiversity Paradigm
-
Recognizing and Understanding Sensory Neurodivergence
-
Key Qualities and Practices of a Neurodiversity-Affirming Therapist
-
Trauma-Informed Neurodiversity-Affirming Practice
-
Tailoring Therapeutic Approaches for Neurodivergent Clients
-
Navigating Communication and Relationships
-
Executive Function & Autistic Burnout
-
Integrating Mindfulness, Self-Regulation, and Decolonization
To Add:
-
Information about CE hours (FAQ?)
-
Information about consult groups
-
Add buttons throughout for “enroll now” that will scroll you to the bottom of the page
-
Requirements for participation (none, but can answer with "who this is for")
.png)
Course Length: 4 months
Session #: 8
Session Frequency: 2 sessions a month (every other week)
Session Length: 2-2.5 hours per session
Session structure: Half lecture/half integration (10 min break?)
Homework: Not required - will offer additional readings
Practice requirements: Quick practice sessions in training (do with each other, 30 min, debrief)
Dates and Time:
Friday mornings 9am-11am MT (might be 2.5 hours, maybe only first session)
-
Aug 29th 2025
-
Sept 12th 2025
-
Sept 26th 2025
-
Oct 10th 2025
-
Oct 24th 2025
-
Nov 7th 2025
-
Nov 21st 2025
-
Dec 5th 2025
Receive upon completion:
-
Certificate
-
x CE hours
-
Addition to Lila’s ND-Affirming Therapist directory
-
Personal and professional transformation
-
Better understanding of how to support neurodivergent clients and/or yourself
Sliding Scale
If this course is unaffordable to you,
please email trainings@divergentpathscounseling.com
and we can discuss sliding scale options.
What is this course?
To write
Module One
Embracing the Neurodiversity Paradigm
-
Intro to course
-
Neurodiversity Paradigm
-
Types of Neurodivergence (and where they come from)
Why do therapists need training to work with neurodivergent clients?
Think back to your mental health graduate training; remember that course you took on the neurodiversity paradigm? No? Like the rest of us, our graduate schools taught us next to nothing about working with neurodivergent folxs.
Yet 15-20% of all people are neurodivergent (that's equivalent to substance abuse in the U.S.A., yet most of us have a class on that!)
One day, hopefully soon, a class on working with neurodivergent people will be just as mandatory for mental health professionals as a class on substance abuse. But for now, you'll need to get training on working neurodivergent folxs for three reasons:
-
You likely already have multiple neurodivergent clients on your caseload
-
Neurodivergent people are increasingly looking for therapists who use a neurodiversity-affirming approach
-
Therapists who serve neurodivergent folxs from an ND-Affirming approach are full
In this training, you will learn how you can serve your neurodivergent clients with the effectiveness and compassion they need to grow and thrive.
Module Two
Recognizing and Understanding Sensory Neurodivergence
-
Self-/Diagnosis- Pros & Cons
-
Common misconceptions of Autism & ADHD
-
Masking & Camouflaging
-
Different Populations
-
Co-occurring Neurodivergence
-
Verbal/non-verbal communication
-
Gifted/2E
-
Slow processing speed
-
PDA (vs. demand avoidance)
-
-
Co-occurring conditions
-
Strengths and challenges associated with autism and ADHD
What is the format like on the training days?
The training occurs every other Friday for 2-2.5 hours and is delivered live in a group on Zoom.
From 11 am until 12 pm*, Lila will present material related to the module of that session.
Then there will be a 5 min break to stretch, grab a snack, or take a bio break.
From 12:05 pm to 1 pm the group will discuss the presentation and .....
ADD CONSULT GROUP INFO HERE
*All times are in MST, please check your time zone.
Module Three
Key Qualities and Practices of a Neurodiversity-Affirming Therapist
-
How therapy can harm clients (even well-intentioned therapists) and the alternatives
-
Principles of Neurodiversity Affirming Therapy
-
Implicit Bias
-
Special Topic: Sensory Needs
-
Setting up your Therapy Room and Practice
-
First steps with a new ND (and all) clients
How will this enrich my work?
To write
Module Four
Trauma-Informed Neurodiversity-Affirming Practice
-
What are we actually “treating” when we work with ND folxs?
-
Understanding the intersection of neurodiversity and trauma
-
The impact of trauma on attachment and relationships
-
Conceptual model for viewing trauma in ND folxs
-
Special Topic: Alexithymia
-
Special Topic: Melt-Downs/Shut-Downs
Is this course for me?
To write
Module Five
Tailoring Therapeutic Approaches for Neurodivergent Clients
-
Overview of what is therapeutic for the autistic client population in general
-
Fully Client-centered work
-
How to select what is therapeutic for each individual autistic client
-
Masking & Camouflaging - Review + how to work with
-
Identity development
-
Connecting clients with relevant resources and support groups
-
Autistic/Neurodivergent Community and Culture - Briefly
-
Special Topic: Working with Special Interests
The Course Contents
Some of the content that is covered in the course is shown below and in the adjacent graphic.
List of special topics
-
Sensory needs - Module 3
-
People who don’t talk a lot - Module 3
-
Alexythymia - Module 4
-
Melt-downs/shut-downs - Module 4
-
How to work with special interests - Module 5
-
RSD - Module 6
-
Demand Avoidance - Module 6
-
PDA - Module 6
-
Executive Function - Module 7
-
Causes of Executive Dysfunction
-
-
Burnout - Module 7
WHAT'S INCLUDED
-
8 live training days (Every other Friday)
-
Time: 11 am till 1 pm MST (Boulder, CO time)
-
Live presentation and discussion on Zoom
-
Separate consult group sessions included in the course fee
-
Suggested reading and resources (multimedia) shared via private website page
-
WhatsApp group for asynchronous chat
-
Certificate awarded on completion
-
Listing on our neurodiversity-affirming therapist directory
-
Up to 16 NBCC CE hours available (pending)
Module Six
Navigating Communication and Relationships
-
Verbal/Non-verbal communication
-
The impact of trauma on attachment and relationships (specifically on the therapeutic relationship)
-
Relational work as trauma work
-
Masking in the therapeutic room
-
Attachment-Based work
-
Review Double Empathy Problem in context of ND-NT relationships
-
Building and maintaining healthy relationships
-
Romantic relationship
-
Supporting clients in developing assertiveness and boundary-setting skills
-
Special Topic: RSD
-
Special Topic: Demand Avoidance and PDA
About Lila Low-Beinart
Lila’s approach is deeply informed by her lived experience as an autistic, gifted, and HSP individual. In her therapeutic work, she prioritizes learning directly from her clients, as the peer-reviewed literature on autism often falls short of being truly neurodiversity-affirming.
In addition to this lived experience, Lila brings a strong scientific mindset to her practice, honed through her previous work as a chemist, where she authored multiple peer-reviewed studies and taught internationally.
As a gifted, autistic autodidact, Lila has a natural talent for teaching. Her trainings, both in the pharmaceutical and therapeutic fields, consistently have a profound impact. In the therapeutic realm, participants frequently have deeply emotional responses, with many moved to tears during her presentations.
Module Seven
Executive Function & Autistic Burnout
-
Executive Function
-
From the ND paradigm perspective
-
Different profiles
-
Autism
-
ADHD
-
-
Causes of Executive Dysfunction
-
-
Burnout
-
Definition of burnout
-
How to recognize it
-
Differential diagnosis with Depression
-
Venn diagram comparing the two
-
-
How to support it
-
Reduce obligations!
-
Do survey of areas that drain the most spoons, and reduce them
-
Set boundaries
-
Might need to do more work on this
-
-
Trauma work to reduce fears of working less
-
Look for more things
-
-
What Others Are Saying
Module Eight
Integrating Mindfulness, Self-Regulation, and Decolonization
-
Contemplative therapy
-
What mindfulness practices do you have
-
-
Self-regulation and co-regulation
-
More implicit bias work/de-colonization
-
Promoting neurodiversity acceptance and inclusion in communities
-
-
Being a ND therapist (important for everyone to validate/supervise colleagues!)
-
Supervising ND therapists
-
Summary of what we've learned
-
Include list of special topics
-
Include list of most important things to remember
-