New Pathways to
Neurodiversity Affirming Therapy
A Clinical Training Program
With Lila Low-Beinart MA, LPC, LMHC
Owner of Divergent Paths Counseling
A transformative learning experience that goes beyond professional development, challenging the pathology paradigm to foster deeper compassion and more effective support for neurodivergent clients.
Next online cohort begins Aug 28th, 2026
Earn 24 CEs
NBCC ACEP & NASW-WA Approved
through our partnership with Cascadia Training
Working with neurodivergent clients can present unique challenges - even for seasoned practitioners.
Traditional therapy training often fails to address the unique needs of neurodivergent individuals.
Given that 15-20% of the population is neurodivergent - a figure comparable to substance use disorders in the U.S. - training on neurodiversity-affirming care should be as essential as substance use disorder treatment.
But right now, most clinicians are left to navigate these complexities without the guidance they need.
Whether you’re just beginning to learn about neurodiversity or you’re looking to refine and deepen your knowledge, this comprehensive training will equip you with the essential skills to provide truly neurodiversity-affirming therapy.
You’ll move beyond outdated, pathologizing models, embrace a strengths-based framework, and develop the clinical tools needed to cultivate a safe, compassionate, and effective therapeutic environment.
In this training we will explore...
Are you prepared to support neurodivergent clients?
That's where this training comes in
This training offers more than just knowledge—it provides a transformative perspective that will reshape your approach to therapy.
You’ll gain the confidence and clinical tools to support neurodivergent clients effectively and ethically.
Because without the right training, we risk missing key aspects of our clients’ experiences—or worse, unintentionally causing harm.
Let’s change that.
Join us in shaping the future of therapy—one that truly affirms and empowers neurodivergent individuals.
Best Value
Early Bird - One Time Payment
1,295
$100 savings! Regular price $1,395. Discount ends Friday, June 30th 2026.
8 sessions of live presentation & authentic relating
Optional consult group
Readings and resources
Access to materials for 6 months after training ends
Listing on our Neurodiversity-Affirming Therapist Directory
Up to 24 CEs in all states - approved by NBCC and NASW-WA
$100 off until Friday, June 30th 2026!
Best Value
Early Bird - Four Part Payment
323.75
Every month
Four part payment plan. Total savings of $100! Discount ends Friday, June 30th 2026.
8 sessions of live presentation & authentic relating
Optional consult group
Readings and resources
Access to materials for 6 months after training ends
Listing on our Neurodiversity-Affirming Therapist Directory
Up to 24 CEs in all states - approved by NBCC and NASW-WA
$100 total off until Friday, June 30th 2026!
Enroll Now!
The only comprehensive training program for clinicians seeking to integrate affirming, ethical, & trauma-informed care into their work with neurodivergent clients.
Payment, Refunds, and Cancellation Policy
Complaints & Dispute Resolution Policy
BIPOC, trans, disabled, and rural folks encouraged to apply for sliding scale options, if needed. Please email
trainings@divergentpathscounseling.com to discuss.
What Makes This Course Unique?
This is the first long-form neurodiversity-affirming training of its kind - designed not just to inform, but to transform.
You’ll leave with concrete, immediately usable clinical skills for working with autistic, ADHD, gifted and otherwise neurodivergent clients - grounded in a deeply integrated trauma lens.
Each module is 3 hours because you won’t just sit through lectures; you’ll actively participate, connect, and grow through experiential practices like authentic relating.
And beyond professional development, expect something rarer: personal transformation that changes how you see your clients, your work, and yourself.
DATES AND TIMES
Aug 28th–Dec 4th, 2026
10:00am–1:00pm EST
Every other Friday, Online
INCLUDED IN THE COURSE
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Eight sessions of live presentation & discussion*
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Optional consult group for integration of clinical work
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Up to 24 CEs - That's half of what you need to renew your license!
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Certificate of Completion
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Recommended reading and multimedia resources
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Signal group for asynchronous connection
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Listing in our Neurodiversity-Affirming Therapist Directory
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Access to materials for 6 months after course ends
*Recordings will be available for emergency absences.
Prior Participant Ratings
Ratings shown are averages from participant scores (1–10) for each module.
This course is for you if...
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You're a mental health practitioner (counselor, social worker, psychologist, etc.) or studying to be one.
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You want to begin working with neurodivergent clients and use neurodiversity affirming therapy right from the start.
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You already work with neurodivergent clients, and want to deepen your capacity to support them.
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You're neurodivergent and want a solid foundation to kickstart your practice, leveraging your unique lived experience.
This course is not a good fit if...
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You're not willing to challenge your own paradigms around ability and "functioning".
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You're not open to transforming yourself as both a person and practitioner.
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You don't have reliable methods to support yourself as your worldview changes.
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You struggle to take in lots of information via live presentations
About Lila Low-Beinart
Lila Low-Beinart MA, LPC, LMHC, is an autistic, gifted, and Highly Sensitive (HSP) psychotherapist, neurodiversity affirming pioneer, and teacher, who brings over thirteen years of teaching experience to this training. She is known for evoking profound emotional and cognitive shifts in her trainees that facilitate meaningful learning and transformation. Her capacity for deep presence, empathy, and insight, honed through over a decade of meditation practice, significantly enriches both her teaching and clinical work.
Her teaching experience spans diverse fields—from pharmaceutical to authentic relating and therapeutic domains—underpinned by four teacher trainings and ongoing professional development at Harvard University's Transforming Health Care Education program, focused on the neuroscience of learning and effective instructional design. This rich background equips her with exceptional skills in group facilitation, communication, and creating engaging and impactful learning environments.
In her clinical work, Lila specializes in neurodiversity-affirming care, integrating contemplative, parts-based, and somatic approaches that validate and celebrate neurodivergent ways of being. Her practice is deeply informed by her lived experience, as well as the insights of her clients and neurodivergent colleagues and friends.
Drawing on a previous career as a pharmaceutical chemist, where she authored multiple peer-reviewed studies and taught internationally, Lila also brings a robust analytical perspective to her work.
Unlock Deeper Learning: Join the Consult Group
This consult group is where the rubber meet the road. Where you get deep, personalized support in integrating and applying the concepts you learn in this training to your clients, in real-time. Where you get to work on all the qualities of being a neurodiversity-affirming therapist that go beyond the interventions. The one's that really elevate you from a good neurodiversity-affirming therapist to great.
Only open to 6 training participants, this group provides more than just case consultation. Through powerful authentic relating practices, you'll build a supportive peer community for ongoing consultation and referral, while directly addressing unconscious bias through genuine self-awareness and connection.
Developing this profound inner awareness is crucial for providing effective and attuned support to all neurodivergent clients, and is particularly vital when working with those who are autistic or highly sensitive.
This is your chance for personalized discussion, in-depth case consultation, and a significant deepening of your clinical skills. Enroll now before it's full!
Details:
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Dates: 5 sessions on September 2nd, September 16th, October 14th, November 11th, December 9th
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Time: Wednesdays 1pm-2:30pm EST
(if this time doesn’t work but you would like to join, please contact us to discuss!) -
Price: $80 per meeting for a total of $400
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Group size: Capped at 6 members
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Priority enrollment in Lila's ongoing post-training consult group
Here is Everything You'll Learn Inside
New Pathways to
Neurodiversity Affirming Care...
Module One
Shifting From a Pathology to Neurodiversity Paradigm
This foundational module sets the stage by exploring the systemic roots of trauma experienced by neurodivergent individuals. We delve into how interconnected systems of oppression and marginalization culminate in ableism. Understanding these systems is crucial for therapists to recognize the external sources of their clients' distress and avoid pathologizing neurodivergent traits.
In this Module, we will explore:
🔹 Introduction & Overview of the Course
🔹 Tracing Ableism to its Roots
🔹 The Medicalization of Bodies & the Illusion of "Normal"
🔹 The Pathology and Neurodiversity Paradigms
🔹 Types of Neurodivergence & Inclusive Language
Module Two
Deconstructing Normal & Reconstructing Giftedness
This module covers two key areas we will return to again and again throughout the course. First, we dive deep into the "Myth of Normal" to actively unlearn the pathologizing concepts that marginalize our clients. Next, we challenge the pervasive stereotypes surrounding giftedness to establish the strengths-based bedrock of this training. Finally, you will complete a baseline neurodiversity-affirming competency assessment to pinpoint growth areas and track your clinical evolution throughout the program.
In this Module, we will explore:
🔹 The origins & harms of the concept of "normal"
🔹 Oppression of both Neurotypicals & Neurodivergents
🔹 Lived experience of gifted people "from the inside out"
🔹 Understanding 7 types of giftedness & their significance
🔹 Intersectional gifted-specific trauma
Module Three
“Diagnosing” from the Inside Out - ADHD
This module explores the lived experience of ADHD individuals. We will move beyond common misconceptions and simplifications to examine where "dysfunction" is located. We'll learn the importance of strength-based diagnosis and understand how to identify ADHDers in our practice using an intersectional lens. Ultimately, you will gain tools to move beyond simply observing behavior, cultivating deeper empathy for your neurodivergent clients (and perhaps yourself) through understanding their inner world.
In this Module, we will explore:
🔹 Deconstruct the idea of "dysfunction" and its origins
🔹 The ADHD wheel: traits, strengths, & challenges
🔹 The lived experience of ADHD "from the inside out"
🔹 Strengths-based & intersectional "diagnosis" of ADHD
Module Four
“Diagnosing” from the Inside Out - Autism
This module dives into the inner world of autism, with a focus on the sensory and social experiences that shape the autistic experience. We will challenge common misconceptions and learn to recognize autistic masking and camouflaging behaviors, with the goal of cultivating deeper empathy for the autistic people in your life. This session will specifically cover neurodiversity perspectives on autism, explore the therapeutic implications of different types of empathy, including affective empathy, and examine the importance of stimming.
In this Module, we will explore:
🔹 The lived experience of autism "from the inside out"
🔹 The Autism wheel: traits, strengths, and challenges
🔹 The Double Empathy Problem & other ND perspectives
🔹 Recognizing masking (and its impact on mental health)
🔹 Understand the function of stimming & why it’s important
Module Five
Neuroqueering Person-Centered Therapy
This module transitions from theory to practice by "neuroqueering" person-centered therapy to better serve highly sensitive nervous systems. We examine how neurodiversity-affirming care inherently aligns with Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) by using a Common Factors approach to prioritize the therapeutic alliance and client progress over rigid protocols. By operationalizing the specific principles, qualities, and tasks of an affirming practitioner, you will learn to view clients through the lens of "Brilliant Sanity" and track growth to ensure your work is truly compassionate and effective.
In this Module, we will explore:
🔹 Deconstructing evidence-based care
🔹 Key Principles, Qualities, & Tasks of ND-affirming therapy
🔹 Deepening client-centered & contemplative therapy
🔹 How to choose what modality(s) will be most helpful
🔹 Learning to track neurodivergent client progress
Module Six
Building a Trauma-Informed Neurodiversity-Affirming Practice
This module investigates the complex intersection of neurodivergence and trauma, examining how unique stressors like sensory overload and social exclusion impact neurodivergent individuals. You will develop the clinical discernment to distinguish neurodivergent traits from trauma symptoms while examining why our community faces significantly higher rates of PTSD. Finally, we analyze masking through a trauma-informed lens, providing you with the tools to support clients across diverse identities in their journey toward authentic unmasking.
In this Module, we will explore:
🔹 Why neurodivergent people have higher rates of PTSD
🔹 The polyvagal map of parts applied to ND clients
🔹 Neurodivergent-specific types of trauma
🔹 Distinguishing between trauma & neurodivergent traits
🔹 Masking as a trauma-response & supporting unmasking
Module Seven
Special Topics: Burnout, Executive Function, & Alexithymia
This module tackles the "hidden" clinical challenges that frequently underpin neurodivergent distress but are often mismanaged within traditional frameworks. We move beyond surface-level symptoms to explore the physiological and systemic roots of neurodivergent burnout, the nuances of supporting diverse executive function profiles, and the internal experience of alexithymia. By the end of this session, you will be equipped with affirming, practical strategies to help your clients navigate these complex states without perpetuating the trauma of "trying harder."
In this Module, we will explore:
🔹 Defining ND burnout & how to support recovery
🔹 Trauma-based executive function healing
🔹 Healing alexithymia through resonant exchange
🔹 A hidden barrier to progress: Positive Affect Intolerance
Module Eight
Fostering Authentic Neurodivergent Relationships
This module explores the landscape of neurodivergent communication and relationships, blending clinical insight with affirming practice. We'll explore how ableism and trauma can shape social experiences, and learn how to empower clients to build and nurture authentic connections. The therapeutic relationship is emphasized as a foundational space for safety and affirming support.
In this Module, we will explore:
🔹 Affirming relationship psychoeducation for clients
🔹 Empowering clients to cultivate authentic connections
🔹 Developing skills in assertiveness & boundary-setting
🔹 Rejection sensitivity dysphoria, demand avoidance, PDA
🔹 Summarizing key learnings & conclude this learning path
Please note: content subject to change
After completing this course you will be able to:
✓ Integrate foundational principles of neurodiversity-affirming care into your practice
✓ Recognize unidentified neurodivergent clients in your practice
✓ Empower neurodivergent clients to build deeper more fulfilling relationships
✓ Guide clients experiencing alexithymia towards accessing emotions
✓ Navigate meltdowns and shutdowns skillfully and compassionately
✓ Identify masking and facilitate authentic unmasking
✓ Understand and support clients with executive function differences
Frequently asked questions
Best Value
Early Bird - One Time Payment
1,295
$100 savings! Regular price $1,395. Discount ends Friday, June 30th 2026.
Valid until canceled
8 sessions of live presentation & authentic relating
Optional consult group
Readings and resources
Access to materials for 6 months after training ends
Listing on our Neurodiversity-Affirming Therapist Directory
Up to 24 CEs in all states - approved by NBCC and NASW-WA
$100 off until Friday, June 30th 2026!
Best Value
Early Bird - Four Part Payment
323.75
Every month
Four part payment plan. Total savings of $100! Discount ends Friday, June 30th 2026.
Valid for 4 months
8 sessions of live presentation & authentic relating
Optional consult group
Readings and resources
Access to materials for 6 months after training ends
Listing on our Neurodiversity-Affirming Therapist Directory
Up to 24 CEs in all states - approved by NBCC and NASW-WA
$100 total off until Friday, June 30th 2026!
Enroll Now!
The only comprehensive training program for clinicians seeking to integrate affirming, ethical, & trauma-informed care into their work with neurodivergent clients.
Payment, Refunds, and Cancellation Policy
Complaints & Dispute Resolution Policy
BIPOC, trans, disabled, and rural folks encouraged to apply for sliding scale options, if needed. Please email
trainings@divergentpathscounseling.com to discuss.