Trauma

It became very clear to me when I began to work with fellow autistic and ADHD folk that unfortunately, trauma is often a core part of being autistic or ADHD. Of course, a lot of people who are seeking therapy are doing so because they have experienced something difficult and want support with that. What's different for many autistic and ADHD folk is that trauma has often been experienced many, many times in their lives and most have no idea that one of the things they are struggling with is the long-term effects and impacts of unresolved trauma. It can also be a lot harder for us to recognise we've experienced trauma and to seek appropriate support.

What is missing right now is the understanding of how to work with autistic and ADHD folk who have experienced trauma. As we are not researched as an individual group very often, the understanding of trauma is based on neurotypical people and therefore therapies and treatments are also designed with a neurotypical brain in mind.  When someone works with me, they can be confident that I am attuned to how being autistic/ADHD affects them as an individual and that my approach to working with trauma will always be from a neurodivergent perspective. 

Trauma is a complex topic but many people I work with really benefit from understanding how their nervous systems work, what experiences are stressful for them and how to accommodate their needs, how to monitor themselves for signs of distress and most importantly, how they can take steps to reclaim some power over their lives and heal. It's not an easy process but it can be life-changing if done with care and understanding of the autistic/ADHD individual at the core of it.

I am now also able to offer EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) to people I work with and I now often include somatics. Depending on the issues the person I'm working with is experiencing, these approaches are gentle but powerful tools in processing trauma that has gotten 'stuck' in the body.

If you're interested in learning more about this topic and want to explore it further, I can highly recommend the work of Trauma Geek, whose research is deepening my understanding of trauma in neurodivergent folk. You can find her here:  Trauma Geek - Janae Elisabeth.