Identity Narratives
Therapist Collective
Be Your Best Academy recognizes the integral importance of therapy to the neurodivergent population, both in advocating for their needs and in encouraging self-inquiry and growth.
We deeply value the work therapeutic practitioners undertake to better the lives of their clients.
Do you have any neurodiverse clients?
This bundle is called "Identity Narratives". It is a therapist resource designed for best practice.
Many neurodivergent clients will present with difficulties or struggles within their identity: be it their diagnosis, sexuality, gender or need to conform to societal standards. A strong sense of self makes us able to cope more readily with depression, anxiety and change.
This resource supports your clinical practice to better guide your neurodivergent clients with greater compassion, knowledge and kindness.
Included in this comprehensive bundle are informative lessons to help you follow best practice in neurodiversity, along with practical 'homework' PDF sheets and educationals for your client(s).
Licensed resources to use and share with clients
Watermark-free downloads
Electronically fillable PDFs
21 fully referenced lessons for you
28 interactive psychological worksheets for your client
Essential knowledge for best practice
Additional links for further reading
Understand the worksheets!
In this bundle, descriptions help you understand the worksheets, when to use them and for which clients.
For example:
And
Two activities and one educational, for your clients.
Help your ND clients
About this bundle
FREE PREVIEWContributors to this Bundle
FREE PREVIEWWho are the NeuroMinority Brains?
FREE PREVIEWClearing up Some Misconceptions [External Article: Optional Reading]
The Importance of Self Knowledge
FREE PREVIEWInterpersonal Relationships and Neurodiversity
Who Am I? (3 Worksheets)
Authenticity and Incongruence
Understanding Authenticity in Therapy with Neurominority Clients
The Real Me (4 Worksheets)
Narratives and Re-Storying Identity
Telling My Story (8 Worksheets)
Jungian Parts and Perspectives
My Dark Sides (2 Worksheets)
Neurodivergent Identity, Stigma and Shame
Identifying Stigma Challenges
Compassionately addressing stigma in session
Working with Shame (2 Worksheets)
Discovering Me (4 Worksheets)
Excellent academic articles on stigma
Helping Neuro-Minority Clients Who Mask
Intersection Approach, Masking and Why It’s Needed
Types of Neurominorities and Masking
Masking, Superpowers and Me (3 Worksheets)
Understanding Advocacy under a Therapeutic Lens
Advocacy-First Analysis to Softening Self
Why Explore Gender and Sexuality: Stigma, Discrimination and Barriers
Exploring Gender and Sexuality with Neurodiversity
Gender, Sexual Identity and Neurodiversity: Understanding For Therapists
Implicit Bias Test for Therapist Self-Awareness [Resource]
What is Gender Identity?
What is Sexual Identity?
Intersectionality and Therapeutic Approaches
How to Work with LGTBQA+ clients
Figuring Myself Out (2 Worksheets)
Am I A Lesbian? [Resource]
The Genderbread Teaching Tool [Resource]
Can you give us some feedback on this bundle?
All References/ Sourced Cited
Learn from people who understand
Autumn O'Connor supports individuals, teams, and organizations responding to inclusive practice, better employment outcomes for autistic people and mental health wellness for neurodivergent communities.
Her track record includes board, management, service delivery and volunteer roles. Through her independent practice she has worked primarily with autistic clients and trauma victims, offering counselling, groupwork, wellbeing training and psychosocial supports.
In her editorial role, she envisions and directs a unique educational and deep therapeutic self-inquiry for neurodivergent students. Along with the practical content of 'life skills learning', Autumn interweaves a Paul-Elder approach to engaging lesson planning. With reflexive somatic psychotherapy, trauma-informed practice, narrative therapy, and transpersonal practices applied to the process, learning activities heighten student self-knowledge and acceptance.
Autumn O'Connor is committed to personal and professional development and inquiry, and holds strongly that all people have the capacity for change. Being able to support therapists to give their neurodivergent clients a more holistic exploration of Self is one part of Autumn's work that she finds of utmost importance.
Autumn holds a Master of Counselling and Psychotherapy, Graduate Diploma of Counselling, Certificate IV in Training, Certificate IV in Remedial Therapies and Fitness, along with a range of certificates in Energetic Healing. Autumn is also neurodivergent herself: being autistic, dyslexic, dyscalculic, quite probably ADHD with a diagnosis also of dysthymia.
Niruruthi Ravichandren is passionate about inclusive practice as it intersects with queer theory, gender studies, cultural decolonization and neurodiversity.
Niruruthi holds a Bachelor in Psychology, Advanced Diploma in Accounting and is currently working on her Honours thesis in Psychology. She is also neurodivergent herself, researching and writing from lived experiences of being autistic and ADHD.