This article has been written by Nea Clark, ADHD psychotherapist and coach, author and trainer. Nea has taken time away from writing her third book to write this article for us ahead of her training event with Brighton Therapy Partnership on “Embracing Neurodiversity in Psychotherapy”. We are delighted to be hosting this event on Saturday 31st January 2026, 10am-4pm on Zoom with catch-up recording available if you can’t make it on the day. To find out more about the workshop you can head over to the event page on the BTP website here.

In the world of counselling and psychotherapy, many of us have built strong identities around our chosen modalities, whether it be Transactional Analysis, person-centred, psychodynamic, integrative, or CBT-informed. Our frameworks provide us with a coherent language, a sense of safety, and the clinical confidence to work deeply with our clients.

As more neurodivergent clients, especially those with ADHD, begin therapy, practitioners are finding that some of their most trusted tools might not work quite as they used to. What once provided clarity might now feel confusing, and strategies that helped with self-reflection could now seem overwhelming or out of reach.

This is not because our modality is wrong. It is because our clients’ brains work differently, and therefore, so must we.

Why Therapists and Counsellors Need a Neurodivergent Lens

Traditional psychotherapy models were primarily built on neurotypical assumptions: a linear perception of time, consistent attention, emotional regulation, and the ability for sustained introspection.

Neurodivergent clients, especially those with ADHD, often perceive the world through a different set of filters.

Their nervous systems operate on a more variable rhythm. Their emotions may surge and crash rapidly. Their executive functions, such as time management, organisation, working memory, and motivation, can fluctuate daily.

Understanding this is not a psychological judgement but a neurological reality. When Therapists and Counsellors fail to embrace this perspective, they risk misinterpreting behaviour as resistance, avoidance, or lack of insight, when in truth it is often the result of neurological overload.

Bringing the Neurological into the Therapeutic Space

During the workshop I will be presenting with Brighton Therapy Partnership on “Embracing Neurodiversity in Psychotherapy” I will be encouraging Therapists and Counsellors to remain grounded in their original modality while integrating neurological insights into their practice.

We will explore how to incorporate elements beyond traditional psychology, such as sensory regulation, emotional overload, and challenges with executive functioning, into our treatment planning and therapeutic processes. 

The workshop is based on my book: ‘Travel Into the ADHD Mind’.  Workshop participants will learn to recognise when a client’s difficulties are not related to transference, defence, or relational avoidance but instead result from cognitive fatigue, dopamine imbalance, or sensory overwhelm.

By developing this understanding, Therapists and Counsellors can better support their clients while maintaining the core principles of their chosen modality.

From Theory to Practice: What the Workshop Covers

This one-day training is highly practical and specifically designed for counsellors, psychotherapists and mental health professionals seeking to deepen their competence in neurodiversity-affirming practice.

It combines theoretical exploration with case studies, discussions, and practical guidance that you can directly apply to your clinical work.

1. Understanding Neurodiversity

We begin with the foundations: what neurodiversity actually means, how it differs from medicalised deficit models, and the distinctions between neurotypical and neurodivergent experiences.

2. Types of Neurodivergence

The workshop introduces the main neurodivergent profiles Therapists and Counsellors are likely to encounter   including ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, and Dyscalculia   with attention to their overlaps and shared traits.

3. The Neurodivergent Brain

We explore the brain’s structure and chemistry, focusing on neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. Understanding how these systems influence attention, emotion, and motivation helps practitioners reframe behaviour and tailor interventions.

4. Recognising Neurodivergent Traits in Therapy

Through case illustrations, we look at how neurodivergence presents in the therapy room   from rapid shifts in attention to difficulties in sequencing thoughts or managing emotions. We also address the frequent overlap between ADHD, trauma, and anxiety presentations.

5. Working Pre- and Post-Diagnosis

Many clients arrive in therapy either seeking assessment or processing a recent diagnosis. We explore how to support them through this stage   validating their experience while integrating new self-understanding.

6. Contracting and Observations

We will review how to adapt therapeutic contracts and observations for neurodivergent clients   making agreements clearer, managing sensory triggers, and creating psychological safety.

7. Working with Beliefs and Emotional Intelligence

This segment explores how rigid thinking patterns, shame, and self-criticism manifest in ADHD and autistic clients. You’ll learn ways to build emotional literacy and flexible self-perception within your modality’s framework.

8. Managing Sensory and Emotional Overload

Therapists and Counsellors will learn how to identify sensory sensitivities and emotional overload, using grounding tools, environmental adaptations, and pacing techniques to maintain regulation within sessions.

9. Addressing Procrastination and Everyday Difficulties

Executive function challenges are among the most common daily struggles for ADHD clients. We will work through strategies to help clients manage time, plan tasks, and structure routines   not as behavioural corrections, but as acts of self-care and compassion.

10. Understanding Masking

Finally, we explore the emotional cost of masking the effort neurodivergent clients expend to appear “normal”. The workshop offers practical approaches for reducing shame, encouraging authenticity, and supporting the gradual unmasking process within therapy.

How does this training add value to your practice?

Therapists and Counsellors often ask: How can I integrate neurodivergent understanding without abandoning my therapeutic approach?

This training addresses exactly that question.

You will not be asked to replace your modality, but to enhance it by adding a neurological layer of understanding that makes your work more responsive, inclusive, and humane.

You will leave with:

• A clear framework for identifying neurodivergent needs in therapy.
• Strategies to manage sensory, emotional, and executive-functioning challenges.
• Greater confidence in adjusting therapeutic pacing and language.
• Tools to help clients navigate procrastination, overwhelm, and emotional burnout.
• And a renewed sense of curiosity about how the human brain interacts with psychological process.

A Neurodivergent-Affirming Approach

At its core, this workshop encourages a shift from “what’s wrong with this client?” to “what does this client’s brain need to thrive?”.

Neurodivergent-affirming therapy is not a passing trend; it is an essential evolution in our profession. When we understand the neurological environment our clients operate within, we can support them in regaining agency, self-awareness, and emotional regulation.

By integrating psychological depth with neurological awareness, we make therapy not only more effective but also more compassionate.

Whether you are TA-trained, integrative, person-centred, or psychodynamic, this workshop will help you adapt your existing approach without losing its essence.

Upcoming Workshop with Nea Clark

Want to explore more? Join us for our upcoming workshop – Embracing Neurodiversity in Psychotherapy with Nea Clark on Saturday 31st January 2026, 10am-4pm on Zoom with catch-up recording available if you can’t make it on the day.

Working with neurodivergent clients can be one of the most rewarding and eye-opening experiences in our therapeutic practice. It challenges us to stay flexible, to rethink what we accept as normal, and to meet each client precisely where they are neurologically, emotionally, and in the realities of everyday life.

This workshop will provide you with the tools, insight, and confidence to do exactly that.

Join us for a day of learning, reflection, and practical exploration, and discover how psychology and neurology can come together to create therapy that truly suits the neurodivergent mind.

Join our Therapy Community on Facebook

Brighton Therapy Partnership has a private Facebook Group for therapists which might be of interest to you if you are on social media? We currently have over 2,2k members. You will need to answer all 3 Joining Questions and agree to the Group Rules to join the Group!

Click Here to Join *The Therapy Partnership* Facebook Group – Be Part of the Therapy Community!