Neurodivergent Group Counseling

Neurodivergent Strengths and Values

Are you a neurodivergent (autistic/adhd) young adult? Are you looking to make a pivot toward what is meaningful in your life? Come join our group to learn about your values and strengths. Groups will be held in-person and are limited to 6 persons per group. Contact us to learn more.

Group Outline

Session 1: Values and Morals Exploration

  1. Description: Group discussion using card deck prompts to explore values, morals, and what makes life meaningful.

  2. Sample discussion question: Imagine a world in which only you and four other people exist. Who would you choose to be those other people?

  3. Sample discussion question: Imagine you have in your possession a serum that could make one person, and only one person, live forever. How do you use it?

Session 2: Expressing Subconscious Motivations

  1. Description: Expressive drawing exercises based in Gestalt Therapy and Japanese Kokology to psychodynamically explore subconscious motivations.

  2. Sample exercise: “The Cube” Kokology game.

  3. Sample exercise: “The Door” from Violet Oaklander .

Session 3 and 4: Values and Strengths Assessment

  1. Description: Complete values and strengths assessments to uncover and discover your unique characteristics to fulfill your potential.

  2. CliftonStrengths assessment.

  3. Values in Action survey.

Session 5: Values Questionnaires

  1. Description: Explore the domains of living a quality life and determine how consistent your actions have been with doing what is most meaningful to you.

  2. The Valued Living Questionnaire.

  3. DBT Values and Priorities.

Session 6: Superhero Stories

  1. Description: Learn to apply lessons and tropes from superhero stories and pop culture icons.

  2. Sample questions: What is your origin story? What transformations have you gone through on your journey?

  3. Sample question: Who is your enemy (villain types – mad scientist, enemy commander, monster physically, criminal mastermind). What is the purpose of your villain? What is their goal?

Session 7: The Self-Narrative

  1. Description: Write and reframe a narrative from your personal life story.

  2. Sample Narrative: Write a narrative about a time you took action and accomplished something meaningful that brought you a deep sense of lasting satisfaction.

Session 8: Willingness and Commitment to Values-Based Actions

  1. Description: Discuss the philosophy and meaning of time, learn strategies for managing your time, and develop a plan to commit to values-based actions.

  2. Sample activity: Conduct an individual assessment of time expenditures and construct a plan for meaningful days.

Session 9: Open discussion and review of group lessons

Payments Accepted

Private Pay: $50 per 75-minute session

Neurodivergent DBT Skills

The purpose of Neurodivergent DBT skills is to focus on mindfulness, distress tolerance, and emotional regulation. The group will also include information on therapeutic lifestyle changes, autonomic shifts (managing stress responses), and sensory needs. The group would be most beneficial to individual who identify as autistic or ADHD, but is open to anyone who considers themselves neurodivergent.

The Neurodivergent DBT Skills group is a closed, biweekly group, that will accommodate up to 12 participants. The groups will be held virtually and offered in Colorado and Arizona. The group will primarily use the Neurodivergent Friendly Workbook of DBT Skills, but will also borrow handouts from the traditional DBT Skills training. Please join our enrollment list for our teen group (14 – 17 years) and adults (18+ years).

Group Outline

Sessions 1 & 2: Mindfulness

  1. Thought distancing

  2. Dialectics

  3. Doing versus being modes of mind

  4. Describe and observe mindfulness

  5. Nonjudgmental mindfulness

Session 3 & 4: Distress Tolerance

  1. Polyvagal theory (autonomic nervous system and vagal tone)

  2. DBT TIPP

  3. Effective use of distraction

  4. Improving the moment

  5. Self-soothing

Sessions 5 & 6: Managing Sensory Needs

  1. Sensory alerting versus soothing systems

  2. Managing the sensory environment

  3. Identifying and integrating sensory needs

Session 7 & 8: Emotional Regulation

  1. Emotional identification/labeling (emotional lexicon)

  2. Etiology and function of emotions

Sessions 9 & 10: Everyday well-being

  1. Self-care

  2. Therapeutic lifestyle changes

  3. Fabulous four for depression

  4. Pleasurable experiences

  5. Positive Psychology

Payments Accepted

Private Pay: $50 per 60-minute session

Insurance: BCBS, Optum/UHC, Aetna, Cigna

Unmasking Neurodivergence (coming soon)

Unmasking Neurodivergence is a contrarian social skills group for adults that seeks to subvert social norms and expectations, and unmask toward authenticity and radical visibility.

 
 

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