How to Find a Neurodivergent-Affirming Therapist in Washington, DC
And Why It Matters to Find One Who Honors Your Whole Experience
If you’re neurodivergent and searching for a therapist who truly understands and affirms your way of being in the world, you’re not alone. Therapy can be a powerful space for healing, self-discovery, and reconnecting with your strengths—but only when you feel fully accepted, respected, and safe.
What Does “Neurodivergent-Affirming” Mean?
Being neurodivergent-affirming isn’t just about accommodating symptoms or trying to “fix” how your brain works. It means recognizing how your neurodivergence intersects with other parts of your identity—like race, gender, sexuality, and culture—and how society’s expectations and barriers impact your mental health. It means honoring your unique processing, sensory experiences, communication styles, and ways of relating to the world.
Why Some Common Therapy Approaches May Miss the Mark
Many therapy styles focus mainly on changing or managing thoughts and behaviors. For some neurodivergent folks, this can feel like being asked to fit into a mold that doesn’t match your brain or body’s reality. These approaches often miss the embodied, sensory, and relational parts of your experience, as well as the ways trauma and systemic oppression show up in your life.
When therapy ignores these deeper layers, it can feel like you’re being pressured to “normalize” without true understanding or compassion. Healing is not about forcing yourself to be different—it’s about reconnecting with your whole self and finding ways to thrive that feel authentic and sustainable.
What I Offer as a Therapist
I combine Gestalt therapy, somatic awareness, mindfulness, and social justice frameworks to create a space where your neurodivergence is honored as part of your full identity. Together, we explore your body’s wisdom, your emotions beyond words, and the stories you carry from family and culture. This helps you:
Build safety and trust in your body and mind
Process trauma held in relationships and in your nervous system
Navigate systemic oppression with compassion
Reconnect with your unique joy, creativity, and authenticity
As someone who is queer, gay, and neurodivergent myself, I understand how important it is to find a therapist who truly “gets it” — not just intellectually, but with lived experience and empathy. In Washington, DC, you deserve care that honors your full story and supports your resilience.
How to Find a Neurodivergent-Affirming Therapist in DC
Look for lived experience and cultural humility. Therapists who identify as neurodivergent or who deeply understand neurodivergence often provide more validating spaces.
Ask about their approach. Do they work with the body, emotions, sensory experiences, and trauma? Are they aware of the limitations of therapy that only focuses on controlling thoughts or behaviors?
Check if they explicitly state they are neurodivergent-affirming. Many therapists share this on their websites or profiles. Don’t hesitate to ask them directly how they support neurodivergent clients.
Notice how they discuss systemic oppression. Therapists who see your challenges as connected to social and cultural systems—not just individual “problems”—tend to offer deeper healing.
Trust your instincts. The right therapist should feel like a safe, respectful space—not a place where you have to hide or change who you are.
Let’s Connect
If you’re in DC and want a queer, gay, neurodivergent, kink, poly/ENM, and BIPOC-affirming space that embraces your full story—body, mind, heart, and culture—I’m here to walk alongside you. My approach is grounded in compassion, social justice, and the belief that healing is a journey home to yourself.
Feel free to reach out for a free 15-minute consultation to see if we might be a good fit. You don’t have to navigate this alone.
Email me at Glen@GestaltGlen.com, call me at 202-922-5747, or visit GestaltGlen.com to schedule your call today.
Find out more about Neurodivergent-Affirming Therapy with Glen here.
