Learning to live and keep up as a neurodivergent brings so many challenges. The way we process, our understanding of other people, all...

The spoon theory came to us thanks to Christine Miserandino, and you can read more about her on her page at butyoudontlooksick.com I...

What does Stress Awareness Day mean to you? Does it mean looking at all the things that stress you out? Or spending time thinking about...

How many of my fellow neurospicy people have been told so often to just get on with a task they’ve been avoiding? Which has left you...

Obviously, I am not speaking for everyone in this, although I am sure many can relate... I wanted to explain some of the, seemingly, daft ways that my good intentions often fizzle out before I have reached the end of my plan. One of the more notable behaviours that I have repeated countless times, relates to my love of books. I’ll see an advert, or hear from others about a great book, and the ADHD urge to go shopping kicks in. I excitedly search for the book in question, comp

10 Year Difference Another 10 years have passed, and it is time to renew my driving licence and add a new photo. Well, what a revelation that was! When looking at the two photos side by side, my first reaction was to laugh at the difference between them. I first noticed all the physical changes, like my hair, the number of visible piercings, and my facial expressions. What I saw was a younger, more scared version of me, which is so far from who I am now. This led me to a mome

How many times has fear or uncertainty held you back from something you want or need to do? We create our comfort zones for many different reasons. Maybe you tried something in the past and it did not go the way you wanted or needed. Maybe you gave something a go but something went wrong and you feel like you failed. Maybe others have told you that you can’t do it – whatever it is. Whatever the reason, there is only so much growth that can be done without pushing your limits

Let’s turn the tables – how to recognise a neurotypical! We see so much about how to recognise and deal with neurodivergent individuals, that I thought I’d turn the tables to demonstrate how unfair it is. This is a light-hearted look at what to expect from neurotypicals (NT), and how neurodivergent people “should” change their behaviours to fit in. The constant need for communication with others – respond immediately to any communication, whether this be direct, on social med

Throughout my life I felt a little out of sync with most people around me. I was often told I am different from most, a little bit weird at times and questioned about my responses, which many saw as wrong. I struggled to know how to act, what to say, be ok with the way I think. I found relationships and friendships difficult and painful, and ended up in several abusive relationships as I did not see the truth of situations and gave people too much credit, even though part of

The day I discovered I am autistic and have ADHD was quite literally life-changing! Throughout my life, I have had all kinds of struggles and pain. I have been in more abusive relationships, including friendships, than I care to admit to. I had always put it down to my rough start in life, in feeling not good enough, to being wrong somehow but not really knowing why. There were so many relevant reasons as to why I was the way I was that my skills in masking and fitting in wer

People often only come into therapy when they hit a crisis situation, or life feels too hard, their relationships are under threat, their jobs are getting difficult, finances are causing worry, and so many other reasons. What about if you came to therapy before you REALLY needed it? Isn’t prevention better than cure? A couple of recent conversations got me thinking about this, and reflecting on my own life and how my life could have been so different if I had known about coun

Gaslighting is a term used for, and often subtle, forms of emotional and psychological abuse. Victims of this behaviour have often been controlled and manipulated for many years not knowing what is happening. You may find that you regularly doubt yourself, are often making excuses for your partner’s behaviour, apologising while not really knowing what you are sorry for and your self-esteem, self-worth, and view of yourself drop over a period of time. Gaslighters are often ch

When you think of hope, what comes to mind? Maybe that warm, happy feeling of something good coming your way. Possibly that anticipation of hard work finally pays off. It might even be a vague feeling that a situation or person is going to change for the better. Hope is often seen as something warm, sunny, and positive and this can distract us from the emptiness of blind, unfounded hope. This is the darker side of hope and which can lead you to wait longer than you should, t

I have been asked many times why I chose to be a counsellor and if I find it hard listening to other people’s stories each day. My answer every time is that I love my work and feel very privileged that I am trusted with such precious information about people’s lives. For some years, I worked in a couple of roles within mental health and the work was incredibly rewarding. However, many of my clients felt they were not really listened to, that many of the professionals they wo

When choosing a therapist, I often advise people to contact, and possibly meet, 2 or 3 different therapists before deciding who to work with. A crucial part of successful, healthy counselling is the relationship that develops between the client and the therapist, and you can only really get a feel of whether or not they are the right person for you by meeting them. By having an initial session, you are able to reflect on how you felt with the counsellor, if you felt safe beli

Sometimes we feel trapped, or as if we do not have choices. We have pressures from life, people, and responsibilities - and these can all cloud our ability to see that we have choices and that decisions are ours to make. We do things automatically, or as a reflex, and can repeat the same things we have done many times before. We can all make a change by making a new choice, accepting this truth, and deciding to do it a new way. This can be a small decision, such as reacting