For some people discovering they are neurodivergent is accompanied by something close to euphoria as they recognise the patterns that have followed them through life. It can be like a huge ‘ah ha’ moment with relief that they now have some answers. For others, it can feel devastating as they start to unpack missed opportunities and misunderstandings.
Both reactions are normal and understandable. In reality it is unlikely to be as black and white as this, and a period of upheaval will likely form part of the identity transition.
Going through this without support can be challenging.
Through the Thrive programme you’ll embark on a new journey of self-discovery. You will have dedicated time and space to explore your unique experiences, strengths and challenges within the context of each module. You’ll gain new perspectives, co-create strategies that work for you, and move forward feeling more confident on your journey.
Recognising you’re neurodivergent often comes after a lifetime of feeling different without really understanding why. Many of us have spent years trying to fit in, sometimes at great cost to our mental and physical health and we may have developed quite complex masks and coping strategies which can make it difficult to connect with our authentic selves.
On top of this, coping moment-to-moment can mean the luxury to explore our identity or work out strategies to suit our real selves can be at the bottom of our list. We may not even know what we don’t know, leaving us unsure where to look for support or even what to Google for.
THRIVE grew out of a combination of my own lived experience of adult diagnosis and spotting patterns in the topics which have come up through years of mentoring fellow neurodivergent adults and teenagers.
The programme allows you to spend time with key topics relevant to the neurodivergent experience so that your mindset as you move forward begins from a positive and constructive place.
Some sessions will feel more structured than others, involving specific tools so we can get to your truth quickly. Others are more free-form. But always it is about you and your lived experience. This is no ‘chalk and talk’ programme.
Always starting from a point of strength, you will:
- Identify and develop ways to take advantage of your unique strengths, skills which are often born out of the very fact you experience the world differently
- Co-create practical, impactful strategies to navigate challenges in a way that works for you
- Redefine labels from your past, letting go of beliefs which no longer serve you
- Develop ways to manage your energy levels so overwhelm becomes a rare occurrence
- Gain confidence and a fresh perspective on what it is to be part of the neurodivergent community
- Develop a toolkit for self-regulation to improve personal wellbeing and mitigate against burnout and meltdowns/shutdowns
- Understand the distinction between hypervigilance and unhealthy anxiety, the positive role a bit of anxiety can play and why telling us to ‘stop worrying’ is neither helpful or realistic
- All the while continuing your identity journey with constructive support by investigating your beliefs and those you encounter, why this matters and what you can do to support yourself
THRIVE and SHAPE programmes can be purchased together at a discounted rate. The content is complementary, and it doesn’t matter which you do first.