As an adult in her late 30s, Kelli was diagnosed with ADHD and sensory processing differences shortly after her two young children each received confirmation of their own neurodivergence. This process was eye-opening and enlightening to say the least. It quickly changed the course of her therapy career!
Today, Kelli is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist (LMFT) and advocate for greater training on neurodiversity within the field of Marriage & Family Therapy. There’s an urgent need for knowledgable therapists to better recognize and support neurodivergent people. Marriages where one partner is neurogivergent and one partner is neurotypical (called neurodiverse marriages) are an underserved clinical population. Sadly, Kelli often hears stories from new clients about the unhelpful treatment they’ve previously received from mental health professionals who simply didn’t “get” them or their relationship challenges. Neurotypical parents raising Gifted, Twice exceptional (2e), Highly Sensitive, Asperger’s/Autistic, ADD/ADHD, Dyslexic, etc. children also frequently report feeling invalidated by healthcare professionals who simply don’t understand their parenting challenges.
It seems many licensed therapists today are either unaware or disinterested in modifying their existing counseling techniques. The vast majority of talk therapy techniques in use today were designed by neurotypical persons according to neurotypical standards. This often misses the mark for those with brain differences, leaving clients feeling frustrated and misunderstood.
Kelli believes a one-size-fits-all approach to individual therapy or couple therapy is inefficient and potentially hurtful. She is constantly learning best practices to help neurodivergent individuals and neurodivese couples thrive, integrating empirically validated counseling techniques with Christian principles and neurodiversity concepts in her work.
You deserve support from someone who understands what makes you, your partner, and your children unique. Contact us today.