What Is Neurodiversity?

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Lack of follow through in neurodivergent clients can be misinterpreted as avoidance.

Neurodivergent clients are overrepresented in clinical populations.

Mental health professionals lack adequate training to identify undiagnosed neurodevelopmental disabilities.

Lack of training in neurodevelopmental disabilities leads to poor therapy experiences for this population.

“My last therapist would accuse me of not trying to get better, but I was trying so hard. I kept telling her that the things she was suggesting just weren’t working for me, but she didn’t believe me.”

I have heard some version of this statement many times during my years of clinical social work, almost always from neurodivergent clients. In most instances, it seems like the therapist is viewing the lack of progress through the lens of avoidance. This makes sense, as avoidance is often the reason that clients do not follow through on therapy homework. Therapy can be difficult, and avoidance of uncomfortable feelings is common, especially if working through things like trauma, anxiety, or other issues that can bring up uncomfortable memories and emotions.

What if It’s Not Avoidance?

While avoidance if often the reason for lack of follow through, it is important to remember that it isn’t always the reason. If a client is consistently struggling with follow through, and claims that they are trying, it is important to believe them. Remember humanistic theories that encourage therapists to emphasize the client’s perspective of the world and emphasizes that clients are the experts on their own lives. This means that if a client says they are trying, but the tools or strategies are not working, you as a therapist should believe them and work to try other approaches that will work better for them.

In my own therapy practice, I specialize in treating neurodivergent clients and I have found that while avoidance is sometimes the reason for lack of follow through, more often, it is due to the fact that the client is........

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