Hannah Courtney, LCPC

I use an eclectic approach to therapy, meaning I tailor treatment to the individual by incorporating techniques from multiple, evidence-based modalities and one client's treatment plan may differ from the next. That being said, as an overall generalization I believe in an approach as complex as human beings, which addresses past, present, and future of the individual as well as the mind-body-spirituality of the individual.

When we are born, we are generally blank slates with genetic blueprint and potential, and it's those experiences and relationships throughout our crucial developmental years that form the foundational schematic we use to organize, interpret, and make sense of our world. Early traumatic experiences can result in a maladaptive schematic. Sometimes those experiences are more straightforward to identify, such as experiencing abuse or neglect or growing up around violence. In other cases, these experiences are subtle and could even come from the most loving and well-intentioned of caregivers. This isn't a matter of blame and fault, but rather one of insight and understanding. The bottom line is that we learn who to be, how to be, and how to see ourselves in the world through our early caregivers and attachments; and maladaptive behaviors, dysfunctional emotional regulation, distorted thinking patterns, and communication issues can be modeled and passed down through unknown/untreated mental illness and intergenerational as well as intersectional trauma. We can also develop dysfunctional ways of being in the world when a neurodevelopmental disorder goes undiagnosed and/or without proper treatment and accommodation.

The mind is like an inner family made of up different personality "parts" and a core "Self." Every part has a good intention and tries to keep us safe, even if its behavior causes problems. Through the frame of Internal Family Systems (IFS), I believe the goal is--rather than hating your difficult "parts" and their uncomfortable emotions--to turn your intention inward and understand them and the role they play. I believe half the battle is often resistance toward facing and feeling the intensity of these underlying, vulnerable parts of us due to shame and guilt about them as well as fear of inability to tolerate the discomfort and distress. And it does us no favors that we seem to live in a society that increasingly regards 'negative' emotions as 'bad' and something to be gotten rid of as soon as possible, as well as to be hidden from others.
The typical internal and external struggles of a neurodivergent mind compound this issue. Those who are neurodivergent often carry a great amount of guilt and shame about their perceived differences in comparison to others, as well as an inherent fear of failure and disappointing others. Often, the compensation for this is masking what feels ‘abnormal’ about them and struggling in silence, perhaps without a true understanding of the ‘why’ behind their differences and difficulties.

This is where the present work comes into play. Just as physical pain alerts us to bodily harm/damage, emotional pain is how our mind draws attention to something that is harmful/damaging around us and/or within us. We address the call first by learning to tolerate distress, regulate emotions, reconnect mind-body awareness and a sense of interoception (the internal sensory system that allows us to feel and understand what is happening inside our bodies), and stay present in the moment with a Mindful Awareness and Radical Acceptance of thoughts and feelings without judgment of them. We learn how to identify these sensations and more effectively put language to them, express them, understand them.

Through a neurodivergent framework, this also entails gaining an understanding of sensory input likes and dislikes, identifying signs of burnout/distress/dysregulation, and learning how to soothe and regulate the nervous system. My approach focuses on supporting clients in unmasking, exploring their genuine preferences and natural ways of navigating the world, and reconnecting with their authentic selves (or perhaps truly connecting for the first time). The goal is never suppression of differences or conformity with neurotypical social standards, but rather finding effective accommodations, encouraging societal communication flexibility, discovering the route of action that works for the individual, and building self-esteem around personal strengths and interests. Only in conjunction with these parameters do we also implement learning of helpful social and communication/language skills, association- and interest-based functional skills, practice of increased psychological flexibility as opposed to rigidity, and exposure/desensitization intervention, where deemed necessary.

Finally, the future part of the whole person is addressed through exploration of goals and values to be used as an inner compass keeping us aimed toward Self-Actualization throughout the lifelong journey. Self-Actualization is an ongoing process of realizing and fulfilling your unique potential, creativity, and capabilities to become your most authentic, whole self; it’s living in alignment with who you are and what drives you and matters to you. This involves taking concrete, purposeful steps toward your goals and values, even when discomfort and obstacles come up along the way. This also means learning to set and uphold your own boundaries, advocate for yourself, build and maintain healthy relationships, and balance being there for others without abandoning yourself in the process.