TPP 381: Dr. Megan Anna Neff and Dr. Debra Brause on the Complex Relationship Between Traditional Therapeutic Practices & Neurodivergence
episode
Full-Tilt Parenting: Strategies, Insights, and Connection for Parents Raising Neurodivergent Children
50 min
2 speakers
8 chapters
transcribed 4 hours ago
Transcript
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Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.
What is the main focus of the episode and why is neurodivergent‑affirming therapy important?
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Maybe it's Maybelline. As benevolent and wonderful as psychoanalytic type therapy can be, there's also kind of a pathologizing eye, I wanna say, where we're interpreting things through a certain lens that you're looking for the client's defenses, you're looking at their characterological issues and maybe I've seen people sort of double down on their conceptualization of a client and not really being willing to see where neurodivergence might play a part and how something that they're assuming is a defense of some kind is actually a neurodivergent trait.
I'm Debbie Rever, and welcome to Tilt Parenting, a podcast featuring interviews and conversations aimed at inspiring, informing, and supporting parents raising differently wired kids. I am so excited to share this conversation with you as it's been a few months in the making and it's on a topic I'm personally very interested in, and I feel like not enough people are talking about. And that topic is the intersection of traditional therapeutic modalities and neurological. Neurodivergence. Specifically, I wanted to examine how some therapies may not meet the unique needs of neurodivergent individuals and what it means for a therapist to be truly neurodivergent affirming. And I have two wonderful guests to get into it all with me: author, parent of neurodivergent children, and neurodivergent clinical psychologist Dr.
Megan Ananeff, who's been on this show twice before, and Dr. Deborah Browse, the parent Of an autistic ADHDer and a licensed psychologist and therapist who works from a neurodivergent affirming stance. And get into it we do. In this conversation, Megan, Anna, Deborah, and I explore what some limitations and challenges are for neurodivergent clients working with therapists who don't understand their neurotypes, how therapeutic approaches can be adapted to provide sensory safety and center the client's experience and agency. Why cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavioral therapy may not be as effective for differently wired people, as well as the potential limitations of standard strategies like mindfulness and visualization.
Most importantly, we'll discuss the qualities to look for in a therapist who is truly neurodivergent affirming, what that means, and how it can make all the difference in a child's therapeutic journey. Megan, Anna, and Debra shared a A lot of resources as well that you can go back to if you are a parent looking to get your child therapy. A little bit more about my guests before we get started. Dr. Megan Anna F is the founder of Neurodivergent Insights, where she creates education and wellness resources for neurodivergent adults, the co-host of the Divergent Conversations podcast, one of my faves, and the author of Self-Care for Autistic People, which is the book we talked about last time as she was on the show.
As a late diagnosed odd ADHDer, Megan Anna applies their lived experiences. To their professional focus. They are committed to broadening the mental health field's understanding of autism and ADHD beyond traditional stereotypes. Dr. Deborah Browse helps couples embrace who their children are and provides support and guidance through this unique journey. Her professional training includes diagnostic assessment for learning disabilities at the UCLA Office for Students with Disabilities and clinical work in community mental health settings, including. including the Southern California Counseling Center and the Maple Counseling Center. I'm so grateful to Deborah and Megan Anna for being willing to explore this important subject with me.
And I hope this episode offers ideas and food for thought about how to ensure that our kids are able to access respectful, truly neurodivergent affirming support.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is the main focus of the episode and why is neurodivergent‑affirming therapy important?
0:00–7:07
2
How do the guests describe the biggest challenges neurodivergent clients face in traditional therapy?
7:07–14:03
3
Why might CBT and DBT be less effective for autistic and ADHD clients?
14:03–20:11
4
What are the limitations of mindfulness and visualization techniques for neurodivergent people?
20:11–27:04
5
What qualities should parents look for when choosing a truly neurodivergent‑affirming therapist?
27:04–34:04
6
How can sensory safety and interoceptive awareness be built into therapy sessions?
34:04–39:17
7
What resources and community tools are available for families seeking neurodivergent‑affirming support?
39:17–45:59
8
What final advice do the experts give to parents and clinicians about neurodivergent‑affirming care?
45:59–50:44
Speakers
2 identifiedMore from Full-Tilt Parenting: Strategies, Insights, and Connection for Parents Raising Neurodivergent Children
TPP 266a: A Conversation with Poet and Advocate LeDerick Horne
TPP 522: A Whole Child Approach to ADHD with Phil Boucher, M.D.
TPP 091a: A Conversation With Steve Silberman About His Book “Neurotribes”
TPP 521: A Conversation with Dr. Peter Gray About Restoring Childhood
TPP 253a: Advocate and Author Jonathan Mooney on Why Normal Sucks
TPP 520: Dr. Özgür Bolat on Why Rewards Backfire and the Real Science of Motivating Kids