Work with Therin Slayton, PsyD

Neurodivergent-affirming therapy is an approach that respects differences in how your brain processes, communicates, focuses, feels, and experiences the world rather than treating those differences as something that automatically needs to be fixed.

For ADHD, autistic, AuDHD, and other neurodivergent adults, that may mean looking at executive dysfunction, sensory needs, masking, burnout, relationships, anxiety, or everyday stress through a lens that considers how your brain actually works.

In our work together, the goal isn't to make you appear more neurotypical. We'll get curious about what's making life harder, identify what you need, and find strategies and accommodations that feel realistic and sustainable for you.

No. You don't need a formal ADHD or autism diagnosis to work with me or to benefit from neurodivergent-affirming therapy.

You may have been diagnosed years ago, received a diagnosis as an adult, identify as self-diagnosed, be wondering whether you're neurodivergent, or simply recognize yourself in experiences like masking, sensory overwhelm, executive dysfunction, burnout, or feeling different from the people around you.

You don't need to prove that you're "neurodivergent enough" to deserve support. We can start with what you're experiencing and what would make life feel more manageable.

Neurodivergent burnout can feel like deep physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion after spending a long time coping with demands that exceed your capacity. You might notice that things you normally manage are suddenly much harder, you need more recovery time, your sensory tolerance is lower, or you have less energy for work, relationships, communication, or everyday tasks.

For some people, years of masking, sensory overload, executive-function demands, chronic stress, or pushing through without enough support can contribute to burnout.

Burnout can look different from person to person, and exhaustion can have many causes. Therapy can help us slow down, understand what's contributing to what you're experiencing, and explore what support, boundaries, accommodations, or changes might help.

Yes. Therapy can help you understand when and why you mask, how masking affects you, and what it might look like to rely on it less when it feels safe and supportive to do so.

Maybe you've learned to rehearse conversations, hide sensory discomfort, suppress stimming, force yourself through social situations, imitate what seems expected, or work incredibly hard to appear like you're managing even when you're overwhelmed.

We don't have to treat masking as something you simply need to stop doing. Sometimes masking has helped you feel safer, maintain relationships, succeed at work or school, or navigate environments that weren't very accepting of difference. Instead, we can get curious about what it's costing you and where you might have more room to be yourself.

Absolutely. You don't have to come to LGBTQ+ affirming therapy because you want to talk about your gender or sexuality.

You might want help with anxiety, trauma, burnout, work stress, grief, family, relationships, neurodivergence, or something else entirely. Your LGBTQIA+ identity can simply be one part of who you are, not the problem we're trying to solve.

Sometimes it just feels easier to talk about everything else when you know you won't have to wonder whether your therapist will understand, judge, or make assumptions about an important part of your life.

Yes. Therapy can give you a supportive place to explore your gender identity without requiring you to already know how you identify or where that exploration will lead.

You might be wondering whether you're transgender, nonbinary, gender-expansive, or whether any particular label fits you at all. You may also be sorting through gender dysphoria, gender euphoria, relationships, family reactions, coming out, or decisions about social or medical transition.

There isn't a particular identity or outcome you're expected to reach in therapy with me. We can make room for questions, uncertainty, curiosity, and whatever you discover along the way.

Yes. I work with people in polyamorous, consensually non-monogamous (CNM), and other nontraditional relationship structures.

You might come to therapy to work through communication, jealousy, boundaries, attachment, relationship transitions, conflict, or balancing the needs of multiple relationships. Or your relationship structure may have very little to do with why you're seeking therapy.

Either way, you won't need to defend or justify the way your relationships are structured. We can focus on what's actually happening in your relationships and what you want to feel different.

If you've felt misunderstood, judged, dismissed, or pressured to be someone you're not in therapy before, it makes sense that trying again might feel difficult.

Maybe a previous therapist didn't understand neurodivergence or LGBTQIA+ identities. Maybe you felt like you had to educate them, your concerns were minimized, or the strategies they suggested simply didn't work for the way your brain or body works.

You can tell me what didn't work before. In fact, that information can help us understand what you need from therapy now. We can talk openly about what helps you feel comfortable, what doesn't, and how we can make our work together feel more collaborative and useful.

Online therapy allows you to meet with your therapist from a private space in Illinois, which some ADHD, autistic, and other neurodivergent adults find more comfortable than traveling to an office.

Being in your own environment may mean having access to familiar sensory supports, comfortable clothing, fidgets, pets, preferred seating, or whatever helps you feel more regulated and able to engage. It also removes the travel and transition involved in getting to and from an office.

Online therapy isn't automatically the best fit for everyone, but for many neurodivergent adults, the flexibility and familiarity of meeting from their own space can make therapy feel more accessible.

Yes. Mindful Healing Counseling is in network with Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO, including Blue Choice PPO, and Aetna PPO plans for eligible therapy services in Illinois.

We also offer private-pay options and can provide information about using out-of-network benefits when applicable. Because benefits and out-of-pocket costs vary by individual insurance plan, our team can verify your benefits before you begin and help you understand your expected costs.

If you're unsure what your plan covers, you don't have to figure it out on your own. Our team can help you understand your options before scheduling.