Work with Therin Slayton, PsyD
Supporting ADHD, Autism, LGBTQIA+ Identity, Neurodivergent Burnout & Trauma
Supporting ADHD, Autistic Adults, AuDHD, Gender Identity Exploration & Neurodivergent Burnout
Howdy! I’m Therin (they/them)
I'm really glad you're here.
I'm a psychologist providing neurodivergent-affirming and LGBTQIA+ affirming online therapy for adults throughout Chicago and Illinois.
I specialize in supporting ADHD, autistic, AuDHD, disabled, transgender, nonbinary, and gender-expansive adults navigating anxiety, trauma, neurodivergent burnout, identity exploration, and relationship challenges.
If you're tired of shrinking, masking, or over-explaining just to get through the day, I see you.
As a genderqueer, neurodivergent, and disabled psychologist, I understand what it's like to move through a world that wasn't built with you in mind. That's why I strive to create a space where you don't have to mask, explain, or justify who you are before you can begin healing.
Maybe you've spent years wondering why everything seems to take more energy than it does for everyone else.
Maybe you're exhausted from masking, pushing through sensory overwhelm, or trying to meet expectations that were never designed with your brain or body in mind.
Maybe you're exploring your gender identity, healing from trauma, navigating neurodivergent burnout, or looking for a space where you don't have to defend or explain your existence.
Many of my clients have spent years being told they're "too much," "too sensitive," "too intense," or somehow "doing life wrong." Over time, those messages can become exhausting.
You aren't broken.
You've been navigating systems, expectations, and environments that weren't designed with your needs in mind.
Therapy with me is a place where you don't have to perform, shrink yourself, or prove who you are just to be understood.
Together, we'll build a life that honors your nervous system, your identity, your relationships, and the person you already are, not the person the world expects you to become.
Meet Therin
Who I Help
You might recognize yourself in some of these experiences...
LGBTQIA2S+ Adults & Young Adults
Especially trans, nonbinary, and gender-expansive people looking for a therapist who understands your lived experience without expecting you to explain or educate them first.
Neurodivergent Adults (ADHD, Autistic & AuDHD)
Whether you've been diagnosed for years or you're just beginning to understand yourself, therapy can help you navigate autistic masking, ADHD executive dysfunction, sensory overwhelm, autistic burnout, and self-acceptance.
Disabled & Chronically Ill Adults
You deserve care that understands accessibility, honors your lived experience, and recognizes the impact ableism can have on mental health and daily life.
Polyamorous, CNM & Nontraditional Relationships
Whether you're navigating ethical non-monogamy, relationship transitions, communication challenges, or identity exploration, therapy can offer a space where your relationships are understood, not judged.
Creatives, Deep Thinkers & People Who've Always Felt Different
Maybe you've spent your life feeling like you never quite fit the expectations around you. You notice things deeply, think differently, and often feel like you're navigating a world that wasn't designed with your brain or body in mind.
You're Tired of Feeling Misunderstood
You've spent years explaining why things that seem "easy" for other people feel exhausting for you. You've been told you're "too sensitive," "too intense," or "too much." You're ready for a space where your experiences are believed, not questioned.
Many of my clients come to therapy feeling overwhelmed by anxiety, trauma, masking, burnout, or the pressure to constantly explain themselves.
Together, we'll work toward creating a life where you no longer have to shrink yourself to belong.
If you’ve been searching for a therapist near you in Chicago or anywhere in Illinois who truly understands this experience, you’re in the right place.
What Therapy Feels Like With Me
Clients describe therapy with me as collaborative and deeply human. We move at a pace that respects your nervous system, your energy, and your lived experience.
You Don't Have to Perform
Therapy becomes one of the few places where you no longer have to mask, explain, shrink yourself, or prove that your experience is real. You won't be asked to justify your identity, prove your neurodivergence, or explain why your brain or body works differently. You get to show up exactly as you are.
Trauma-Informed & ND-Affirming
We focus on unlearning harmful societal messages and building a life that actually fits your brain and body.
Collaborative Goals
We might work on untangling self-critical thoughts, building trust in your inner voice, or reconnecting with creativity and rest.
Over time, therapy may help you:
Untangle anxious, self-critical, or spiraling thoughts
Understand how masking, expectations, or past experiences still affect you
Build trust in your own needs, boundaries, and inner voice
Strengthen relationships without losing yourself
Reconnect with creativity, rest, and what brings meaning to your life
Therapy with me is a place where you no longer have to mask, perform, or explain who you are just to be understood.
How I Support You: Building a Life That Fits You
Instead of forcing you to fit into a world that wasn’t built for you, we work together to create a life that actually honors your nervous system and identity. Here is how I help my clients move out of survival mode:
Paralyzed by Masking & Fatigue
We’ll work on unlearning the pressure to "perform" for others, helping you find a way of existing that doesn’t constantly drain your battery.
Work With Your Brain, Not Against It
Executive dysfunction, sensory overwhelm, and everyday tasks can feel exhausting when strategies aren't designed for the way your brain works. Together, we'll develop practical approaches that support ADHD executive dysfunction, autistic needs, and your unique strengths rather than expecting you to fit someone else's system.
Gender Identity & Dysphoria
Whether you're exploring your gender identity, navigating gender dysphoria, or simply looking for a place where you can exist without explanation, therapy offers space to understand yourself with curiosity, compassion, and affirmation. I provide a space for deep exploration, where you never have to justify your existence or provide a "101" explanation.
Feeling "Too Much" or "Not Enough"
We’ll reclaim your "outlier" status, turning years of internalized self-criticism into radical self-compassion and pride.
Burnt Out & Disconnected
We’ll remove the blocks of chronic stress so you can reconnect with your creativity, your community, and your need for true rest.
I provide online LGBTQ+ and neurodivergent-affirming therapy in Chicago and throughout Illinois, supporting adults navigating identity exploration, ADHD and autism burnout, trauma, and relationship challenges.
Areas I Commonly Support
Every person's experience is unique, but many of the adults and young adults I work with come to therapy for support with:
ADHD, autistic adults, AuDHD, and neurodivergent burnout
Autistic masking, chronic masking, and emotional exhaustion
ADHD executive dysfunction and sensory overwhelm
Anxiety, overthinking, and nervous system overwhelm
Gender identity exploration, gender dysphoria, transgender, nonbinary, and LGBTQIA2S+ affirming therapy
Trauma and survival-mode coping patterns
Polyamory, consensual non-monogamy (CNM), and nontraditional relationship dynamics
Disabled and chronically ill identity support
Low self-worth, perfectionism, and internalized shame
Reconnecting with creativity, authenticity, rest, and self-trust
You don't need to have everything figured out before starting therapy. Whether you're exploring your identity, navigating neurodivergence, processing trauma, or simply looking for a space where you can finally stop masking, therapy begins with your story, not with changing who you are.
Together, we'll build a life that feels more authentic, sustainable, and true to you.
How I Support Your Mental Health & Well-Being
Therapy isn't about helping you fit into a world that asks you to hide who you are. Together, we'll build a way of living that honors your nervous system, your identity, your relationships, and the way your brain naturally works.
Reduce the Impact of Masking & Neurodivergent Burnout
If you've spent years masking your ADHD, autism, AuDHD, or other neurodivergent traits just to get through the day, it's understandable if you're exhausted. Together, we'll explore ways to reduce burnout, better understand your needs, and create a life that feels more sustainable.
Work With Your Brain, Not Against It
Executive dysfunction, sensory overwhelm, and everyday tasks can feel incredibly draining when strategies aren't designed for the way your brain works. We'll develop practical tools and accommodations that support your strengths rather than expecting you to fit into someone else's system.
Explore Your Identity Without Judgment
Whether you're exploring your gender identity, navigating gender dysphoria, questioning your sexuality, or simply looking for a space where you can exist without explanation, therapy offers room to discover who you are with curiosity, compassion, and affirmation.
Heal from Trauma Without Changing Who You Are
Trauma can shape how safe your nervous system feels, how you relate to others, and how you experience the world. Together, we'll process difficult experiences while honoring your pace and recognizing that healing doesn't require changing your authentic self.
Build a Life That Honors Your Needs
Instead of constantly adapting yourself to meet everyone else's expectations, we'll strengthen self-trust, boundaries, relationships, creativity, rest, and the confidence to build a life that genuinely fits who you are.
Many of my clients come to therapy feeling exhausted from masking, overwhelmed by anxiety, navigating trauma, or questioning whether they'll ever feel fully accepted.
Together, we'll work toward a life where you no longer have to perform, explain, or shrink yourself just to belong.
Why I Do This Work
I know what it’s like to feel unseen or out of place in a world that expects conformity.
Originally from the Great Plains, I learned early how complicated it can be to exist outside the “straight and narrow.” While I pursued a doctorate in clinical psychology for strong clinical training, the heart of my work has always been empathy, affirmation, and respect for lived experience.
My goal is to create a space where you don’t have to justify your existence — you just get to be.
You deserve care that affirms who you are and supports you in building a life that truly fits.
Education, Training & Supervision
Education
Doctor of Psychology (PsyD), Clinical Psychology — Adler University
Master of Arts (MA), Clinical Psychology — Adler University
Bachelor of Arts (BA), Psychology — Emporia State University
Clinical Training
Doctoral internship in college counseling supporting university students
Advanced training in trauma-informed, identity-affirming, and culturally responsive therapy
Clinical experience in community mental health settings, including crisis intervention
Extensive experience supporting ADHD, autistic adults, LGBTQIA+, gender-diverse, and neurodivergent adults navigating anxiety, trauma, identity exploration, burnout, and life transitions
Licensure Status
Dr. Therin Slayton has completed their doctoral degree in clinical psychology and is currently practicing under clinical supervision while working toward independent licensure in Illinois.
They provide therapy under the supervision of Dr. Aretha Steele, Licensed Clinical Psychologist and founder of Mindful Healing Counseling, in accordance with Illinois professional guidelines.
Dr. Slayton provides online therapy in Chicago and throughout Illinois, offering identity-affirming care for LGBTQIA+ individuals and others navigating anxiety, trauma, relationships, and life transitions.
Common Questions
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Neurodivergent-affirming therapy recognizes that ADHD, autism, and other forms of neurodivergence are not flaws that need to be “fixed.” Instead of forcing you to fit into unrealistic expectations, therapy focuses on understanding how your brain works, reducing shame, supporting your nervous system, and building strategies that actually fit your life.
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Yes. Many neurodivergent adults spend years masking, overextending themselves, or pushing through sensory and emotional overwhelm just to get by. Over time, that can lead to deep exhaustion, shutdown, anxiety, and feeling disconnected from yourself. Therapy can help you better understand your needs, reduce burnout, and create a life that feels more sustainable and supportive.
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Absolutely. I specialize in LGBTQIA2S+ affirming therapy for trans, nonbinary, queer, and gender-expansive individuals. Therapy with me is a space where you do not have to explain or justify your identity. You deserve care that respects who you are and supports you in feeling safe, understood, and fully yourself.
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That’s completely okay. Many people feel anxious about starting therapy, especially if they’ve spent a long time masking, feeling misunderstood, or not feeling emotionally safe with others. We move at your pace, and you do not need to have the “perfect words” before your first session. Therapy can simply begin with showing up as you are.
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Yes. Many of the people I work with struggle with spiraling thoughts, emotional overwhelm, chronic self-criticism, or the feeling that they are “too much” or “not enough.” Therapy can help you untangle those patterns, build self-trust, and develop a more compassionate relationship with yourself.
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Yes. I work with individuals navigating ethical non-monogamy (ENM), consensual non-monogamy (CNM), and polyamorous relationships. Therapy can provide support around communication, boundaries, identity, relationships, and building connections that feel authentic and aligned with your value.
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Yes. Online therapy can be highly effective for concerns like anxiety, burnout, trauma, identity exploration, and relationship challenges. Many clients also find virtual therapy more accessible and comfortable because they can attend sessions from a comfortable and familiar environment anywhere in Illinois.
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A Few Things That Bring Me Joy
When I’m not doing therapy, you’ll probably find me playing video games with my chosen family, falling down rabbit holes on Wikipedia, discovering new music, hanging out with my calico Chex, trying my hand at baking or needle felting, taking a stroll to appreciate nature, or getting lost in a tabletop role-playing game.
Curiosity, creativity, play, and rest matter to me, and I believe they’re essential parts of healing, too.
Affirming Care for Chicago & North-Central Illinois
While I provide secure online therapy throughout Illinois, I am deeply connected to the communities and creative spaces where many LGBTQIA+, neurodivergent, and gender-diverse individuals live, learn, and build community.
I frequently work with clients located in:
Chicago Neighborhoods: Andersonville, Northalsted (Boystown), Rogers Park, Logan Square, and Uptown.
College & Creative Communities: Evanston, Urbana-Champaign, Oak Park, DeKalb, and surrounding areas.
Communities Across Illinois: Drawing from my Great Plains roots, I am also passionate about providing affirming care to people living in smaller towns and rural communities throughout Illinois who may have limited access to LGBTQIA+ and neurodivergent-affirming providers.
Whether you're looking for an LGBTQIA+ affirming therapist in Andersonville, neurodivergent-affirming therapy in Champaign, or ADHD and autism support anywhere in Illinois, you can access specialized, identity-affirming care from the comfort, privacy, and convenience of your own space.
Insurance & Getting Started
Mindful Healing Counseling is in network with Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO and Aetna PPO. We also accept private pay, out-of-network benefits, and offer a limited number of sliding-scale appointments.
Before your first appointment, our team will verify your insurance benefits and answer any questions you have about coverage, costs, or getting started, so you can begin therapy with confidence.
Ready to Get Started?
Starting therapy is a courageous step and you don’t have to take it alone.
I offer online therapy for adults across Illinois, and I’d be honored to work with you.
Directly serving the LGBTQ+ and Neurodivergent communities in Chicago and throughout Illinois.