Sonny @scrappapertiger@weirder.earth

Neurodiversity is a vital concept, and understanding the difference between neurodiverse and neurodivergent is much more important than just splitting hairs over linguistics. I made a comic explainer.

Higher quality images and shareable blog format with questions for reflection:
https://medium.com/@sonnyhallett/neurodiversity-is-about-everyone-73b8795b3ca0

[I really struggle with making image descriptions for my own artwork. If anyone might have the spoons and would like to do that, do let me know.]

Conflating neurodiverse with neurodivergent is like conflating racial diversity with racially minoritised groups - it allows those with privilege to see themselves as 'outside' of these dynamics, and furthers our othering.

'Neurodiverse conditions' isn't really a Thing. The word you're probably looking for is neurodivergent.

I wish people would learn to apply the same meaning rules and logic to the word neurodiversity as they do with biodiversity. Would you call hippos or marmosets biodiverse creatures? No? Then stop calling autism and ADHD neurodiverse conditions 😤

Happy Autistic Pride Day!

I spoke at @Autism ’s annual professionals conference last week on counselling and neurodiversity.

You can read the whole talk here:
https://medium.com/@sonnyhallett/counselling-in-a-neurodiverse-world-2e72d63a77c9

Some thoughts about growth, change, safety, and trees.

"As far as I know, trees don’t get frustrated at themselves for their lack of growth in winter, and when the spring comes, their leaves, shoots, and branches grow exactly into the shapes they need to, with the food, light, warmth, and mycelial and biodiverse networks they have around them."

(Other person centred therapists might notice that this is a piece about the self-actualising tendency 🙂 )

https://medium.com/@sonnyhallett/growth-isnt-the-thing-that-takes-effort-1c8529bc9508

Some thoughts about transition, change, and anticipating starting T

https://link.medium.com/ezuOWPinMwb

#transmasc #transition

Follow up question for counsellors, etc: What questions might you have or what topics would you find most useful to discuss/read about around the intersection of neurodiversity and queerness/LGBTQ+ identities?

#TherapistsConnect #counselling #therapy #therapistsofmastodon

Neurodivergent folks: what things would you most want mental health professionals to understand about being neurodivergent and queer?

#NeurodiverseSquad #lgbtq
#AskingAutistics #mentalhealth #therapy

Transition feels:
I’ve been catching myself glancing at my reflection in the mirror as I walk past, like I’m trying to catch what gender I am just now unawares.

#gender #transition #nonbinary

More thoughts: How people who are different might be less ‘allowed’ to just be, because our natural states aren’t accepted or understood. About how capitalism and our culture venerates doing and can shame being, how much we talk about laziness, time wasting, productivity…

We have a society that can be so focused on doing instead of being. I think so much doing sometimes can take away space for ourselves and others - both take away space to sense where we’re at, and space to grow. I’m not saying we should all be passive - really *being* can be a very active state and process, and can take us towards action that can feel more congruent and meaningful, and can nurture relationships that provide space for growth and change.

I think sometimes maybe we do because it feels too scary to be, or we’re shamed for it, or there isn’t time and space, or it’s not safe, and then the doing might feel all wrong, or the outcome, or something in our sense of ourselves or in our relationships, and/or we get stuck or distressed.

Many thoughts.
(I really like this job ❤️)

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Some #counselling thoughts.
#therapy #TherapyChat #TherapistsConnect #mentalheaIth

Counselling is such a strange job in so many ways. When I’m feeling a bit ill or wobbly, it can be quite easy to fall into worrying that I have no idea what I’m doing. The reality is that, at least for how I work, it’s not really about the *doing* but the *being* (so I guess it makes sense that when the being bit feels wobbly, I could start to doubt myself), and actually the more I try to *do*, often the less I’m in contact and the less helpful, connected, and present I am.

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