Our Values: Neurodivergence Affirming

Inclusive Online Therapy Across Ontario

“The world needs all kinds of minds.”

– Dr. Temple Grandin, Autism Advocate

Discover a place where you belong.

Trying to access care in a space where you aren’t celebrated for your neurodivergence is exhausting to say the least.

In those spaces, you might feel the need to educate your therapist from scratch about what your neurodivergence means…or worse, feel judged, unwelcome and unsupported. Therapy is hard enough without the emotional labour of trying to justify your own existence, and we get that.

You won’t ever have to do that here.

You are worthy. You are enough. And you belong here, exactly as you are.

Why Neurodivergence-Affirming?

At Counterspiral Care, we believe that simply being neurodivergent aware and informed isn’t enough.

We aren’t just making a little bit of space for you. We’re holding the doors wide open, pulling up your seat at the table, and elevating your voice.

We value your autonomy, rights, and opinion. We want you to experience a sense of shared understanding, deep knowing, and immense respect.

Your neurodivergence matters, and true healing work will acknowledge and celebrate it.

What You Can Expect

You deserve to have high expectations for your care. Here are a few things our team is committed to offering you:

  • We will be open-minded, accepting, and non-judgmental.

  • We will never view your neurodiversity as something to change or “fix”, and we celebrate the spectrum of neuro-variance as something that makes the world a better place.

  • We will respect your neurodivergence, whether it is self-identified, late-diagnosed, or something you’ve known about all your life.

  • We will be knowledgeable about and accepting of a wide range of neurotypes and related identities, including ADHD, AuDHD, autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, HSP, learning disabilities, neurotypical, OCD, RSD, and more.

  • We will understand and respect your sensory needs and welcome accommodations such as dimmer lights, fidgets, and stimming in session.

  • We will never take a one-size-fits-all approach, and acknowledge that when living in a world designed for neurotypical people, you might need unique supports.

  • We will offer life skill supports that are tailored to neurodivergence, so that you can find ways of thriving that actually work for you.

  • We will respect your unique beliefs and background, doing our best to understand how your culture and intersectionality impacts your lived experiences.

  • We acknowledge that several populations, including AFAB, trans, queer, and racialized folks, have historically had their neurodivergence diminished or ignored. We see you here.

  • We will actively support neurodiverse folks and their rights through our research, education, and personal practices outside the therapy space.

  • We will never assume that all of your problems are related to your neurodivergence, and will hold space for a wide range of topics in session.

  • We will respect and value you as the expert on your own life, and will never assume to know more about your identity than you do.

  • We will strongly and firmly advocate in favour of neurodiverse rights and against discrimination and harassment.

  • We will always be open to feedback and suggestions for how we can best affirm you in session, including any accommodations that can make therapy more comfortable and accessible.

Who this type of therapy is for:

→ Your boredom is costing you. You struggle to focus on anything or pay full attention, and you’re known for making “careless mistakes”—even when you’re trying your hardest.

→ Your surroundings drive you crazy. Why do the lights have to be so brights, and the noises so loud? Day-to-day living with so much stimulation feels exhausting.

→ You don’t know why you can’t get a grip on your schedule—why is sticking to a plan (or making one in the first place) so hard?

→ You’re angry, irritable, and disconnected from the people around you, but you crave social connection.

→ You can’t stop scrolling through AuDHD reels, and you’re finding them a little too relatable.

 → You know you have strengths within you that deserve to be seen.

Why Choose Counterspiral?

Our team is a unique group with some important things in common.

  • We all deeply care about social justice, equity, and making the world a better place. We are actively anti-racist, queer and trans affirming, and we celebrate neurodiversity.

  • We are compassionate, supportive, and educated therapists who use evidence-based best practices to customize each session, just for you. And we’re also real people who will laugh with you, hold space for you, and authentically connect with you. We fully show up in session so that you have a brave and safe space to let it all out.

  • We know that therapy is really about you, so we’ll always do our best to match you to a team member who is a great fit.

  • You can get to know us better by visiting our Meet the Team page. We can’t wait to meet you!

Discover more of our Counterspiral Care values

Let’s get started.