Welcome to Grief and Relief

What's with the name?!

Do you remember the first time you asked yourself "am I Autistic/have ADHD?". If so, maybe you were filled with disbelief. Perhaps someone described an experience you were convinced happened only to you, which resulted in you feeling deeply understood. Or maybe you thought everyone struggled with the world with the same tenacity you did, and *did not compute* when you realized when most people want to do the thing.... they can just do the thing.

Likely you experienced a whole range of emotions; positive, negative, the very ugly and back again. We've found that a lot of those emotions can be boiled down to two categories:

• Relief. Finally you understand why certain parts of life- like work, relationships, or daily routines- have been so hard. This new knowledge brings validation after years of feeling misunderstood and full of self-doubt.

• Grief.  So many times when you needed more support, missed opportunities, or where you longed for another easier version of your life where you made the same discovery so much sooner. 

Grief and Relief honors that these emotions are both sides of the same coin and both are experiences worth honoring.

What is the Neurodiversity-Affirming Framework?

The neurodiversity umbrella includes lots of different brains, including (but not limited to!) those that are impacted by OCD, PTSD, Autism, and ADHD. While the traditional medical model focuses on treating neurodivergence as something "broken" that needs to be "fixed", the neurodiversity-affirming framework views neurodivergent traits as natural variations in human brain functioning- not something that is inherently broken or wrong. This approach views the diveristy of our brains as something to celebrate. Our desire is to accept and honor the unique personalities and identities that are formed through our diverse neurotypes.

We work from this framework because it aligns with our belief in creating inclusive, supportive environments where neurodivergent individuals feel valued for who they are. By focusing on acceptance rather than conformity, we hope to foster self-compassion and a sense of belonging within the neurodivergent community.