Neurodiversity-Affirming Psychotherapy (Texas) and Coaching (U.S.) for families, couples, teens, and adults.
Looking for a therapist or coach that you can vibe with, who can understand you?
Are you a newly identified Autistic/ADHD individual, or do you have a loved one who is newly identified? Are you questioning or self-identified? Are you having a hard time figuring out what your needs are and feeling frustrated navigating a world not made for you?
Do you often feel misunderstood, judged, or dismissed by those around you? Are you seeking support in understanding your neurodivergent identity from someone who truly understands and relates to your experience?
I would love to help you learn about your experiences and explore your Autistic/ADHD identity, traits, needs, and strengths and embrace who you are, be empowered, and live a fulfilling life.
Welcome!
Kilala
What is Neurodiversity and Neurodiversity Affirming Therapy and Coaching?
The word “Neurodiversity” may already be familiar to you. It may seem like a new buzzword going around, but it really just means what it says! Diversity of the mind, a natural variation of neurological differences, which include the Autistic and ADHD mind. Neurodiversity is an umbrella term for many other differences, such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. Neurodivergent individuals have a uniquely wired brain, enabling them to see and experience the world differently than a neurotypical (typically developed brain) person.
Neurodivergent is also a socialpolitical term, as it acknowledges the influences of social and political factors and dynamics: oppression, privilege, inequality, exclusion, and more. Neurodivergent names a social position, which are individuals who are marginalized, pathologized, oppressed, punished, and labeled as ill or disordered for functioning in a way that diverges from neuronormativity, which is an oppressive system that believes there is a right or superior way to function. There is no standard brain to diverge from. Neurodiversity acknowledges the differences of all brains. Neurodivergent is about diverging from neuronormativity.
Want to know more about where Neurodiversity stems from?
Go here to learn all about it!
What is Neurodiversity- affirming therapy and coaching?
Neurodiversity-affirming therapy and coaching is an approach that aims to support Autistic/ADHD individuals in recognizing and embracing their unique strengths while navigating challenges. This approach recognizes and respects the unique ways individuals experience and process the world, promotes self-acceptance, autonomy, and empowerment, and aligns with the principles of the neurodiversity movement and the social disability model. Rather than trying to 'fix' you, the focus is on supporting you in embracing and valuing your unique differences while providing strategies to help navigate your mental health challenges, work with your mind and not against it, and support you in leading a meaningful and fulfilling life. Neurodiversity-affirming approaches to therapy and coaching are not behavioral-focused but focused on our unique internal experiences and processing and are always trauma-informed, with the nervous system in mind, which honors our needs as neurodivergent people. Distressing behaviors are due to these underlying experiences, and having an understanding of these experiences will naturally ease them.
“Neurodiversity may be every bit as crucial for the human race as biodiversity is for life in general”
About our Services
Services Offered
In Person &Virtual Psychotherapy & Coaching Sessions are available.
A variety of mental health services are offered, such as Individual (Teens and Adults), Couples, and Family Therapy, as well as Coaching, with a focus on working with Autistic, ADHD individuals, and other neurodivergent neurotypes such as dyslexia.
Learn more about my fees, what I focus on, what my approaches are, and what experiences and values I bring to my therapy and coaching practice.
¡Hola!
Cecilia Hernandez
LMFT-A, Autistic/ADHD Coach, Advocate, Founder, Supervised by Roxanna Ramirez, LMFT-S, LPC-S
Lic# 205834
My name is Cecilia, MFT (She/Her),
I am a late-identified multiply Neurodivergent (Autistic, ADHD (AuDHD), Dyslexic, Learning Disorder, Chronic Illness) and a parent of a neurodivergent teen (Also an AuDHDer and Dyslexic). When I was “diagnosed,” my whole life made sense. I was able to finally figure out how to help myself. It was very healing, and I learned how to embrace my differences and understand how and why I process things the way I do. There was also a bit of grieving I had to do as I thought of what could have been had I known as a child.
Neurodivergent individuals are often misdiagnosed, misunderstood, and invalidated by professionals, whose limited understanding of ADHD and Autistic neurotypes can inadvertently cause harm.
My work and approach to therapy and coaching are not behavioral-focused but focused on our unique internal experiences and processing, and are always trauma-informed, with the nervous system in mind, which honors our needs as neurodivergent people. Distressing behaviors are due to these underlying experiences, and having an understanding of these experiences will naturally ease them.
I have lived experience and work with older children, teens, adults, couples, and families. I advocate for others like my son and me by educating and offering support in an affirming, strength-based manner. You will find that I like sharing my experiences when appropriate, bringing my sense of humor to our sessions, and being my quirky self.
I hope you will browse my website to learn more about me, my practice, and neurodiversity.
Resources
I have compiled a list of resources with links for easy and fast access! All of these resources are Autistic/ADHD-led, inclusive, and Neurodiversity Affirming. I will be updating it when I can!
*A Note on Current Information*
I want to note that so much of the information available is based on the outdated deficit-based medical model, which is ableist, very negative, and shaming for neurodivergent (ND) folks. Some reflect how it impacts others around them and not with the perspective of actual lived and diverse experiences of ND individuals.
This information was developed from an outside perspective and assumptions (by neurotypical, non-autistic individuals), which were based on observable and distress behavior – ignoring the Autistic experience, emotions, thought processes, and inner world and joy. Assumptions of the internal life of Autistic people ignore the complex nature of our internal and external Autistic world, which then leads to beliefs that we lack theory of mind and empathy, have problems in social communication and interaction, and that repetitive patterns of behavior, interests or activities are restricted and wrong. These assumptions have been based on comparing Autistics to non-autistic individuals, placing them as the standard.
So, I have taken my time to compile this list, which I feel is accurately representative.
What will you find?
You will find websites with advocacy, support, and learning materials, and social media accounts that you can follow that provide wonderful lived experiences and education. This includes people who are professionals, such as psychologists, psychiatrists, psychotherapists, speech pathologists, occupational therapists, medical professionals, educators, artists, writers, speakers, advocates, families, parents, teens, etc.
There is also a resource section for everything PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance, also known as Pervasive Desire for Autonomy). PDA is an intense and pervasive need for personal freedom and self-determination. When a demand is detected, it poses a threat to one’s independence, which in turn feels like a threat to one’s safety. It is a nervous system response, and it is often pathologized as Oppositional Defiance Disorder (ODD). You will learn more about it via the links.
You will also find a list of books on different experiences related to neurodiversity and the Autistic and ADHD mind, a section with information about the limitations and dangers of compliance and behavior-based interventions, and a section for my fellow Spanish speakers.
*You are welcome to share this resource list with anyone who you feel will find helpful and may credit Hasta La Raiz Neurodiversity Psychotherapy and Support, PLLC if you’d like to link to it on your site. Should you find any broken links, please email me.
*Please note that these resources do not constitute medical or mental health care. Please use these resources at your discretion.
Contact Me
Teddy