Neurodivergent Therapy in California & Florida
Your neurodivergence is a gift that doesn’t need to be changed; therapy can provide the support you need in a world built for neurotypicals.
Therapy for ADHD, Autism, OCD, Highly Sensitive People, and People Who Have Always Felt a Little Outside The Box
You may not use the word neurodivergent to describe yourself.
But you might recognize the experience.
You think deeply. You feel a lot. You notice patterns other people miss. You get overwhelmed more easily than you’d like. You’ve probably been told you’re “too much,” “too sensitive,” or “overthinking it.”
Or maybe your brain moves fast, jumps between ideas, struggles to stay organized, or gets stuck in loops you can’t easily exit.
For some people, this shows up as ADHD, OCD, autism, or sensory sensitivity. For others, it’s more subtle. It doesn’t quite meet diagnostic criteria, but it still shapes how you move through the world.
We use a broad, inclusive definition of neurodiversity. Not as something to fix; as something to understand and nurture so you can live your best life.
Neurodiversity Affirming Therapy: What It Means
Neurodiversity simply means that brains are wired differently.
That can include:
ADHD (diagnosed or suspected, including late-diagnosed autism)
Autism (including high-masking or late-identified)
OCD and intrusive, looping thought patterns
Highly sensitive people (HSP)
Sensory sensitivity or overwhelm
Emotional intensity
Pattern recognition and deep processing
Subtle differences that don’t fit neatly into a label
Some clients come in with a diagnosis. Some come in saying, “I think something is different about how my brain works.”
Both are valid starting points.
Our Neurodiversity Affirming Therapists
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Alexis Harney, LMFT
she/her
California & Florida
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Daniella Mohazab, AMFT
she/her
California
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Tatevik Sarkisian, AMFT
she/her
California
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Laurel van der Toorn, LMFT
she/her
California, Colorado, Florida, Michigan, Texas & Washington
Common Experiences We Work With
Neurodiversity shows up differently for everyone, but many of our clients relate to some version of:
Feeling easily overwhelmed by noise, people, or demands
Getting stuck in thought loops, rumination, or intrusive thoughts
Difficulty starting or finishing tasks
Time blindness or chronic procrastination
Emotional intensity that feels hard to regulate
Burnout from constantly pushing through
Social exhaustion or confusion
Perfectionism and fear of getting things wrong
Feeling “behind” despite being capable
For high-achieving professionals, this often gets missed.
On the outside, you’re doing well. On the inside, everything takes more effort than it should.
Our Approach to Neurodivergent Affirming Therapy
We don’t try to change your brain.We help you work with it.
That includes:
Understanding Your Patterns
We look at how your attention, emotions, sensory system, and stress responses actually function.
Our approach draws heavily on holistic therapy; working with the whole person, including the body's signals, not just cognitive patterns. We work integratively, which means we love collaborating with your other healthcare providers if that would deepen the work or feel supportive to you.
Nervous System Support
Many neurodivergent clients live in chronic activation or overwhelm.
We focus on helping your nervous system:
come back to baseline more easily
tolerate stress without shutting down
recover faster when things spike
For those carrying unprocessed trauma from years of masking or misattunement, EMDR therapy can be particularly effective.
Practical Strategies That Actually Fit You
Not generic advice. We help you build systems for:
focus and task initiation
managing overwhelm
reducing decision fatigue
creating sustainable routines
Communication and Boundaries
You don’t need to explain yourself perfectly.
But you do deserve to be understood.
We help you:
communicate needs without over-apologizing
set boundaries that are actually doable
navigate relationships with more clarity
Self-Compassion (Without Toxic Positivity)
Many neurodivergent adults carry years of self-criticism.
We work on shifting: “I should be able to handle this” → “This is hard for a reason, and I can support myself differently.”
How Our Process Works
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1. Book a consultation
Use our easy scheduler to find a good time for you.
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2. Free chat with one of our therapists
You’ll chat for 15-20 minutes with one of our therapists so we can hear what's going on and start to form ideas about how we can help.
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3. Schedule a session
If you feel good about the burnout therapist we match you with, you can schedule a first session. The first three sessions are used to determine if it’s a good fit. If you don’t think it is, there’s no pressure to continue.
Challenges Neurodivergent People Face And How Therapy Can Help
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Overwhelm and Sensory Overload
Loud spaces, too many inputs, a schedule that never lets you decompress; what others shake off can genuinely shut you down. Our neurodivergent affirming therapists in California help you understand your nervous system, identify your triggers, and build a life with enough breathing room to actually function. Whether you're autistic, have ADHD, or are still figuring out your neurotype, sensory support is part of how we work.
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Social Exhaustion and Masking
Performing neurotypical all day takes an enormous amount of energy that most people around you never see. This is especially common for autistic adults and AuDHD people who have spent years adapting just to get by. Therapy with our neurodivergent affirming therapists in California is a place where you don't have to perform. We help you understand where masking is costing you the most, and find ways to show up more authentically.
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Executive Dysfunction and Time Blindness
It's not laziness, and it's not a lack of caring. Starting tasks, switching between them, estimating how long things will take: these are genuinely hard when your brain is wired this way. This is one of the most common challenges our ADHD therapists in California work with, and it shows up differently for everyone. We help you build strategies that actually work for you, not systems designed for a neurotypical brain.
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Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria
A look, a tone, a message left on read, and suddenly you're in a spiral. RSD is one of the most painful and least talked-about parts of ADHD and AuDHD. Our therapists for ADHD adults in California understand it, take it seriously, and can help you manage the intensity without shutting yourself off from the world.
Many neurodivergent people grew up with parents who didn't understand their brain. Read: When Your Parent Is Your First Bully
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Perfectionism and Fear of Failure
For a lot of neurodivergent people, perfectionism isn't about high standards, it's about protection. If it's perfect, no one can criticize it. If you never finish, you never fail. This pattern is especially common in late diagnosed ADHD and late diagnosed autism, where years of struggling without support can leave a deep fear of being found out. We help you untangle where this comes from and find ways to move forward without the constant pressure.
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Autistic Burnout
This isn't regular tiredness. It's the kind of deep exhaustion that builds when you've been masking, overextending, and pushing through for too long, and it's one of the most common reasons autistic adults and AuDHD people seek therapy. Recovery looks different for everyone and takes longer than most people expect. Our autistic burnout therapy helps you understand what's been draining you, recover at your own pace, and figure out what sustainable actually looks like for your brain.
Holistic Therapy For Neurodivergent People in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Beyond
Can I really be neurodivergent if I’m highly successful?
Yes. And in most cases, people are highly successful because they are neurodivergent, not in spite of it.
Thinking differently is an asset. It can show up as creativity, pattern recognition, deep focus, emotional insight, or the ability to see connections others miss. These strengths can drive achievement in meaningful ways.
At the same time, those same traits can come with friction.
You might be doing well externally while also:
relying on pressure or urgency to get things done
feeling mentally overloaded much of the time
overthinking or getting stuck in loops
needing more recovery time than others
working harder behind the scenes than people realize
A lot of high-achieving neurodivergent adults learn to compensate early. You find systems that work, push through challenges, and build a life that looks successful from the outside.
But success doesn’t mean it’s easy. It just means you’ve figured out how to make it work.
Therapy isn’t about taking away what makes you effective. It’s about smoothing out the rough edges of operating differently in a world that isn’t always designed for your brain.
The goal is to make your life feel more sustainable, more manageable, and more aligned with how you actually function.
Trauma and Neurodiversity
Many neurodivergent clients also carry trauma.
Sometimes that trauma is obvious.
Sometimes it’s the accumulation of years of:
being misunderstood
feeling “too much” or “not enough”
masking and over-adapting
repeated small moments of overwhelm or failure
EMDR therapy can help process:
shame linked to past experiences
social or relational trauma
rejection sensitivity
burnout cycles
specific memories that still feel activating
We pace EMDR carefully and collaboratively, especially for clients with sensory sensitivity or high reactivity.
You Might Benefit From This Work If…
You’ve always felt different but couldn’t explain why
You suspect ADHD, autism, OCD, or high sensitivity
You’re high-functioning but constantly exhausted
You struggle with overwhelm, focus, or emotional regulation
You’ve tried to “fix” yourself and it hasn’t worked
You want your life to feel easier, not harder
Late diagnosis in adulthood, especially for millennials who grew up before ADHD and autism were well understood, is one of the most common experiences we work with. Our therapy for young adults and millennials addresses exactly this.
Common Questions About Therapy For Neurodiverse People
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Nope. Many clients come in without a formal diagnosis. We can explore patterns and help you understand your experience without needing a label. We’re interested in getting to know YOU, not a list of symptoms.
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Yes. Understanding is one piece; building a life that works with your brain is another.
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We do not provide formal psychological testing, but we can refer you to providers who do if that’s something you want.
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We have found that most people are highly successful because they are neurodivergent, not in spite of it. Thinking differently is an asset! Therapy helps smooth out the rough edges of operating differently than others.
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Most people actually need to do less each day to truly heal burnout. Your therapist will work with you to identify what you can cut out to aid your recovery and what should stay.
The more you’re willing to make changes to support your healing and growth, the quicker you’ll recover from burnout. For some people this means adjusting intake, moving your body more, or setting boundaries with people and work. For some it might be a regular journaling or mindfulness practice. Some people may need to take medical leave for burnout. You and your therapist will create a plan together.
Our Practice Is Completely Therapist Owned & Operated
Here’s why choosing a practice run only by therapists matters:
NO artificial intelligence or algorithms - everything is customized for you
NO data sales - your privacy is paramount
NO external funding - we focus on your progress instead of investor satisfaction
Our Other Neurodivergent Affirming Therapy Services in California & Florida
At Laurel Therapy Collective, we offer personalized teletherapy for clients across California and Florida. Our team specializes in supporting a wide range of mental health needs, including anxiety, trauma recovery, EMDR therapy, LGBTQ+ affirming care, lesbian therapy, holistic therapy, Enneagram therapy, couples therapy, therapy for lawyers, therapy for young adults, and support for teenagers.
We’re deeply committed to creating an inclusive, affirming space that promotes anti-racism, body positivity, and sex positivity. Our goal is to help you reconnect with your resilience, discover new ways of thriving, and build a life that feels meaningful and sustainable. We proudly serve clients in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Santa Cruz, and throughout California and Florida.