First off, we have to acknowledge that everyone has different sensory needs. Some folks need higher sensory stimulation, and some folks needs less. Our space is more attuned to providing a gentle sensory experience, honoring the reality that most public spaces are overstimulating.

Here’s what we’re working on addressing to help ease your visit with us:

• Lighting - we avoid use of fluorescent lights, and use diffused, softer lighting instead of overhead lights as much as we can

• Visual noise - we try to keep clutter and “loud” prints to a minimum, filling our space with plants and natural materials we find more soothing

• Sounds - our cushy rugs and plants help absorb noise, we have noise-cancelling headphones available to borrow, and we have signage reminding folks to keep conversations low and to avoid digital noises in the office

• Smells - we use unscented or non-synthetic cleaners as much as possible and avoid scented candles and use of nebulized/ultrasonic essential oils; we use charcoal/HEPA/UV-C filters to help the air feel fresh

• Tactile - we have weighted blankets, pads, and pillows, and various fidgets for you to use. We invite you to wear whatever is comfortable, sit on the floor, curl up in your seat, and just be in your body however feels comfortable to you

• Spatial - our waiting room has seating available in different areas, letting you choose what to face and what to have your back against, and is as nervous-system-friendly as we can make a public space. We’re aiming for non-threatening - by staggering seats and avoiding folks directly facing each other, and creating physical and visual barriers to sit behind

Executive function is our higher-level functioning that helps us strategize, prioritize, focus, manage our emotions, problem-solve, make decisions, and remember what we’re doing or saying right now.

In short, to us being executive-function-friendly means that we try to help you conserve your mental and emotional energy when you’re with us. You’re carrying enough mental and emotional load trying to keep all the plates spinning everywhere else in your life.

A quick way for us tank your executive function would be to stress you out, make it difficult to get in touch with us, difficult to find us, and leave you guessing as to what will happen when you get here.

But we think therapy feels better and goes better when you can find some rest in the process. Plus we’ve learned brains are most open to the change and growth you’ve been longing for when they feel safe and met where they are.

That’s why we aim to make your time with us feel like a sigh of relief from start to finish, not just with a soothing sensory environment, but in how we aim to make you feel welcome, seen, and heard. And in how we openly address how draining systemic oppression is. And in how we set up our scheduling and physical space to be easy to navigate.

It seems to us that receiving therapy and support, of all things, should help teach your nervous system what it’s like not to have to fight against everything all the time, just to take care of routine needs.

Neurodivergence is a large umbrella term that includes:

• ADHD, autism, giftedness, OCD, etc.

• Complex PTSD (cPTSD)

• Most mental health diagnoses, including those beyond the basic anxiety and depression experiences

• Most neural diagnoses such as Tourette's, dyslexia, synesthesia

• Traumatic brain injuries

• Highly sensitive persons (HSPs)

• Empaths

• Etc.!

Originally the term neurodivergent meant diverging from the “normal” (neurotypical) brain.

We find that old meaning pretty judgy and pathologizing, so we reclaim use of this term and celebrate accommodating our needs and addressing our traumatic & systemic injuries rather than trying to find ways to shoehorn ourselves “better” into neuro-normative, performative behavior or appearance.