Neurodivergence newsletter: unmasking with empathy, embodiment, and mindfulness
Disordered, in need of treatment — or simply somewhat different? The neurodivergence movement has helped many people relate to challenges such as ADHD, autism, or giftedness in a freer and more self-assured way. But when is someone actually neurodivergent? What does that really mean in everyday life? What is (un)masking, and how does it work? And what can I do if I suspect I might be neurodivergent myself?
Over the past few years, I have explored these questions in depth, both from a personal and a professional perspective. Finding answers with real nuance and substance required extensive research. After all, the neurodivergence movement is still young, and only few available texts honour the complexity of the issue while also remaining accessible. That motivated me to begin writing some texts myself.
I'm a Focusing-oriented therapist, a trainer in Nonviolent Communication, and a facilitator of applied mindfulness — as well as a trained journalist. I have designed the texts in this newsletter series to be highly accessible and applicable. They center on empathy, embodiment, and applied mindfulness. These are the approaches that offer powerful support for neurodivergent people on their path to unmasking — to developing a more authentic, more intimate relationship with themselves and with others.
Would you like to explore this further? You can read the first text in the series here (click here). You may also subscribe to the whole newsletter series and gain access to all texts (see right).
Further texts will be sent to subscribers every 2–4 weeks. Currently, I'm planning to send out texts on the following topics:
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Why neurodivergent people lose their self-connection — and how they can restore it
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Less adaptation, more aliveness: a roadmap to unmasking
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Aren't we all a little neurodivergent? How I understand the term — and why I find it helpful
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From thinking to sensing: how unmasking helps us feel our own needs more clearly — and those of others as well
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Right or wrong? Why decision-making can be so exhausting for neurodivergent people — and what actually helps
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Steps toward integrity: what happens in body, heart, and mind when we begin to sense our needs more fully
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Shaking knees and chattering teeth: why integrity can feel so scary — and how more trust may be cultivated
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Genuinely helpful? Or just well-intended? What to look out for when seeking support on the path to unmasking