Neurodiversity-Affirming Therapy in Chicago
Therapy that honors your nervous system, identity, and lived experience.
Schedule Your 1st Appointment
Meet Our Neurodiversity-Affirming Therapists
-
![Portrait of a smiling woman with multiple facial piercings, dark hair, and wearing a lavender blouse with a bow at the collar]()
Amani Rabai, Psy.D.
-
![]()
Sasha Vasilou, LPC
A Neurodiversity-Affirming Approach at Balanced Awakening
At Balanced Awakening, we offer neurodiversity-affirming therapy for adults who identify as neurodivergent, including ADHD, Autism, AuDHD, and related experiences. Our approach is grounded in the belief that therapy works best when it honors the way you naturally think, feel, and move through the world.
Many neurodivergent clients come to therapy feeling exhausted by environments that have asked them to adapt, mask, or push through at the expense of their well-being. Our clinicians are committed to creating a therapeutic space that feels supportive, flexible, and attuned—where your nervous system, communication style, and support needs are welcomed rather than questioned.
How Neurodiversity-Affirming Therapy Looks in Practice
Not all therapy approaches are equally supportive for neurodivergent clients. At Balanced Awakening, our work is informed by the nervous system and grounded in whole-person care, allowing therapy to adapt to your needs rather than asking you to adapt to a rigid model.
Our clinicians may incorporate a range of approaches, including:
Somatic and body-based therapies
EMDR and trauma-informed care
Bottom-up processing modalities
Mindfulness and regulation-based skills
Therapy can also be a space to explore what neurodiversity means for you—supporting greater self-understanding, self-compassion, and relief from years of internalized pressure or self-criticism.
Common Areas of Focus in Neurodiversity-Affirming Therapy
-
Executive Dysfunction & Daily Overwhelm
Support with task initiation, time management, routines, follow-through, and the emotional weight of feeling behind or misunderstood.
-
Emotional Regulation, Burnout & Shutdown
Navigating intense emotions, chronic stress, burnout, and nervous system overwhelm—often shaped by years of masking, pushing through, or adapting to environments that weren’t designed for you.
-
Masking, Identity & Self-Understanding
Exploring the impact of masking, late diagnosis, or feeling out of sync, while building self-compassion and clarity around your neurodivergent identity.
-
Relationships, Communication & Boundaries
Support with communication differences, conflict, self-advocacy, and building relationships that feel respectful, sustainable, and aligned with your needs.
Navigating Executive Dysfunction with Compassion
Executive dysfunction is a common experience for many neurodivergent adults, including those with ADHD, Autism, and AuDHD. It can show up in subtle and not-so-subtle ways—impacting how you start tasks, manage time, sustain energy, or keep up with daily responsibilities and relationships.
Rather than relying on rigid productivity systems or “one-size-fits-all” solutions, therapy at Balanced Awakening focuses on understanding how executive dysfunction shows up for you. Together, we explore supports that are realistic, flexible, and aligned with your nervous system—reducing shame and increasing self-trust along the way.
Emotional Regulation, Burnout, and Overwhelm
Many neurodivergent individuals experience intense emotional responses, chronic stress, or periods of burnout—often shaped by years of masking, pushing through, or adapting to environments that weren’t designed with their needs in mind.
Therapy may include a combination of:
DBT-informed emotional regulation skills
Somatic tools to support nervous system regulation
Mindfulness practices to increase awareness and grounding
Clients often seek support around anxiety, depression, burnout, relational conflict, and suicidal ideation. Our work centers on helping clients build internal safety, reconnect with their bodies and emotions, and develop tools that support both emotional expression and regulation.
Social Differences, Masking, and Relationships
Neurodivergence can shape how people experience communication, social dynamics, and connection. Many clients come to therapy feeling confused, depleted, or disconnected after years of masking or trying to meet unspoken expectations.
In therapy, we may focus on:
Navigating conflict in ways that feel authentic
Strengthening self-advocacy and boundary-setting
Exploring the emotional impact of masking
Learning how—and when—to unmask safely
Our approach is not about teaching clients how to “fit in,” but about supporting them in building relationships that feel respectful, sustainable, and aligned with who they are.
Accommodations, Support Needs, and Identity Shifts
Neurodivergent clients often benefit from additional support in school, college, or work settings. Therapy can be a space to explore both formal and informal accommodations, as well as the emotional impact of advocating for your needs.
Many clients also navigate identity shifts related to early or late diagnosis—experiences that can bring grief, relief, confusion, or validation. Our therapists support clients in processing these transitions while building clarity, confidence, and self-compassion.
Co-Occurring Concerns and Whole-Person Care
Neurodivergent individuals frequently experience co-occurring concerns such as anxiety, depression, trauma, OCD, chronic pain, or chronic illness.
At Balanced Awakening, we take a holistic and integrated approach, recognizing that clients are multifaceted. Therapy can hold space for multiple experiences at once—without reducing you to a single diagnosis or area of focus.
Is Neurodiversity-Affirming Therapy Right for You?
This work may be a good fit if you:
Identify as neurodivergent or are exploring that possibility
Feel misunderstood or unsupported in previous therapy experiences
Are navigating burnout, masking, or a late diagnosis
Want therapy that adapts to you—not the other way around
Common Questions About Neurodiversity-Affirming Therapy
-
Neurodiversity-affirming therapy recognizes neurological differences as natural variations in how humans think, feel, and experience the world. Rather than trying to “fix” or change these differences, our therapists work to understand how your nervous system functions and support you in building a life that feels more sustainable, compassionate, and aligned with who you are.
-
Nope! Many clients come to therapy exploring whether they may be neurodivergent, navigating a late diagnosis, or simply noticing that traditional therapy hasn’t felt like the right fit. You do not need a formal diagnosis to begin therapy at Balanced Awakening.
-
Our clinicians work with adults who identify as neurodivergent, including ADHD, Autism, AuDHD, and related experiences. We also support clients navigating executive dysfunction, sensory sensitivities, emotional regulation challenges, masking, burnout, and identity exploration.
-
While talk therapy can be helpful for many people, it isn’t always supportive for neurodivergent clients. At Balanced Awakening, we often incorporate nervous-system-informed, somatic, and trauma-informed approaches that allow therapy to adapt to you—rather than asking you to adapt to a rigid therapeutic model.
-
Our therapy rate for the first two sessions is $250. After that, 55 minute sessions are $225.
Most of our therapists are in network with United Healthcare/Optum, BCBS PPO and Aetna insurance.
-
Yes. Many neurodivergent clients seek therapy during periods of burnout, shutdown, or chronic stress—often after years of masking or pushing through environments that weren’t designed for their needs. Therapy can support nervous system regulation, emotional processing, and the development of more sustainable ways of living and relating.
-
Yes. Therapy can be a supportive space to explore both formal and informal accommodations, process the emotional impact of advocating for your needs, and build confidence around self-advocacy. In some cases, our therapists may be able to provide letters in support of accommodations, depending on your situation and clinical needs.
While we do not offer formal psychological testing or comprehensive evaluation reports, we can help you clarify what supports may be helpful, navigate conversations with schools or workplaces, and determine next steps if additional assessment is needed.
-
Some neurodivergent clients come to Balanced Awakening after feeling misunderstood, pressured, or pathologized in previous therapy experiences. Our clinicians prioritize collaboration, consent, and attunement, and work at a pace that feels supportive rather than overwhelming.
-
Getting started is flexible and designed to meet you where you are. You’re welcome to book an appointment directly with a clinician, or complete our matchmaking form so we can help connect you with a therapist whose approach and availability align with your needs.
You’re always invited to ask questions, share concerns, and take your time deciding whether therapy feels like the right next step.
What Our Clients Are Saying
-
During our first session Hannah was proactive in creating a plan of action to properly diagnose me and address my concerns. Detailed. Office is beautiful. Love the decor, relaxing ambiance and free tea.
———
-
She was very kind and thorough during intake and the entire office looks like something out of a lifestyle magazine.
———
-
The office is lovely and welcoming, the in-take paperwork helped me prepare for what I wanted to talk about and gave me a starting point.
———
-
Dr. Yang is warm and empathic, and made me feel comfortable from the very beginning.
———
-
Emma has been very supportive through major life changes for me. Her sweet and gentle nature made it easy for me to feel safe to open up to her. I am very grateful for her support and kindness.
———
-
It was my first visit and she made me feel so safe. I opened up right away!
———
Begin Your Therapy Journey
You deserve care that honors your nervous system, lived experience, and individuality. If you’re interested in working with a neurodiversity-affirming therapist at Balanced Awakening, we invite you to reach out.
Book an appointment when you’re ready.