Understanding ourselves and others isn’t just about what happens to us. It’s also about how our experience is processed by the mind that we were given.
For a neurodivergent mind, that processing can look different. Eye contact might not signal safety the way it does for someone else. A need for stillness, repetition, or space might get mistaken for distractibility or emotional distance. A different processing style isn’t the same as a decreased capacity but it often gets read that way, by others and sometimes by the person themselves. Working with this difference opens up new possibilities for growth and connection.
In therapy, we don’t ask “why can’t you X the normal way?” We ask “help me understand how you experience and process the world”. Then we ask, “what do you need to connect with and be understood by those around you?”. Relating to each other doesn’t follow a script, it takes courage and curiosity to understand how God designed each one of us and what that means for how we can safely reach for and support each other. As varied as we can be, each person bears the image of the God who made them.
We’d love to hear from you: What’s one thing about how your mind works that you wish the people closest to you understood?
* The information provided is for self-enrichment and not intended to replace any necessary mental health treatment.
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Warmly,
Jonathan Dixon, LMFT
Alpha Omega
