At Expansive Therapy, we recognize that healing and self-understanding are deeply influenced by both identity and neurodivergence. Being LGBTQIA+ and neurodivergent—whether autistic, ADHD, dyslexic, or otherwise—means navigating a world not designed for your needs. Therapy that honors both your neurodivergence and your queerness can be transformative.

Understanding the Intersection

Queer neurodivergent individuals often experience layered marginalization. Some common experiences include:

• Feeling "too much" or "not enough" in neurotypical and cisheteronormative spaces

• Being misunderstood in both queer and neurodivergent communities

• Facing heightened anxiety, sensory overwhelm, or executive dysfunction

• Navigating non-normative relationship structures and communication styles

Affirming therapy must acknowledge these realities with nuance and compassion.

Why Specialized Therapy Matters

Many therapeutic models have been shaped by neurotypical and heteronormative assumptions. A queer- and neurodivergent-affirming therapist does more than accept who you are—they structure therapy around how you actually think, feel, and relate to the world. Our therapists are trained in how to break free from heteronormative and neurotypical ideals of mental health.

Common Modalities That Support Queer Neurodivergent Clients

1. Neurodiversity-Affirming CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)

Traditional CBT can be rigid and pathologizing. An affirming version adapts CBT techniques to be more collaborative, flexible, and inclusive of neurodivergent thinking patterns.

2. Narrative Therapy

This modality centers your story and lived experience. It’s especially helpful for clients whose identities have been shaped by medicalization, rejection, or social stigma.

3. Internal Family Systems (IFS)

IFS, or parts work, helps clients explore the different parts of themselves with compassion. It’s effective for managing overwhelm, masking, and internalized shame often felt by queer neurodivergent people.

4. Somatic Therapy

Somatic approaches support clients in connecting with their bodies—a critical step for those with sensory sensitivities, trauma histories, or dissociation.

5. Art and Play Therapy

Creative modalities allow for nonverbal expression, which can be especially helpful for clients who struggle with traditional talk therapy due to processing or communication differences.

If you are both queer and neurodivergent, you deserve to have support that affirms and celebrates you for exactly who you are. Expansive Therapy has immediate openings in New York and California, contact us here for a free consultation.