Neurodiversity-Affirming Therapy: Ethics and Best Practice
September 26, 2025
Live Webinar
The field of autism research is growing rapidly. Within the neurodiversity movement, the importance of affirming approaches in therapy cannot be understated. Additionally, there is currently a clear need for clinicians who are neurodivergent-affirming in both belief and practice while maintaining integrity in their evidence-based practices and high-quality therapeutic interventions. This course addresses this need within the neurodiversity framework. Therapists, psychologists, and other treatment providers will leave this course able to identify and integrate neurodivergent-affirming practices into their therapy sessions.
In this course, offered live on Zoom, we will explore how to integrate principles of neurodiversity, including neurodivergent-affirming practices, into therapy sessions from a strengths-based, trauma-informed perspective, from initial consult through the therapeutic process. First, the fundamental principles of neurodiversity will be explored. Then, clinicians will learn to identify best practices for assessing and supporting neurodivergent clients. The importance of tailoring evidence-based therapeutic approaches for neurodiverse populations will be explored. We will explore the ethical considerations and potential dilemmas specific to working with neurodivergent clients. There will also be a focus on the importance of collaboration with other neurodiversity-affirming professionals. Information from autistic self-advocates in the mental health field and beyond will be prioritized.
Presenter Bios:
Dr. Emily Haygeman is a Licensed Psychologist and owner of Empower Psychological Services. Over the past 20 years, Dr. Haygeman has worked directly with autistic individuals and their families in a variety of capacities. During her doctoral training, she conducted autism research through joint collaborations with the University of Utah and UCLA focused on improved outcomes for autistic adults. As a research assistant, she conducted autism assessments throughout the state of Utah, and led a variety of social groups using the PEERS Curriculum. She participated in the prestigious Leadership and Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) program as an Autism-Enhanced Trainee. After graduation, Dr. Haygeman worked in a variety of settings including community mental health centers, public schools, and residential and wilderness therapy programs, specializing in psychological evaluation. Currently, Dr. Haygeman specializes in neurodivergent-affirming psychological evaluation, individualizing the approach for children, teens, and adults. She also offers therapy, social empowerment groups, and a range of mindfulness-based services which are enhanced by her background as a trained yoga and mindfulness instructor. She has presented at conferences including the Independent Educational Consultants Association conference, offers training and consultation for group practices in Utah and Oregon, and served as a practicum supervisor for Pacific University’s doctoral students. She was invited to present at the Oregon Psychological Association conference in April 2024. She currently leads a monthly peer supervision group on autism evaluation and regularly supports other psychologists and therapists via consultation, training, and collaboration. In every setting, Dr. Haygeman’s work focuses on empowering and centering neurodivergent individuals, and as such the work of autistic self-advocates and psychologists is at the forefront of their own ongoing learning and development.
Natasha Laumei is a Licensed Professional Counselor in in private practice in Oregon and Washington. Since completing her Masters in Community Counseling at Lewis & Clark College in 2013, she has worked in a diverse array of mental health settings including community mental health, residential care, ecotherapy, and correctional facilities, providing crisis intervention, family therapy, group therapy, and individual therapy to clients from a wide variety of backgrounds and therapeutic needs. She currently works with adults in private practice, with a focus on working with complex trauma and providing neurodivergent-affirming evaluations and ongoing therapy. In addition, Natasha is an EMDRIA-Approved Consultant and provides ongoing clinical supervision and consultation to clinicians in Oregon and Washington.
Timeline:
9:00am-10:30: Overview of Neurodiversity; Recognizing and Assessing Neurodiversity in Clients
10:30am-10:45 BREAK
10:45am-12:00: Evidence-based effective modalities for working with neurodivergent clients; Breakout group interactive practice sessions
12:00pm-1:00 LUNCH
1:00pm-2:30: Effective communication skills for working with neurodivergent clients; Ethical considerations and best practices; small group scenarios
and discussion
2:30pm-2:45 BREAK
2:45pm-4:30: Collaboration with other neurodiversity-affirming providers: when, why, and how; Questions and reflections, further resources
Learning Objectives
Participants will be able to:
• Describe autism and neurodivergence from a strengths-based, neurodivergent-affirming, trauma-informed perspective
• Differentiate autism from and with common co-occurring conditions
• Recognize autism presentation in women, transgender, non-binary, and Global Majority populations
• Define masking in the context of autism and describe how to assess and address it within the scope of therapy
• Identify and name autistic self-advocates and be able to summarize perspectives on the therapeutic process
• Recognize risks of harm and develop guidelines for clinical best practice within the context of neurodivergent-specific needs for therapy
• Develop and identify strengths-based recommendations and collaborative efforts
To register for this live workshop please visit: https://form.jotform.com/Haygeman/2025_april_affirming_therapy
This course content is based on a publication that has been peer-reviewed, the scientific standard for evaluating academic work. All studies and scientifically derived evidence have limitations that should be considered. If you have any questions about the accuracy or limitations of the content, please contact us at
support@ce-classes.com and we will get back to you.
