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By Natasha Stein, Taproot Therapy Clinical Trainee
As the days begin to get shorter, the air gets a little cooler, and summer slowly fades into fall, we may notice more than just a change in the weather. Our routines, energy, and even our moods can shift with the seasons. Fall often brings a sense of transition. Summer's longer days and slower pace give way to fuller schedules, earlier sunsets, and a different rhythm. For some, this change can feel comforting and grounding. For others, it can bring a sense of sadness, stress, or difficulty adjusting. Change Doesn't Have to Be Negative to Be Difficult We often think of transitions as something that happens when life changes dramatically such as a new job, a move, or a new relationship. But smaller, seasonal changes can affect us too. You may find yourself missing the freedom of summer while simultaneously looking forward to fall. You might feel energized by a fresh routine but overwhelmed by a fuller schedule. You can be excited about what's ahead and still feel sad about what you're leaving behind. Rather than judging yourself for having mixed emotions, try giving yourself permission to notice them. Making Space for a New Rhythm As the season changes, it can be helpful to check in with what your mind and body need. Maybe that means creating a more consistent sleep routine, spending time outside before the days get shorter, reconnecting with people you haven't seen over the summer, or simply giving yourself permission to slow down. You don't need to completely reinvent your routine with the changing season, small adjustments can be enough. Reflect: What do I want to carry with me from summer? What am I ready to let go of? What do I need more of this season? Letting Yourself Adjust Adjustment takes time. We don't always give ourselves enough time to transition. We move from one season, routine, or chapter to the next and expect ourselves to immediately feel settled. Fall can be an invitation to slow down, reflect, and pay attention to where you are rather than rushing toward where you think you should be. You don't have to embrace every change that comes with a new season. You can simply make space for it. As fall begins, give yourself permission to transition at your own pace. Sources: ThinkPress. (2024, September 19). Embrace the seasonal shift with a focus on Mental Wellness.: Think healthcare. Think Whole Person Healthcare - Whole Person Healthcare in Omaha, Nebraska. https://thinkhealthcare.org/embrace-the-seasonal-shift-with-a-focus-on-mental-wellness/ U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2023). Seasonal affective disorder. National Institute of Mental Health. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/seasonal-affective-disorder By Emma Shelton, Taproot Therapy Clinical Trainee
For lots of neurodivergent people, managing everyday life comes with an added layer of pressure. Pressure to communicate a certain way, handle sensory needs quietly, stay productive despite burnout, or hide parts of themselves to fit into the expectations of neurotypical society. Over time, it can be exhausting trying to constantly adapt to environments that weren’t designed with them in mind. Therapy should not be another place where someone feels like they have to fit into a box. At Taproot Therapy, Zoe Chambers-Daniel, MHC-LP, is passionate about working with autistic, neurodivergent, and disabled clients from an affirming and strengths-based perspective. Rather than approaching neurodivergence as something that needs to be “fixed,” neurodivergent-affirming therapy creates space to understand your needs, recognize your strengths, and explore what it means to move through the world authentically. What Is Neurodivergent-Affirming Therapy? Neurodivergent-affirming therapy recognizes that there is no “right” way for a brain to work. Autism, ADHD, and other forms of neurodivergence can shape how we communicate, handle sensory information, manage emotions, build relationships, approach tasks, and experience the world around us. An affirming approach doesn’t mean ignoring the challenges that can accompany neurodivergence. It just means we can explore those challenges without automatically assuming that the person needs to change. Neurodivergent-affirming therapy doesn't ignore the challenges that can come with neurodivergence; it just recognizes that being different isn’t something that needs to be fixed or hidden. Instead, therapy can focus on exploring life’s challenges and figuring out what support each person needs. For example, an autistic client who is exhausted after social situations may not need to just “practice social skills.” Instead, therapy could explore how much energy this person spends masking, what the sensory demands of their environment are, what kinds of social connections are fulfilling to them, and what boundaries or accommodations could help. Making Space for Masking, Burnout, and Sensory Needs Masking involves consciously or unconsciously suppressing “neurodivergent traits” in order to meet social expectations. This could look like forcing eye contact, rehearsing conversations, suppressing stimming, hiding sensory discomfort, or closely monitoring how others perceive them. While masking can help some people navigate certain environments, doing it constantly can be draining. Zoe is passionate about exploring the relationship between masking and autistic burnout, as well as the importance of rest, boundaries, sensory care, special interests, and caring relationships. Neurodivergent-affirming therapy provides an opportunity to explore questions like: Where do I feel comfortable being myself? What situations leave me exhausted? What sensory experiences help me regulate? Which expectations actually matter to me, and which ones have I learned I am “supposed” to meet? Understanding the Whole Person There is no singular neurodivergent experience. Disability and neurodivergence intersect with race, culture, gender, sexuality, family experiences, and countless other parts of identity. Zoe brings this intersectional perspective into her therapeutic work. Instead of separating a client's mental health from the world around them, therapy can explore how their social and cultural experiences have influenced the way they understand themselves. This is particularly important for people who have spent years being misunderstood, criticized, or told (directly or indirectly) that the way they naturally communicate, regulate, or experience the world is wrong. Rewriting the Story Zoe incorporates approaches including Narrative Therapy, DBT, and Psychodynamic Therapy into her work. Narrative Therapy can be particularly meaningful for clients who have internalized negative messages about their neurodivergence or disability. This form of therapy centers the idea is that the person is not the problem; the problem is the problem. Instead of defining yourself through labels like “lazy,” “sensitive,” “awkward,” or “difficult,” narrative therapy can help you explore where those stories came from. Maybe what has been called laziness is actually executive functioning difficulty. Maybe being “too sensitive” reflects sensory needs that have consistently gone unsupported. Finding Support That Fits You Neurodivergent-affirming therapy isn't about teaching someone how to become less neurodivergent. It is about making room for the person who is already there. For Zoe, that means creating a collaborative space where clients can explore their experiences without judgment, identify their individual needs and strengths, and develop ways of managing life that feel sustainable and authentic. If you're looking for support around autism, ADHD, disability, identity, masking, burnout, relationships, or simply understanding yourself better, working with a neurodivergent-affirming therapist can offer a space where you don't have to leave those parts of yourself at the door. Interested in working with Zoe Chambers-Daniel, MHC-LP? Visit her Taproot Therapy profile to learn more about Zoe and her approach, or reach out to Taproot Therapy to schedule a consultation. By Emma Dall, Taproot Therapy Clinical Trainee
When we think about grief, our minds often go to the loss of a loved one. We understand grief as something that follows death, something that asks us to adjust to the absence of someone who was once part of our everyday lives. But grief is not limited to death. We can grieve relationships that have changed, jobs we have lost, communities we have left, routines that no longer exist, or versions of ourselves and our lives that we once imagined would last. Loss can take many forms, and sometimes the losses that affect us most deeply are the ones we do not always recognize as grief. A relationship ending or changing can leave us grieving not only the person, but the future we imagined with them. A move can mean grieving a familiar community or sense of belonging. Losing a job can affect more than our finances—it can change our identity, routine, confidence, and sense of purpose. Even positive transitions, such as graduating, becoming a parent, or starting a new chapter, can involve grieving what we are leaving behind. Because these experiences may not always be recognized as “grief,” it can be easy to question whether we are allowed to feel the way we do. We might tell ourselves that someone else has it worse, that we should be over it by now, or that our loss is not significant enough to warrant grief. There is also a common idea that grief has a “right” way to look. We may expect ourselves to move through certain stages, feel certain emotions, or eventually reach a point where we are completely “over” our loss. But grief does not follow a universal timeline, and there is no single way it is supposed to look. For some people, grief may feel overwhelming and all-consuming. For others, it may come in waves or show up unexpectedly—in a song, a familiar place, a birthday, or an ordinary moment that suddenly feels different. We may experience sadness, anger, guilt, relief, confusion, numbness, or even moments of joy. None of these experiences make our grief more or less valid. Instead of asking, “Am I grieving the right way?” it can be more helpful to ask, “What does this loss mean to me?” Grief is deeply personal because every loss carries its own meaning. What we are grieving is not always just what happened. Sometimes we are grieving what the loss represented: safety, connection, stability, identity, possibility, or a vision of the future. Making space for grief can mean becoming curious about those meanings rather than judging ourselves for having them. It can also mean recognizing the ways our experiences and the stories we tell ourselves about them can shape how we move forward. We do not always get to choose what happens to us, but we can begin to explore the stories we carry about what happened. A loss can become part of our story without having to define the entire story. Meet Jayden This perspective on grief and loss is central to the work of Jayden, who we are excited to welcome to the Taproot team! Jayden works with teens, young adults, and adults navigating grief and loss alongside anxiety, depression, identity, interpersonal and family dynamics, trauma, and life transitions. Jayden is particularly passionate about exploring the many forms that loss can take—including the losses that may not always have a name. Their approach is warm, collaborative, and grounded in the belief that healing can come through connection, self-understanding, and empowerment. They draw from approaches including Narrative Therapy, CBT, DBT, Creative Arts Expression, and somatic techniques to help clients explore their experiences and move toward meaningful change. Jayden is originally from Southern Delaware and grew up by the beach. They enjoy drawing, painting, crocheting, dance, and theatre, and hope to adopt a dog or cat of their own someday. We look forward to sharing more of Jayden’s perspective and clinical work with our community. Jayden's Taproot Therapy Page Book Jayden with ZocDoc below! |
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