At Alexandria Place Therapy, we believe there is no one way to think, experience, or move through the world. We believe that neurological differences – including autism, ADHD, dyslexia, giftedness and more – are natural variations of the human experience, rather than disorders that need to be cured or fixed.
Our goal is to help our clients and their families understand how their brains work, build on their strengths, and navigate a world that was not always built with them in mind. Together, we unpack the toll that masking to fit in has taken on their sense of self and mental well-being, and advocate for supportive environments where our clients can thrive as their authentic selves.
We work with children, teens, and adults at every stage: from a kindergartener realizing that it’s harder for them to sit still than it is for their classmates, to an adult who is beginning to make sense of a lifetime of feeling different. This is a space to unmask and trust that who you authentically are is exactly who we want to meet and connect with.
What Neurodivergent-Affirming Means to Us
- We don't pathologize neurodivergent traits. We strive to create spaces where clients feel safe being authentically seen, understood, validated, and respected. This means that we view behaviors such as stimming, sharing special interests, or using less eye contact as meaningful ways our clients self-regulate, communicate, and connect, rather than seeing those behaviors as problems to fix.
- We advocate for supportive environments. Rather than solely focusing on symptoms such as anxiety, burnout, or executive functioning challenges, we consider the context in which those experiences develop. As we work to better understand our client’s unique neurotype, we advocate for appropriate adjustments to their environments to better align with the unique needs of their brains and bodies.
- We focus on strengths. We view traits such as hyperfocus, pattern recognition, deep loyalty, creative problem-solving, and passionate interests as valuable assets that we draw on in our work together, rather than understanding them as obstacles to overcome. We take the time to learn what's genuinely interesting and motivating for each client and use that to strengthen our therapeutic relationship and help them move toward their own goals.
- We adapt our style to fit you. Whether that means shorter sessions, movement breaks, utilizing technology, or processing through drawing and building instead of talking alone. We know that there isn’t just one way to do therapy; we are open and collaborative in finding what works best for you.
Who We Work With
Children
We help kids build self-understanding and coping skills for big emotions, sensory overwhelm, social navigation, and school-related stress through play, art, movement, or conversation. We value empowering kids with clear and truthful information about who they are and how their brain and body work, which we know can greatly improve a child’s self-esteem, confidence, and self-compassion. An integral part of our work is partnering with parents and schools to create environments where children feel understood, valued, and free to be themselves.
Teens
We help teens build self-advocacy skills alongside social-emotional ones, as they navigate identity questions, social challenges, masking fatigue, and understanding their diagnosis.
Adults
We support adults through burnout, masking exhaustion, relationship and workplace
challenges, and the work of unlearning shame built up from years without the language to
explain their experience.
What We Help With
- Anxiety, depression, and emotional regulation
- Autistic and ADHD burnout, and the potential subsequent trauma and shame
- Executive functioning (planning, task initiation, time management)
- Sensory processing and overwhelm
- Social communication and relationships
- School and workplace accommodations and advocacy
- Emotionally-based school avoidance (EBSA), sometimes referred to as school refusal
- Late diagnosis processing and identity integration
- Family communication and parent coaching
- Co-occurring conditions (anxiety, OCD, trauma, and others alongside neurodivergence)
Neurodivergent-Affirming Psychological Evaluations
In addition to our individual and family therapy services, we also offer psychological evaluations for a variety of needs. Whether you are looking for a comprehensive psychological evaluation to clarify learning and mental health diagnoses, want a more targeted assessment to address a specific referral question, or need AAP or private school admissions testing results, our psychologists maintain a neurodivergent-affirming approach throughout the testing process. Prior to testing, we care to learn how to best help you or your child prepare for the evaluation day and how to best set up the environment to support sensory, communication, and emotional needs.
We understand the limitations and inherent flaws in some of the neurodivergent testing materials, and hold this in mind when working on more nuanced or complex presentations. We find it valuable to collaborate with other providers that may be in your or your child’s life, and are constantly seeking ongoing consultation for our own professional learning, bias, and clinical conceptualization.
You can learn more about our testing and assessment services here.
Our Commitment to You
We see neurodivergence as an integral part of who you are and care to create a space to better understand your strengths, needs, and ways of experiencing the world. You’ll have the support of a therapist trained in neurodivergent-affirming care, someone who takes the time to understand your individual experience. We are passionate about ongoing learning and understanding in the evolving field of neurodivergence. Our clinical work involves educating and sharing with our clients and their families about how to adopt an affirming paradigm shift that supports and uplifts those in the neurodivergent community.
Whether you’re looking for a therapist who understands neurodivergence or are wondering whether you or your child may be neurodivergent, we offer a supportive space to explore those questions with curiosity, compassion, celebration, and without judgment.
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