About Me
I'm Christine, founder of Neurodiversity Affirming Therapy and Wellness Center and a late-diagnosed AuDHDer and therapist. For much of my life, I felt fundamentally out of step with the world. I worked so hard to mask, overachieve, and "pass" as what I thought I was supposed to be. Like many of my clients, I spent years wondering why everything felt harder for me than it seemed for other people, why I needed to retreat after social events, why I held myself to impossible standards just to feel "good enough."
Then I discovered I was autistic and ADHD—and everything changed.
It wasn't that I was broken. It was that I'd been forcing myself to live against my natural neurology, exhausting myself trying to fit into spaces that were never designed for my brain. This profound shift from self-criticism to self-understanding transformed not just how I saw myself, but how I wanted to help others.
That transformation is the same journey I now support my clients in discovering for themselves.
Why I Became a Therapist
I became a therapist because I wanted to create the kind of space I always wished I'd had—one where you don't have to explain away who you are or waste energy pretending to be someone else. I know what it's like to sit across from professionals who pathologize your differences rather than understand them, who treat your quirks as symptoms rather than recognizing them as part of your authentic self.
So I built my practice differently.
In therapy with me, you can bring your whole self—stimming, info-dumping, struggling, celebrating, all of it—and know you'll be met with genuine curiosity, care, and respect. You don't have to perform neurotypicality or defend your experiences. Here, your differences aren't deficits—they're part of what makes you uniquely you.
My Background & Training
I bring both lived experience as a late-diagnosed autistic and ADHD adult and extensive professional training to my work. I earned my Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and am a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) in Minnesota, which means I'm qualified to provide comprehensive mental health services including assessment, diagnosis, and treatment.
What makes my approach unique is combining clinical expertise with personal understanding. I don't just know the research about neurodivergence—I live it daily. This allows me to offer both professional therapeutic skills and authentic insight into what it actually feels like to navigate the world as a neurodivergent person.
My training includes:
Neurodivergent-affirming approaches recognizing the impact of masking and misunderstanding
Trauma-informed therapy, including Prolonged Exposure (PE) and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
Schema Therapy and Parts Work for deep-seated beliefs
DBT skills modified for autistic and ADHD adults
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) for OCD, adapted for neurodivergent clients
Comprehensive assessment and diagnostic services
Who I Am Beyond the Office
Outside of therapy, I'm an animal lover, an athlete, and a lifelong learner who's always diving deep into my latest special interests. I believe joy, authenticity, and creativity belong in the healing process just as much as coping skills and clinical interventions.
This philosophy shapes how I work with clients—integrating your passions, strengths, and natural ways of being into our therapeutic journey rather than trying to fit you into a neurotypical template. Your interests aren't distractions; they're often the keys to understanding how your mind works best.
What Guides My Work
Therapy works best when you know exactly who you're sitting across from. If you're considering working with me, here's what drives my approach and how I show up with every client:
Radical Honesty and Transparency
I believe therapy succeeds when we start from a place of truth. I'm upfront about who I am, what I believe, and how I work, so you can decide if I'm the right therapist for you without guesswork. You deserve complete clarity about whether we're a good fit.
Neurodivergent Affirmation (Not Just Accommodation)
I see autism, ADHD, and other neurodivergences as natural human variations—not flaws to erase, disorders to fix, or diseases to cure. My work centers on helping you embrace who you are while building skills to navigate a world that doesn't always understand.
Important to know: If you're looking for a therapist to "fix" you, force you into neurotypical expectations, or ignore the impact of ableist systems, I'm not the right fit. My approach is rooted in affirming your authentic self and helping you build a life that actually works for your brain.
Trauma-Informed and Compassion-Focused
I take masking, burnout, and neurodivergent trauma seriously—I will never dismiss or minimize your struggles. Many of my clients carry the weight of complex trauma, chronic anxiety, depression, OCD, shame, or the bone-deep exhaustion of years spent masking or being fundamentally misunderstood.
I honor those realities with compassion, patience, and deep respect for your pace and healing process. I'm also willing to be direct when it serves your growth, because sometimes support looks like honest feedback delivered with care.
Justice and Inclusion
I actively welcome clients of all genders, sexualities, races, abilities, and backgrounds. My work recognizes how systems of oppression compound the challenges of being neurodivergent, and I won't ignore the reality of how marginalization impacts mental health.
My practice stands firmly against racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, and other systems that harm marginalized communities. I won't pretend neutrality about systems that cause real harm to real people.
Collaboration Over Hierarchy
I don't position myself as the "expert who fixes you." I see myself as a skilled partner walking alongside you—offering tools, insights, and support while honoring that you are the ultimate expert on your own life and experiences.
You have agency in this process. My role is to support, guide, and sometimes challenge—but never to dictate or decide what's right for you. Your lived experience matters, and your voice drives our work together.
Accessibility and Clear Expectations
Therapy requires significant investment of time, energy, and money. You deserve to know exactly what I stand for so you can make a truly informed decision about whether we're aligned.
If these values resonate with you, you'll likely feel at home in this space. If they don't align with what you're seeking, that's not failure—it's valuable insight into what will truly help you.
Is This the Right Fit for You?
The therapeutic relationship is deeply personal, and not every therapist is right for every client. I work best with adults who:
Want affirmation of their neurodivergent identity, not elimination of it
Are ready to explore their authentic selves rather than just managing symptoms
Value honesty and directness alongside compassion
Understand that healing isn't about becoming "normal"—it's about becoming yourself
Are open to examining how systems and environments impact their wellbeing
If this sounds like you, I'd love to talk. If it doesn't quite fit what you're looking for, I trust you to know what you need and encourage you to keep searching for the right therapeutic match.
You've already shown wisdom by taking time to understand who you might be working with. That thoughtfulness about fit and compatibility matters—it shows you're investing in yourself with intention and care.