READING RECOMMENDATIONS
A Day on Neurodiversity
Rethinking ADHD
Autism & Trauma
Working with Neurodiversity in Psychotherapy
Explore science-based strategies for unlocking the full potential of differently wired brains.
When it was first published in 1952, the DSM listed 100 types of mental disorders. By the year 2000, that number had tripled. How did this happen? Are we really becoming more mentally “disordered” as a population? Or might our basic assumptions about what is “normal” (and what isn’t) be wrong? For too long, the medical model of mental health has viewed variations in brain functioning as “disabilities” that need to be “cured”, rather than as unique potentialities, which, if harnessed, could lead to greater thriving both for those who have them, and for society as a whole. Neurodiversity (ND) is a paradigm-shifting concept that challenges how we think about the brain. Instead of viewing large segments of the population as suffering from mental “disorders”, neurodiversity suggests that we embrace these differences in cognitive functioning, and emphasise their positive aspects, so that we can harness the unique potentiality of every individual. So, in this online conference, we’ll explore science-based strategies for unlocking the potential of a wide range of differently wired brains.
Content
- Working with Neurodiversity in Psychotherapy; an introductory overview of working with autistic and neurodiverse clients in therapeutic practice, and the best practices for understanding, supporting, and offering effective treatment to clients with ND needs - Ruth Millman and Danny van Deurzen Smith
- Autism & Trauma; the latest research demonstrating the surprising link between trauma and autism, how the brain reacts to them both in the same way, and how these groundbreaking insights can be applied to create lasting changes, and improve the quality of life for autistic individuals - Robert Cox
- Rethinking ADHD; how to use cognitive strategies from CBT to effectively manage ADHD, what the latest research reveals about how negative thoughts and beliefs affect adults with the condition, and how CBT can be adapted to help those with ADHD thrive, and translate long term intentions into day-to-day actions - Dr Russell Ramsay, PhD
Event Schedule:
- 1:00pm – 2:00pm: Working with Neurodiversity in Psychotherapy - Ruth Millman and Danny van Deurzen Smith
- 2:00pm – 2:30pm: Break
- 2:30pm – 3:30pm: Autism & Trauma - Robert Cox
- 3:30pm – 4:00pm: Break
- 4:00pm – 5:00pm: Rethinking ADHD - Dr Russell Ramsay, PhD
Lectures & Speakers
Working with Neurodiversity in Psychotherapy
This talk will provide a basic introduction to supporting neurodivergent clients in a therapeutic context. We will look at what neurodivergent advocates and researchers tell us about the meaning of neurodiversity and different aspects of the lived experience. We will explore the challenges that neurodivergent people experience that bring them to need therapeutic support, including a higher risk of abuse and harassment. The talk will also consider how practitioners can modify their approach to best meet the needs of their neurodivergent clients, including considering how an existentially focused approach can be particularly helpful in creating a safe, creative and playful therapeutic space.
Ruth Millman
Working with Neurodiversity in Psychotherapy
Ruth Millman is an existential psychotherapist who has been working with neurodivergent individuals, families and couples for 18 years. She has worked in NHS mental health services, specialist autism centres and charities. Ruth currently is the course lead for the autism and neurodiversity post graduate programmes at the New School of Psychotherapy and Counselling, validated by Middlesex University. Ruth is a queer dyslexic with hypermobility, and specialises in working with other LGBTQIA+ neurodivergent people in individual and group settings.
Danny van Deurzen Smith
Working with Neurodiversity in Psychotherapy
Danny van Deurzen Smith is an existential coach and course leader for the MA in Existential Coaching at the New School of Psychotherapy and Counselling where they are also administrative director. Danny co-facilitates a monthly support group for LGBTQ+ autistic adults with Ruth, and runs regular workshops on gender fluidity, working existentially with autism and existential coaching. In their coaching practice, they work predominantly with autistic and LGBTQ+ clients. They are autistic and genderqueer, and their pronouns are he/she/they.
Reading Recommendations:
- Botha, M., & Frost, D. M. (2020). Extending the minority stress model to understand mental health problems experienced by the autistic population. Society and mental health, 10(1), 20-34.
- Milton, D., Ridout, S., Murray, D., Martin, N., & Mills, R. (2020). The Neurodiversity Reader: Exploring concepts, lived experiences and implications for practice. Pavilion.
- Miller, D., Rees, J., & Pearson, A. (2021).“Masking is life”: Experiences of masking in autistic and nonautistic adults. Autism in Adulthood, 3(4), 330-338.
Autism & Trauma
The latest research on autism and the brain is indicating that it affects the brain in much the same way as complex trauma. What does this mean for the delivery of behavioral and social services? If the brain is affected in the same ways as trauma what does this mean for educational, vocational, and developmental goals in the individual’s life? How do we progress with treatment based on the research of the last six years?
In this session, Robert will introduce the latest research, outline how the brain reacts to both trauma and autism in the same way, and what this means in the real world for treatment services. Using case examples and his own observation, Robert will lay out a method and direction for treatment that is making a profound difference in the lives of the individuals he supports every day. From families to schools to employment and individual struggles, you’ll discover the methods that can bring lasting change to lives, and often reduce or remove the necessity for expensive behavioral services.
Robert Cox
Autism & Trauma
Robert Cox is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Nationally Certified Counselor. He has been providing services for individuals on the autism spectrum for more than 20 years. He is the creator of the nonprofit The Tristn Jevon Center for Recovery a trauma treatment center in Richmond, Missouri specializing in the treatment of trauma, addictions, and autism. He trains and uses mindfulness practice in the control of anxiety and mental health issues resulting from trauma in his practice and produces the podcast “Mindful Recovery” to bring these topics to all podcast listeners.
Reading Recommendations:
- The Life Recovery Method – Robert Cox
- Porges S.W. (2005) The vagus: A mediator of behavioral and visceral features associated with autism. In M.L. Bauman and T.L. Kemper (Eds.) The neurobiology of autism. (pp. 65-78). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.
- Trauma, Autism, and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, 2018 ISBN : 978-3-030-00502-3 Amanda Scoyoc, Melissa B. Marquardt, Randall A. Phelps
- Kaiser, Erika M., et al. “A Controlled Pilot-Outcome Study of Sensory Integration (SI) in the Treatment of Complex Adaptation to Traumatic Stress.” Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, vol. 19, no. 7, 2010, pp. 699–720., doi:10.1080/10926771.2010.515162
- Pfeiffer, B. A., et al. “Effectiveness of Sensory Integration Interventions in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Pilot Study.” American Journal of Occupational Therapy, vol. 65, no. 1, Jan. 2011, pp. 76–85., doi:10.5014/ajot.2011.09205
- Schore, A. N. (2016). Affect regulation and the origin of the self: The neurobiology of emotional development. New York, NY: Routledge.
- Teper, Rimma, and Michael Inzlicht. “Meditation, mindfulness and executive control: the importance of emotional acceptance and brain-Based performance monitoring.” Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, vol. 8, no. 1, 2012, pp. 85–92., doi:10.1093/scan/nss045.
- Woo, Cynthia C., and Michael Leon. “Environmental enrichment as an effective treatment for autism: A randomized controlled trial.” Behavioral Neuroscience, vol. 127, no. 4, 2013, pp. 487–497., doi:10.1037/a0033010.
- Grandin, Temple. Environmental Enrichment for Confinement Pigs. 1988, Accessed 26 Jan. 2018.
Rethinking ADHD
This session will provide an overview of the contemporary understanding of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) that goes beyond the “A” and the “H.” Instead, ADHD is understood as a developmental syndrome of self-dysregulation or executive dysfunction. From this understanding, the session will move on to an outline of the corresponding implications for psychosocial treatment of ADHD in adults, namely using cognitive-behaviour therapy (CBT). The different facets of CBT will be briefly reviewed with a proposed central therapeutic target for each. Lastly, emphasis will be given to the influential role of cognitions and beliefs in the experience of adults with ADHD and their relevance in treatment, including a proposed central cognitive theme, which was a central focus of Dr. Ramsay’s most recent book, Rethinking Adult ADHD.
Dr Russell Ramsay, PhD
Rethinking ADHD
Russell Ramsay, Ph.D., ABPP is co-founder and clinical director of the University of Pennsylvania’s Adult ADHD Treatment and Research Program and professor of clinical psychology in psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine. He is also a senior staff clinician at Penn’s Center for Cognitive Therapy. Dr. Ramsay has authored numerous peer-reviewed professional and scientific articles and book chapters. He has written five books about adult ADHD, most recently Rethinking Adult ADHD. His book, The Adult ADHD Tool Kit, has been translated into French, Spanish, and is being translated into Korean. Dr. Ramsay is an inductee in the CHADD Hall of Fame. He serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Attention Disorders and The ADHD Report. Dr. Ramsay is board-certified in cognitive-behavioral therapy. In addition to a full clinical load, he supervises clinicians-in-training in the assessment and psychosocial treatment of adult ADHD.
Reading Recommendations:
- Ramsay, J. R. (2020). Rethinking adult ADHD: Helping clients turn intentions into actions. American Psychological Association.
- Ramsay, J. R. (2021). Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. In A. Wenzel (Ed.), Handbook of cognitive behavioral therapy, Volume 2, applications. (pp. 389-421). American Psychological Association.
- Ramsay, J. R. (2017). The relevance of cognitive distortions in the psychosocial treatment of adult ADHD. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 48, 62-69.
- Ramsay, J. R., & Rostain, A. L. (2016).Adult ADHD as an implementation problem: Clinical significance, underlying mechanisms, and psychosocial treatment. Practice Innovations, 1(1), 36–52.
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Tickets
Full Day Pass: £49.99
(includes VAT + Booking Fee)
Student/Unwaged: £26.99
(includes VAT + Booking Fee)
Date and time
28/08/2022
13:00 – 17:00 BST
Venue
Online Conference
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Date and time
28/08/2022
13:00 – 17:00 BST
Location
Online Conference
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