Interview With A Neurodiversity Affirming Therapist
This past week, I had the opportunity to meet with a local therapist in the Ann Arbor area. Michelle Ferguson runs a private practice called Open Minds which is a neurodiversity affirming therapeutic practice for neurodivergent children and their families. I met with her for an interview focused on guidance for future practitioners.
First thing I noticed about Open Minds was the sensory environment. The entire office is scent free and has multiple therapy rooms for clients to pick their desired sensory level. In the play therapy room, there is a wide range of activities accessible for clients to guide their session. Throughout the public areas and waiting room there are several signs explaining the procedures in the office, including current COVID guidelines. As an autistic adult I was comfortable in the space throughout the time I was there. I was also reassured by the anti-ableist signs posted throughout the office, explicitly stating that the practice is accepting of neurodiversity.
The main therapy Michelle works with her child clients is synergetic play therapy. This type of play therapy is child directed and includes a focus on regulating the nervous system. Synergetic Play Therapy is the link to more information about this therapy as a modality. I was intrigued by this method because I do not have as much experience with play therapy modalities, so I will be doing a post dedicated to what I find coming in the next few weeks.
For future therapists, Michelle recommends being humble about what they don’t know about neurodiversity. They should educate themselves and make disability an explicit and intentional part of their inclusion. When doing initial evaluations, explicitly asking how you can change anything about the environment to make it more sensory comfortable. If the client tells you anything they want changed, make a note for the next session. Being aware of visible and invisible disabilities and accessibility is critical for therapists to be more inclusive.
Future research is still needed for the development of more evidence-based non-talk therapies like music, EMDR, and play therapies. The overwhelming majority of evidence based therapies are based on verbal communication, which many autistic people struggle with. By making therapists more aware of communication differences, they can be more accommodating of autistic people in their offices.
Michelle provides services to children from birth through age 12, parents, caregivers, and families. She is committed to helping kids and families experience greater enjoyment in their relationships, and increased competence and resilience at home, school, and play. She honors diversity in all its forms and strives to make every person with whom she works feel welcomed, affirmed, and respected.
Michelle specializes in working with children with brain-based differences, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and ADHD, and in providing clinical services to parents and caregivers of children with disabilities.
