Welcome back for the next journey of The Family Express Podcast with Kathryn de Bruin and Ronda Evans where our destination is resilient and connected families. Today’s guest is Elizabeth Gillespie, MAC, MEd, LMFT from Boulder, Colorado. Our conversation centers the importance of connection with neurodiversity. All Aboard !

1:14 Elizabeth tells us how her path led her to work with neurodiversity almost exclusively.

3:47 Parents are feeling helpless, exhausted, financially worried and stressed, and medication is not enough, and they are in desperate need of support. They are in “fight more” as they advocate for accommodations. There are social struggles, and other mental health issues.

6:04 Neurodiversity is highly heritable.

8:05 When Elizabeth works with families experiencing neurodiversity, where does she start? Elizabeth tries to have the whole family attend the first session.

10:34 Elizabeth pauses to reflect on the complexity of these cases, including sensory struggles.

13:53 Families and kids experience frequent judgment for their behavior or responses to cues.

15:19 Elizabeth describes what their renovated office space will look like.

17:17 Elizabeth returns to reflecting on the quote by Patricia Crittenden and Kathryn and Elizabeth underscore the therapeutic alliance and relationship and the connection that comes with that is so key.

22:12 Elizabeth talks about Dr. Thomas Brown, and the new model of ADHD he created informed by research that centers on 6 components including emotional modulation and working memory.

27:45 Building connection and engagement through the creative way that reaches a particular client is critical because it soothes the physiological and sensory needs of that client.

28:50 Elizabeth shares an example from her life in which joining the intellectual understanding of a specific topic is part of the alliance building and connection because the intellectual topic is tied up in self-identification.

Thank you for listening! 

Kathryn is an ICEEFT Certified EFT Trainer. Kathryn and Ronda are both licensed marriage and family therapists, EFT supervisors and therapists, and AAMFT Approved Supervisors.

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