Brand-New Certificate Series!
Health Equity, Cultural Competence, and/or Law & Ethics CEs!
Un-Masking Certificate Series: A Non-Pathologizing Approach to Neurodivergence
Presented by: Hannah Smith, MA, LMHC, CGP
When: Monday, November 4th – Monday, November 30th, 2026 | 4-Week Series | Meets Four Consecutive Mondays except Monday, November 16th | 9:00 am – 12:15 pm Pacific Time (same time each Monday)
Where: Live on Zoom. You will receive your Zoom link/invitation the week of the workshop.
Continuing Education Credit Hours (NBCC and NASW-WA Approved): 12 CEs – all count as Health Equity or Cultural Competence; 3 count as Law & Ethics | $499.00 ***see below for payment options
CONTINUING EDUCATION WORKSHOP SERIES DESCRIPTION:
If you are in the mental health field and have not had a neurodivergent (ND) client, you will.
This can be daunting to clinicians working within the medical model for several reasons. One may not know if a client is neurodivergent (ND). As ND people often do not see themselves as needing to be “fixed,” they may not feel certain treatment approaches and/or vocabulary apply to them – and yet they are in our offices seeking help. Many self-diagnose, and there are as many presentations of neurodivergence as there are neurodivergent people. How do we conceptualize working with this population?
One approach is to de-center the neurotypical classification of behavior as the primary issue and focus treatment instead on the identification and remediation of associated trauma. Sadly, trauma and Neurodivergence often go together, and one of the primary results of this is masking.
Masking is the compensatory strategy many ND people develop to manage social expectations. This skill initially allows them to “fit in” better. Over the long term, though, the masking takes a huge toll and most often results in extreme mental and emotional fatigue, chronic and extreme emotional dysregulation, exacerbated learning difficulties, and frightening and isolating trauma responses.
In this in-depth continuing education certificate series, the presenter will discuss what it means to be non-pathologizing in more depth, demonstrating the need to expand beyond the medical model. Social justice aspects of neurodivergence will be explored, and a tool that enables a better conceptualization of self than the current “diagnosis” model will be taught and practiced. Then, several methods to streamline addressing various neurodivergent differences will be shared and applied to case situations and in-session work groups.
This series is for anyone who took the survey course and wants more. The survey course is NOT a requirement. If you’re ready to firm up your repertoire of skills working with Neurodivergent clients by learning a new tool you will find nowhere else, then you’re in the right place!
CONTINUING EDUCATION WORKSHOP SERIES OBJECTIVES:
- Describe what it means to be “Non-pathologizing,” including the benefit of the beyond-medical approach, the power of resonance, and the strength of the “pivot” in helping clients reach their fullest potential
- Describe the specific neurodivergent-trauma that impedes agency and compounds anxiety, depression, shame, and trauma responses
- Explain how certain social justice issues apply and can be addressed both within the medical model and in a non-pathologizing way.
- List and describe the ten domains of Neurodivergence
- Create a self-map using the 10-Domain tool
- Identify areas and degrees of masking and create treatment plans to address them, determining approaches of accommodation versus adaptation
- Explore the concept of agency, including how to build agency in clients, in order to enhance self-efficacy and promote positive outcomes
- Use a 3-step Framework approach to addressing neurodivergence that will help clients reduce frustration and clarify direction in daily life
- Apply new learning to case studies and real-time practice
***PAYMENT OPTIONS
Cascadia Training values quality continuing education that is accessible, inclusive, and without barriers to all. We never want the cost of our workshops to be a barrier to attending one of our workshops, particularly our multi-session workshops.
We offer several options to make our workshops cost-inclusive: payment plans, a limited number of full and partial scholarships, discounts for students, and discounts for early professionals.
For payment plans, you can select paying 50% today and the remaining 50% will automatically be processed from your credit card on the last day of November.
Please email us at hello@cascadiatraining.org to inquire about discounts and scholarships.