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DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260416T103000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260416T133000
DTSTAMP:20260403T143445
CREATED:20260204T200156Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260204T200156Z
UID:44036-1776335400-1776346200@cascadia-training.com
SUMMARY:🆕 BRAND-NEW! What is PDA and How Is It Impacting My Practice?🆕
DESCRIPTION:BRAND-NEW!\nAutism Awareness Month Series\nLaw & Ethics\, Health Equity\, or Cultural Competence CEs\nWhat is PDA and How Is It Impacting My Practice?\nPresented by B Lourenco\, MA\, LMHC (she/her)\nWhen: Thursday\, April 16th\, 2026 | 10:30 am – 1:30 pm Pacific Time\nWhere: Live via Zoom (you’ll receive the link the week of the workshop)\nContinuing Education Credit Hours: 3 Law & Ethics\, Health Equity\, or Cultural Competency CEs | Cost: $99.00\nAlthough not currently recognized in the United States\, PDA is a neurodivergent profile that many people experience. Pervasive Demand Avoidance (PDA) is commonly misunderstood\, and this class will help clinicians identify this profile and how to support PDA in an affirming way. \nWORKSHOP OBJECTIVES:\n\nExplore Pervasive Drive for Autonomy (or\, from the medical model\, Pathological Demand Avoidance) from an ND-affirming lens\nLearn the social implications of PDA through both the medical and ND-affirming models\n\nREGISTER HERE\n  \n 
URL:https://cascadia-training.com/course/what-is-pda-april-2026/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Autism Awareness Month 2026,Cultural Competence,Ethics,Health Equity,Neurodiversity
ORGANIZER;CN="B Lourenco%2C MA%2C LMHC (she/her)":MAILTO:blourencotherapy@gmail.com
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260422T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260422T121500
DTSTAMP:20260403T143445
CREATED:20251220T002250Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260327T172222Z
UID:43955-1776848400-1776860100@cascadia-training.com
SUMMARY:SPECIAL SALE! The Science of Gender & Resistance: Empowering Ourselves and Our Clients with Practical Neuroscience
DESCRIPTION:Last-Minute Deal! $30 Off!\nHealthy Equity or Cultural Competence CEs!\nThe Science of Gender & Resistance: Empowering Ourselves and Our Clients with Practical Neuroscience\nPresented by: Hannah Smith\, MA\, LMHC\, CGP\nWhen: Wednesday\, April 22\, 2026| 9:00 am – 12:15 pm Pacific Time\nWhere: Live on Zoom. You will receive workshop details the week of the workshop.\nContinuing Education Credit Hours: 3 Health Equity or Cultural Competence CEs | $95.00 NOW ONLY $65.00!\nGender is a hot-button topic these days\, for sure! There is so much dis- and misinformation out there. There is presently no societal consensus on the meaning of gender identity and the plethora of science behind this. Some people will even go so far as to say there is no science and that it’s “All (simply) about chromosomes.” \nMany of us know on a gut level this is not true\, but we cannot put what we know into words. In fact\, even doctors\, parents\, and transgender and non-binary people themselves can struggle to do so. \nThen\, even if we could explain it\, we face friends\, loved-ones\, and strangers who belittle\, dehumanize\, ignore\, or shut us down whenever we try to explain. Those who know little to nothing about gender will put their own world views over those of a multitude of experts – even to the point of attempting to erase and entire people group. \nAt a time when educating society on this important topic is at an all-time high\, the resistance we face is not only maddening\, it is downright traumatizing. In this training\, you will learn the actual (and abundant) science behind gender development.\nYou will learn to differentiate clearly between sex\, gender\, and orientation and how to articulate it all in a concise and coherent way. \nAND… \nYou will also learn the biology that underlies the resistance LGBTQIA+ people face when attempting to explain themselves. You will gain a new understanding of what is happening inside “the other side” so you or your clients can manage your own nervous system activation during these difficult discussions. Practical techniques will be added to this new understanding to help with emotion regulation and staying empowered. \nObjectives: \n\n1. List and describe the science of gender development and how it differs from sex\,\norientation\, and other aspects of identity\n2. Identify the neurobiological regions in the brain and body responsible for distortions\,\nimplicit bias\, and other psychological resistances\n3. Explain the neurobiological mechanisms of resistance with the aim of helping clients to\nmanage their own activation during difficult discussions\n4. Apply practical\, evidence-based techniques to manage activation and empower more\naccurate storytelling during difficult conversations\n\nREGISTER HERE\n  \n 
URL:https://cascadia-training.com/course/science-of-gender-april-2026/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Cultural Competence,Health Equity,Last-Minute Deals,Neurodiversity
ORGANIZER;CN="Hannah Smith MA%2C LMHC%2C CGP (she/her)":MAILTO:hannah@potentialfinders.com
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260424T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260424T163000
DTSTAMP:20260403T143445
CREATED:20251118T220850Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260116T000548Z
UID:43869-1777021200-1777048200@cascadia-training.com
SUMMARY:🆕 BRAND-NEW! AuDHD in Love 🆕
DESCRIPTION:🆕BRAND-NEW!🆕\nAutism Awareness Month Series\nHealth Equity\, Cultural Competence\, or Professional Roles and Boundaries CEs!\nAuDHD in Love\nPresented by: B Lourenco\, MA\, LMHC\, Stacy Skowronski\, PhD\, LCSW\, CST\, and Hannah Tyer\, MOTR/L\nWhen: Friday\, April 24th\, 2026| 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM\, Pacific Time\nWhere: Live on Zoom. You will receive your Zoom link/invitation the week of the workshop.\nContinuing Education Credit Hours: 6 Health Equity\, Cultural Competence\, or Professional Roles and Boundaries CEs | $199.00\nCourse Description:\nAs people learn more about Autism and ADHD through lived experience and the Neurodiversity-Affirming movement\, we see the layered influence on sexual and romantic relationships. Masking has a profound impact on the development of the “self” and the understanding of relationships\, often leading to misunderstandings and confusion in all relational settings. Add in the nuances of differing sensory needs and ways of attending to stimuli\, plus experiences of rejection sensitivity and demand avoidance\, and the challenges pile up quickly. And we haven’t even talked about relational trauma yet! \nWhether people share the same neurotype or not\, the impact of neurodivergence is complex and layered. Using a multidisciplinary approach\, this workshop is taught by three clinicians with a variety of expertise and experience and will explore how Autism and ADHD affect intra and interpersonal relationships\, from platonic to romantic/sexual and everything in-between. \nKey objectives\nAfter this course\, attendees will be able to: \n\nDefine at least three ways the medical model of Autism and ADHD differ from the neurodiversity-affirming model\nDescribe at least two ways that both ADHD and Autism can impact romantic/sexual relationships\nExplain the relational effects of the Double Empathy Problem and Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria\nIdentify/understand common polarities in neurodivergent couples that impact connection\nDescribe how differing sensory profiles can impact all types of relationships where people share space\nIdentify at least two ways to help support healthy\, neurodivergent-affirming relationships\n\nOther topics covered:\n\nAttention and Focus\nMonotropism\nDiffering Sensory Profiles\nCommunication Challenges\nDifferences in Emotional Expression\nMasking in relationships\nMasking in sexual encounters\n\nREGISTER HERE\n  \n 
URL:https://cascadia-training.com/course/audhd-in-love-april-2026/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Autism Awareness Month 2026,Cultural Competence,Health Equity,Neurodiversity,Professional Roles & Boundaries
ORGANIZER;CN="B Lourenco%2C MA%2C LMHC (she/her)":MAILTO:blourencotherapy@gmail.com
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260501T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260501T163000
DTSTAMP:20260403T143445
CREATED:20260306T183441Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260313T171010Z
UID:44164-1777626000-1777653000@cascadia-training.com
SUMMARY:🆕 BRAND-NEW! Reconceptualizing OCD 🆕
DESCRIPTION:Brand-New!\nReconceptualizing OCD\nPresented by: B Lourenco\, MA\, LMHC (she/her)\nWhen: Friday\, May 1st\, 2026 | 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM Pacific Time\nWhere: Live on Zoom. You will receive your Zoom link/invitation the week of the workshop.\nContinuing Education Credit Hours (NBCC and NASW-WA Approved): 6 CEs | Cost: $190.00\nWith the rise of the Neurodiversity-Affirming movement\, the field of psychology has had to grapple with the ever-growing knowledge that it got it wrong with Autism and ADHD. This course asks: What if we’ve gotten OCD wrong\, too? What if OCD is part of the innate neurodivergent umbrella that needs support and accommodation instead of treatments that often end up feeling like a game of whack-a-mole? \nB Lourenco uses a combination of lived experience and scientific research to analyze and assess the current understanding of and framework for OCD and its treatment. This continuing education workshop offers a different way of viewing OCD through a non-pathologizing lens\, a holistic view that honors the strengths of the OC brain. This workshop will also cover ways to provide care for clients using a blend of modalities that offer affirming support. If you live or work with OCD\, this class will absolutely leave you questioning what you thought you knew! \nWorkshop Objectives:\n\nCompare and contrast the medical model and the reconceptualization of OCD\nDescribe the purpose of the OC brain through a non-pathologizing lens\nIdentify ways that the OC brain may have supported early human survival\nDescribe the impact of trauma and/or core fears on the experience of OCD\nDefine what shifts an OC brain into an experience of OCD\nLearn how to support OCD through a combination of I-CBT\, ACT\, and IFS\n\nREGISTER HERE\n  \n  \n 
URL:https://cascadia-training.com/course/reconceptualizing-ocd-may-2026/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Autism Awareness Month 2026,Neurodiversity
ORGANIZER;CN="B Lourenco%2C MA%2C LMHC (she/her)":MAILTO:blourencotherapy@gmail.com
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260513T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260513T163000
DTSTAMP:20260403T143445
CREATED:20250425T192128Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260126T195156Z
UID:42752-1778662800-1778689800@cascadia-training.com
SUMMARY:Body Justice: Addressing Sizeism and Fear of Fat
DESCRIPTION:Health Equity or Cultural Competence CEs!\nBody Justice: Addressing Sizeism and Fear of Fat\nPresented by: Amber Rice\, LMFT\, MA\nWhen: Wednesday\, May 13\, 2026 | 9:00 am – 4:30 pm Pacific Time\nWhere: Live on Zoom. You will receive your Zoom link/invitation the week of the workshop.\nContinuing Education Credit Hours: 6 CEs – counts toward Health Equity requirements and Cultural Competence requirements| $199.00\nTherapists are becoming increasingly aware of the harm that has been/is being done to clients when healthcare settings (including counseling practices) focus on weight and weight loss as a primary goal.  Most therapists\, however\, have not been trained in how to have conversations with their clients about body shame\, weight stigma\, healthism\, diet culture\, and sizeism. How\, then\, do therapists help clients heal body shame in a weight-obsessed world when our culture is obsessed with weight being an indicator of health?   This course introduces therapists to practical resources\, knowledge\, empowering interventions\, and the language needed to help challenge weight stigma\, connect weight stigma and negative health outcomes\, and support clients toward weight-neutral and compassionate self-care. \nMany providers have increased their awareness of the need to adjust their practice lens and use a more weight-inclusive\, fat-positive approach to addressing food and body issues. Mental health clinicians have become increasingly aware of the expanding body of research that says intentional weight loss and dieting just don’t work\, and find themselves no longer ethically comfortable participating in diet culture. Therapists understand that supporting clients in weight loss or lifestyle changes (even for health reasons) is frequently emotionally and metabolically damaging\, is not trauma-informed\, often results in eating disorders and poor health outcomes\, and is rooted in weight bias and the body hierarchy.  Ethical\, culturally competent mental health practitioners want to know how to help their clients have a more peaceful relationship with food and their bodies.  However\, even the best-intentioned clinician finds that the cultural climate of weight stigma is so prevalent in both medical and mental health fields that they don’t even know where to begin. \nThis course will help therapists have conversations about bodies\, weight\, and health without contributing to the body shaming and size bias that is commonplace in healthcare settings. Amber will introduce participants to knowledge that will help them ethically and compassionately address the impacts of weight stigma with their clients.  Workshop attendees will learn ways to help their clients reduce body shame\, improve their relationship with food\, and invite more satisfaction and joy in their lives in a culturally competent way so they can be more resilient and confident in their own skin. \nObjectives:\n\nDiscuss the use of “fat” as a reclaimed term\, ask for the avoidance of the “O” words (obese\, overweight)\, the use of “numbers” to describe weight\, and other guidelines to avoid microaggressions that may take place during the workshop.\nPresent research studies and lived experiences that provide evidence for the need to practice with a weight-inclusive approach.\nTeach the core values and principles of Health at Every Size and Body Trust approaches.\nProvide an overview of the HAES and Body Trust approaches\, along with practical clinical interventions for clients seeking a more peaceful relationship with food and their bodies.\nDiscuss with participants the ethical considerations and dilemmas present in the current medical and mental health models that support weight loss for health purposes.\nOffer a pathway toward becoming more culturally competent\, with an adjusted lens that actively seeks to eliminate implicit and explicit bias in assessment\, treatment\, and orientation.\nList action steps that participants can employ to create a more weight-neutral practice.\nAsk attendees to acknowledge possible body (thin) privilege.\nEvaluate therapeutic spaces and environments to ensure they are fat-friendly and free of pathologizing magazines and stigmatizing language/media/magazines.\nAdvocate for self-examination for fatphobia and anti-fat bias.\nIncrease the visibility of fat people and scour websites and waiting rooms for diet culture.\n\nREGISTER HERE\n  \n  \n 
URL:https://cascadia-training.com/course/body-justice-may-2026/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Cultural Competence,Health Equity,Neurodiversity
ORGANIZER;CN="Amber Rice%2C LMFT%2C MA (she/her)":MAILTO:amber@amberrice.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260520T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260624T131500
DTSTAMP:20260403T143445
CREATED:20251118T191216Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251204T213233Z
UID:43849-1779271200-1782306900@cascadia-training.com
SUMMARY:Becoming a Neurodivergent-Affirming Clinician: Understanding ADHD and Autism through a Strengths-Based\, Neurodivergent-Affirming Lens
DESCRIPTION:Law & Ethics\, Health Equity\,\nand Cultural Competence CEs!\nBecoming a Neurodivergent-Affirming Clinician: Understanding ADHD and Autism through a Strengths-Based\, Neurodivergent-Affirming Lens\nPresented by: B Lourenco\, MA\, LMHC\nWhen:  This course will be held for six consecutive Wednesdays: May 20th through June 24th\, 2026\, from 10:00 am – 1:15 pm Pacific / 1:00 pm – 4:15 pm Eastern\n\nWednesday\, May 20th\, 2026 | 10:00 am – 1:15 pm Pacific / 1:00 pm – 4:15 pm Eastern\nWednesday\, May 27th\, 2026 | 10:00 am – 1:15 pm Pacific / 1:00 pm – 4:15 pm Eastern\nWednesday\, June 3rd\, 2026 | 10:00 am – 1:15 pm Pacific / 1:00 pm – 4:15 pm Eastern\nWednesday\, June 10th\, 2026 | 10:00 am – 1:15 pm Pacific / 1:00 pm – 4:15 pm Eastern\nWednesday\, June 17th\, 2026 | 10:00 am – 1:15 pm Pacific / 1:00 pm – 4:15 pm Eastern\nWednesday\, June 24th\, 2026 | 10:00 am – 1:15 pm Pacific / 1:00 pm – 4:15 pm Eastern\n\nWhere: Live on Zoom. You will receive your Zoom link/invitation the week of the event.\n18 CEs (12 CEs can be used for Cultural Competence or Health Equity CEs\, and 6 can be used for Law & Ethics CEs) | $599.00 *** (see below for payment options)\nAs technology progresses and education on mental health becomes increasingly more available\, the population has become more self-aware. The world is changing quickly\, and with it\, more and more people realize that their brain works differently than others. Due to the influence of social media and the shift to focusing on lived experience as a legitimate means of diagnosis\, we are seeing a sudden increase in clients that identify as Autistic and/or an ADHDer. We find that clients are speaking up and finding validation of what they have always known: their brains operate differently than the brains of their peers\, colleagues\, friends\, and families. As a result\, we are seeing a sudden increase in the young adult and middle-aged population who identify as being Neurodivergent in a Neurotypical world. \nThis workshop series is designed to help clinicians build greater awareness and familiarity with ADHD and Autistic experiences. Participants will come away from this course with a deeper understanding of ADHD and Autism from the Neurodiversity-Affirming Paradigm that focuses on strengths and differences\, not diagnoses\, disorders\, and deficits. \nEspecially following the Covid pandemic and its sometimes long-term impact on the brain and the immune system’s inflammatory processes\, many clients report having different and often challenging sensory processing experiences. We are seeing more adults presenting in our offices with reports that they now have issues not only with taste and smell but with a range of visual\, hearing\, tactile\, balance\, and internal bodily sensations they never have before experienced\, as well as difficulties with attention and memory. This begs the question: have these brain differences always been there but now have been sensitized or magnified by exposure to Covid and months-long isolation? \nMany adults are now recognizing they are not alone and are demanding they not be dismissed or invalidated any longer\, often having experienced the continued frustration of providers questioning their own lived experiences and\, as a result\, having been either undiagnosed or underdiagnosed due to outdated and debunked diagnostic criteria still used by mainstream psychiatrists and physicians. These individuals are finding validation for what they have suspected all along: their brains work differently than those of their peers\, families\, and friends. \nWith new research available and an increasingly empowered clientele\, we see more than ever the need to remain current in our understanding of–and support for–those who have brain differences. Committed to blending cutting-edge scientific evidence with the lived experiences of our clients\, Cascadia Training\, is delighted to offer a new workshop series designed to help clinicians build greater awareness and familiarity with ADHD and Autistic experiences. \nUpon completion of this series\, participants will have a deeper understanding of ADHD and Autism from the Neurodiversity Affirming Paradigm that focuses on strengths and differences\, not disorders\, diagnoses\, and deficits! \nWoven throughout the series are the law and ethics of working with neurodivergent clients\, including the danger of misdiagnoses\, and the harm of using biased\, outdated\, debunked diagnostic criteria leading to the under-diagnosis of ADHD and Autism spectrum experiences. In addition\, participants will learn about and identify pathologizing\, stigmatizing\, and harmful treatment protocols and clinical interventions still utilized by providers in educational\, physical\, and mental health professions. \nThis series uses a system developed explicitly by B Lourenco\, an expert on ADHD and Autism. The course focuses to a large degree on the internal\, lived experience of neurodiversity. Each of the six weekly sessions will include a didactic portion\, an experiential section\, and direct case consultation time. All modules will include lecture\, video\, and experiential segments. \nCertificate Program Weekly Modules: \nWeek One:  Sensory Systems  – Getting in touch with the sensory system is the most critical step in supporting neurodivergent clients. Sensory information can regulate emotional and physical experiences. In addition\, we will focus on using sensory profiles\, menus\, and diets to support day-to-day quality of life. \nWeek Two: Communication and Relationships – Understanding how those with Autism and ADHD communicate creates room for therapeutic connection. With this understanding\, we will dive into tools for managing meltdowns and shutdowns in an affirming way. \nWeek Three:  Attending and Executive Function – This module will explain why those with Autism and ADHD face challenges attending to their environment by addressing social expectations on perceptions of “functioning.” You will also learn how to use the client’s natural rhythms to support positive functionality. \nWeek Four:  Social Systems and Disability – Understanding how society directly impacts the lives of people with disabilities. We will focus on how clinicians can incorporate advocacy into their practice and tools to unlearn neurotypical values by connecting clients to personal values. \nWeek Five: Differentials and Comorbidities – This module will teach participants how to rule out or “dial in” on other mental health concerns or diagnoses. We will present comorbidities that exist with your neurodivergent clients and how to effectively support them in a non-stigmatizing way. The role of trauma and grief in the lived experience of clients who identify as neurodivergent will be discussed\, as well as the impact of these events on the developing brain. We will process how to best support the grief and disenfranchised losses felt by our autistic and ADHD clients and their families. \nWeek Six: The Use of Joy As a Tool Against Oppression. Creating celebrations of being neurodivergent and finding joy in everyday life as we partner with our neurodivergent clients. The Neurodivergent-affirming certificate program series will conclude with various celebrations we can share with our clients and the shift to viewing “joy itself as a tool against oppression.” As clinicians\, it is important for us to first comprehend–and then share– the ways that society benefits from neurodiversity in general and ADHD and Autism\, in particular. We will conclude by learning ways to help our clients celebrate their neurodiversity and see themselves through an affirming\, strengths-based lens. \nOther topics that will be covered in this practice- and life-altering certificate program series include\, but are not limited to: \n\nAlexithymia and Dysthymia\nARFID\nMisophonia\nGender and sexuality in the ADHD and Autistic communities\nThe role of menstruation on ADHD and Autistic brains\nInterdependence vs codependence and/or independence\nMyths and stigmas about neurodivergent people\nExperiences of abuse in neurodivergent people\nPervasive Desire for Autonomy (PDA)\n\n***Payment Options:\nCascadia 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. \nWe 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. Please email us at hello@cascadiatraining.org for more information. \nFor payment plans\, you can select paying 50% today and 50% due on June 30\, 2026. \nREGISTER HERE\n  \n 
URL:https://cascadia-training.com/course/becoming-a-neurodivergent-affirming-clinician-may-2026/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Cultural Competence,Ethics,Health Equity,Neurodiversity
ORGANIZER;CN="B Lourenco%2C MA%2C LMHC (she/her)":MAILTO:blourencotherapy@gmail.com
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260624T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260624T120000
DTSTAMP:20260403T143445
CREATED:20260304T200533Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260304T200533Z
UID:44143-1782291600-1782302400@cascadia-training.com
SUMMARY:Mindfulness and ADHD: Strategies for Cultivating Focus and Self-Regulation
DESCRIPTION:Mindfulness and ADHD: Strategies for Cultivating Focus and Self-Regulation\nPresented by: Dreya Blume\, LCSW\nWhen: Wednesday\, June 24th\, 2026 | 9:00 am – 12:00 pm Pacific Time\nWhere: Live on Zoom. You will receive your Zoom link/invitation the week of the workshop.\nContinuing Education Credit Hours (NBCC and NASW-WA Approved): 3 CEs Meets Criteria for Health Equity or Cultural Competence CEs | $99.00\nADHD can make attention\, emotional regulation\, and impulse control challenging for many clients\, yet mindfulness offers practical tools to enhance focus\, self-awareness\, and emotional balance. This training introduces psychotherapists to evidence-informed mindfulness strategies tailored for clients with ADHD. \nParticipants will explore how mindful awareness\, grounding techniques\, and present-moment focus can support attention regulation\, reduce stress\, and improve daily functioning. Through experiential exercises and discussion\, attendees will learn how to integrate mindfulness practices into therapy sessions in ways that are engaging\, accessible\, and developmentally appropriate. \nTherapists will leave with practical tools to help clients cultivate focus\, strengthen self-regulation\, and harness mindfulness as a resource for managing ADHD-related challenges. \nWorkshop Objectives:\n\nDevelop an understanding of how ADHD impacts attention\, emotional regulation\, and executive functioning\, and how mindfulness can support these areas.\nLearn practical mindfulness-based strategies tailored to clients with ADHD for improving focus and self-regulation.\nIdentify ways to integrate mindfulness practices into therapy sessions to enhance client engagement\, attention\, and emotional balance.\n\nREGISTER HERE\n  \n 
URL:https://cascadia-training.com/course/mindfulness-and-adhd-june-2026/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Cultural Competence,Health Equity,Neurodiversity
ORGANIZER;CN="Dreya Blume%2C LCSW (she/her)":MAILTO:dreyablume@gmail.com
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260826T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260930T131500
DTSTAMP:20260403T143445
CREATED:20251204T220741Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251204T220741Z
UID:43884-1787738400-1790774100@cascadia-training.com
SUMMARY:Becoming a Neurodivergent-Affirming Clinician: Understanding ADHD and Autism through a Strengths-Based\, Neurodivergent-Affirming Lens
DESCRIPTION:Law & Ethics\, Health Equity\,\nand Cultural Competence CEs!\nBecoming a Neurodivergent-Affirming Clinician: Understanding ADHD and Autism through a Strengths-Based\, Neurodivergent-Affirming Lens\nPresented by: B Lourenco\, MA\, LMHC\nWhen:  This course will be held for six consecutive Wednesdays: August 26th through September 30th\, 2026\, from 10:00 am – 1:15 pm Pacific / 1:00 pm – 4:15 pm Eastern\n\nWednesday\, August 26th\, 2026 | 10:00 am – 1:15 pm Pacific / 1:00 pm – 4:15 pm Eastern\nWednesday\, September 2nd\, 2026 | 10:00 am – 1:15 pm Pacific / 1:00 pm – 4:15 pm Eastern\nWednesday\, September 8th\, 2026 | 10:00 am – 1:15 pm Pacific / 1:00 pm – 4:15 pm Eastern\nWednesday\, September 16th\, 2026 | 10:00 am – 1:15 pm Pacific / 1:00 pm – 4:15 pm Eastern\nWednesday\, September 23rd\, 2026 | 10:00 am – 1:15 pm Pacific / 1:00 pm – 4:15 pm Eastern\nWednesday\, September 30th\, 2026 | 10:00 am – 1:15 pm Pacific / 1:00 pm – 4:15 pm Eastern\n\nWhere: Live on Zoom. You will receive your Zoom link/invitation the week of the event.\n18 CEs (12 CEs can be used for Cultural Competence or Health Equity CEs\, and 6 can be used for Law & Ethics CEs) | $599.00 *** (see below for payment options)\nAs technology progresses and education on mental health becomes increasingly more available\, the population has become more self-aware. The world is changing quickly\, and with it\, more and more people realize that their brain works differently than others. Due to the influence of social media and the shift to focusing on lived experience as a legitimate means of diagnosis\, we are seeing a sudden increase in clients that identify as Autistic and/or an ADHDer. We find that clients are speaking up and finding validation of what they have always known: their brains operate differently than the brains of their peers\, colleagues\, friends\, and families. As a result\, we are seeing a sudden increase in the young adult and middle-aged population who identify as being Neurodivergent in a Neurotypical world. \nThis workshop series is designed to help clinicians build greater awareness and familiarity with ADHD and Autistic experiences. Participants will come away from this course with a deeper understanding of ADHD and Autism from the Neurodiversity-Affirming Paradigm that focuses on strengths and differences\, not diagnoses\, disorders\, and deficits. \nEspecially following the Covid pandemic and its sometimes long-term impact on the brain and the immune system’s inflammatory processes\, many clients report having different and often challenging sensory processing experiences. We are seeing more adults presenting in our offices with reports that they now have issues not only with taste and smell but with a range of visual\, hearing\, tactile\, balance\, and internal bodily sensations they never have before experienced\, as well as difficulties with attention and memory. This begs the question: have these brain differences always been there but now have been sensitized or magnified by exposure to Covid and months-long isolation? \nMany adults are now recognizing they are not alone and are demanding they not be dismissed or invalidated any longer\, often having experienced the continued frustration of providers questioning their own lived experiences and\, as a result\, having been either undiagnosed or underdiagnosed due to outdated and debunked diagnostic criteria still used by mainstream psychiatrists and physicians. These individuals are finding validation for what they have suspected all along: their brains work differently than those of their peers\, families\, and friends. \nWith new research available and an increasingly empowered clientele\, we see more than ever the need to remain current in our understanding of–and support for–those who have brain differences. Committed to blending cutting-edge scientific evidence with the lived experiences of our clients\, Cascadia Training\, is delighted to offer a new workshop series designed to help clinicians build greater awareness and familiarity with ADHD and Autistic experiences. \nUpon completion of this series\, participants will have a deeper understanding of ADHD and Autism from the Neurodiversity Affirming Paradigm that focuses on strengths and differences\, not disorders\, diagnoses\, and deficits! \nWoven throughout the series are the law and ethics of working with neurodivergent clients\, including the danger of misdiagnoses\, and the harm of using biased\, outdated\, debunked diagnostic criteria leading to the under-diagnosis of ADHD and Autism spectrum experiences. In addition\, participants will learn about and identify pathologizing\, stigmatizing\, and harmful treatment protocols and clinical interventions still utilized by providers in educational\, physical\, and mental health professions. \nThis series uses a system developed explicitly by B Lourenco\, an expert on ADHD and Autism. The course focuses to a large degree on the internal\, lived experience of neurodiversity. Each of the six weekly sessions will include a didactic portion\, an experiential section\, and direct case consultation time. All modules will include lecture\, video\, and experiential segments. \nCertificate Program Weekly Modules: \nWeek One:  Sensory Systems  – Getting in touch with the sensory system is the most critical step in supporting neurodivergent clients. Sensory information can regulate emotional and physical experiences. In addition\, we will focus on using sensory profiles\, menus\, and diets to support day-to-day quality of life. \nWeek Two: Communication and Relationships – Understanding how those with Autism and ADHD communicate creates room for therapeutic connection. With this understanding\, we will dive into tools for managing meltdowns and shutdowns in an affirming way. \nWeek Three:  Attending and Executive Function – This module will explain why those with Autism and ADHD face challenges attending to their environment by addressing social expectations on perceptions of “functioning.” You will also learn how to use the client’s natural rhythms to support positive functionality. \nWeek Four:  Social Systems and Disability – Understanding how society directly impacts the lives of people with disabilities. We will focus on how clinicians can incorporate advocacy into their practice and tools to unlearn neurotypical values by connecting clients to personal values. \nWeek Five: Differentials and Comorbidities – This module will teach participants how to rule out or “dial in” on other mental health concerns or diagnoses. We will present comorbidities that exist with your neurodivergent clients and how to effectively support them in a non-stigmatizing way. The role of trauma and grief in the lived experience of clients who identify as neurodivergent will be discussed\, as well as the impact of these events on the developing brain. We will process how to best support the grief and disenfranchised losses felt by our autistic and ADHD clients and their families. \nWeek Six: The Use of Joy As a Tool Against Oppression. Creating celebrations of being neurodivergent and finding joy in everyday life as we partner with our neurodivergent clients. The Neurodivergent-affirming certificate program series will conclude with various celebrations we can share with our clients and the shift to viewing “joy itself as a tool against oppression.” As clinicians\, it is important for us to first comprehend–and then share– the ways that society benefits from neurodiversity in general and ADHD and Autism\, in particular. We will conclude by learning ways to help our clients celebrate their neurodiversity and see themselves through an affirming\, strengths-based lens. \nOther topics that will be covered in this practice- and life-altering certificate program series include\, but are not limited to: \n\nAlexithymia and Dysthymia\nARFID\nMisophonia\nGender and sexuality in the ADHD and Autistic communities\nThe role of menstruation on ADHD and Autistic brains\nInterdependence vs codependence and/or independence\nMyths and stigmas about neurodivergent people\nExperiences of abuse in neurodivergent people\nPervasive Desire for Autonomy (PDA)\n\n***Payment Options:\nCascadia 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. \nWe 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. Please email us at hello@cascadiatraining.org for more information. \nFor payment plans\, you can select paying 50% today and 50% due on September 30\, 2026. \nREGISTER HERE\n  \n 
URL:https://cascadia-training.com/course/becoming-a-neurodivergent-affirming-clinician-august-2026/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Cultural Competence,Ethics,Health Equity,Neurodiversity
ORGANIZER;CN="B Lourenco%2C MA%2C LMHC (she/her)":MAILTO:blourencotherapy@gmail.com
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260917T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260917T163000
DTSTAMP:20260403T143445
CREATED:20251118T221544Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251220T000908Z
UID:43871-1789635600-1789662600@cascadia-training.com
SUMMARY:Being Neurodivergent in a Neurotypical World
DESCRIPTION:Law & Ethics\, Cultural Competence\, or Health Equity CEs!\nBeing Neurodivergent in a Neurotypical World\nPresented by: B Lourenco\, MA\, LMHC (she/her)\nWhen: Thursday\, September 17th\, 2026 | 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM Pacific Time\nWhere: Live on Zoom. You will receive your Zoom link/invitation the week of the workshop.\nContinuing Education Credit Hours: 6 Law & Ethics\, Health Equity\, or Cultural Competence CEs | Cost: $199.00\nHave you noticed that more and more of your clients have begun to suspect that they are neurodivergent? During the past year-and-a-half of the Covid pandemic\, many folks have had time to reflect and learn about themselves and others. That time of learning and increased self-reflection has led to what seems like an explosion of self-diagnosed Autistic and ADHD clients. It seems hard to believe that there are suddenly so many more people who are identifying as being neurodivergent.  You may have asked yourself\, “What is going on?” \nThe difference is the shift to using the ethical approach of “centering lived experience” in identifying neurodiversity. Using this term and approach as applied to neurodiversity\, this presenter explains the rise in neurodivergent diagnoses\, especially among those who have initially those self-identified. The presenter suggests that we have only recently begun to LISTEN to voices of those have had “lived experiences” after being diagnosed in the current mental health field\, including countless reports of feeling increased emotional distress and of experiences of marginalization due to being labeled– and subsequently stigmatized– as neurodivergent. \nB Lourenco will provide attendees with a “centering lived experience” model of assessing and supporting clients who suspect that they have been living as a neurodivergent person in a neurotypical world.  This presenter will support your learning how to incorporate a “centering lived experience” model in your own mental health practices.  With this new paradigm\, mental health practitioners and educators can shift their focus away from a deficits-based approach to identifying the strengths and adaptive characteristics of those who are neurodivergent\, especially those identified as autistic or ADHD. \nThis workshop will demonstrate how the current model for identifying neurodivergence—particularly those with Autism and ADHD–is considered both outdated and ableist by experts who choose to use the “centering lived experience” approach to assessing clients.  This course will outline the ways that the current model harms neurodivergent people\, in addition to offering workshop attendees a more client-empowering\, more affirming way to identify and interact with this unique population of people. \nUtilizing the Neurodiversity paradigm\, you’ll leave this workshop with a much better\, more strengths-based understanding of Autism and ADHD\, as well as gaining effective tools for interacting with and supporting these clients (of which you have\, even if you or the client doesn’t know it yet)! \nObjectives: \n\nunderstand the umbrella of neurodivergence\, including innate and acquired neurodivergence\nhave a clearer understanding of Autism and ADHD—as viewed through an ethical\, neurodiversity-affirming lens\nidentify limits of the medical model of neurodivergence\nunderstand ways in which the current medical model is unethical and harmful to neurodivergent people–by its focus on perceived deficits through a neurotypical lens\napply a strengths and differences approach in identifying autism and ADHD\nunderstand and consider using the “centered life experience” model of identifying and supporting neurodivergent clients and populations\ngain new skills to better assist Autistic and ADHD clients\npossess a clearer understanding of the ethical need to approach clients with an anti-oppression lens in mental health care agencies and private practices\nfeel empowered to challenge current systems of harm by supporting clients in their preferred methods of processing sensory input and communicating with others in a neurotypical world\n\nAfter attending this workshop\, attendees will be able to: \n\nDiscuss the ethical violations that come from employing Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) as an intervention with neurodivergent clients/students.\nBecome familiar with the metaphor of Applied Behavioral Analysis as being the why the “conversion therapy” of the neurodivergent community and the ethical ramifications of continuing to use it in schools and clinics.\nUnderstand that the practice of ABA is based upon a “foundation of compliance\, coercion\, and behaviorism.”\nIdentify that current “evidence-based practices” may not be effective with the neurodivergent client.\nComprehend the ethical mandate under cultural competence standards to respect and validate the culture and norms of the neurodivergent population.\nRespect the neurodivergent client as a person worthy of respect and individual civil rights legally protected from discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).\nUnderstand the ethical mandate to assess clients with a culturally competent assessment tool and grasp the ethical violation of using current inadequate or inappropriate assessment tools with neurodivergent clients.\nDiscuss the widespread misdiagnoses of neurodivergent clients/patients when practitioners use a neurotypical standard of behaviors and development to diagnose a neurodivergent client.\n\nREGISTER HERE\n  \n  \n 
URL:https://cascadia-training.com/course/being-neurodivergent-september-2026/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Cultural Competence,Ethics,Health Equity,Neurodiversity
ORGANIZER;CN="B Lourenco%2C MA%2C LMHC (she/her)":MAILTO:blourencotherapy@gmail.com
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260925T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260925T163000
DTSTAMP:20260403T143445
CREATED:20260313T170955Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260313T170955Z
UID:44228-1790326800-1790353800@cascadia-training.com
SUMMARY:🆕 BRAND-NEW! Reconceptualizing OCD 🆕
DESCRIPTION:Brand-New!\nReconceptualizing OCD\nPresented by: B Lourenco\, MA\, LMHC (she/her)\nWhen: Friday\, September 25th\, 2026 | 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM Pacific Time\nWhere: Live on Zoom. You will receive your Zoom link/invitation the week of the workshop.\nContinuing Education Credit Hours (NBCC and NASW-WA Approved): 6 CEs | Cost: $190.00\nWith the rise of the Neurodiversity-Affirming movement\, the field of psychology has had to grapple with the ever-growing knowledge that it got it wrong with Autism and ADHD. This course asks: What if we’ve gotten OCD wrong\, too? What if OCD is part of the innate neurodivergent umbrella that needs support and accommodation instead of treatments that often end up feeling like a game of whack-a-mole? \nB Lourenco uses a combination of lived experience and scientific research to analyze and assess the current understanding of and framework for OCD and its treatment. This continuing education workshop offers a different way of viewing OCD through a non-pathologizing lens\, a holistic view that honors the strengths of the OC brain. This workshop will also cover ways to provide care for clients using a blend of modalities that offer affirming support. If you live or work with OCD\, this class will absolutely leave you questioning what you thought you knew! \nWorkshop Objectives:\n\nCompare and contrast the medical model and the reconceptualization of OCD\nDescribe the purpose of the OC brain through a non-pathologizing lens\nIdentify ways that the OC brain may have supported early human survival\nDescribe the impact of trauma and/or core fears on the experience of OCD\nDefine what shifts an OC brain into an experience of OCD\nLearn how to support OCD through a combination of I-CBT\, ACT\, and IFS\n\nREGISTER HERE\n  \n  \n 
URL:https://cascadia-training.com/course/reconceptualizing-ocd-september-2025/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Neurodiversity
ORGANIZER;CN="B Lourenco%2C MA%2C LMHC (she/her)":MAILTO:blourencotherapy@gmail.com
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20261016T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20261016T160000
DTSTAMP:20260403T143445
CREATED:20260204T183405Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260204T183405Z
UID:44034-1792141200-1792166400@cascadia-training.com
SUMMARY:Kinky Sex Ed and Poly 101
DESCRIPTION:Law & Ethics\, Health Equity\, or Cultural Competence CEs!\nKinky Sex Ed and Poly 101: A One-Day\, Two-Session Workshop\nPresented by: B Lourenco\, MA\, LMHC (she/her)\nWhen: Friday\, October 16th\, 2026| 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM Pacific Time\nWhere: Live on Zoom. You will receive your Zoom link/invitation the week of the workshop.\nContinuing Education Credit Hours: 6 Law & Ethics\, Health Equity\, or Cultural Competence CEs | Cost: $199.00 \nMorning Session: Kinky Sex Ed for Clinicians (9:00 AM – 12:00 PM\, Pacific) \nIn graduate school\, many programs offered a very limited education on human sexual development. The topics covered were largely typical\, normative experiences. This type of education leaves out so many other ways of being and leaves large gaps in our education about alternative ways of engaging with sex and relationships.  Both sessions of this one-day workshop–Kinky Sex Ed and Poly 101–are intended to help fill the gaps in clinical education and understanding. The goal is that the clinicians who attend will be more fully informed\, more inclusive in their approach\, and better able to support clients with “non-normative” sexual identities and experiences.  Kink refers to any sexual interest or behavior that is outside what is considered normative. Research indicates that many people have explored kinks at some point in their lives\, with many people having a kink as a core component of their sexual experiences. This course will identify common kink terms\, concepts\, and identities so that the clinicians who attend can better support kinky-identified clients. \nObjectives:\n\nLearn how kink is defined and connected to social constructs of normativity\nHave a basic understanding of common kink identities\nLearn basic kink terms and cultural norms\nKnow the differences between and among kinks\, fetishes\, and BDSM\nExplore how kinks develop and change over time and sexual development\nDefine healthy and ethical kink\nIdentify ethical concerns in kink culture\n\nAfternoon Session: Poly 101 for Clinicians (1:00 PM – 4:00 PM)\nIn graduate school\, many programs offered a very limited education on human sexual development\, and the topics covered were largely typical\, normative experiences. This type of education leaves out so many other ways of being and leaves large gaps in our education about alternative ways of engaging with sex and relationships. Kinky Sex Ed and Poly 101 are both intended to help fill the gaps in clinical education and understanding so that clinicians can be more informed and able to support clients with “non-normative” sexual identities and experiences. The socialization that prioritizes monogamy starts very early in Western culture\, with messages about faithfulness\, loyalty\, jealousy\, and love all being inexplicably intertwined. The reality is that–for many people–monogamy simply doesn’t work well for them. This course will explore key terms and concepts of Ethical Non-Monogamy (ENM) and how to offer support to our clients in the clinical setting. \nObjectives: \n\nLearn monogamous and non-monogamous relationship types\nExplore basic terms and concepts of ethical non-monogamy (ENM)\nIdentify the role of monogamy culture on all relationship types\nDefine the differences between envy\, jealousy\, and trauma responses when navigating ENM\nUnderstand common ethical concerns in ENM\nIdentify the benefits associated with non-monogamous relationship dynamics\n\nREGISTER HERE\n  \n 
URL:https://cascadia-training.com/course/kinky-sex-ed-and-poly-101-october-2026/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Cultural Competence,Ethics,Health Equity,Neurodiversity
ORGANIZER;CN="B Lourenco%2C MA%2C LMHC (she/her)":MAILTO:blourencotherapy@gmail.com
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20261112T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20261114T163000
DTSTAMP:20260403T143445
CREATED:20260318T143331Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260318T143331Z
UID:44233-1794474000-1794673800@cascadia-training.com
SUMMARY:Becoming a Neurodivergent-Affirming Clinician: Understanding ADHD and Autism through a Strengths-Based\, Neurodivergent-Affirming Lens
DESCRIPTION:Law & Ethics\, Health Equity\,\nand Cultural Competence CEs!\nBecoming a Neurodivergent-Affirming Clinician: Understanding ADHD and Autism through a Strengths-Based\, Neurodivergent-Affirming Lens\nPresented by: B Lourenco\, MA\, LMHC\nWhen:  This continuing education workshop series will be held for three consecutive days: Thursday\, November 12th\, through Saturday\, November 14th\, from 9:00 am – 4:30 pm Pacific / 12:00 pm – 7:30 pm Eastern\nWhere: Live on Zoom. You will receive your Zoom link/invitation the week of the event.\nContinuing Education Credit Hours (NBCC and NASW-WA Approved): 18 CEs (12 CEs can be used for Cultural Competence or Health Equity CEs\, and 6 can be used for Law & Ethics CEs) | $599.00 *** (see below for payment options)\nAs technology advances and mental health education becomes increasingly available\, the population has become more self-aware. The world is changing quickly\, and with it\, more and more people realize that their brains work differently from others. \nDue to the influence of social media and the shift to focusing on lived experience as a legitimate means of diagnosis\, we are seeing a sudden increase in clients who identify as Autistic and/or an ADHDer. We find that clients are speaking up and finding validation of what they have always known: their brains operate differently from the brains of their peers\, colleagues\, friends\, and families. As a result\, we are seeing a sudden increase in the young adult and middle-aged population who identify as being Neurodivergent in a Neurotypical world. \nThis continuing education workshop series is designed to help clinicians build greater awareness and familiarity with ADHD and Autistic experiences. Participants will come away from this course with a deeper understanding of ADHD and Autism from the Neurodiversity-Affirming Paradigm that focuses on strengths and differences\, not diagnoses\, disorders\, and deficits. \nEspecially following the COVID pandemic and its sometimes long-term impact on the brain and the immune system’s inflammatory processes\, many clients report having different and often challenging sensory processing experiences. We are seeing more adults presenting in our offices reporting that they now have issues not only with taste and smell but also with a range of visual\, hearing\, tactile\, balance\, and internal bodily sensations they never experienced before\, as well as difficulties with attention and memory. This begs the question: have these brain differences always been there\, or have they now been sensitized or magnified by exposure to COVID and months-long isolation? \nMany adults are now recognizing they are not alone and are demanding that they not be dismissed or invalidated any longer\, often having experienced the continued frustration of providers questioning their own lived experiences and\, as a result\, having been either undiagnosed or underdiagnosed due to outdated and debunked diagnostic criteria still used by mainstream psychiatrists and physicians. These individuals are finding validation for what they have long suspected: their brains work differently from those of their peers\, families\, and friends. \nWith new research available and an increasingly empowered clientele\, we see more than ever the need to remain current in our understanding of–and support for–those who have brain differences. Committed to blending cutting-edge scientific evidence with the lived experiences of our clients\, Cascadia Training is delighted to offer a new workshop series designed to help clinicians build greater awareness and familiarity with ADHD and Autistic experiences. \nUpon completion of this series\, participants will have a deeper understanding of ADHD and Autism through the Neurodiversity Affirming Paradigm\, which focuses on strengths and differences\, not disorders\, diagnoses\, or deficits! \nWoven throughout the series are the law and ethics of working with neurodivergent clients\, including the danger of misdiagnoses\, and the harm of using biased\, outdated\, debunked diagnostic criteria leading to the underdiagnosis of ADHD and Autism spectrum experiences. In addition\, participants will learn about and identify pathologizing\, stigmatizing\, and harmful treatment protocols and clinical interventions still utilized by providers in educational\, physical\, and mental health professions. \nThis series uses a system developed explicitly by B Lourenco\, an expert on ADHD and Autism. The course focuses to a large degree on the internal\, lived experience of neurodiversity. Each of the six weekly sessions will include a didactic portion\, an experiential section\, and direct case consultation time. All modules will include lecture\, video\, and experiential segments. \nCertificate Program Daily Modules \nDay One:   \n\nSensory Systems  – Getting in touch with the sensory system is the most critical step in supporting neurodivergent clients. Sensory information can regulate emotional and physical experiences. In addition\, we will focus on using sensory profiles\, menus\, and diets to support day-to-day quality of life.\nCommunication and Relationships – Understanding how those with Autism and ADHD communicate creates room for therapeutic connection. With this understanding\, we will dive into tools for managing meltdowns and shutdowns in an affirming way.\n\nDay Two:   \n\nAttending and Executive Function – This module will explain why those with Autism and ADHD face challenges attending to their environment by addressing social expectations on perceptions of “functioning.” You will also learn how to use the client’s natural rhythms to support positive functionality.\nSocial Systems and Disability – Understanding how society directly impacts the lives of people with disabilities. We will focus on how clinicians can incorporate advocacy into their practice and tools to unlearn neurotypical values by connecting clients to personal values.\n\nDay Three:  \n\nDifferentials and Comorbidities – This module will teach participants how to rule out or “dial in” on other mental health concerns or diagnoses. We will present comorbidities that exist with your neurodivergent clients and how to effectively support them in a non-stigmatizing way. The role of trauma and grief in the lived experience of clients who identify as neurodivergent will be discussed\, as well as the impact of these events on the developing brain. We will process how to best support the grief and disenfranchised losses felt by our autistic and ADHD clients and their families.\nThe Use of Joy As a Tool Against Oppression. Creating celebrations of being neurodivergent and finding joy in everyday life as we partner with our neurodivergent clients. The Neurodivergent-affirming certificate program series will conclude with various celebrations we can share with our clients and the shift to viewing “joy itself as a tool against oppression.” As clinicians\, it is important for us to first comprehend–and then share– the ways that society benefits from neurodiversity in general and ADHD and Autism\, in particular. We will conclude by learning ways to help our clients celebrate their neurodiversity and see themselves through an affirming\, strengths-based lens.\n\nOther topics that will be covered in this practice- and life-altering certificate program series include\, but are not limited to: \n\nAlexithymia and Dysthymia\nARFID\nMisophonia\nGender and sexuality in the ADHD and Autistic communities\nThe role of menstruation on ADHD and Autistic brains\nInterdependence vs codependence and/or independence\nMyths and stigmas about neurodivergent people\nExperiences of abuse in neurodivergent people\nPervasive Desire for Autonomy (PDA)\n\n***Payment Options:\nCascadia 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. \nWe 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. Please email us at hello@cascadiatraining.org for more information. \nFor payment plans\, you can select paying 50% today and 50% due on November 30\, 2026. \nREGISTER HERE\n  \n  \n 
URL:https://cascadia-training.com/course/becoming-neurodivergent-affirming-clinician-november-2026/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Cultural Competence,Ethics,Health Equity,Neurodiversity
ORGANIZER;CN="B Lourenco%2C MA%2C LMHC (she/her)":MAILTO:blourencotherapy@gmail.com
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR