Becoming a Neurodivergent-Affirming Clinician: Understanding ADHD and Autism through a Strengths-Based, Neurodivergent-Affirming Lens
2026-02-04 10:00 - 2026-03-11 13:15 (America/Los_Angeles) | Zoom
Law & Ethics, Health Equity,
and Cultural Competence CEs!
Becoming a Neurodivergent-Affirming Clinician: Understanding ADHD and Autism through a Strengths-Based, Neurodivergent-Affirming Lens
Presented by: B Lourenco, MA, LMHC
When: This course will be held for six consecutive Wednesdays: February 4th through March 11th, 2026, from 10:00 am – 1:15 pm Pacific / 1:00 pm – 4:15 pm Eastern

Wednesday, February 4th, 2026 | 10:00 am – 1:15 pm Pacific / 1:00 pm – 4:15 pm Eastern
Wednesday, February 11th, 2026 | 10:00 am – 1:15 pm Pacific / 1:00 pm – 4:15 pm Eastern
Wednesday, February 18th, 2026 | 10:00 am – 1:15 pm Pacific / 1:00 pm – 4:15 pm Eastern
Wednesday, February 25th, 2026 | 10:00 am – 1:15 pm Pacific / 1:00 pm – 4:15 pm Eastern
Wednesday, March 4th, 2026 | 10:00 am – 1:15 pm Pacific / 1:00 pm – 4:15 pm Eastern
Wednesday, March 11th, 2026 | 10:00 am – 1:15 pm Pacific / 1:00 pm – 4:15 pm Eastern

Where: Live on Zoom. You will receive your Zoom link/invitation the week of the event.
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)
As 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.
This 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.
Especially 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?
Many 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.
With 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.
Upon 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!
Woven 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.
This 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.
Certificate Program Weekly Modules:
Week 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.
Week 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.
Week 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.
Week 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.
Week 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.
Week 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.
Other topics that will be covered in this practice- and life-altering certificate program series include, but are not limited to:

Alexithymia and Dysthymia
ARFID
Misophonia
Gender and sexuality in the ADHD and Autistic communities
The role of menstruation on ADHD and Autistic brains
Interdependence vs codependence and/or independence
Myths and stigmas about neurodivergent people
Experiences of abuse in neurodivergent people
Pervasive Desire for Autonomy (PDA)

***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. Please email us at hello@cascadiatraining.org for more information.
For payment plans, you can select paying 50% today and 50% due on March 31, 2026.
REGISTER HERE

🆕 Brand-New! Lunch & Learn: Introduction to the Clinical Use of Tarot Card Imagery in Psychotherapy
2026-02-23 12:00 - 13:30
Brand-New!
Lunch & Learn: Introduction to the Clinical Use of Tarot Card Imagery in Psychotherapy
Presented by: Dreya Blume, LCSW
When: Monday, February 23, 2026 | 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm Pacific Time
Where: Live on Zoom. You will receive your Zoom link/invitation the week of the workshop.
Continuing Education Credit Hours: 1.5 CEs | $25.00
Tarot card imagery can be a powerful tool for exploration, reflection, and insight in therapy, providing clients with symbolic language to express emotions, uncover patterns, and consider possibilities. This training introduces psychotherapists to the clinical use of tarot cards in a therapeutic context, emphasizing ethical, client-centered approaches. Participants will explore how tarot imagery can support narrative development, self-awareness, and meaning-making while maintaining clinical boundaries and professionalism. Attendees will learn practical strategies for integrating tarot imagery into therapy sessions. Therapists will leave with tools to use tarot cards as a creative and reflective adjunct to traditional therapeutic methods, helping clients explore challenges, identify strengths, and gain fresh perspectives.
Objectives

Develop an understanding of the clinical applications and ethical considerations of using tarot card imagery in therapy.
Learn strategies for incorporating tarot imagery to support reflection, insight, and narrative exploration in clients.
Identify ways to integrate tarot card techniques into therapy while maintaining professional boundaries and client-centered practice.

REGISTER HERE

SOLD OUT - Register for Other Workshops | After Hours: Therapeutic Boundaries: The Ethics of Creating Clarity, Safety, and Trust in Clinical Work 🆕
2026-02-24 18:00 - 20:00
This workshop is now sold out. Please register for the next session on Tuesday, June 30th, here, or for another upcoming workshop that meets the New Mandatory CE Requirement on Professional Roles and Boundaries HERE!
BRAND-NEW!

After Hours: Therapeutic Boundaries: The Ethics of Creating Clarity, Safety, and Trust in Clinical Work
Presented by: Dreya Blume, LCSW
When: Tuesday, February 24th, 2026| 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM, Pacific Time
Where: Live on Zoom. You will receive your Zoom link/invitation the week of the workshop.
Continuing Education Credit Hours: 2 Professional Roles and Boundaries CEs or Law & Ethics CEs | $50.00
Therapeutic boundaries are the cornerstone of ethical and effective clinical practice, providing a framework for clarity, safety, and trust within the therapeutic relationship. In this engaging workshop, participants will explore the multifaceted role of boundaries in fostering healthy client interactions while safeguarding their professional integrity.
This training will address key themes such as boundary setting in diverse contexts, navigating boundary crossings versus violations, and handling potential ethical dilemmas with confidence and compassion.
Specific topics will include self-disclosure, outside of office contact, gift-giving, dual relationships, time management (beginning and ending sessions on time), sexual attraction, and physical touch, as well as social media policies and technology issues. In addition, we will explore how a person’s cultural background can influence boundaries.
Participants will leave with practical tools to enhance self-awareness, manage countertransference, and ensure that their professional boundaries serve as a foundation for trust and transformation in their work. Whether you are a seasoned clinician or just beginning your career, this workshop will provide valuable insights and actionable strategies to strengthen your practice.
OBJECTIVES:

Explain the difference between boundary crossings and boundary violations
Understand the ethical importance of creating and maintaining healthy professional and personal boundaries in the therapeutic relationship
Identify how to communicate healthy boundaries to clients

🆕BRAND-NEW! Narrative Therapy 101: Language, Power, and Possibility in Therapy 🆕
2026-02-25 09:00 - 12:00
BRAND-NEW!
Narrative Therapy 101: Language, Power, and Possibility in Therapy
Presented by: Dreya Blume, LCSW
When: Wednesday, February 25th, 2026 | 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM, Pacific Time
Where: Live on Zoom. You will receive your Zoom link/invitation the week of the workshop.
Continuing Education Credit Hours: 3 CEs | $95.00
The stories clients tell about their lives shape how they see themselves, their problems, and their possibilities. Narrative therapy invites clients to step into new relationships with their challenges by re-authoring the stories that have been influenced by culture, power, and lived experience.
This training introduces psychotherapists to the foundations of narrative practice, with a focus on the role of language in shaping identity, the influence of power in sustaining problem-saturated stories, and the therapeutic possibilities that emerge when clients begin to author new narratives.
Through demonstration, discussion, and hands-on practice, participants will explore how to listen for problem stories, ask generative questions, and highlight moments of strength and resilience. Attendees will leave with practical tools to begin weaving narrative therapy ideas into their everyday sessions, creating space for clients to discover fresh perspectives and empowering alternative storylines.
Objectives

Develop an understanding of the core principles of narrative therapy, including the role of language in shaping meaning and identity.

Learn practical techniques for externalizing problems, asking narrative questions, and amplifying alternative stories.

Identify ways to apply narrative therapy in everyday clinical practice

REGISTER HERE

🆕BRAND-NEW! When Saying Yes Meant Survival: Helping Clients Recover from People-Pleasing 🆕
2026-02-26 09:00 - 12:00
BRAND-NEW!
When Saying Yes Meant Survival: Helping Clients Recover from People-Pleasing
Presented by: Dreya Blume, LCSW
When: Thursday, February 26th, 2026 | 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM, Pacific Time
Where: Live on Zoom. You will receive your Zoom link/invitation the week of the workshop.
Continuing Education Credit Hours: 3 CEs | $95.00
For many clients, people-pleasing is not just a habit: it began as a survival strategy. Saying “yes” in childhood may have kept them safe, secured approval, or prevented conflict, but in adulthood it often leaves them anxious, resentful, and disconnected from their own needs.
This training helps psychotherapists understand the deeper roots of people-pleasing through the lens of trauma, attachment, and relational dynamics, while offering concrete strategies for healing.
Participants will explore how to compassionately validate the protective origins of people-pleasing while supporting clients to set boundaries, reclaim their voice, and practice self-advocacy. With a mix of clinical insight, case examples, and practical tools, therapists will leave with new ways to help clients transform people-pleasing patterns into healthier, more empowered ways of relating.
Objectives

Develop an understanding of people-pleasing as a trauma-informed survival response with relational and cultural roots.
Learn therapeutic strategies to help clients identify, interrupt, and shift automatic people-pleasing behaviors.
Identify interventions that support boundary-setting, self-compassion, and authentic self-expression in clients recovering from people-pleasing.

REGISTER HERE

Navigating Washington’s New Confidentiality Standards for LMHCs, LMFTs, and Social Workers
2026-02-27 09:30 - 12:30
A Must-Take Law & Ethics CE Workshop!
Navigating Washington’s New Confidentiality Standards for LMHCs, LMFTs, and Social Workers
Presented by: Eric Ström, PhD, Attorney at Law, LMHC
When: Friday, February 27th, 2026 | 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM, Pacific Time
Where: Live on Zoom. You will receive your Zoom link/invitation the week of the workshop.
Continuing Education Credit Hours: 3 Law & Ethics CEs | $99.00
Workshop Description
As of July 27, 2025, the legal framework for confidentiality in behavioral health practice in Washington State will undergo a significant shift. Licensed Mental Health Counselors (LMHCs), Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFTs), and Social Workers will now be subject to the standards of RCW 70.02—Washington’s Uniform Health Care Information Act—through its incorporation into RCW 18.225.105.
This three-hour section of the day’s workshop will prepare clinicians for this critical change. Participants will examine how the newly aligned laws alter confidentiality obligations, reshape definitions of protected information, and introduce updated rules around disclosures, client rights, and documentation practices.
Through step-by-step analysis, practical examples, and discussion, this training will equip attendees to confidently navigate the new legal landscape while upholding core ethical principles. This course is intended to meet Washington’s ethics CEU requirement.
Workshop Learning Objectives
After taking part in this training, participants will be able to:

Identify the sources of legal standards relating to confidentiality;
Understand the relationship between Washington State statutes and federal regulations with respect to client confidentiality;
Describe when disclosure of client information is required;
Describe when disclosure of client information is allowed.

REGISTER HERE
