My Journey so Far
Discovering I am autistic and ADHD (AuDHD) at age 40 has changed everything. I had spent most of my life struggling with things that most people find easy and often excelling at things many people find challenging.
Struggles
It was always hard for me to make and keep strong friendships. Working a full-time teaching job often leads to burnout. Loud noises and bright lights are physically painful. I can handle people only in small doses and if I spend too much time in a crowd, I will need a few days to recover.
Strengths
I have an almost photographic memory, identify patterns easily, and can understand and explain complicated concepts. I am also empathetic and passionately committed to (vocally) fighting for social justice causes.
All of these characteristics have made me the person I am today. However, it wasn’t until I understood my autism through working with an autism peer support coach and spending time in neuro-affirming spaces with other autistic people that I learned how to acknowledge my needs, lean into my strengths, and embrace my autistic joy. Now I can say that I actually like and accept myself.
Early Years
In addition to growing up undiagnosed autistic, I also spent my formative years (birth to 16) in a high control religious environment. People on the outside would call it Fundamental/Evangelical, but for me it was a prison.
The way I interpreted and understood the teachings that were shoved into my brain from my toddler years onwards had extremely detrimental effects. I internalized messages of fear, guilt, shame, the need to be perfect, terror of failing and disappointing “god,” obsession with rigid rules and fear of punishment, a disconnection from my body and intuition, the need to get “god’s” approval before making any decision….the list goes on.
My parents were kind and loving people, but unfortunately, the messages of the church were louder and caused a rift in my own being. I was also the oldest of six children which contributed to feelings of being responsible for the mental, physical, and emotional well-being of others from a very young age.
Grief & Loss
The third challenge that ultimately led me to seek healing from a variety of unique sources was the death of my father when I was 22. He was diagnosed with cancer at age 47 and died two years later after a painful battle leaving my mom (his wife of almost 27 years) and six children aged 12 to 22.
The years after his death were hard even though my mom is phenomenally loving and supportive. I was in my last year of university when he died and after finishing my degree and then a Journalism diploma, I left the country.
Career & Travel
I spent 18 months volunteering with human rights and gender equality organizations in Ghana, India, Israel/Palestine, and Washington, DC.
After I returned from my travels, I earned my Master’s degree in Political Science and ultimately became a teacher, following in my father’s footsteps.
After teaching for several years and realizing that I had been experiencing cycles of severe burnout for much of my life, I started looking into the reasons why I couldn’t seem to handle life like other people. This was when I learned I am autistic.
Answers Emerge
Suddenly, so many things started to make sense, like why I need so much time alone, why I struggle with aspects of communication and relationships, why I deal with sensory overwhelm, and why my brain just seems to work differently.
It also helped explain my obsession with learning new things. Learning is like oxygen for me; I absolutely need it to survive. My main passions are learning about autism, gender equality and human rights, spiritual abuse and cults, and ancient and modern forms of spirituality and healing, especially healing intergenerational trauma.
I have taken so many courses and researched so much over the years to build my knowledge base. These are more than “special interests.” Instead, they are my way of understanding my past, my present, and my world, as well as helping others who might be struggling on this path, too.
Who I Am & What I Do
I am a passionate autism life coach, teacher, mentor, guide, educator, and effective communicator. I actively listen and simply explain complicated concepts. I provide peer support to other autistic people who need to know they are not alone and that it is more than OK to take up space and be heard.
I guide people to discover who they really are and reconnect to their authentic selves, experiencing tremendous joy, balance, freedom, passion, acceptance, and clarity along the way. I empower people to understand and embrace their needs, lean into their strengths, and give themselves grace and compassion.
Working together, we will create space for self-discovery and opportunities to listen to the wisdom of your body, heart, and intuition. Emotions, thoughts, harmful patterns, and belief systems that you might have been holding on to for a long time can be brought to our conscious awareness so they don’t control us any longer.
Inspired by my passion for global justice and equality, inner healing, and commitment to advocacy for autistic people and spiritual abuse survivors, my goal is to bring my extensive knowledge, experience, and support to your life to empower you on your journey towards remembering your own wholeness.
Together, we will identify and release the harmful BS (belief systems) that are keeping you stuck, allowing you to thrive and revel in your awesomeness and worth.
I specialize in working with late-identified autistic women, spiritual abuse survivors, people on a healing journey who need extra support, educators who are dealing with burnout, and AuDHD people struggling to understand and embrace their unique blend of neurodivergence.
