Neurodivergent Somatics with Nyck Walsh - part iI
In part two of my conversation with Nyck Walsh, we continue exploring what it means to approach neurodivergence, therapy, and healing through a more relational, non-pathologizing, and deeply human lens.
Nyck is a somatic psychotherapist, counselor educator, and author of Neurodivergent Somatics in Therapy, and this conversation moves through so many important questions: What do we actually mean when we talk about safety? Who gets to define it? What happens when neurodivergent expression is misunderstood through trauma-only or pathology-based frameworks? And what does it look like to support people in ways that are collaborative, affirming, and rooted in curiosity rather than correction?
Together, we talk about safer space, trust, masking, diagnosis and self-identification, ableism in therapeutic spaces, the harm of being missed or misunderstood, and the profound freedom that can come when someone is finally able to understand themselves more clearly. We also touch on therapist self-care, power dynamics, and why this work asks all of us to keep learning, unlearning, and listening more deeply.
About Nyck
Nyck Walsh (he/they) brings a whole person, anti-oppressive, intersectional somatic lens to working with Autistic and KCS/VAST (more affirming language for “ADHD”) folks. A white, Autistic, VAST, queer, and trans counselor, Nyck is the director of the Nyck Walsh Counseling & Training Center and creator of the Neurodivergent Somatics model.
He curates reparative experiences for late-identified Autistic and KCS/VAST people to connect with their innate wisdom, dismantle ableism, be supported through challenges, and make meaning of their misunderstood neurodivergent experiences. His counselor education programs have attracted an international following, with both neurodivergent and neurotypical counselors alike reporting that they feel deeply supported and validated by his approach.
While being human brings no shortage of complexity, Nyck delights in frolicking in nature and living among the trees with his four-legged bestie in the mountains of what is colonially known as Colorado.
Find out more at his website: nyckwalsh.com
And you can find his new book, Neurodivergent Somatics in Therapy, An Anti-Oppressive Model for Whole Person Care, via the links below.
For US orders, use this link (it includes a 20% discount and free shipping):
https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324082910?promo=WALSH20
For orders throughout the UK, Europe and Asia, please use this link and discount code (which includes 30% off):
https://wwnorton.co.uk/books/9781324082910-neurodivergent-somatics-in-therapy
And the discount code is WN357
Find the rest of my podcast episodes here:
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3B6jUij
Apple: https://apple.co/3nkLzaA
And, if you're interested in an assessment or 1:1 work with me, you can find out more here:
