The mental health field was built on the concept of a professional expert with training treating an individual with a diagnosis. Clients who push back against this model are labelled “noncompliant” or “resistant”. This model has harmed countless clients, particularly those with multiple marginalised identities. Over the years, there has been a shift in the field of psychology and mental health. Providers are learning to listen to the needs of their clients—informed by clients’ lived experience—rather than clinging to the idea that only an “expert” can know what an individual needs. Likewise, many in the field are learning to recognise the ways in which neurodivergence can be part of one’s identity, and that while many have support needs, they are not “broken” or needing to be “fixed” or “cured” of their neurodivergence. This is known as the neurodiversity-affirming model of care—and is what this book presents.
