Neurodiversity-affirming therapy for teens and young adults in Maryland
Therapy is different here. No, really. It is.
You don’t need to have the right words, sit perfectly still, make eye contact, or prove that things are “bad enough” to deserve support. We can talk, make art, discuss the latest game you’re playing, follow a fandom rabbit hole, play something together, sit in silence, or find another way in.
Curiosity over shame. You don’t need to be fixed, and your character isn’t broken. Maybe you’ve spent years trying harder when what you really needed was to understand your brain and find what actually works for you.
%20(edited).png)
Maybe this feels familiar
You know what you need to do, but your brain will not start. Small tasks become complicated quests. Systems that worked last week suddenly stop working, and everyone else seems to be moving forward while you are still trying to find the correct button.
That does not mean you are lazy, incapable, or failing at the game of life. Sometimes the usual advice just was not written for your character build.
Hi, I’m Katherine.
I’m a neurodivergent expressive arts therapist, longtime gamer, and collector of more hobbies and unfinished sidequests than one person reasonably needs. I know intimately what it is like to navigate a world built for a different operating system.
I'm not perfect, and I don't have all the answers. What I bring is curiosity, honesty, and no judgment as we make sense of what is happening, loosen the shame, and find strategies that fit you better.
I created Sidequests & Sketchbooks for people who are tired of being told to try harder at functioning like everyone else. You do not need to mask, perform, or measure your worth by your productivity to deserve support and joy.