Neurodivergent-Affirming Therapy for Adults in Ohio

At Wild Hope Therapy, we provide neurodivergent-affirming therapy for adults with ADHD, autism, and AuDHD (co-occurring autism and ADHD). Our team includes therapists with different areas of focus within neurodivergent mental health, offering individualized support for women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and adults navigating late diagnosis, masking, burnout, and life transitions. We offer online therapy throughout Ohio and in-person appointments in Columbus and Cleveland.

We recognize that neurodivergence influences how you experience the world, navigate relationships, process emotions, and manage everyday demands. Whether you've known you're neurodivergent for years, recently received a diagnosis, or are beginning to explore what neurodivergence might mean for you, you deserve care that respects your experiences and helps you better understand yourself.

Whether you’ve been formally diagnosed or have a suspicion you may be neurodivergent, having a therapist who specializes in navigating neurodivergence and the issues of identity, self-esteem, and skill-building will help you to gain the insight and self-understanding you deserve.

What is neurodivergent-affirming therapy?

Neurodivergent-affirming therapy is an approach to mental health care that recognizes neurological differences as part of natural human variation rather than something that inherently needs to be fixed or changed. It focuses on understanding your individual strengths, challenges, experiences, and support needs while addressing mental health concerns that may affect your well-being.

At Wild Hope Therapy, our therapists take a strengths-based, trauma-informed approach that considers how neurodivergence intersects with your identity, relationships, environment, and lived experiences.

Our goal isn't to teach you to function like someone who is neurotypical. It's to help you develop a more compassionate understanding of yourself, identify accommodations and strategies that work for you, and build a life that supports your needs and values.

What types of neurodivergence does Wild Hope Therapy specialize in?

Our clinical team includes therapists with different areas of experience and training in supporting neurodivergent adults. Because ADHD, autism, and AuDHD can involve distinct experiences and support needs, we recognize the importance of connecting clients with a therapist whose clinical focus aligns with their individual concerns.

ADHD Therapy for Adults

ADHD can affect executive functioning, attention regulation, time management, emotional regulation, and everyday responsibilities. For many adults, particularly women, these challenges have gone unrecognized for years, contributing to chronic overwhelm, anxiety, burnout, and self-criticism.

Our ADHD-focused therapists help clients better understand their experiences, develop practical strategies, and address the emotional impact of living with ADHD.

[Learn more about ADHD therapy →]

Autism-Affirming Therapy for Adults

Autism can influence sensory experiences, communication, relationships, emotional processing, and preferences for routine or predictability. Autistic adults may seek therapy for anxiety, depression, burnout, masking, or the experience of navigating environments that don't accommodate their needs.

Our autism-affirming therapists support clients in understanding their experiences, identifying accommodations, navigating relationships, and developing a stronger sense of self without treating autistic traits as something that needs to be eliminated.

[Learn more about autism-affirming therapy →]

AuDHD Therapy for Adults

AuDHD describes the co-occurrence of autism and ADHD. For some individuals, these neurotypes create overlapping or competing needs, such as craving structure while struggling to maintain routines, or seeking stimulation while becoming overwhelmed by sensory input.

Our AuDHD-focused therapists recognize that supporting someone with both autism and ADHD requires understanding how these experiences interact, rather than addressing each diagnosis in isolation.

[Learn more about AuDHD therapy →]

How does neurodivergence present in women?

Neurodivergence in women is frequently overlooked or identified later in life, particularly when ADHD or autistic traits don't align with traditional diagnostic stereotypes. Many women develop sophisticated ways of masking or compensating for their challenges while privately experiencing exhaustion, anxiety, or a persistent sense of not meeting expectations.

Some women spend years believing they're disorganized, overly sensitive, or simply not trying hard enough. Others appear highly capable and successful while struggling with executive functioning, sensory overwhelm, or the emotional demands of maintaining that appearance.

At Wild Hope Therapy, we recognize how gender expectations, social conditioning, and years of unrecognized support needs can influence mental health and self-esteem.

Our therapists help women explore their neurodivergent experiences through a compassionate, affirming lens that acknowledges both their strengths and the challenges they've navigated.

How do neurodivergence and LGBTQ+ identities intersect?

Neurodivergent LGBTQ+ individuals may navigate experiences related to identity, masking, belonging, discrimination, and social expectations that influence their mental health and relationships.

Research has identified meaningful overlap between some neurodivergent and LGBTQ+ populations, particularly among autistic and gender-diverse individuals. However, everyone's experience of these identities is unique.

For queer, trans, and gender-diverse people, the pressure to conceal or modify neurodivergent traits may exist alongside experiences of navigating gender or sexual identity in environments that aren't always accepting.

At Wild Hope Therapy, we provide LGBTQ+ affirming, neurodivergent-affirming care that recognizes the importance of these intersecting experiences.

You deserve a therapeutic relationship where your identities are respected and where you don't have to explain or defend who you are.

How can neurodivergence affect pregnancy, postpartum mental health, and parenting?

Pregnancy, postpartum recovery, and parenting can bring significant changes to routines, sensory experiences, sleep, emotional regulation, and executive functioning demands. For neurodivergent parents, these transitions may introduce challenges that previous coping strategies no longer adequately support.

Some parents discover their own ADHD, autism, or AuDHD while navigating pregnancy, early parenthood, or their child's diagnostic evaluation.

At Wild Hope Therapy, we recognize that neurodivergent parents may benefit from support that considers their sensory needs, executive functioning, relationships, and emotional well-being alongside the demands of caregiving.

Therapy can help you identify realistic accommodations, communicate your needs, manage overwhelm, and develop parenting approaches that reflect your strengths and values.

We believe that supporting neurodivergent parents means recognizing their individual needs, not expecting them to meet a single standard of what parenting should look like.

What if I was diagnosed with ADHD or autism later in life?

Receiving an ADHD or autism diagnosis later in life can bring relief, validation, grief, anger, and uncertainty. For some adults, discovering their neurodivergence provides an explanation for experiences they've struggled to understand for decades.

You may begin reconsidering childhood experiences, relationships, work challenges, or the ways you've learned to mask your needs.

Late diagnosis can also bring complicated feelings about years spent without appropriate support or the belief that your struggles reflected personal shortcomings.

At Wild Hope Therapy, we understand that exploring a neurodivergent identity is often about much more than receiving a diagnosis. It can involve processing your history, reconnecting with your strengths, and developing a new understanding of what you need to feel supported.

You don't need to have everything figured out before beginning therapy.

How does Wild Hope Therapy approach neurodivergent mental health care?

Our approach to neurodivergent therapy is individualized, collaborative, trauma-informed, and strengths-based. We recognize that two people with the same diagnosis may have very different experiences, goals, and support needs.

Depending on your concerns and the therapist's clinical focus, treatment may incorporate adapted Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), practical strategies, accommodations, and support for co-occurring anxiety, depression, or trauma.

We also recognize the emotional impact of chronic masking, invalidation, burnout, and years of feeling misunderstood.

Rather than focusing exclusively on symptoms or productivity, our therapists consider the broader context of your life, including your relationships, identity, environment, and personal values.

How can I find a neurodivergent-affirming therapist in Ohio?

Finding a neurodivergent-affirming therapist involves looking for someone who understands your particular neurotype, respects your identity, and has experience supporting the concerns you're bringing to therapy.

At Wild Hope Therapy, our clinicians work within different subspecialties of neurodivergent mental health. Whether you're seeking ADHD-focused support, autism-affirming therapy, or a therapist who understands the interaction between autism and ADHD, we aim to help you connect with someone whose experience aligns with your needs.

We offer virtual therapy throughout Ohio, along with in-person appointments in Columbus and Cleveland.

You deserve mental health care that recognizes who you are, not just the challenges you're experiencing.

Reach out to Wild Hope Therapy to schedule a free, no-pressure 15-minute phone consultation and explore connecting with a therapist who understands your experiences.