Melanie Gruben, Neurodivergent Psychologist (she/her) ♾️🌈

A pale lavender square has dark purple text at the top which reads, Why don't I want sex? Autism and intimacy. A line drawing of a person with long hair wearing a long sleeve shirt and trousers looks to the left whole drawing or writing.

Autistic with low sexual desire? Not sure why? My new blog post has some ideas. Check it out here: melaniegrubentherapy.com/autism-and-i...

#autistic #actuallyautistic #adhd #neurodivergent #asexual

Shameless promotion for a 4-part support group put on by AuDHD therapists Silvia Plaza & Chloe Reynor.

There is a fee per session, but if you would like to buy a scholarship so someone else can attend free, we are so game.

Check out violetpsychology.com for more.

#audhd #autism #adhd #neurospicy

Rob understood the assignment 🙌🏻😀

Well done indeed!! 🥳🥳🥳

Your dread antidote when the global horrors feel too big: think small.

Find a group - if you can't find one, make one. If you can't access groups, go even smaller. Relationships will save us.

A marvellous community group is @neuroprideireland.bsky.social . Follow them for more.

#SpeirGorm

I HAVE HUGE NEWS!!! My debut EP "Pictures Of Us" will be out Friday, November 7th! Working on this project has been such a joy, and I can’t wait to finally share these songs with ye. Thank you to everyone who’s streamed my music so far—it means the absolute world. Please be sure to spread the word!

Image shows a dark purple background and loopy white serif writing which reads "Is self-diagnosis valid?" A cartoon graphic of a health chart shows, it has a purple and beige magnifying glass looking over it. A purple and white neurodiversity symbol sits at the bottom.

Is self-identification valid? The long and short of it is that autistics' ability to intuit our own neurotype is generally strong, but there are pros and cons to both types of identification. More on my blog: melaniegrubentherapy.com/is-self-diag...

#autism #neurodivergence #actuallyautistic

Image is an eggplant coloured background with white text that reads: as long as you are hurting no one, because it feels good is reason enough to do something.

A habit that doesn´t hurt yourself or anyone else is, by definition, a harmless habit.

Feeling good is a good enough reason.

Stim away. 💜

#neurodivergent #neurodivergence #stimming #stims #neurospicy

A white clock graphic sits on a purple background. The numbers of the clock are question marks and neurodiversity symbols. Loopy white font asks, "Can autism get worse in adulthood?"

I hate the wording, but this is what thousands of people are Googling, so this is what I am answering. "Can autism get ´worse´ in adulthood?" Read more on my blog. melaniegrubentherapy.com/can-autism-g... #autism #autistic #actuallyautistic #neurodivergent #disabled

A lavender image reads, "What´s the difference between a panic attack and a meltdown?" a graphic shows a house on fire in purples and blues.

Panic attacks and autistic meltdowns can look very similar. But there are differences in both root causes and support responses. Read more in this article: melaniegrubentherapy.com/panic-attack...

#autism #autistic #neurodivergence #neuroaffirming #neuroaffirmative #neurospicy #actuallyautistic

Damn right.

Is online therapy cheaper than in-person therapy? A purple square grahpic has this text in loopy serif font which is dark purple. An illustration graphic image shows a blue laptop monitor with a grid on it, multicoloured layered line graphs protruding from the screen, and yellow yen coins at its base.

Is online therapy cheaper than in-person therapy? I tackle this in today's new blog.

lnkd.in/eKXyuX_Q
#therapy #neuroaffirming #neurodivergent #onlinetherapy #psychology

A screenshot of a website shows a header banner with a logo that reads "Melanie Gruben Therapy" with a rainbow behind it. Navigation bar items read Home, About Me, FAQ and the rest are cut off. White open dyslexic text on a purple background reads: Seeking a neurodivergent therapist that’s in touch? Melanie is queer and neurodivergent and has been supporting neurodivergent people and their families for many years. Accredited with the Psychological Society of Ireland, Melanie trained in LGBTQ+ counselling with the Trevor Project out of West Hollywood, California. She works with neurodivergent and queer clients in many countries. Melanie provides: Post-Identification Care Exploring Queerness Burnout Counselling Exploring ND Past Youth/Family Support Neurodiversity Training

As part of an effort to make my website more accessible, I changed the body text to the OpenDyslexic font. Long way to go still! You can download the font for free at opendyslexic.org. Website link in bio.

#neurodivergent #neurodivergence #dyslexia #dyslexic

Image shows a blue background with white and blue text which reads, "Many people find it easier to call autism and ADHD identification a fad than to try to grapple with the fact that millions of children have gone without appropriate services and parenting for decades."

A thought for today. ♾️

#autism #adhd #audhd #autistic #disability #neurodivergence

An illustration shows two people in a therapy room. One, the client, holds a Teddy and has toys at their feet. They are talking with a speech bubble that shows a tangly squiggle, indicating messy or stressed thoughts. Text reads, therapy for neurodivergent adults: what to look for and what to watch out for.

Many neurodivergents need a neuroaffirming therapist. But how do you find one? And what should you avoid? Read my new blog to find out.

melaniegrubentherapy.com/therapy-for-...

#autistic #actuallyautistic #audhd #adhd #autie #neurodivergence #disability

Christians follow Jesus & the apostles. There is no mention of homosexuality in the New Testament. If someone is that kind of Christian, it is a choice, or a failure to take a stand among peers - not a doctrine imperitave. Oh, and we're not going anywhere. 🌈 Not away, not back into the shadows. ✊🏻

"Will things ever get better?" Learning hope from desert ecosystems - Melanie Gruben Therapy It's easy to wonder, will things ever get better? But deserts have something to teach us: there is hope, and change is coming.

"Are we doomed?" I think we're not--maybe that's controversial. My new blog expands on this and draws inspiration from desert ecosystems. 🏜

melaniegrubentherapy.com/will-things-...

#neurodivergent #neuroaffirming #leftist #neurospicy #disabled

Two women put their foreheads together intimately. Caption reads, lesbians saying goodbye at the end of their 60 hour first date.

Hey, sometimes we click. 🙄🤣

#queer #lgbtqia #sapphic #lesbian #pride

A sea blue wave with white tips flows onto a beach in an aerial photo. Text on the waves read, Meltdowns are a normal experience for autistics in a neuro-normative world. In the bottom right is the Melanie Gruben Therapy logo, white text over a rainbow arch.

Melted down recently? Yeah, me too. It's not fun, but it's also not a sign that you're broken. Be tender with yourself.

#autism #autistic #autie #audhd #neurodivergent #neurospicy #disability

Do you have low supports needs or do you actually lack huge amounts of support and push your way thru life because that’s how you receive love and protection?

Hey, so happy it was helpful! Some people find "total ownership" takes on psychology really empowering.

For the rest of us, who are already marginalised or targeted due to societal factors, it can feel more like punching us when we are down.

Not all pain is a self-improvement opportunity. 💖

Image shows a CBT flow chart where three circles are depicted in a cycle: circle one is red and says Thoughts Create Feelings, circle two is orange and says Feelings Create Behavior, Circle Three is green and says Behaviour reinforces thoughts. In the middle, a graphic of a white person with brown hair in a ponytail rubs their chin thoughtfully. Their thought bubble shows an infinity sign and a question mark. Text reads CBT & Autism with a melaniegrubentherapy.com URL at the bottom.

Does CBT work for autistics? I tackle this question in my new blog post. melaniegrubentherapy.com/does-cbt-wor...

#autistic #actuallyautistic #neurodivergent #disability #therapy #neuroaffirming #psychology #cbt #audhd

Is therapy even relevant as the world burns under capitalism? My new blog post aims to answer this.

melaniegrubentherapy.com/relevance-th...

#therapy #neurodivergence #anticapitalist #climatecrisis #psychotherapy #neuroaffirmingtherapy

A black and blue pie chart is labelled, where all the cute lesbians you meet on the Internet live. 2% is within road trip distance. 98% reads fucking narnia or some shit.

File this under: therapy resource materials for sapphic clients seeking love

#queer #sapphic #lesbian #lgbtqia+ #lgbtqia #girlkisser

Community will matter most in the times ahead. This doesn't have to be a Shire walkable utopia; this can include your friendships and immediate neighbours. Side note: I think part of the appeal of the Shire is no landlords, enough to eat, slow pace of life. A rural community free of capitalism.

A square images shows a purple starry space background with white text. Text reads:AUTISM & EMPATHY Autistic people are often considered "unempathetic." But there are many different concepts of empathy, and this "unempathetic" notion oversimplifies the autistic experience. Autistic people may not intuitively practice "perspective-taking", or the ability to predict or anticipate what someone from a different perspective is thinking or feeling. Not only can this cognitive skill be learned with practice, intuitive perspective-taking (or guessing) is not required to deeply feel what another is feeling. Needing explanation and context does not make an autistic person empathy-less. End text. In the bottom left, the Melanie Gruben Therapy logo, white text over a rainbow arch, sits over the starry sky.

Autistic people are often labeled "unempathetic" when in reality, we are often so empathic it can feel debilitating. And what is empathy, anyway? Here's a surface-level breakdown.

#autistic #audhd #neurodivergent #neurospicy #autie #autism #therapy #psychology #neuroaffirming #neurodiverse

Text on image reads, neurodivergent people need specific types of rest and recreation to avoid burnout. Your types of R&R are a worthy use of time. Image is a flowery field with a hill in the background. The above text is in brown font. Two sparkle emojis sit below the text on either side of some taller flowers. In the bottom right is a small rainbow arch and blue text reading Melanie Gruben Therapy.

Neurodivergent people need specific types of rest and recreation to avoid burnout. Your types of R&R are a worthy use of time.

#neuroaffirming #neurodivergent #autistic #actuallyautistic #adhd #dyslexia #dyspraxia