Process-Based Pathways to Self-Compassion in Neurodivergent People
Process-Based Pathways to Self-Compassion in Neurodivergent PeopleProcess-Based Pathways to Self-Compassion in Neurodivergent People
Dates and Location of this VIRTUAL 2-Day Workshop:
VIRTUAL LIVE online via Zoom
Recordings will be available through 25 June 2026. We regret that we are unable to provide extended access to any registrant beyond 25 June.
Automated Zoom captioning and automated Zoom translation available.
Friday, 5 June from 9:00 to 13:00 UTC/GMT +2 (Central European Summer Time) - click here to convert to your time zone
Saturday, 6 June from 9:00 to 13:00 UTC/GMT +2 (Central European Summer Time) - click here to convert to your time zone
Contact Hours: 7.5
Workshop Leaders:
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| Jennifer Kemp, MPsych(Clinical) |
Workshop Description:
Living as an Autistic person or ADHDer in a society that does not accept or accommodate your needs leads to powerful, lasting feelings of failure, shame and inadequacy. Over time, stigmatising and ableist attitudes are internalised, resulting in lower levels of self-compassion compared to non-neurodivergent peers, and relentless self-criticism (Beaton, Sirios, & Milne, 2020 & 2022; Cai & Brown, 2021; Howes, Richards, & Galvin, 2021). For many neurodivergent people, the outcomes include significantly worse physical health and psychological well-being, higher rates of self-harm and completed suicide, and shorter life spans.
Self-compassion is associated with improved mental health and well-being, and a greater ability to regulate emotions (Cai, Gibbs, et al., 2022; Willoughby and Evans, 2019). Compassion-focused approaches offer the potential to increase self-acceptance and improve quality of life. However, to be effective, therapy must be grounded in an understanding of social and neurobiological contexts and target the essential skills that underpin and enable self-compassion.
This intermediate-level workshop will apply a process-based approach to providing effective, affirming therapy for neurodivergent people.
Participants will explore four key processes that neurodivergent people often find challenging yet are essential to self-compassion and self-acceptance. (Incidentally, these are also domains that are rarely addressed in professional training and where therapists can feel particularly stuck.)
These four processes are:
1. Interoceptive awareness of one’s own needs
2. Emotional awareness in alexithymia
3. Intentional self-soothing through the senses
4. Strengths-based approaches to executive functioning
Over 7.5 hours of interactive and engaging activities, participants will learn how to help their clients transform harsh self-criticism, self-stigma, and internalised ableism into psychological and emotional well-being, by facilitating practical self-compassion, radical self-acceptance, and pride in their neurodivergent identity. Participants' learning will be supported with a wide range of resources, including e-books, client handouts and worksheets.
About the Workshop Leaders:
- Jennifer Kemp, MPsych(Clinical)
Jennifer Kemp
BSc(Psych)Hons, MPsych(Clinical), GradDipApplSc(Psychology of Coaching), MAPS, FCCLP
Adjunct Lecturer, School of Psychology, University of AdelaideJennifer Kemp is a privately practising clinical psychologist in Adelaide, Australia. Her neurodiversity-affirming approach is founded on her own experience of being late-diagnosed with Autism and ADHD and the latest research. Jennifer listens deeply to the experiences of her neurodivergent clients, acknowledging the unique perspectives and strengths of people with intersectional and neurobiological differences.
In her therapeutic practice and when training other therapists, Jennifer uses acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) with compassion-focused approaches to help her clients improve their mental health and develop greater self-acceptance, self-compassion, and pride in their neurodivergent identity.
Jennifer is the co-author of The Neurodivergent Skills Workbook for Autism and ADHD: Cultivate Self-Compassion, Live Authentically, and Be Your Own Advocate and author of The ACT Workbook for Perfectionism: Build Your Best (Imperfect) Life Using Powerful Acceptance & Commitment Therapy and Self-Compassion Skills.
Following this workshop participants will be able to:
- Identify and explore internalised ableism, social stigma, and the neurobiological and social contexts that contribute to chronic shame and self-criticism with Autistic and ADHD clients.
- Apply a process-based approach to identify gaps in knowledge, skills, and/or understanding and improve well-being with neurodivergent clients.
- Implement practical therapeutic strategies to enhance interoceptive awareness of physical, emotional, and sensory needs.
- Provide targeted interventions to build emotional awareness in clients with alexithymia, facilitating more accurate identification and labelling of emotional states.
- Develop intentional sensory self-regulation strategies to support self-soothing and emotion regulation and replace unhelpful patterns.
- Implement approaches that support executive functioning by harnessing strengths and making practical, self-compassionate choices.
- Integrate principles of compassion-focused therapy (CFT) with the social model of disability to foster radical self-acceptance and neurodivergent pride.
- Utilise the provided clinical resources, including e-books, client handouts and worksheets, to immediately implement these strategies in their ongoing clinical practice.
Target audience: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Clinical
Components: Conceptual analysis, Literature review, Experiential exercises, Didactic presentation, Case presentation, Role play
Topic Areas: Clinical, Theoretical and philosophical foundations
Package Includes: A general certificate of attendance
CE Credit Hours Available (7.5 hours): CEs for psychologists
CEs are not available for recorded viewing.