Neurodiversity-Affirming Therapy in Toronto & Across Ontario
What is Neurodiversity-Affirming Therapy?
Neurodiversity-affirming therapy treats neurological differences, including ADHD, autism, and other forms of neurodivergence, as natural variation, not disorder. It's not about training you to appear more "typical." It's about understanding how your specific brain processes emotion, stress, and connection, and building support around that.
In practice, this looks like: therapy that doesn't ask you to mask; language that describes your experience instead of pathologizing it; and strategies built around your actual executive functioning, sensory needs, and communication style, not a generic template. This approach tends to help neurodivergent adults and teens who feel unseen in traditional talk therapy, adults newly identifying as ADHD or autistic and re-processing years of self-blame, and anyone whose anxiety, low mood, or burnout is tangled up with years of masking.
Is this type of therapy for me?
If you're autistic, have ADHD, or are still figuring out how your brain works, you've probably had at least one experience where a "helping professional" made you feel like the problem. At Elements Therapy Group, neurodiversity-affirming therapy means we start from the assumption that your brain isn't broken, it's wired differently, and therapy should work with that, not try to smooth it out. We offer neurodiversity-affirming therapy in-person at our Toronto office or virtually anywhere in Ontario.
We Know What It's Like to Be "Too Much" in the Wrong Room
Maybe you've sat across from a therapist who talked about "coping skills" that assumed a brain that doesn't work like yours. Maybe you left sessions more exhausted than when you walked in, from the effort of translating yourself into something more palatable. Maybe you're only now, as an adult, starting to understand that ADHD or autism has been shaping your life all along, and you're looking for someone who won't treat that discovery as a diagnosis to manage, but as information that finally makes sense of things.
That exhaustion has a name, and it's not a character flaw. There's a different way to do this.
How We Work With You
Elements Therapy Group is co-led by Loreana La Civita, MPsy., R.P., and Samantha Szirmak, MPsy., R.P., both Registered
Psychotherapists.
Loreana's clinical focus includes ADHD and neurodivergent-affirming care alongside complex trauma and disordered eating; roughly half of her current caseload involves neurodivergence, often adults diagnosed later in life.
She draws on integrative approaches (CBT, DBT, emotion-focused, and psychodynamic work), adapted rather than applied as-is, because a neurodivergent nervous system doesn't always respond to therapy the way the textbook assumes.
This isn't a large, rotating-roster clinic. You'll know exactly who you're working with, and that consistency matters especially if you've had therapists disappear on you before.
What to Expect
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Free 15-minute consultation. A low-stakes conversation to see if it's a fit, for you and for us.
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A collaborative first session. We talk through what's brought you here, what's worked or hasn't, and what you actually want out of therapy. No assumptions about what a neurodivergent client "should" want.
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Ongoing sessions shaped around you. In-person at our Eglinton Avenue office in Toronto, or virtually anywhere in Ontario, at a pace and structure that fits your brain.
What Changes
Clients who work with us on neurodivergent-affirming therapy often describe a shift from constantly explaining or defending themselves to simply being understood. Common outcomes include: less energy spent masking in daily life; language and self-understanding that replaces years of "what's wrong with me"; and practical tools for executive functioning and emotional regulation that actually fit how you think, not a generic checklist.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a formal diagnosis to start neurodiversity-affirming therapy?
No. Many clients come in self-identifying, exploring a possible diagnosis, or already formally diagnosed. We work with wherever you're starting from.
Do I need a referral to see a psychotherapist in Ontario?
No. Registered Psychotherapists can be booked directly, and sessions are typically covered by most extended health and workplace benefit plans.
Is this only for adults, or do you see teens too?
We work with both adults and adolescents (14+) navigating ADHD, autism, and related executive functioning or identity concerns.
What if I've had a bad experience with therapy before?
That's common, and it's useful information. Tell us what didn't work, and we'll build around it rather than repeating it.
Let’s Work Together
Get in touch so we can start working together.
