The Mindfully Divergent coaching approach was created to support neurodivergent adults in mindfully designing their lives around their needs, styles, and values. Although there is a strong focus on Autism, the approach is inclusive to all adults who have highly responsive and sensitive nervous systems. Overall, this approach provides education on neurodivergence, focuses on the development of awareness, acceptance, and mindfulness skill sets, and supports the reader in understanding the interplay between their environments, thoughts, and behaviors.

The Mindfully Divergent coaching approach is founded in contextual behavioral science and encapsulated by the following:

• Increasing self-awareness as the foundation. This is done through (1) psychoeducation and (2) developing mindfulness skill sets.

  • Understanding deeply what it means to have a divergent nervous system supports us in identifying how our own individual systems are operating. With this understanding and concurrent strengthening of mindfulness skill sets, we develop better awareness of our internal states, the patterns in our behaviors associated with these internal experiences, and the contexts (environmental conditions) that surround these behaviors.

• As we build this awareness, we can grow in acceptance for who we innately are and how we are navigating our circumstances. With acceptance comes more openness.

  • The openness supports us in finding the most skillful coping strategies, implementing needed accommodations, and making choices that help us expand our access to the things/experiences/relationships we most value, creating a direct impact on our well-being as neurodivergent people.