training & events about neurodiversity


Curious Cryptid Learning

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Dear Reader,

Whether you've been here a while or you're here because you just learned How To Be a Neurodiversity Affirming Play Therapist, I'm excited to send a quick update on offerings to you today!

The fires here in Washington have kicked up some new health challenges for me, so I'm trying to lay low and stay indoors until things clear up. Some areas- like Spokane- have been absolutely devastated (over 800 homes and buildings lost) and I encourage you to help if you're able. Play, Heal, Grow: Disaster Relief Project is putting together therapeutic kits for youth who experienced these fires and could use donations.

Outside of that, I've been enjoying clinical work, supervising awesome Associates, and focusing on planning the upcoming FAT! virtual summit with Sabrina and Jamie (more info below in the October section.) The VIP goody bag is coming together and our esteemed keynote speaker is officially squared away, presentations are nearly finalized, amazing presenters are secured ... it's going to be a blast!

Happy fat liberation month, by the way!

If you're a reader: Dr. Nick Walker invited me to co-author a chapter on sexuality & autistic clients with the lovely Dr. Amy Pearson for this textbook - and it's now ready for pre-order:

Amy and I worked really hard to give a solid foundational chapter for folks new to this work. And collaboration is so important for my own work motivation and joy - and burnout prevention. Projects with others helps break up my client-facing routine, which can be really nice. If you want some ideas for connecting with others, read on!

Keep reading for free & paid learning opportunities and free resources!

Free Resources

โค๏ธโ€๐Ÿฉน Laura Tewel, LMFT, in Washington has put together this handout for individuals who experienced the terrible fires in Spokane - but it's useful for anyone who is struggling with complex fire trauma.

๐Ÿ… Snag the Ethical Decision-Making Model image from my Ethics in Professional Roles & Boundaries for Play Therapists training with Rosie Newman in case you come up against something tough this week and need a step-by-step reminder.

๐ŸŽค Aces Up Your Sleeve is a podcast centering autistic, ADHD, and asexuality-spectrum lived experience (among other identities!) Sabrina and I host it and answer listener questions - sometimes with great guests. (Check out the "tags" to skim topics we cover to see what's useful for you or your clients.) We recently discussed What is Gray Ace? Autism, Blackness & Asexuality with the fantastic Lici Rodgers!

๐Ÿง  If you haven't read the article I co-authored, check it out while it's still open access and free! Sensory-processing informed autism practice for child-centred therapists is a very thorough article written by primarily autistic folks. (And you might already be familiar with co-authors Dee Ray and Kelly Mahler!) @joyfulrootsot also covered it on IG if you prefer to hear/watch summaries!

Upcoming Virtual Events: Free & Paid

August Schedule

๐Ÿช„ DIVERGE: Wired to Disrupt!โ€‹

Monday 8/24 through Fri 9/4 - free! or paid VIP bundle $97

Iโ€™m one of 23+ neurodivergent entrepreneurs speaking at DIVERGE! It's a free virtual summit for neurodivergent entrepreneurs, visionaries, thought leaders, and creatives. (Many of us are also therapists.) It's self-paced with captions and transcripts included; no live attendance required. My session with Sabrina is all about collaboration: Two wildly different neurotypes running a business together. Talking about what actually makes a neurodivergent partnership work, long-distance and otherwise. We also have provided two guidebooks for collab projects as part of the VIP bundle!

September Schedule

๐Ÿ’ก The Fundamentals of Fatphobia & Healthism for Therapists

Saturday 9/12 at 10am Pacific (1pm Eastern) - free!

Sabrina Longley, LCSW, and I are going to be talking all about fatness, especially in regards to the impact fatphobia and healthism has on neurodivergent clients. This is a 90 minute hybrid event! We'll be recording an episode of Aces Up Your Sleeve for the first 30-45 minutes and answering listener questions- so you'll get real examples of how we talk to clients and others about this stuff- and then opening the floor to attendees to chat about causes, impacts, etc.

๐Ÿณ๏ธโ€๐ŸŒˆ Body Doubling (for LGBTQIA+ & ND Affirming Play Therapists)

Wednesday 9/16 at 10am Pacific (1pm Eastern) - free!

An informal gathering to work on whatever projects we've all been putting off or need some extra support on. Usually a small group, a mix of chatting and silence - a pretty nice time! (Zoom info in the FB group.)

October Schedule

๐Ÿ’Ž GEMS Neurodiversity Summit: FAT! (hosted by NeuroPebble)

Monday 10/26 at 10am Pacific (1pm Eastern) - Early bird sale! $67/147

We're planning a very cool 2nd summit for GEMS! This one is all about neurodiversity & fat liberation. Collage, Stigma, and Eating Disorders will all be covered. I'll be participating in the social luncheon and am a panelist at the VIP-only event. General admission is 10am - 2:40pm, VIP admission is 10am - 3:50pm Pacific. (The VIP goody bag is still growing and full of fantastic offerings from fat therapists!)

November Schedule

โ„๏ธ FAT! Holidays Group Case Consultation

Monday 11/9 at 10am Pacific (1pm Eastern) - $100

Come discuss client needs with Sabrina Longley, LCSW, and me! The holidays will roll up on us quickly, so we're hosting this early in November to help prepare folks for working with clients around diet culture, family boundaries, and more. Sign up now to know you'll be covered this winter! (If you purchase a GEMS ND Summit: FAT! VIP ticket for Oct, you'll be getting free admission to this!)

๐Ÿ’ซ Aspec, Autism & Kink: Supporting Therapy Clients (at DSI)

Friday 11/13 at 3:15pm Pacific (6:15pm Eastern) - pay what you can

I'm presenting with Heidi Neilson, LMFTA, at an all-day virtual conference called Do Something Identity(ies), where all of the presenters have both lived and clinical experience! We'll be talking about working with clients who are autistic, kinky, and on the asexuality spectrum. You'll leave with a handout of resources and a way to create a plan for continued learning! (Our session is 1 hour within the full day.)

๐Ÿ’ž Supporting Autistic & ADHD Therapists and Interns (hosted by NeuroPebble)

Thursday 11/19 at 10am Pacific (1pm Eastern) - $150/105

Led by a panel of three experienced supervisors and a newly licensed therapist- each with lived experience as autistic or AuDHD supervisees themselves- this session will explore practical skills and theoretical frameworks that enhance the supervisory process. Questions encouraged!

December Schedule

โ›„๏ธ Neurodivergent Youth: Winter Group Case Consultation

Monday 12/7 at 10am Pacific (1pm Eastern) - $67

Spend an hour with Sabrina Longley, LCSW, and me! We are prepared to talk about how to support youth during winter break and the holidays (especially around fatness, neurodivergence, and family dynamics), but we're also open to any more general case consultation questions you've got about working with neurodivergent youth! A mix of lived experience in the room, such as: white, queer, trans, autistic, ADHD, fat, disabled, and Black, autistic, ADHD, BPD, a-spec, cis, disabled.

๐Ÿ”ฅ Kink, Trust and Pixie Dust: Playful Healing for the Inner Child

Monday 12/7 at 11:30am Pacific (2:30pm Eastern) - $57

Interested in a beginner's course about how kink can support healing for the inner child? Mark your calendars for two hours on Dec 7th! We're still figuring out which continuing ed credits we want to offer, so we're not selling tickets quite yet, but more details will come soon! (If you want the self-paced 1.5 hr version with both NBCC and AASECT continuing education credits, we've got that ready here!)

๐Ÿค Collaborative Project Brainstormโ€‹

Monday 12/7 at 2pm Pacific (3pm Eastern) - $27

Sabrina and I are going to be talking about building collaborative business projects and relationships for neurodivergent entrepreneurs! Your attendance to this 1 hour webinar will also get you 2 PDFs: one blueprint for partnered projects, one workbook about values and collabs in general. You'll be squared away to start collaborating on projects for the new year! If you see us at DIVERGE this month, you'll already have access to the PDFs and you'll be ready to ask questions and brainstorm! (Great for folks wanting to branch out from their therapy practice.)

Want to see all of the courses?

Looking for other Curious Cryptids?

Last time I shared about the two groups I admin (for new folks, that's GEMS Neurodiversity Community and LGBTQIA+ & ND Affirming Play Therapists on Facebook.) This time, you might want to branch out to following me over on Instagram! (Or on Facebook.) Some of my recent posts are about working with ADHD & autistic youth, supporting fat youth, cool events, and a healthy helping of clips from the podcast. I've got some book reviews in the works currently!

I hope the rest of your August goes well!

Chat with you next month,

Dr. Kade Sharp

1201 Jadwin Ave. Ste. 104, Richland, WA 99352
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Interested in receiving Mothmail to hear about upcoming events, training opportunities, therapy tools, discounts, and more? You're at the right place! Curated by Dr. Kade Sharp, you can expect anywhere from 1-4 emails a month with a lot of valuable info inside!

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