Aug 6, 2026 · 28 min · 8 segments
In this episode, Beth Silcox and Rebecca Homewood (who are both specialists in neurodivergent affirming practice) talk about what genuinely helpful therapy looks like for PDA adults, why traditional…
Rebecca HomewoodGuest
Beth SilcoxGuestRachelHostSo the first question, Beth, I'll, I'll ask, um, this one to you.
Many therapists describe themselves as neurodiversity friendly, but what does genuine neuro-affirming practice look like in the therapy room for someone with a PDA profile?
So I think neuro-affirming practice is more than someone being kind and understanding to PDA or neurodiversity.
It's some- it's a counselor who's willing to make the changes for the client and not, um, for their own, um, needs or agenda, and it's about finding someone who ... finding a, a counselor who really has that background.
There's many ways that you can say that you're neuro-affirming or you understand it.
It could be a two-hour CBD, or someone like me and Bex who's got years of experience and a wealth of, kind of, knowledge that can really make a difference for a client that comes in.
Mm, yeah.
So it is, is recognizing those subtle differences that, that work for that client.
One fit, um, one practice won't fit all, and what me and Bex do is really work with the client to work out what they need.
I think that's a difference I can really see through someone who may have done some training, which is brilliant, and someone who really understands it, is there, there's not one size that fits all.
So it's about really understanding that client, finding out before we start what that client needs to make sure that we can provide what they need as well, and really keeping the client as a focus.
Okay, brilliant.
So Rebecca, then, why might traditional therapeutic approaches sometimes feel difficult or unsafe or counterproductive for PDA adults?
Well, I think it's a really good question, and I think it's very much to do with the hidden demands of a lot of therapy in terms of the fact that, you know, from the very basics of, um, we're expecting the client to turn up at a particular time.
Mm
... emotionally about some really, sort of, difficult challenges and difficulties, and a lot of that can indirectly affect the threat response that an individual feels.
Um, and I think if a therapist isn't really understanding of PDA and what that actually means, they can inadvertently cause a lot of, um, a lot of threat, a lot of feelings of threat-
Mm
... open up a lot of very, sort of, challenging and upsetting feelings that the person might have been told about themselves in the past.
So the first question, Beth, I'll, I'll ask, um, this one to you.
Many therapists describe themselves as neurodiversity friendly, but what does genuine neuro-affirming practice look like in the therapy room for someone with a PDA profile?
So I think neuro-affirming practice is more than someone being kind and understanding to PDA or neurodiversity.
It's some- it's a counselor who's willing to make the changes for the client and not, um, for their own, um, needs or agenda, and it's about finding someone who ... finding a, a counselor who really has that background.
There's many ways that you can say that you're neuro-affirming or you understand it.
It could be a two-hour CBD, or someone like me and Bex who's got years of experience and a wealth of, kind of, knowledge that can really make a difference for a client that comes in.
Mm, yeah.
So it is, is recognizing those subtle differences that, that work for that client.
One fit, um, one practice won't fit all, and what me and Bex do is really work with the client to work out what they need.
I think that's a difference I can really see through someone who may have done some training, which is brilliant, and someone who really understands it, is there, there's not one size that fits all.
So it's about really understanding that client, finding out before we start what that client needs to make sure that we can provide what they need as well, and really keeping the client as a focus.
Okay, brilliant.
So Rebecca, then, why might traditional therapeutic approaches sometimes feel difficult or unsafe or counterproductive for PDA adults?
Well, I think it's a really good question, and I think it's very much to do with the hidden demands of a lot of therapy in terms of the fact that, you know, from the very basics of, um, we're expecting the client to turn up at a particular time.
Mm
... emotionally about some really, sort of, difficult challenges and difficulties, and a lot of that can indirectly affect the threat response that an individual feels.
Um, and I think if a therapist isn't really understanding of PDA and what that actually means, they can inadvertently cause a lot of, um, a lot of threat, a lot of feelings of threat-
Mm
... open up a lot of very, sort of, challenging and upsetting feelings that the person might have been told about themselves in the past.
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