Psychosocial intervention is an essential support service for people facing various challenges in their daily lives. As part of our specific approach, we recognize and value the different ways the human brain works. This attentive gaze makes it possible to offer adapted support to neurodivergent people.
What is psychosocial intervention?
Psychosocial intervention is a process of accompaniment and support intervention that considers the individual, considering both the psychological and social aspects of one’s situation. It aims to support people in their daily difficulties, to strengthen their autonomy and to promote their strengths and contributions within society.
Psychosocial intervention is not psychotherapy
It is fundamental to understand that our psychosocial intervention does not constitute psychotherapy. Although these two approaches share some characteristics, they differ essentially in their objectives and methods:
- Focus and objectives :
- Psychotherapy is a psychological treatment[1] and aims to provide structural changes related to the individual’s psychic process and overall functioning.
- Our psychosocial intervention focuses on improving daily life through skill building, developing practical strategies and provides support while the individual adapts to their environment or through difficult situations and life transitions. Emotional support is also provided throughout.
- Approach :
- Psychotherapy is oriented towards the treatment of specific psychological disorders
- Our psychosocial intervention adopts a neurodiversity lense, where neurological differences are seen as natural variations rather than pathologies to be treated
Our Neurodiversity-Centric Approach
Our psychosocial intervention service pays particular attention to the cognitive functioning of each individual and is distinguished by the value it assigns to neurodivergent people including their unique strengths. This perspective considers autism, ADHD, dyslexia, High Potential Intellectual, and other neurological peculiarities as natural and valuable variations in human brain functioning.
Fundamentals of our approach:
- Recognition and validation: We recognize neurological peculiarities as legitimate differences rather than deficits, and validate the lived experiences of neurodivergent individuals
- Strengths Perspective: We identify and value the unique strengths associated with each neurological profile, while providing strategies to navigate the more challenging aspects
- Sensitive to traumatic experiences: We respect the individual’s rhythm and pace and are intentional in increasing our awareness and education related to the experience and impacts of trauma.
- Environmental adaptations: We work to adapt the environment to better meet the needs of neurodivergent people, rather than requiring them to adapt to unsuitable environments
- Sensory understanding: We pay particular attention to the sensory aspects often present in neurodiversity (hypersensitivities, hypersensitivities, search for stimulations)
- Self-advocacy and self-advocacy: We encourage the development of self-advocacy skills and support people in their authentic life choices
- Empowerment: We focus on developing skills and abilities to empower the individual, family, organization or business and its employees
The intervention process
Our psychosocial intervention process typically follows these steps:
- Initial Exploration: An in-depth discussion to understand the person’s unique neurological profile, strengths, challenges, and personal goals
- Needs analysis: Identification of areas where support would be beneficial (daily living, employment, education, family, relationships, etc.)
- Collaborative development of a support plan: Co-development of strategies considering the specific neurological profile and specific needs
- Implementation and coaching: Practical support in the application of strategies and skills
- Ongoing support: Regular review and adjustment of approaches based on feedback
The benefits of our approach
Psychosocial intervention focused on neurodiversity offers many benefits:
- Thorough understanding of self or family members
- Self-acceptance
- Development of a positive identity based on the recognition of one’s strengths
- Reduced camouflage and exhaustion associated with masking
- Improvement of quality of life through changes to one’s environment
- Development of effective and sustainable compensatory strategies
- Strengthening self-esteem and sense of belonging
- Prevention of secondary difficulties such as anxiety and depression
- Building an authentic life aligned with one’s neurological needs
When to access our services?
Our psychosocial intervention can be particularly beneficial in these situations:
- After a recent diagnosis of a neurodevelopmental condition
- During important transitions (change of school, parenthood, separation, etc.)
- Facing difficulties in certain environments (work, studies, family, social, etc.)
- To better understand how to work with your neurological functioning instead of against it
- To learn how to manage sensory and cognitive particularities
- To develop simple and positive strategies for everyday life
- To navigate relationships and social events
- To support neurodivergent parenting
- To access emotional support through various life challenges or transitions
Our commitment to an ethical approach
Our psychosocial intervention practice adheres to rigorous ethical principles:
- Absolute respect for neurodiversity as natural human variation
- Rejection of approaches aimed at forced normalization or removal of neurodivergent traits
- Recognition of individuals’ expertise regarding their own experience
- Continuous adaptation of our practices based on feedback from the neurodivergent community
- Continuing education on the latest advances in the understanding of neurodiversity
- Collaboration with other professionals
- Ongoing learnings from best practices, experts and including neurodivergent people and communities
Conclusion
Neurodiversity-focused psychosocial intervention offers individualized support that recognizes and values different ways of functioning, thinking, and perceiving the world. Clearly different from psychotherapy, this approach offers concrete, practical and adapted support to neurodivergent people in everyday life.
Our service is part of a vision of a more inclusive society, where neurological diversity is seen as an asset rather than a problem to be solved. By helping people develop strategies that correspond to their functioning and respect their values, we focus on the success of the individual and we contribute to creating a world where everyone can fully develop by being authentically themselves.
Louanne Desbiens, Founder of Atypical Services LD / www.servicesatypiques.ca
[1] Order of Psychologists of Quebec
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