Here are answers to the most common questions about my Neurodiscovery Analysis offer. If you have more questions, you can always book a free thoughtful consultation with me.
I have found that people who are wondering “could I be neurodivergent?” usually are. The very fact that you are asking this question isn’t a sign per se, but I would say it is a curiosity worth following. Whether you have been going down a research rabbit hole for months, asking: “Do I have a right to claim I am neurodivergent? Am I neurodivergent enough for it to count?” or you have just stumbled across this possibility and feel intrigued (or worried) – this is the right place for you. Come talk to me, and we will figure it out.
Mental health is often about finding what is going on as much as it is about ruling out all the diagnosis and labels that are irrelevant to you.
Either you will find out that you are neurodivergent, which is life-changing for most people. Or you will find out that this is an area you can safely ignore. If your test results + our discussion quickly show that you are not neurodivergent, we will shift it over into a general mental health assessment where I will give you some pointers of other diagnosis or labels that might explain what’s going on for you.
You will leave with more clarity and self-knowledge no matter what we find.
You purchase your assessment here. You book your 2-hour analysis session, then find the screening tests in your inbox. You fill them out – there will be guidance on how to get the most accurate results and deal with “am I answering this wrong?” uncertainty. After your tests, you’ll be taken to a results page that shows you your scores. There is also an explanation of what I generally see these scores mean in my practice.
You can pre-submit any questions you have via a form up to 24 hours before our analysis session.
We have our session. You leave with clarity and will know whether or not it’s fair to think you have ADHD, are Autistic, or both (AuDHD).
For 30-days after your session, you will have access to a support ticket form where you can submit any questions that come up to me. You’ll get written or audio answers back.
If you want more in-depth support, you can choose to do integration sessions together to make sense of this new self-knowledge and take practical steps to reflect them in your life.
I am a neuro-affirming psychologist, but I am also a neurodivergent human myself (AuDHD). I found out late in life too. I was so frustrated with how hard it is to be taken seriously by other professionals in the mental health field – and I know how hard it can be to sift through loads of content on the internet, not knowing if it is accurate or applies to you.
I have designed this process to be everything I wish I had when I found out about my neurodiversity: Trustworthy information, clear explanations, someone matching up my experience with the diagnostic criteria. No gaslighting. No invalidation. No bloated, confusing assessment process that you have get yourself on a waitlist for.
Your therapist might not know that ADHD or Autism can look like you. Which does not make them a bad therapist – if you enjoy working with them, amazing!
But most therapists are not trained in neurdiversity, and especially not in what that looks like in high-achieving, high-masking, high-functioning adults.
Some therapists believe that if you wear lipstick, for example, you couldn’t possibly be Autistic – because Autistic people only care about comfort, not aesthetics, right? So wrong.
There is a lot of outdated information floating around in mental health circles to this day. Some of it is steeped in stigma, too.
I trust that your therapist is great, but neurodiversity is not a part of the standard curriculum of psychologist and therapy trainings around the world.
You always want to go to a practitioner who is a) neuro-affirming and b) is ideally neurodivergent too and therefore has the inside scoop on what neurodiversity feels like. I am both of those things.
No. I am not diagnosing you at the end. I am going through a diagnositc process with you, yes – but I will just be giving you my professional opinion at the end. If you want a formal diagnosis that is recognized by your health insurance and employer, the process for that varies country to country.
What they all have in common is long waitlists, typically more than a year. The medical systems haven’t adjusted yet to adults walking around undiagnosed, and seeking diagnosis later in life. As a result, a lot of neurodivergent people experience medical gaslighting, don’t feel taken seriously, or they drown in the beurocracy and paperwork that is needed to go through formal diagnosis.
If it matters to you to know now, I would highly recommend working with me :) It also increases your chances to be rightfully diagnosed when you understand and can talk about your neurodiversity better – unfortunately, we often have to armor up with psychological jargon (executive dysfunction, stimming, echolalia, special interests, repetitive motor movents, …) to be heard in a medical setting.
I will explain everything to you in plain English and point you to trustworthy, neuro-affirming resources where can get the psychoeducation you need to explain your lived experience in words your diagnosing doctor or psychologist will understand.
Historically, Autism and ADHD were seen as developmental disorders. They come with a lot of stigma, even in mental health and medical spaces. For example, I don’t always out myself as being neurodivergent with my colleagues, because there is a chance I won’t be believed (I’m too “high-functioning” and “high-masking”) or because they might not take anything I say seriously after learning about my neurotype. A common response you might get from non-professionals when you come out is: “I’m so sorry to hear that” as if you were sick. You aren’t. You’re neurodivergent.
The good news is that there is a subgroup of professionals who are neuro-affirming. This is a movement where we say: Neurodiversity is a difference, a neurotype, and it is a good thing. It’s not something to pity us for. We focus on the strengths and the circumstances that can make being neurodivergent in a neurotypical world disabling.
When a practiconer says they are neuro-affirming, I know they are safe to talk to. They will take you seriously and have a deeper understanding of the neurodivergent experience – rather than seeing it as a limiting deficit you carry.
If you live in a country with a functioning health-care system like the UK or Germany, then diagnosis will be free, just slow due to high demand.
If you live in the US, assessment costs vary greatly – as a rule of thumb in any country, getting an ADHD diagnosis is usually faster and less involved than getting an Autism diagnosis. A formal autism diagnosis can easily cost $3000 depending on your state and provider.
Keep in mind that there can be severe downsides to having a diagnosis like ADHD or especially Autism in your health records. Due to stigma, we are excluded from certain professions entirely. If you think there is a chance you might be a refugee or immigrant one day, countries like Canada and the UK have refused entry to Autistic people in the past.
What matters is that you know who you are and what you need to build a thriving life for yourself. A formal diagnosis can be useful on a case-by-case basis, but it is important to understand your medical system and laws before you opt to go through with it.
You can submit your question here and Iris will get back to you.
If you would feel better if we could chat this through before you go for your neurodiscovery assessment, that’s not a problem at all.
I invite you to a thoughtful hour where I can give you a first gauge on whether or not it is worth looking into neurodiversity screenings for you.
