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Resources

Useful information designed to help you on your journey


Support Suggestions - What You Might Like to Learn About You

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There is a lot of great information out there from credible sources. To help you get started, here are some resources on common neurodivergent traits and issues. Many of these sites will be great places for you to explore so treat them as a place to start.

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  • Neuroaffirming Language Shifts: You may have heard Autism referred to in various ways that are in line with the medical model (these being Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Autism Spectrum Condition, being "on the spectrum", or having ASD). These come from the DSM which is the medical manual used to diagnose various 'problems' that people have, including neurodivergence, which historically has been viewed as something that needs to be fixed or changed (which is not true). Autistics generally prefer first person language as our neurotype is not considered a "disorder" or "condition" but rather is a brain difference. For these reasons, it is preferred to use the term Autistic or Autism and to help others understand why the other terms are often stigmatising and invalidating to the Autistic community. See here for more details: Neurodiversity Sensitive Language

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  • Dual Profiles of Neurodivergence: Research shows up to 60-70% of individuals meet the criteria for both Autism and ADHD (AuDHD pronounced Au-dee-HD). Whilst historically a person could only receive a diagnosis for one or the other (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5th edition, 2013) now it is understood that co-occurrence of these neurotypes is far more likely. Learning about both sides of your neurotype allows for greater acceptance, self-compassion, adjustments, and wellbeing. See here for more information: AuDHD Profile

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  • Understanding the Neurodivergent Nervous System: A neurodivergent brain experiences a heightened response to information (e.g., Edmiston et al; Patriquin, 2019), which can produce a greater attention to certain aspects of the environment. This can lead to frequent stress responses: such as flight (felt as wanting to get away, withdrawing), fight (feeling cross/angry), or freeze (dissociated, distracted head/hard to think, shutdown). Understanding the benefit and challenges of how your mind works will allow the development of strategies to minimise and or manage the occurrence of the overload. See here for more information: The Autistic and ADHD Nervous System - Dr Megan Neff

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  • Executive Function Issues: It is common for neurodivergent people to experience a range of difficulties with aspects of executive functioning (e.g., difficulties around attention, organisation, focus, working memory, problem-solving, planning, reasoning, initiation, transitioning, cognitive flexibility), which will differ between individuals. Learning about these and working on supports with a psychologist and occupational therapist will be helpful and increase self-organisation, prioritisation of tasks, setting and achieving goals, and solving daily problems. See here for information on executive functions: Executive functioning problems in adults

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  • Monotropism: Autistics (and to some degree ADHDers) experience a narrower and deeper orientation towards their interests, which is called monotropism, which leads to tendencies to focus intensely on something or have no interest in it at all. Whilst a monotropic orientation often results in in-depth knowledge and skill in areas of interest, it can make completing mundane tasks (e.g., administration, housework, paperwork) extremely challenging. See here for more information: What is Monotropism?

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  • Sensory sensitivities: Increased sensitivity to sensory input, such as loud or repetitive noises, bright lights, being around too many people, strong smells, and sensations on the skin can be experienced by Autistics as painful, exhausting, and overwhelming. Sensory overwhelm can lead to emotional dysregulation (e.g., meltdowns, shutdowns), exhaustion (e.g., battery drained, increased burnout symptoms), and can interfere significantly with daily activities and community engagement (e.g., going to the shops, cafes, place of work, attending events, being social). See here for more information: Sensory Issues in Adults

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  • Difficulty with Labelling and Regulating Emotions: Neurodivergent people often find it difficult to identify, describe, and label emotions, which can lead to frequent difficulties with regulation (e.g., overwhelm, burnout, low motivation, meltdowns, shutdowns). Learning how to work in this area will be something you do with your psychologist. See here for more information: The Tale of Emotional Dysregulation and a Meltdown

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  • Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD): Many neurodivergent people experience RSD in their interactions with others due to experiencing things in childhood and adulthood like bullying and rejection due to their difference. If you suffer from RSD, it will be important to discuss this with your psychologist. See here for more information: Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria in ADHD and Autism

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  • Social Anxiety: It is common for Autistics to experience anxiety in social situations due to not intuitively understanding neuronormative social expectations. Whilst a person can gain this knowledge over time and in a trial-and-error manner, it does not always generalise to other experiences, can exacerbate masking practices, often leads to exhaustion, and can turn into social anxiety over time due to poor experiences. Discovering your innate social needs, wants, and desires and learning to say yes/no will be pivotal to creating social situations that suit your neurotype. See here for more information: Social Anxiety vs Autism - Dr Megan Neff

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  • Camouflaging Behaviours: It is common for neurodivergent people to 'hide' who they are by engaging in camouflaging behaviours, such as masking, compensating, and assimilating. These behaviours can start at a young age and lead to ingrained and unconscious behaviours that are not only personally damaging due to the message it sends back to the self, but are also exhausting. Part of accepting your neurodivergent identity is to work with health professionals to reduce these behaviours, which will lead to an increase in self-acceptance, self-compassion, and wellbeing. Remember: be patient! These behaviours are protective and there for a reason, so it may feel slow (and sometimes hard) to reduce them. See here for more information: Masking Effects

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  • Ableism and Intersectionality: Neurodivergent people are in the minority as a cohort and are exposed to Minority Stress due to 'othering' and discrimination for their physical, intellectual, and/or psychiatric disabilities. They are frequently (sometimes on a daily basis) exposed to ableist beliefs and practices, which are particularly pervasive in society and rest on the assumption that disabled people need to be "fixed" and be "like everyone else". Experiences of discrimination and ableism can also be further worsened by intersectionality, which is being the member of several minority groups that 'intersect', such as race, gender, sexual orientation, wealth, education level, appearance, and health. The more groups you belong to, the higher risk of vulnerability in society. Neurodivergent people are significantly more likely to identify as gender diverse and non-heterosexual and they largely do not conform to social rules and expectations making them a vulnerable community. Exploring ableism and intersectionality relevant for you with your treating professionals is likely to be a worthwhile endeavour and will help develop acceptance and self-compassion for your identity, regardless of society's views.

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  • Autistic Communication: The communication style Autistics naturally use prioritises the literal, semantic use of language, which means things are taken at 'face value' due to difficulties with reading between the lines or understanding the subtle aspects of communication, such as body language, tone, and sarcasm. This can show up as a dislike for small talk or 'chitchat', needing to ask a lot of questions to gauge meaning due to ambiguity, not liking to talk unless it is necessary or needed, preferring certain methods of communication over others (e.g., text vs phone), using a direct communication style, and using language as a means to an end (e.g., collecting or sharing information, giving honest answers to questions). Not being able to follow this style can result in compensation behaviours, such as overanalysing interactions with others to work out meaning, criticising the self due to language use with others (e.g., being too direct), feeling embarrassed or being teased due to not getting jokes or sarcasm, worrying about how you have been perceived by others, and feeling less confident due to past interactions. See here for more information: How to Communicate with Autistics by an Autistic

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  • Autistic Inertia and ADHD Paralysis: It may be of interest to learn about inertia in relation to difficulty with the starting/executing and stopping of activity as this is a common difficulty for Autistics. As per Newton's First Law of Motion, also known as the Law of Inertia: an object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted on by an unbalanced force. I am sure many of you can relate to this especially when thinking about how hard it is for you to stop when engaged in your SPIN (special interest) or in contrast, how hard it is for you to get going when you are at rest. Likewise ADHDer's can feel paralysed when executive functioning is overwhelmed by the demands of a situation. This brief ebook that does require a sign up (that can easily be unsubscribed from and is well worth it) is written by a doubly neurodivergent clinical psychologist: Neurodivergent Inertia

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  • Burnout: Understanding Autistic Burnout may assist with making sense of low points and fatigue and help in devising necessary adjustments. This is crucial given many Autistic individuals judge themselves for their inability to perform when compared to their neurotypical peers. This free ebook will help you recognise Autistic Burnout, guide you through the steps to alleviate the symptoms, and help you to prevent burnout happening in the future. This brief ebook that does require a sign up (that can easily be unsubscribed from and is well worth it) is written by a doubly neurodivergent clinical psychologist: Autistic Burnout: A Brief Guide to Recovery and Prevention and In addition, Monique Mitchelson, a doubly neurodivergent clinical psychologist created this easy to read handout for avoiding Autistic Burnout: How to Avoid Burnout: For Autistic People

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  • Perfectionism: Many Autistics have perfectionistic behaviours that impact their wellbeing and mental health. Dismantling perfectionism will be a necessary part of recovery and learning to build a self-concept that does not revolve around being perfect. Jennifer Kemp, a doubly neurodivergent clinical psychologist has numerous resources for perfectionism that you might find helpful including ebooks and workbooks (that require a sign up). Go here for the ebook and workbook: Understanding Perfectionism

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  • Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA): PDA is a profile of Autism that is characterised by avoidance of everyday demands and expectations, thought to be underpinned by an interaction of demand anxiety, stress, personality traits, and persistent drive for autonomy. Avoidance can include using complex social strategies, which is often a barrier to being identified as Autistic given the pervasive misconception that Autistic people lack social skills. Autistics with this profile often have exceptional difficulties navigating systems in which there are significant demands and a perceived lack of autonomy, such as school. Importantly, this profile does not seem to engage with or benefit from some well-established approaches to parenting, teaching, and psychological support so it is important to learn about. See these links for more information: National Autistic Society, Kristy Forbes Australian AuDHD PDAer and educator, and PDA Society

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  • Health Conditions Associated with Neurodivergence: there are health complaints commonly experienced by neurodivergent community that may be beneficial to investigate. These include postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), generalised hypermobility disorder/hypermobile Ehler's Danlos syndrome (GHD/hEDs), Ehler's Danlos syndromes (EDs), pre-menstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), iron deficiency, and vitamin/mineral deficiencies. See here for more examples: Neurodivergence and Health Issues

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Book, Podcasts, Websites

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Autism:

  • Unmasking Autism by Dr Devon Price

  • Divergent Mind by Jenara Nerenberg

  • Sincerely, Your Autistic Child: What people on the Autism Spectrum wish their parents knew about growing up, acceptance, and identity by Emily Paige Ballou, Sharon daVanport, and Morenike Giwa Onaiwu

  • Is This Autism? A guide for clinicians and everyone else by Dr Donna Henderson and Sarah Wayland

  • Different, Not Less by Chloe Hayden

  • We're All Neurodiverse by Sonny Jane Wise

  • The Autistic Brain by Temple Grandin

  • Odd Girl Out by Laura James

  • Late Bloomer by Clem Bestow

  • The Autism Spectrum Guide to Sexuality and Relationships by Dr Emma Goodall

  • Interoception and Regulation: Teaching Skills of Body Awareness and Supporting Connection with Others by Charlotte Brownlow and Emma Goodall

  • Too Flexible to Feel Good: A Practical Map to Managing Hypermobility by Celestial Pereira and Adell Bridges

  • So many more here: Resources

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Workbooks by Neurodivergent Authors:

  • The Neurodivergence Skills Workbook for Autism and ADHD by Jennifer Kemp and Monique Mitchelson 

  • The ACT Workbook for Perfectionism by Jennifer Kemp

  • I am Autistic: A Workbook. Sensory Tools, Practical Advice, & Interactive Journaling for Understanding Life with Autism by Chanelle Moriah

  • The Neurodivergent Friendly Workbook of DBT Skills by Sonny Jane Wise

  • Helping Autistic Teens to Manage their Anxiety: Strategies and Worksheets using CBT, DBT and ACT by Dr Theresa Kidd

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ADHD:

  • Driven to Distraction or ADHD 2.0 by Drs Hollowell and Ratley

  • The Queen of Distraction and Survival Tips for Women with ADHD

  • Survival Tips for Women with ADHD by Terry Matlen

  • A Radical Guide for Women with ADHD by Sari Solden

  • Taking Charge of Adult ADHD by Russell A Barkley (not that affirming but great content)

  • Self-Care for People with ADHD by Sasha Hamdani

  • Normal Sucks: How to live, learn, and thrive outside the lines by Jonathan Mooney

  • How to Keep House while Drowning by KC Davis

  • Organising Solutions for People with ADHD by Susan C Pinsky

  • The Drummer and the Great Mountain by Michael Jospeh Ferguson

  • A Hunter in a Farmer's World by Thomas Hartman

  • How to ADHD: Video Series

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Workplace Adjustments for Neurodivergent People:

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Podcasts:

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Trauma (not neurodivergent specific):

  • What Happened to You? Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing by Dr Bruce Perry and Oprah Winfrey

  • Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents. How to Heal from Distant, Rejecting, or Self-Involved Parents by Lindsay C Gibson

  • The Body Keeps the Score. Mind, Brain, and Body in the Transformation of Trauma by Bessel Van Der Kolk

  • No Bad Parts. Healing Trauma and Restoring Wholeness by Dr Richard C Schwartz

  • It Didn't Start With You. How Inherited Family Trauma Shapes Who We Are and How To End the Cycle by Mark Wolynn

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Websites:

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Crisis Services:

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A little about me ...​

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I am a neurodivergent clinical psychologist specialising in therapy and assessments with neurodivergent adults. 

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I create a safe and nurturing environment where you can be free to be yourself. I have a no nonsense and informal approach that people seem to like.

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My SPINS are psychology, human behaviour, neurodivergence, sport (golf, NBA, cycling, tennis), Brooklyn 99, airforce aircraft, muscle cars, and animals. 

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Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions. 

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- Dr Shelley Viskovich

Appointment Hours

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Therapy books are unfortunately closed.

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Times are AEST (Brisbane, Qld).

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Therapy

Monday 8.30am - 11.30pm

Tuesday 8.30am - 11.30pm

Wednesday 12.00pm - 3.00pm

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Assessment

Monday 12.00pm (telehealth/face to face)

Tuesday 12.00pm (telehealth/face to face)

 

Office

580A Grandview Road, Pullenvale Q  4069

Fax: (07) 3521 6768

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My preference for corresponding is email.

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Qualifications

 

  • Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

  • Master of Clinical Psychology

  • Bachelor of Psychology (Honours)

  • EMDR/Structural Dissociation 

  • Psychodynamic Training

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