Therapy For Pet People
Blog
Should I Tell People I'm Autistic? Navigating Disclosure as an Adult
Should I tell people I'm autistic? Dr. Christine Henry, a licensed psychologist, explains autism disclosure to partners, family, friends, and employers, including when to disclose, potential risks, and setting boundaries.
Can You Overaccommodate Yourself?
For ADHD and autistic adults and highly sensitive people (HSPs), accommodations can make everyday life more manageable. But can avoiding discomfort start to limit things you want to do? Here’s how I think about the difference, with room for sensory needs, rest, and connection.
When Neurodivergent Burnout Turns Into Depression
Neurodivergent burnout and depression can overlap. Learn how autistic and ADHD burnout can contribute to shame, hopelessness, and depression. What recovery may need to look like when both are present.
How to Handle Family Conflict at a Funeral
Attending a funeral can be especially difficult when family relationships are strained. Drawing from my own experience, I share how I managed anxiety, navigated political disagreements and family tension, set boundaries, and recognized when my family had reached its emotional limits.
Should You Go or Stay? How to Decide About Holiday Travel When You Have an Elderly or Chronically Ill Pet
Caring for a senior or chronically ill pet can make holiday travel decisions complicated. Before you say yes to that trip, take a moment to reflect on what’s best for both you and your pet. This guide walks you through real-world questions about health, caregiving, family pressure, and emotional readiness so you can make a choice grounded in love, not guilt.
My Heart Is Breaking While You’re Still Here: Coping with Anticipatory Grief for a Pet
When your pet has a serious diagnosis, you’re suddenly living in two worlds, loving them in the present while grieving what’s ahead. This post shares compassionate, realistic ways to navigate that in-between space, find small moments of peace, and care for both your pet and yourself through it all.
My Dog Has Prostate Cancer: What I’ve Learned About Care, Coping, and Treatment Options
Sharing my journey with my dog’s prostate cancer. Symptoms, diagnosis, urination and hydration struggles, treatment options, and coping along the way.
Holiday Dread in September? You’re Not Alone
Are you already dreading the holidays, even though it's only September? When family gatherings bring up familiar conflicts, complicated relationships, or grief over the family you wish you had, the stress can start long before the holidays arrive. This article explores why that happens and how to make decisions about family gatherings that work for you.
The Early Stages of Discovering You're ADHD or Autistic: Embracing Neurodivergence in Adulthood
Discovering you're ADHD, autistic, or both as an adult can bring up a lot of questions. You might find yourself researching everything, questioning whether you're really neurodivergent, or looking back at experiences that suddenly make more sense. This blog explores the early stages of discovering your neurodivergence and what that experience can feel like.
Seeing the Past in a New Light: Processing Trauma After a Late Neurodivergence Discovery
You've spent years trying to understand your childhood and past relationships, maybe even working through them in therapy. Then you discover you're ADHD, autistic, or both, and start realizing how often your needs were misunderstood, dismissed, or punished. This blog explores how late-discovered neurodivergence can change the way you understand your past and the trauma you've experienced.
Why Setting Boundaries Was Easier During the Pandemic
This blog looks at how the pandemic helped us to set boundaries and focus on our well-being. You will learn how we can keep using these lessons in our everyday lives, encouraging us to set clear boundaries, take care of ourselves, and build healthier relationships and balance moving forward.
Navigating Holiday Guilt After Cutting Ties with Family
miss the good times, question your decision, or wonder whether you should reach out. This article explores why family estrangement can feel especially complicated during the holidays and offers practical ways to manage guilt, navigate family expectations, and decide what works for you.
I'm ADHD, Now What? Making Sense of a Late ADHD Diagnosis
You’ve recently discovered that you are ADHD and are still trying to understand what that means. You might be wondering how you didn’t realize it sooner, and you may have encountered people who say, “But you’re smart; you can’t have ADHD.” You might also be curious about how ADHD affects your relationships. This article offers TONS of links to resources to help answer these questions and more.
Late-Diagnosed Autism, Religious Trauma, or Both?
Could it be late-diagnosed autism, religious trauma, or both? As a psychologist, I've worked with adults exploring autism who were also beginning to question their religious upbringing. Sometimes religious trauma better explained their experiences. Other times, autism was part of the picture, and sometimes we couldn't confidently tell. This article explores why the two can be so difficult to sort out.
Reduce YOUR Anxiety with Your Pet
Step by step guided relaxation exercise for you to do with your fur baby to help reduce your anxiety.
I’m Autistic, Now What???
You have come to the realization that you are autistic. Finally you have some answers! However, you may now be asking yourself, “Now what???” This article addresses next steps after learning you are autistic. It also includes resources and information to share to others to help inform them about adult autism.
Unexpected Traits of Autism in Adults: Signs and Checklist
You've worked on emotional regulation, read self-help books, taken medication, and spent years processing past trauma in therapy, but something still doesn't quite add up. What if it's not just trauma? Could you also be autistic? Explore some of the less commonly recognized signs of autism in adults, including a checklist that might help you better understand yourself.
How Do You Know When It Is Time To Let Your Pet Go?
Deciding if it is time to euthanize your pet is so hard. While it is great to ask advice from other people, remember you know them best. They have trusted you to make all sorts of decisions in their life ,and they will trust you with this one as well. Listen to your gut. Often you will “know” when it is time.
Remote Work as an Accommodation for ADHD, Autism, and AuDHD
One of the most notable employers advocating a return to the office is Elon Musk. In a tweet, he implied that workers who want to work from home are lazy and unproductive. However, working remotely can decrease employee stress, increase productivity, enhance company loyalty, provide greater work/life balance, reduce sick leave, and increase retention.