Hello Reader,

Thank you to those of you who were able to join us for our most recent Neuroqueer Connections gathering on Wednesday, October 30! 10 of us (including Dani and Kim) shared space together. We welcomed 8 returning members! Our group was 50% people of color.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to our members!!

We are lucky to be in community with you and grateful for your engagement and commitment to the Neuroqueer Connections space. Now more than ever, we need evidence that gathering in care is deeply generative & really possible - so thank you for gathering and thank you for your presence 🩵

A note on group structure: Dani and Kim offered an anonymous survey for the second time, as the beginnings of a possible grounding routine; this poll, shared at the start of each group, will help determine the group’s structure based on current capacity and interest. We asked group members to indicate their interest in Community Care Hangs or Deep Dive Focus groups & affinity groups/breakout spaces.

Let's recap our group session last week!

The results of the poll were close! There seemed to be general interest in both Community Care and Deep Dives regarding the following topics:

• Relationship dynamics
• Medical trauma
• Grief re: unmasking
• Support re: coming out at work

Many group members were also interested in spending some time in breakout groups, including a BIPOC affinity space. We will keep using this poll to check in with group members at the start of each session to gauge current capacity, needs and interests.

During group member check-ins, breakout groups and in our larger group as a whole, the following topics were discussed. Discussion Points from Breakout Sessions & Large Group: ​Time optimism and associated impacts (sometimes our vegetables are forgotten about either somewhere hidden in the refrigerator or soaking in vinegar in our sink- pickled veggies anyone?) Recovery from illness, as well as medical trauma associated with navigation of the medical industrial complex (including challenges accessing prescription medicines) Acclimation to changing seasons and impacts on mood, plus the impact of climate change on our respective local environments Grief around challenging relational dynamics and communication Bodywork & trauma processing New medicine/medication routines Overstimulation in the workplace & coming out at work Navigating anti-Black racism within various settings Members reflected on accessibility in our group space when we may be unable to speak, or when we may need time off camera / need breaks from being perceived Election anxiety Navigating monotony Lastly, we enjoyed a very special Show and Tell by a talented group member who shared a game that they created! Show and Tell can require a lot of courage and vulnerability; we appreciate this group member’s bravery and will enjoy sharing (casual!) compliments with them in the coming weeks 😊

Music Highlight:

We opened our group session with a request by a group member: Troye Sivan’s One of Your Girls, which prompted a fun discussion about shared special interests and audio stims. ​

It was suggested by a wise group member that we develop a playlist that showcases past musical shares! This playlist is now available in our group resources document.

WE WANT YOUR MUSIC SUGGESTIONS! If you have music you would like to share with the Neuroqueer Connections Community, reply directly to this email or please use our feedback form to submit your favorite songs and artists!

Resources shared in our last group: This week, we were each other’s resources! No specific resources were shared.

*All resources shared through this NQC Newsletter are added to a shared group document where members crowd-source and share resources, links and information. To gain access to this shared resource, join us for a live group session! Please note: we aim to prioritize resources and teachings from people of color.

Tentative Agenda for Group on Wednesday November 13th, 2024 at 5pm ET/ 4pm CT/ 2pm PT: ***This session will have extended time***​ ​If you can join us, we will plan to meet on the 13th for 1 hour and 45 minutes (15 additional minutes of co-processing & community) Welcome new members! Review of access needs/ group agreements, and any questions or reflections folks may have Anonymous check-in poll How would you rate your capacity today? (1-5) How would you like to spend today’s group? (Community Care or Deep Dive Focus group) If you chose Deep Dive Focus Group, which of the following topics feels most interesting to you today? (relationships & communication, medical trauma, coming out/ advocating for self, grief) We imagine many of our members are seeking community support and containers for reflection about the election and beyond (we sure are!) Member Show and Tell (10-15 mins) One word closing check-in

Announcements from Kim & Dani:

• We are *still* considering adding an additional 15 minutes to the length of our group, given some feedback about desires for extra time together... This next group will be an additional 15 minutes longer (ending at 6:45pm ET, 5:45pm CT, 3:45pm) to see how an extra 15 minutes feels for us all!
• In our last few groups, we have not been holding a 10 min break about halfway through the group. Although this was built into our early sessions, we feel our time is precious together. We have noticed that group may flow easier when individuals take breaks as needed, without building the break into our agenda. Please know you are always welcome to take a break in the midst of our group sessions, for any reason. We welcome you to share any access needs with us and fellow members through the Zoom chat, during a live group session, or through our ​Anonymous Feedback Form.
• We are *still* considering adding an additional 15 minutes to the length of our group, given some feedback from group members about desires for some extra time together... Dani and Kim will be checking in with themselves and one another before making a final decision.
• ONGOING NEUROQUEER CONNECTIONS DISCORD! Thank you to a very tech savvy group member who created a discord group where members can connect outside of our bi-weekly space!! Dani and Kim will not be participants on the Discord group in order to support unfiltered member connection :) Please find Discord information – including directions on how to join and navigate Discord- located on the Resource Page, which is accessible to folks who have joined a live session in the past.
• As a reminder, the maximum number of participants will be 12 members each session, and we are reserving half of our group spots for BIPOC participants.
• Please remember to cancel 48 hours in advance of group if you have registered and cannot attend. Canceling with more notice allows time for other folks to register if interested. Registration reserves a spot for you in group, and is first come, first serve. We charge the card we have on file on Monday nights prior to group.
• You can visit this ​Anonymous Form​ at any time if you’d like to share questions, concerns, suggestions, or thoughts about your experience in Neuroqueer Connections - We welcome and encourage your feedback!

If you are interested in joining our next group as a new member, please apply here. If you are a returning member who has not yet confirmed your spot in our upcoming group, please register here! We meet every other Wednesday for 90 minutes. We offer drop in and returning member commitment options.

Our group next week is on November 13th, 2024, we look forward to spending MUCH NEEDED time with you lovely humans. Affirming community really is an antidote to isolation and despair 🏳️‍🌈🩵
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In community,

Dani & Kim

Dani Sullivan, LCSW (they/them) intentionstherapy.com​

Kim Konopka, LCSW (they/them) yungmeepsychotherapy.com​