Hello Reader,
We hope this newsletter finds you feeling centered in Late September.
Thank you to those of you who were able to join us for our most recent Neuroqueer Connections groups! Our 9th group, hosted on Wednesday, September 18th had 1 new group member and 9 returning members; our group was about 40% people of color.
During the start of this Deep Dive focus group, group participants named shared feelings of fatigue and overwhelm as neuroqueer humans navigating work, health, academic, and social experiences. When we initiated the start of a more cognitive-focused activity, several courageous group members shared experiences of diminishing presence, desires to do something different together, and requests for flexibility in their amount of participation. Amazing! We were able to pivot away from our planned activity, and shift into a more comfortable “hang out” space together, without expectation to perform or complete a task in any specific way. It was wonderful!
This was the vibe of our hangout session....
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Here's How We Spent Our 90 minutes Together:
- Welcome everyone! It was a pleasure to meet 1 new group member & to witness the deepening of connections in our space.
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We started our time together by reviewing an exercise aimed at uncovering core beliefs and their impacts on our actions- specifically centering neuroqueer experience that can kick up feelings of “too muchness” or “not enoughness”
- Goals were to: explore shared core beliefs and experiences together
- Create new core beliefs rooted in empowerment and care for self and others
- However! Participants named feelings of overwhelm, fatigue and requests for flexibility, which highlighted the need for a change in plans! We were able to truly embody the expression of our wants/needs AND experience what it can feel like to be met in our collective needs! As it turns out, we aren’t too much, and our needs can be met.
- A group member named the following: “I didn’t even know it was an option to not do the exercise.” We learned new ways of advocating for ourselves and explored new core beliefs through this experience.
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We connected and co-regulated together!
- We showed our messy spaces, including our chaos corners & our doom drawers
- We read & received affirmations
- We shared about chosen name journeys and personal meanings
- We supported each others’ writing (fan fiction)
- Renaissance Fair group trip anyone?! We found some shared interest and curiosity there.
- We introduced “Show and Tell” as part of future group experiences. We already have 2 volunteers for our next group! Show and Tell is a flexible 10 minute spotlight where 1-2 group members each week share about something they are working on, something of special interest to them at the moment, etc. The purpose is for us to learn more about each other in a way that feels fun and accessible to us as neuroqueer humans.
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Future topics for discussion include:
- Grief associated with unmasking (changes in relationships, shifts in our relationship to “productivity”, etc)
- Support re: coming out/ advocating for self at work (in terms of gender, access needs/accommodations, etc)
- Designated time & space in Neuroqueer Connections to discuss medical trauma
- Processing of unique relational dynamics as neuroqueer humans
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Below, you will find the Core Belief resources shared at the start of our session that we didn't dive into (the more chill hangout was a better fit for our collective needs). I do encourage you - if interested, and whenever the spoons allow - to check out the workbook shared below to shed light on the patterns you get stuck in while offering gentle reflection on finding new ways of being.
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Resources shared in our last group:
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*These resources 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.
Music Highlight:
We opened our group session with Khruangbin (kroo- ang -bin): The Universe Smiles Upon You, which was a group members’ music request!
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!
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Tentative Agenda for Group on Wednesday October 2nd, 2024 at 5pm ET/ 4pm CT/ 2pm PT:
- Welcome new members!
- Check in on access needs/ group agreements, and any opening questions or reflections folks may have
- Practice playground exercise to orient to our shared space (Resource Tapping with Kim)
- Member check-ins & community care
- Show and Tell (20 min total)
- 10 min break halfway-through if needed
- One word closing check-in
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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 October 2nd, 2024, which coincides with Rosh Hashanah. To our group members that celebrate, Happy New Year!
We look forward to seeing you in future Neuroqueer Connections groups!
In community,
Dani & Kim
Dani Sullivan, LCSW (they/them) intentionstherapy.com
Kim Konopka, LCSW (they/them) yungmeepsychotherapy.com