Sam Wilde

Do you feel like an alien? Like a fairy or a hobbit or an expansive void of space and consciousness? Like everyone else came pre-downloaded with a manual on how to be human except for you? You’re constantly trying to figure out the right thing to say or do. The right amount of time to make eye contact. You’ve spent your whole life observing carefully how others do things and relate to each other so you can mimic it and somehow, it still feels a little off. You’ve been told that you’re “dramatic”, “high-maintenance”, “too much”, “over-reacting”, and “emotional”. If you are a woman or have ever been perceived as such, you might have been told you are bipolar or have borderline personality disorder.

If this resonates with you, you might (also) be neurodivergent. You might be autistic or ADHD or both. I am a fairygremlin inhabiting a human body who is both autistic and ADHD and I am not scared of big emotion. Those of us with neurodivergent brains have sensitive, neurodivergent nervous systems too. You are not too much. You have been in relationship with people who do not have capacity for you. Spoiler alert: a lot of times, our biggest critics are other neurodivergent people who do not know they are neurodivergent either! When those people happen to be our parents, their inability to care for your needs (and their own) can manifest as abuse and neglect. You deserve care from people who actually get it.

I specialize in helping late-diagnosed autistic adults process what it means to be neurodivergent in a world that is not designed for us. Together, we can uncover your sensory needs and practice meeting them (did you know there are more than 5 senses??). We can slow down and come into contact with the human body you may have been dissociating from for a long time in order to survive. We can identify your needs and work on setting boundaries, self-advocacy, and needs-negotiation. You can tell me about your special interests and we can laugh and cry together. If you want, we can even dance! My intention is to offer a space where you are allowed to fall apart without judgement or needing to change. You deserve to be witnessed with love exactly as you are. You also deserve practical support for navigating the world and meeting your needs while staying in relationship with others.

Experience:

Sam is a Licensed Professional Counselor Candidate. They graduated from Naropa University with a Master’s Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a focus in Dance/Movement Therapy and are a Registered Dance/Movement Therapist. Sam served 8 years in the United States Navy and has worked with unhoused veterans as a case manager, connecting them with housing and medical resources. They are passionate about helping autistic and queer clients reconnect with their inner magic and build up their support systems so they don’t have to navigate this world alone.

More than just my work:

I love to dance - whether through taking classes, performing on stage, playing Just Dance on my Playstation, wiggling around underneath the moonlight, or during what I call “gremlin time” - which is when I allow myself to stim as big and as loudly as I want to! Dancing is medicine for me and is what brought me to this work.

I also love co-regulating with nature, animals, and friends. Blowing bubbles, skipping, laying in the grass and dirt, making messy art, and finding new sensory delights.

“The opposite of depression is expression. What comes out of you will never make you ill. What stays in there does.” -Dr. Edith Eger, psychologist and Holocaust survivor