Neurodivergent Somatics in Therapy: An Anti-Oppressive Model for Whole Person Care

Nyck Walsh

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Book cover for Neurodivergent Somatics in Therapy: An Anti-Oppressive Model for Whole Person Care
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Book cover for Neurodivergent Somatics in Therapy: An Anti-Oppressive Model for Whole Person Care
Image for variant 9781324082910

Neurodivergent Somatics in Therapy: An Anti-Oppressive Model for Whole Person Care

Neurodivergent Somatics in Therapy: An Anti-Oppressive Model for Whole Person Care

Nyck Walsh

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Description

Focusing on autism and what is medically known as ADHD, neurodivergent author Nyck Walsh takes readers on an anti-oppressive, intersectional journey into a new standard of care for neurodivergent clients and their therapists. Whether new to or well-versed in the neurodiversity paradigm, readers will learn how to best support their neurodivergent clients in a way that prioritizes their well-being, honors their self-expertise, encourages their anti-ableist embodiment, and celebrates their joy. Bridging the theoretical with the practical, Walsh's model offers a tangible framework that can be applied on its own or in tandem with other modalities. Neurodivergent Somatics in Therapy is an intimate and engaging guide to providing accessible, liberatory, whole-person care that will benefit clients and therapists of all neurotypes.

Critical Reviews

Nyck Walsh's book is a must-read for any therapist, counselor, or helping professional, but especially for those of us who are neurotypical and likely have no idea how it feels to move through the world as a neurodivergent person. This book has helped me to better identify and support clients who are neurodivergent, and to better support my own nervous system. I believe this book should be mandatory reading in all counselor education programs.--Tajah Schall MA, LPC, therapist at Culturally Relevant Counseling and former chair of the Somatic Counseling master's degree program at Naropa University

From beginning to end, Neurodivergent Somatics in Therapy guides the reader through a non-judgmental framework validating the embodied, intersectional experiences of neurodivergent people and providing the language to name them. Clearly written, deeply engaging, and accessible far beyond its target professional audience, Nyck Walsh has written a book that is crucial for any therapist serious about critical reflection, understanding their complicity in systems of marginalization, and committing to more liberatory, anti-oppressive ways of practicing. It is the book I would want to represent my story to this field.--Kieran Rose, consultant and academic researcher at www.theautisticadvocate.com, and author of Autistic Masking: Understanding Identity Management and the Role of Stigma

Every chapter of this book feels like a safe space, offering guidance with grace while honoring diverse ways of thinking, knowing, and processing. Nyck Walsh embodies the anti-oppressive values he describes, modeling inclusion, compassion, and justice on every page. With practical tools for therapists and powerful challenges to entrenched norms in somatic psychotherapy, this book invites readers to expand and embrace more liberatory approaches to practice. Bold, brave, and deeply humane, Neurodivergent Somatics in Therapy arrives at a time when it is needed most, offering an essential and affirming resource for therapists and clients alike.--Wendy Allen, PhD, LPC, BC-DMT, associate professor and director of dance/movement therapy at Lesley University

Neurodivergent Somatics in Therapy invites critical reflection and action for equitable, effective practice in neurodivergent-affirming counseling. Rather than objectifying and "fixing" clients, this book centers the power of client self-knowledge when it's invited, activated, and supported through the therapeutic counseling relationship. It invites the counselor into an ongoing exploration of self-knowledge, including relationship to the diversity of clients within ND-affirming counseling, as well as practices of dismantling oppression in support of all clients, counselors, and communities. A timely, heartfelt, and practical work.--Carla J. Sherrell, EdD (she/her), educational, counseling, justice, and equity consultant; former associate professor, Graduate School of Counseling and Psychology, Naropa University

Publishing Information

Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Pub date: 2026-03-10
Length: 352 pages

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