This inclusive and comprehensive manual equips marriage and family therapists with the skills to identify, support, and provide Brain-Informed Care to neurodiverse couples. Written from Murgado-Willard's unique perspective as a neurodivergent couple therapist, this book addresses a knowledge gap in the couple counseling field and helps therapists develop and maintain an ethical standard of care for neurodiverse couples. The text also introduces a new style of couple therapy for use in private practice settings: Brain-Informed Neurodiverse Couple Therapy (BINCT). Chapters begin by providing some historical context of neurodiversity before offering invaluable training on best practices, assessment, treatment planning, and using non-ableist, practical interventions for this population. Case studies that present a variety of sexual identities are featured throughout as well as a glossary of key terms and checklists that therapists can use immediately in their practice. This book aims to implement a paradigm shift in the field and is essential reading for therapy students. It is invaluable reading for practicing therapists that did not receive training on working with neurodiverse clients.
Author(s): Kelli Murgado-Willard
Edition: 1
Publisher: Routledge
Year: 2023
Language: English
Pages: 350
Dedication
Contents
Preface
Introduction
Section I: Foundational Concepts
1 What’s Neurodiversity?
2 What’s Brain-Informed Care (BIC)?
3 What’s a Neurotype?
Section II: Best Practices
4 Exploring the Relationship with Your Own Brain
5 Respecting Neurodivergence from First Contact
6 Understanding the Issues Neurodiverse Couples Face
Section III: Clinical Application
7 Neurodiverse Couple Assessment
8 Therapy Interventions for Neurodiverse Couples
9 What’s Brain-Informed Neurodiverse Couple Therapy (BINCT)?
Section IV: Case Studies
10 Wanda & Ben
11 Celia & Julio
12 Walker & Lizbeth
Index