Austin Z. Knox, M.Ed., LPC-Associate

Neurodivergence is a term that simply means that a person's brain learns & processes information differently than what is considered "typical" by our society. This term encompasses conditions such as ADHD, Asperger's Syndrome (also called LVL 1 Autism or ASD), and Dyslexia, among others, and in itself is not inherently negative. Problems often do however arise when neurodivergent individuals try to conform to social and societal norms in an attempt to "fit in", a learned process that usually begins for people upon entering the school system at a young age (some call this "masking"). Thus it is not uncommon for adults with similar experiences in their early life to have formed fundamental negative ideas about themselves, often believing they aren't as smart, capable, or lovable as other children. Such beliefs increase the likelihood of depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, and/or trauma and stressor-related disorders such as PTSD and CPTSD later in life. I had experiences like this when I was younger, but was still surprised when I was diagnosed with a whole slew of neurodivergent traits in my early 40's, having spent a great deal of my energy trying (and failing) to not be this way. As a result of these experiences and of the realization that life didn't have to be as hard as I had made it, I have cultivated a passion for helping adults with ADHD and Asperger's Syndrome understand their past and reclaim hope for their future. These early childhood "masking" behaviors described above would qualify as traumatic events, and this phenomenon on top of all of the other traumas that life is likely to throw at us would be extremely overwhelming, especially for a young child trying to navigate a system that was not designed for a mind like theirs. I like to define trauma as "a natural response to an event that has overwhelmed a person's capacity to cope". An individual's capacity varies considerably, making the nature of trauma very personal and often hard to spot, especially for neurodivergent individuals, as many neurodivergent people are highly intelligent and adept at hiding any symptoms of trauma. Fortunately though, the underlying mechanism of the condition is fairly universal, which is what makes it identifiable and treatable. It's clear that a war veteran, a 4th grade neurodivergent student, and career politician have very different hardships in their lives, but the experience of a traumatic event remains the same for all of them - their respective abilities to cope have been overwhelmed. This is why I focus on understanding the intricacies of a client's neurodivergent traits while concurrently treating past traumatic experiences. Healing requires time, patience, and often professional care. I will provide you a safe space to talk about your experience, to learn to enhance your ability to cope, and to undertstand your own emotions in the context of your own personal experiences. Many times just talking aloud is a great starting point and can itself lead to tremendous relief. Together we will create therapy goals that will help you to being retaking control over your life. WHO I AM... My professional life began with the award of a Bachelor of Architecture in 2005. While pursuing this initial career path, I became aware of my own life-struggles, ultimately driving me to seek solutions in therapy. As I worked to reclaim my own life, I also learned a great deal about the process of helping others, so much so that I eventually decided to begin making a career change. I received a Masters of Education in Professional Counseling in 2018 but continued to work in the field of architecture until moving to East Texas. It was after arriving in Texas that I received my own diagnosis of multiple neurodivergent traits including Asperger's Syndrome and ADHD, which was impetus for me to pursue a private practice in counseling. My style of counseling comes from the humanistic models of therapy, meaning that I focus on emotions. In our sessions I will work largely on helping you to understand your own personal experiences and how they make you feel. Occasionally I will implement more thought-focused interventions, but with the purpose of targeting the underlying emotions. This style is informed by both academic knowledge as well as my own experience within the field. Should you feel that we are a good fit, I will work to help you to gain more understanding about the areas of your life that you choose to focus on. I realize that it takes great courage to seek counseling, and I commend you on taking this first step. Please let me know if you think that I can be of any assistance; I truly believe in the work and would be honored to help you in your healing journey.