Perfectly Imperfect

Perfectly Imperfect Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Perfectly Imperfect, Mental Health Service, Level 1, Botany Road, Mascot, 2020, Sydney.

Perfectly Imperfect is an Australia-wide NDIS registered neurodiversity affirming and gender affirming service providing counselling, advocacy, neurodiversity affirming behaviour support, inclusive education support and disabilitity advocacy

30/01/2026

Co-parenting with a neurodivergent parent who is in denial is one of the hardest dynamics no one prepares you for.

Especially when you’re parenting a neurodivergent young person.

Because on paper, it looks like there should be a middle ground. Compromise. Balance. “Meeting in the middle.”

But in reality?
That middle ground often doesn’t exist.

When one parent is neurodivergent but hasn’t acknowledged it or is actively avoiding it everything becomes framed as:
• “You’re overreacting”
• “You’re making excuses”
• “You’re too soft”
• “They need to toughen up”

And suddenly, supporting your child’s nervous system is seen as indulgence. Accommodation is framed as weakness. And trauma-informed care is dismissed as poor boundaries.

Meanwhile, you’re watching your child unravel not because they’re incapable, but because they’re being asked to function in ways that go against their neurology.

You’re trying to explain to the other parent:
• why consistency matters
• why shame doesn’t build resilience
• why forcing compliance increases distress
• why “just push through” causes harm

And the response is often defensiveness, minimisation, or silence.

So you’re left carrying:
• the emotional labour
• the education
• the advocacy
• the repair
• the fallout

All while being told you’re the problem.

You cannot find “middle ground” between regulation and dysregulation.
Between safety and survival mode.
Between trauma-aware and trauma-blind.

This isn’t about being difficult.
It’s about recognising when compromise actually causes harm.

Supporting a neurodivergent child sometimes means standing firm even when it costs you peace, approval, or the illusion of co-parenting harmony.

And if you’re in this space, you are navigating an impossible dynamic with clarity, courage, and a deep commitment to your child’s wellbeing.

And that matters, more than you will ever know!

NDIS Heads Up for Adult Participants!We’re seeing such an increase in NDIS planners and LACs contacting adult participan...
29/01/2026

NDIS Heads Up for Adult Participants!

We’re seeing such an increase in NDIS planners and LACs contacting adult participants directly on weekends, describing the call as a “check-in” or “touching base”, but then moving into plan review or funding discussions.

These calls are often:

-Unscheduled

-Without prior email or written notice

-Without a Support Coordinator present

-Occurring outside business hours

I want you to know that if this happens to you, you are allowed to pause the conversation!

You can say:

“I’m unwell and not able to engage right now. Please email me to arrange a suitable time.”

You do not need to continue the call.

You do not need to answer questions on the spot.

You do not need to explain why you need notice or support.

If the call leaves you overwhelmed, pressured, or dysregulated, that’s a sign it isn’t the right time to be having the conversation.

Please share this with other adult participants , many people don’t realise this is happening or that they can set a boundary!

I don’t make decisions about school with a calm, neutral nervous system.I make them with a body that remembersbeing misu...
29/01/2026

I don’t make decisions about school with a calm, neutral nervous system.

I make them with a body that remembers
being misunderstood, being managed,
being harmed by systems that said they were helping.

And then I became a parent and collected a whole new layer of trauma watching my child go through it too.

So no, this isn’t a simple choice between
school or homeschooling.

It’s a decision made inside fear, protection, grief, hope all at once.

Some days school feels possible.
Some days it feels dangerous.
Some days homeschooling feels like safety.
Some days it feels isolating.

And the hardest truth I’ve had to accept?
There is no trauma-free option.
Only the least unsafe option for right now.

If you’re stuck in the loop of second-guessing yourself,
you’re not failing.

You’re parenting inside lived experience.
And that matters more than anyone else’s opinion.

Anhedonia in AuDHD (Quick Explaination!!)Anhedonia is a reduced ability to feel pleasure or interest. Not to be confused...
28/01/2026

Anhedonia in AuDHD (Quick Explaination!!)

Anhedonia is a reduced ability to feel pleasure or interest. Not to be confused with sadness, laziness, or lack of gratitude.

For AuDHD people, it’s usually a nervous system response, not a mood issue.

Common drivers:
• chronic stress and masking
• autistic + ADHD burnout
• ongoing demand and pressure
• dopamine dysregulation

When the brain is in survival mode, it prioritises safety over pleasure.
Joy is neurologically “switched off” until the system feels safe again.

That’s why:
• things you used to love feel flat
• motivation disappears
• forcing enjoyment doesn’t work

What helps:
• reducing demands
• predictability and regulation
• neutral, low-pressure activities
• time, without shame

For AuDHD brains, safety comes first, pleasure follows.

Remember that song, if you’re happy and you know it? I didn’t know it!!

Swimming isn’t just exercise for AuDHD kids and adults, it’s nervous system regulation in its purest form.AuDHD brains p...
27/01/2026

Swimming isn’t just exercise for AuDHD kids and adults, it’s nervous system regulation in its purest form.

AuDHD brains process sensory information differently. There’s often too much input, not enough filtering, and a nervous system living in near-constant fight, flight, or overwhelm. Swimming meets that need at a body-based level without words, pressure, or compliance.

The neuroscience behind why it works:

Swimming provides a rare combination of vestibular input (movement, balance, orientation) and proprioceptive input (deep muscle and joint feedback). The water’s resistance and pressure give constant sensory feedback, helping the brain organise itself and feel safe.

Water also provides deep pressure which helps switch off fight-or-flight and activate the calming parasympathetic nervous system. For many kids, this is why regulation happens within minutes.

The rhythmic, repetitive movements of swimming support dopamine regulation, bilateral brain integration, and emotional containment especially important for ADHD and PDA-profile nervous systems.

Swimming allows movement without demands, correction, or social pressure. Bodies aren’t wrong in the water. Kids can move, stim, float, rest, and regulate in ways that feel natural and safe.

This isn’t a behaviour strategy.
It’s a nervous system support.

When we meet regulation needs at the sensory level, behaviour doesn’t need to escalate to be heard.

Do you reckon we could start doing school learning in the water? Radical!

26/01/2026

I won’t lie, this time of year is hard for me.

Everyone talks about the “fresh start” of a new school year, but my body doesn’t forget what we’ve lived through.

The phone calls.
The tears.
The moments where my child tried so hard to fit into a system that wasn’t built for them.

I can see it in my child when school talk starts again.
The tension.
The questions they don’t ask out loud.
The way their body tells me before their words ever do.

And in the years we’ve chosen homeschooling or doing things differently, like i suspect we are about to
Do again! That comes with mixed feelings too.

Relief.
Grief.
Anger.
Peace.

And sometimes doubt not because I made the wrong choice, but because the world is very loud when you don’t follow the script.

Here’s what I want other parents to hear:
You are not weak for finding this season hard.
Your child is not broken for struggling.
And choosing safety over systems is not failure, it’s love.

This year, I’m reminding myself:
My child doesn’t need to be brave.
They need to feel safe.

And I don’t need to justify that to anyone.

This photo was taken in Emergency.IV in. Pain escalating. Body demanding immediate attention.But this post isn’t actuall...
19/01/2026

This photo was taken in Emergency.

IV in. Pain escalating. Body demanding immediate attention.

But this post isn’t actually about me being in hospital.

It’s about my AuDHD-PDA child and what happened the moment he realised I needed to go to Emergency urgently.

Because here’s the part that never makes it into parenting posts, behaviour frameworks, or “what to do in a crisis” guides:

When plans change suddenly,
when safety feels uncertain,
when the person they rely on becomes the one who is unwell…

That can be profoundly destabilising for a PDA nervous system.

For my child, this wasn’t just “Mum going to hospital.”

It was:
• A sudden loss of predictability
• A perceived loss of control
• Fear about my safety
• Worry he didn’t yet have words for
• An internal demand he could not meet: “Be okay about this.”

Cue:
• Panic
• Anxiety
• Big emotions
• Shutdown signals
• A nervous system on fire

And here’s where neurodiversity-affirming support matters most not when things are calm, but when everything goes sideways.

We didn’t:
demand compliance
minimise his fear
rush him to “cope better”
frame this as behavioural escalation

Instead, we:
1. named the loss of predictability
2. externalised the anxiety (“your body is trying to protect you”)
3. removed unnecessary demands
4. offered choice where possible
5. anchored him in what was staying the same
6. kept connection front and centre

We regulated with him before expecting regulation from him. And yes that meant holding space for his distress while I was in pain myself.

That’s the invisible labour so many parents of PDA kids carry.

Supporting a child through your medical crisis requires:
• Emotional attunement under pressure
• Deep nervous system literacy
• Family teamwork
• And a whole lot of compassion for them and for yourself

This is the stuff parents are doing quietly, constantly, without recognition.

And it matters.

Because PDA isn’t about defiance.
It’s about safety, autonomy, and nervous system overwhelm especially when the world shifts without warning.

We don’t talk enough about:
• Children supporting parents emotionally
• The impact of caregiver illness on neurodivergent kids
• How crises amplify demand-avoidant responses
• Or how affirming support can prevent trauma in these moments

So here it is. Out loud.

- Jess xx

Neurodivergent love doesn’t follow the rom-com formula, and that’s exactly what makes it powerful!For many of us, love l...
15/01/2026

Neurodivergent love doesn’t follow the rom-com formula, and that’s exactly what makes it powerful!

For many of us, love looks like quiet presence, shared stims, deep listening, and co-regulating through the hard stuff. It’s not about performance. It’s about safety, consent, and authenticity.

This kind of love might not always be loud, but it is deeply felt. And it deserves to be seen, celebrated, and respected.

Tell us in the comments, what does neurodivergent love look like for you?





12/01/2026

CALL-OUT TO OUR COMMUNITY

We’re on the lookout for a neurodiversity-affirming tutor / learning support mentor to support neurodivergent high school students, face to face around the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney.

This role is not about pushing compliance or drilling worksheets.
It is about connection, understanding, and practical skill-building.

We’re looking for someone who can support with:
• Study skills & executive functioning (planning, organisation, task initiation)
• Home learning support (without power struggles or shame)
• Confidence, regulation, and motivation
• Strengths-based, affirming approaches to learning

You might be a great fit if you:
• Have experience working with autistic and/or ADHD teens
• Understand demand avoidance, nervous system regulation, and burnout
• Can adapt learning to the student (not the other way around)
• Believe learning should feel safe, respectful, and achievable

If this sounds like you or someone you know we’d love to hear from you.
Please DM us or email us with a brief intro and your experience.

Let’s do learning differently.
Let’s do it properly.

— Perfectly Imperfect

08/01/2026

When people know they’re being watched, their behaviour changes. Which means what you see in an observation isn’t always the real story, it’s the observed one.In behaviour support, context matters. Safety matters. And authentic data comes from real life, not performative compliance. -effect

Address

Level 1, Botany Road, Mascot, 2020
Sydney, NSW
1141

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 8pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 5:30pm
Thursday 9am - 8pm

Telephone

0407 022 216

Website

https://www.tiktok.com/@perfectlyimperfecttok?lang=en, https://www.instagram.com/perf

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Our Story

Since 2006, we have worked with children, teenagers and adults to provide empathetic counselling and accurate assessments to assist with a range of common life problems and events.

Whether you need assistance with depression, anxiety, trauma, court events or disability needs, we strive to be flexible to meet you and your family’s needs.

Sydney Allied Health Family Practice is based in Maroubra in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. We also provide home visits!