Changing Behaviour with Emma Whymark

24/07/2025

Emma x

🧠✨ Neuroaffirmative practice isn’t just about being kind — it’s about being just.

In the spirit of The Canary Code by Ludmila Praslova, neuroaffirmative approaches go beyond individual support and call for systemic change. Praslova reminds us that like canaries in coal mines, neurodivergent folks are often early indicators of environments that are fundamentally unwell — not just for them, but for everyone.

Rather than framing neurodivergence as a deficit to fix, neuroaffirmative practice recognizes it as a vital form of human diversity. It asks: What if the “problem” isn’t in the person, but in the structure?

That’s why true inclusion means more than awareness or empathy. It demands accommodations designed into systems from the start — not retrofitted after harm. It calls on us to change the coal mine, not blame the canary.

This is the heartbeat of our Attuned Approach — a framework rooted in neuroaffirmative values and built to reshape systems of care, learning, and community from the inside out.

✨ Curious to learn more or join us? We’d love to connect. Explore the course and how it supports deeper, systemic inclusion here: https://attunedapproach.co.uk/neurodiversity-cert/

18/07/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/198V5PxTQG/?mibextid=wwXIfr

🎤 Emma is delivering training on Neurodiversity and Trauma to housing and mental health professionals today.

The intersection of trauma and neurodivergence is complex. We take the position that being neurodivergent in a predominantly neurotypical world is inherently traumatising – so it’s impossible to ignore. Our experience shows that trauma is a part of every client’s journey.

🤝 While we train our coaches to be coaches, not therapists, we ensure they deeply understand this intersection. We equip them with clear boundaries between coaching and therapy to protect both themselves and their clients, and with the skills to manage these situations safely when they arise.

Safe, ethical practice was fundamental when we created ATTUNED Neurodiversity Coach Training, and our approach to trauma is a powerful example of this commitment.

💬 Have you encountered challenges where neurodivergence and trauma overlap in your work or life? How have you navigated them?

👇 Share your experiences or questions below – let’s learn and support each other!

18/07/2025

This is the last of six of these that I’ve done this year for NICHSS and St Martin’s this year. It’s been a privilege to work with their amazing staff who have been so receptive the training.
Thanks guys!
Emma x

18/07/2025

What she said! 👇🏼
Emma x

15/07/2025

Emma x

📊 The Growing Need for Neurodiversity Coaches

As awareness of neurodivergence grows, so does the demand for qualified coaches who understand:
- Multiple forms of neurodivergence
- Intersectionality
- Emotional processing differences
- Adaptive communication strategies

Our certification programme equips you with the tools to meet this need.

Starting September 18th 2025
✨ 6-month comprehensive program
✨ Weekly evening sessions
✨ Flexible assessment methods
✨ Ongoing supervision

Ready to make a difference? https://attunedapproach.co.uk/neurodiversity-cert/

11/07/2025

The comments on this are fab and probably not what they were hoping for!
Emma x

30/06/2025

Emma x

🧠✨ Coaching with Clarity, Safety, and Flow

Our latest module dives into something deceptively simple – session structure – and reveals just how powerful it can be when done with intentionality and neuro-affirming care.

This module explores:
🔹 Why structure is a form of safety, especially for neurodivergent clients
🔹 The anatomy of a session: from check-in to grounding
🔹 Practical ways to support pacing, presence, and processing
🔹 Using triads to practice and reflect (without performance pressure)
🔹 A feedback model that respects sensitivity and empowers growth

It’s not about rigid scripts, it’s about holding space that adapts, supports regulation, and invites authentic expression.

If you’re coaching neurodivergent clients (or anyone navigating complexity), this is the toolkit you didn’t know you needed.

💬 What elements help you feel anchored during a session, either as a coach or as a client?

22/06/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/15tALqSMcX/?mibextid=wwXIfr no.

What Makes a Coach Neuroaffirming?
We often get asked what it means to be a “neuroaffirming” coach.

For us, it’s about more than just awareness. It means:
✅ Respecting each client’s unique neurotype
✅ Avoiding behaviourist or ableist models
✅ Being curious, not corrective
✅ Honouring autonomy and consent
✅ Understanding how trauma and identity intersect
✅ Supporting interoception, sensory needs, and burnout recovery

In our ATTUNED training, we guide coaches to build these foundations, so they can work WITH neurodivergent clients, not just ON their “executive function.”

Why is this so important? Because being neurodivergent isn’t a problem to fix, it’s a reality to honour.

🗓️ Our next cohort starts on the 17th September. Find out all about our curriculum at https://attunedapproach.co.uk/neurodiversity-cert/!

19/06/2025

Emma x

👀 We’re seeing a huge increase in neurodivergent visibility — especially on social media.

ADHD, autism, sensory sensitivity, PDA — these terms are no longer hidden. People are
talking about their lived experiences and recognising themselves in others.

This cultural shift is creating more demand than ever for professionals who understand.
Not from a textbook. But from life.

🤝 Neurodiversity coaching is responding to that need — and it’s not going anywhere.

16/06/2025

We’ll be at the Autism & ADHD Show in Manchester on the 4th and 5th of July — and we’re taking the stage! 🎤

Join us for our 20-minute talk where we’ll introduce ATTUNED — our neuroaffirmative coaching approach and training course.

This event gives us the opportunity to explain how our coaching approach truly enables us to see and support the neurodivergent community from the inside out. 💡💬

Whether you're a parent, educator, or professional, we’d love to meet you, share our vision, and explore how we can grow this movement together. 🌱🧠

📍Come find us at our stand E12
🗓️ Talk time: Fri 4th July 14:50, Sat 5th July 13:50

🔗 https://autismadhdshow.co.uk/manchester/

15/06/2025

Emma x

13/06/2025

🧠 What if intense emotional responses in ADHD aren’t just “overreactions”—but physiological events?

Rejection-Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD) is often dismissed as emotional fragility. But the nervous system may be doing something much more complex—and measurable.

Cardiac stress, autonomic dysregulation, and even elevated biomarkers like troponin and BNP… all common in Takotsubo cardiomyopathy. We’re asking: could the same chemical cascades happen during an RSD episode?

This isn’t about overpathologising. It’s about recognising the embodied truth of distress and validating what so many have been told to ignore.

📖 I, Lisa, explore this in my recent manuscript. And at ATTUNED, we teach coaches to support clients through these embodied realities with care and nuance.

🌱 Want to train with us this autumn? Find out more about our next Cohort at attunedapproach.co.uk

Read our research here: https://osf.io/x24qm