Rhiannon Edwards Ducey, Licensed Psychologist

04/30/2026

You can have ADHD and still be missed as autistic.

Research is starting to catch up to what many people have experienced for years.

Overlap between ADHD and autism is common and often underrecognized. Current research suggests 40-70% of autistic adults also have ADHD.

For many people, attention differences, anxiety, or burnout become the focus, while underlying autistic patterns go unrecognized.

This is one reason so many adults aren’t identified until later and often after years of trying to make sense of things that never quite fit.

In practice, it can look like:

– needing structure… but resisting it

– being socially capable… but exhausted by it

– strong focus in some areas, and shutdown in others

What looks inconsistent is often actually patterned.

A comprehensive evaluation looks at the full pattern and not just isolated traits.

You deserve clear answers and not just a diagnosis.

Learn more or request an evaluation: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/rhiannon-edwards-ducey-knoxville-tn/1688374

04/21/2026

You’ve been told different things. You’ve told yourself different things. Maybe you’ve even been overlooked or misdiagnosed.

Complex presentations require a nuanced and personalized approach to evaluation.

I offer comprehensive ADHD & autism evaluations for complex or unclear presentations, with a focus on clarity, direction, and what actually helps.

If you’re looking for clear answers and direction, you can start here: https://redphd.carrd.co

04/15/2026

Not everyone I work with is looking for an evaluation.

But for some people, there comes a point where guessing at what’s going on, and what will help, isn’t working anymore.

That’s where a comprehensive evaluation and guidance can be useful.

I focus on ADHD and autism across the lifespan, with a focus on more complex or less obvious presentations.

The goal isn’t a diagnosis. The goal is to get a clear understanding of what’s going on, and what to do next.

I’m currently accepting a limited number of new evaluation clients.

You can learn more or get started here:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/rhiannon-edwards-ducey-knoxville-tn/1688374

04/14/2026

Rest should help! So why doesn’t it?

For many people, recovery isn’t just about slowing down or stopping.

It’s about allowing their entire system to downshift gradually and more completely. Shifting to a more relaxed state can take more time than we think it should.

If you still feel unrested after resting, you probably aren’t doing it wrong.

It may just mean your system is still finding its way back to calm and equilibrium.

04/11/2026

Burnout doesn’t always mean full shutdown.

It often shows up as
actively overriding internal needs for rest and regulation.

Muscle tension.
Cognitive fatigue.
Sensory overwhelm.
Difficulty initiating or shifting between tasks.
Emotional dysregulation.

Burnout is sometimes mistaken for depression.
They can occur simultaneously, but the causes differ. Burnout tends to follow sustained exposure to environments that require too much adaptation for the individual.

Masking.
Camouflaging.
Chronic sensory strain.
Ongoing social demand.

The antidote isn’t pushing through.
It’s boundaries around time and energy.

Tuning into internal cues.
Stepping out of unnecessary demand.
Radical rest.

04/08/2026

Is it ADHD, autism, or both?
Or is the situation more complex and nuanced?

Many clients I work with have overlapping traits and benefit from a deeper understanding of their unique strengths, abilities, and needs.

A comprehensive evaluation goes far beyond a diagnosis. It provides the clarity needed to move forward with more certainty and ease.

04/07/2026

How sliding scale works.

Evaluation depth is based on clinical need.
Fees may be adjusted, when appropriate, to support access.

I’ll review your intake, and we’ll decide together what fits best.

Request an evaluation: https://redphd.carrd.co/

04/04/2026

I frequently hear this from parents:
“They hold it together all day…
and fall apart at home.”

That’s often overwhelm.

A good evaluation helps you understand what’s actually going on—
and what will help.

If you’ve been trying to figure this out, you don’t have to keep guessing.

Rhiannon Edwards Ducey, Psychologist, Knoxville, TN, 37920, (865) 378-8314, Now accepting a limited number of clients for comprehensive ADHD & autism evaluations. I work with children, adolescents, and adults seeking clarity around attention, social differences, sensory experiences, masking, and bur...

04/03/2026

You’re not struggling because you’re not capable.

Things might not have been set up in a way that actually works with how your brain operates.

Many people I work with are incredibly capable but have spent years trying harder—
when effort wasn’t the issue.

It was more about fit.

And over time, that mismatch often shows up as burnout, anxiety, or depression.

Not because something is wrong with you—
but because you’ve been working in ways that weren’t sustainable.

When things finally start to make sense, everything starts to shift.

04/01/2026

💛April is Autism Awareness Month—but for many adults, awareness comes late.

I work with a lot of people—especially women—who spent years being told it was anxiety, stress, or just their personality 😑

And those things may have been part of the picture…
but they never fully explained it.

The effort it takes to keep up.
The constant mental load.
The feeling of being capable—yet still overwhelmed in ways that don’t quite make sense.

For many, it wasn’t that nothing was there—
it’s that it didn’t look the way people expected.

✨ There’s often a reason it never quite added up.

Rhiannon Edwards Ducey, Psychologist, Knoxville, TN, 37920, (865) 378-8314, Now accepting a limited number of clients for comprehensive ADHD & autism evaluations. I work with children, adolescents, and adults seeking clarity around attention, social differences, sensory experiences, masking, and bur...