Catherine Cavin, LMSW

05/19/2024

Here is a bit of info on the approach I take to therapy in order to create a neuroaffirming, trauma informed & client-centered space.

I am by no means a perfect therapist nor a perfect human, but I do feel confident in the skills I’ve worked to hone thus far. That being said, I am learning more every day! Not just from this instagram community, but from clients, colleagues & things in my own life. I look forward to looking back on this post years from now to see how my practice has evolved further.

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04/18/2024

All about my biggest passion project, my website, SerendipitySpaceTN.com 🌻

I have seen way too many burned out clients struggle to find the right assessment providers, books on autism that were neuroaffirming, etc. The social worker in me decided to start gathering all the tools I could find (and confirm to be neuroaffirming) and putting them into Google docs (which ok, I say my inner social worker but truly my autistic brain LOVES to gather, organize & share useful information so truly that's probably more accurate than just my social worker brain lol).

Anyway 🤓

Eventually those google docs were pages & pages long, and I was sending the link to coworkers & clients a few times every week.

I realized having it housed in my own website would be the next right step, so that it was more centralized. I called it Serendipity Space as it's part of a larger project I have in mind, but the central theme is to bring joy & therefore healing to folks who engage in this space.

I hope my website is able to provide a bit of respite from the executive functioning hell scape that can be researching mental health topics & resources ♥️ both for the average every day client & for other professionals in the field, too! 🦋

04/09/2024

To add to my previous post, here's a list of nonspeaking advocates and allied advocates, professionals and organizations. Add to it in the comments if you know of others.

Sabrina Guerra, Nonspeaking Advocate for Change
Swarit Gopalan - My truisms unfiltered
Gregory C Tino
Niko Boskovic
Cards by Jakob
Danny With Words
Fidgets and Fries, author of NY bestselling book A Day with no Words
Elizabeth Bonker and her nonprofit Communication 4 ALL
Hari Srinivasan, instructor at Berkeley, president of Spectrum at Cal, and fellow at Frist Center for Autism & Innovation
Nigh.functioning.Autism
SEEN: Spellers Empowering Education for Nonspeakers
International Association for Spelling as Communication
Communication First
Communication for Education
Reach Every Voice
Jeremy's Vision

Helpful groups:
Spellerverse Connect
Ask Me, I’m an AAC user! (24 Hour Rule!)
Natural Language Acquisition Study Group
Autistic Researchers Researching Autism (ARRA)

04/04/2024

Some do's & don'ts from your friend neighborhood autistic & neuroaffirming therapist :)

03/14/2024

Rest in peace Ryan Gainer. You & your family deserved better from this community.

Please share your recommended resources in the comments!

There is so much to unpack, but here are some of my recommendations that have helped me expand my understanding:

Recommended folks to follow & support:
and.fries (author of A Day Without Words)functioning.autismnarratives (author of Its Never Just ADHD)


Recommended articles:
"An Expert Discussion on Structural Racism in Autism Research & Practice"
"They Don't Know, Show or Care"
"Autism's Race Problem"
"Autistic While Black"
"Autistic Black Lives Matter & the Privilege of White Autistics"

02/22/2024

It’s been a week of quiet care, taking things more slowly & listening to my body. One thing I told myself is that I would not push out a post when I did not have the energy to do so. And while inconsistent posting is not the best thing for the algorithm, it is the best way for me to care for myself. 

I hope all of you are well 🌻

02/20/2024

A recent reflection on OCD that has been on my heart lately:

OCD is nothing to be ashamed of. And more than that, engaging in compulsions is nothing to be ashamed of, even when it feels like you “should” be doing something different. 

Maybe your compulsions are wearing you out, frustrating you & you’re dying for change. That’s completely understandable, and it’s true for most folks with OCD.

Does that mean we have to go & beat ourselves up when we find ourselves doing a compulsion? No. 

Holding onto shame only makes things harder, and, honestly, you deserve better.

Living with OCD is hard enough to do. I want to invite you today to try & be kind to your mind.

02/09/2024

Normalize being wrong about stuff
Normalize changing our minds
Normalize not being the utmost expert on everything.

I am currently working on this for myself, adjusting my language to make more space for uncertainty. Because at the end of the day, it is true: I AM just explaining something as I understand it.

Even if I do all the research in the world, someone else might do the same research yet understand it differently.

And if you’re passionate like me, you might find yourself forgetting that sometimes. “Oh yeah. I still might not get this right.”

May we all keep a window open for new truths to be discovered.

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01/28/2024

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01/26/2024

01/22/2024

The autistic community is a diverse, nuanced place. This page honors everyone's lived experience.

01/14/2024

Some reflections on ways I am working to improve my own practice & ways you can also better support clients of different neurotypes! Are there things you would add to or change with these practices? How do you make your work affirming?

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