Therapy for Parents of Autistic & Neurodivergent Children in Glendale & Phoenix, Arizona and Minnesota
You’ve been so busy holding it together for your child. Who’s holding space for you?
Parenting a neurodivergent child is beautiful, exhausting, and deeply isolating — often all at once. As a mother of an autistic child myself, I don’t just understand this professionally. I live it. This is a space where you can finally tend to you.
This isn’t the parenting journey anyone prepared you for.
You’re running on empty — living in a constant state of “always on,” hypervigilant, in survival mode.
The exhaustion is bone-deep. Emotional, physical, all of it. Burnout doesn’t even begin to cover it.
There’s grief you weren’t prepared for — for milestones that may never come, events you have to miss, the parenting journey you expected versus the one you got.
The worry for your child’s future is constant. The uncertainty feels unbearable.
You may carry the trauma of witnessing or being on the receiving end of your child’s most difficult behaviors.
Your love for your child is unwavering, and at the same time, you also carry feelings you don't feel are ok to admit---anger, resentment, disappointment.
You’ve had to put on a brave face every single day. Hold it together. Keep going. Because falling apart has never felt like an option.
And through all of it — the loneliness. The feeling that no one truly understands. The invisible labor that no one sees.
If you’re nodding along right now — I see you. And you’re not alone in this, even when it feels like you are.
What if you could carry this with a little more ease and a lot less guilt?
Imagine having space to actually feel what you’ve been pushing down — without judgment, without platitudes, without someone telling you it’ll all work out.
Imagine responding to the hard moments with more steadiness and less reactivity-not because you're white-knuckling your way through it, but because your nervous system has more capacity.
Imagine the guilt around self-care softening enough that you can actually take a breath without feeling selfish for it.
Imagine the traumatic moments you’ve been carrying losing their weight, still part of your story, but no longer pulling you under.
You don’t have to do this alone.
Ttaking care of yourself isn’t selfish, it’s the thing that makes everything else sustainable.
You don’t have to earn the right
to be cared for.
You’ve been holding it together for so long — advocating, managing, pushing through. In our sessions, you can set that weight down. This is your space to slow down, feel what you’ve been pushing aside, and release what’s been building up.
Using EMDR, IFS, and Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR), I help you gently process the traumatic experiences that still feel overwhelming — and ease the emotional and nervous system impact of parenting a child with unique needs. We’ll tend to the accumulated stress you’ve been carrying, increase your capacity for daily stressors, and help you reconnect with yourself underneath the role of caregiver.
Having lived this journey myself, I understand the unique joys and challenges, the ups and downs, the constant worry. You don't have to explain yourself here. You don't have to pretend you're ok. You don't have to be the strong one. You can just show up as you are.
Hi, I'm Amy
I'm a Licensed Professional Counselor (MA, LPC) and Certified EMDR Therapist with over 20 years of experience — but more than that, I'm someone who knows what it feels like to struggle in silence.
My own journey through depression and anxiety is what led me to this work. I know what it feels like to carry quiet pain that no one around you sees — and I know how transformative it is when you finally get the right support.
I'm not the therapist who just nods along. I help you see the patterns you can't see on your own, notice what's happening beneath the words, and walk with you into the places that feel too scary to go alone.
My clients tell me they feel seen in a way they haven't before — that there's a safety in our sessions that lets them finally let the walls down.
And that's where the real healing begins.
Questions you might be holding onto.
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With 100% certainty — no. In addition to feeling all of those things myself throughout the course of parenting my own AuDHD son, I’ve heard from countless other parents that these feelings are present. What I also hear in “Am I the only one?” is the core pain of loneliness. Even if you know there are others like you, it can still feel like no one truly gets it. It can feel lonely even when you’re surrounded by people, because no one quite understands what your day holds.
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Absolutely. All feelings are welcome here — even the messy ones. You’ve likely had to hold it together on the outside even when you’re falling apart on the inside. Or maybe you worry others will judge you, or you’re tired of hearing “Don’t worry, it’ll all work out.” Sessions with me are a safe place to share the good, the bad, and the ugly — and to finally shed the mask you’ve been wearing.
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This is such a valid question. Therapy isn’t about fixing your child — it’s about helping you navigate the challenges with more ease, process the emotions and trauma you’ve been carrying, and feel supported along the way. Therapy gives you space to slow down, reflect, feel and release — which often leads to an increased sense of calm, self-compassion, and confidence.
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It’s completely normal to feel that way — especially when your child needs you so much. But wanting support doesn’t make you a bad parent. It makes you human. Taking care of yourself gives you more emotional capacity so you can show up as the best parent you can be. Therapy is also a space to process the guilt itself, so you can feel more at peace with prioritizing your own needs.
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It’s unfortunately common for parents of neurodivergent children to have been judged, dismissed, or criticized by trusted professionals. I understand why this is a concern. Not only do I have professional experience working with parents just like you — having lived this journey myself, I understand the unique joys and challenges firsthand. Your child and your experiences will be different from mine, so my goal is to really hear your story and meet you exactly where you are.
Let’s start with a conversation.
Maybe you’re not even sure therapy is the right step. Maybe you’ve been sitting on this for a while. That’s okay. Starting is the hardest part, and you’re already here.
Complete this form to schedule a free 15-minute consultation. No commitment — just a conversation to see if we’re the right fit.
