Neurodivergent-Affirming Therapy in Westminster & Thornton, CO

If most of your adult life has been spent decoding social rules in real time, masking through meetings, recovering on the weekend so you can do it again Monday, and being told you're "too sensitive," "too much," or "not living up to your potential" — you don't need a therapist who's going to add to that list.

You need someone who already speaks the language.

I'm Sarah at Mindfully Rooted Therapy in Westminster, CO. I work with neurodivergent adults — autistic, ADHD, AuDHD, twice-exceptional, late-identified — across Westminster, Thornton, Broomfield, Northglenn, Arvada, Federal Heights, and via telehealth across Colorado.

What "neurodivergent-affirming" actually means

It means I work from the neurodiversity paradigm: autism, ADHD, and related neurotypes are differences, not deficits. They have real challenges (especially in environments built for neurotypical brains), and they have real strengths, and the goal of therapy is not to make you pass for neurotypical.

In practice, that means:

• I won't pathologize stims, special interests, info-dumping, parallel play, or scripting
• I won't push social skills training that's really just compliance training
• I'll help you mask less, not more — because masking has a real cost
• I'll center your sensory needs, not work around them
• I'll respect your communication style (text, email, longer pauses, written prep, whatever helps)
• I'll take your self-identification seriously, with or without a formal diagnosis

I'm not a diagnostician — I don't do formal evaluations — but I can refer to neurodiversity-affirming evaluators in the Denver metro if that's something you want.

Who I work with

• Late-identified autistic adults processing what their life suddenly makes sense as
• ADHD adults whose "executive dysfunction" is actually unprocessed shame and burnout in a trench coat
• AuDHD adults navigating the internal contradictions of two neurotypes pulling different directions
• Adults in autistic burnout
• Neurodivergent adults with trauma histories (extremely common — neurodivergent kids are far more likely to experience adverse childhood experiences)
• Neurodivergent adults with anxiety, depression, or chronic shame
• Neurodivergent adults in relationships (with neurotypical or other neurodivergent partners)
• Highly sensitive people, gifted/2e adults, and "weird-in-a-good-way" outliers who never quite fit the boxes

What we work on

This isn't a cookie-cutter list. Common threads I see:

• Unmasking — gradually, sustainably, in safe contexts first
• Burnout recovery — autistic burnout is real, and the "just rest more" advice doesn't cover it
• Sensory regulation — building a life that fits your nervous system instead of breaking against it
• RSD (rejection sensitive dysphoria) — both the cognitive and the felt-sense layers
• Late-identification grief — anger about the years before you knew, grief for the kid who didn't get this language
• Relationship work — communication, neurotype mismatches, advocating for accommodations with people who love you
• Trauma — including the trauma of being repeatedly told your wiring was a moral failing
• Identity integration — figuring out what's "me," what's "trauma response," and what's "trying to survive a world not built for me"

My approach

I integrate EMDR, IFS, and somatic work with adaptations that fit neurodivergent nervous systems:

• Pacing flexibility — sessions can be lower-key or more structured
• Sensory-aware office (lighting, fidgets, low scent)
• Stims encouraged
• Special interests welcome — they're often regulating, not distracting
• Written follow-ups available between sessions if that's how you process best
• Telehealth as a real, equally valid option (no shame about not wanting to drive)

My approach to trauma work specifically takes neurodivergence into account. EMDR protocols sometimes need adjustment (different bilateral modalities, more frequent breaks, different target selection). IFS often resonates strongly because so many neurodivergent adults already experience their inner world as multi-voiced.

Investment & insurance

• Self-pay: $130 / 50-min session
• In-network with major Colorado insurance plans (see Billing & Insurance)
• Free 15-minute consultation
• Good Faith Estimate provided to self-pay clients per the No Surprises Act

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a formal diagnosis to work with you? No. I take self-identification seriously. If you've spent six months reading everything you can find on autism or ADHD and you recognize yourself, that's enough to start.

Can you diagnose me? I don't do formal evaluations, but I can refer you to neurodiversity-affirming evaluators in the Denver/Boulder area if you want a written diagnosis.

Will you make me practice eye contact / scripts / "appropriate" behavior? No. Affirming therapy doesn't drill compliance. We focus on what helps you live a more regulated, connected, value-aligned life.

I'm autistic and have trauma. Can we work on both? Yes — and they're often deeply intertwined. EMDR and IFS, adapted for autistic nervous systems, can be powerful for this work.

Will you understand AuDHD? Yes. The internal tug-of-war between autistic structure-seeking and ADHD novelty-seeking is real, and we'll work with both, not pick a side.

Do you offer telehealth? Yes, throughout Colorado. For many neurodivergent clients, telehealth is the more accessible and sustainable option — and that's a feature, not a compromise.

Serving Westminster, Thornton & the north Denver metro

My office is at 2010 W. 120th Ave in Westminster — easy access from Thornton, Broomfield, Northglenn, Federal Heights, and Arvada. The space is sensory-aware, with adjustable lighting and quiet surroundings. Telehealth available statewide for Colorado residents.