 Somatic Shamanism
“Where our minds are vexed by modernity, with even our wilder hopes limited by reason and logic, our creaturely bodies house and animate our strangest imaginations. We live all possibilities out loud through our bodies. We speak through our skin. We wield the intelligence of the flesh, our “fleshy knowings” as Kay Louise Aldred describes them. Move through this workbook like a prayer; it’s a beautiful and timely achievement.” -Danielle Dulsky, Founder of The Hag School I feel like the content of this workbook, which I authored and published (via @girlgodbooks, which is available from their website or online stores) in June 2023, is finally coming of age. Grateful for this beautiful endorsement that the book received: 'we speak through our skin ... we wield the intelligence of our flesh" #IfeelthereforeIam #educateevolveembody #bodymind #diversity #spirituality #depathologise #rehumanise #thinksystemically CLICK HERE
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Neurodiverse Voices Podcast with Andreia Costa
Season 4 Episode 3 CLICK HERE Can you believe that it’s almost November? Still trying to understand what happened this year! The great news is that it’s almost time for a new episode of the NDV Podcast, with the amazing and very special @kaylouisealdred ! 🤗 From Diagnosis to Self-Compassion: Kay’s Story of Healing and Embodiment Diagnosed as autistic at 47, @kaylouisealdred shares her powerful journey of late diagnosis, healing, and self-acceptance. 💜 I connected with Kay last Autumn, as I joined the Neurodivergent Wellbeing Approach training that she leads at @ndconnectionuk. I’ve learnt so much from Kay during the training and she has become an inspiration since then. We had a wonderful and insightful conversation with a focus on the importance of the connection between the mind and body, which we so often miss. We talked about late diagnoses, menopause and neurodivergence, parenting and a lot more! Thank you so much for being a guest on the NDV Podcast, Kay! It’s been an immense pleasure to interview, and I can’t wait for Saturday, 1st November to share your story! 🩵 Don’t miss it! CLICK HERE  Why self-awareness matters
My latest NDC blog extracts 👇 Whether you're Neurodivergent yourself or working with those who are, self-awareness is foundational. It means learning to notice our nervous system, values, triggers, and stories. It’s about becoming more aware of how we show up in spaces, and how our internal state affects our presence and interactions. For professionals, this reflective work allows us to move beyond ‘doing to’ and toward ‘being with’. For Neurodivergent individuals, cultivating self-awareness helps reclaim agency and self-trust in a world that often misunderstands difference. This training endeavours to create space for both groupings to come together in this exploration. 👁️ Reflective responding over reaction Neurodivergent people often face environments that ask for immediate answers, constant productivity and quick emotional recovery. The Neurodivergent Wellbeing Approach recognises that reflection is not a luxury, it’s a requirement for sustainable wellbeing. Reflection means: Noticing how systems shape our responses Identifying internalised expectations of compliance or performance Exploring what wellbeing looks and feels like for us This kind of self-inquiry isn't about pathology or self-improvement. It’s about remembering our own needs, rhythms and knowing. 👁️ Honouring spiritual and existential needs Wellbeing isn't just physical or emotional. Many Neurodivergent people have deep spiritual needs, rich inner landscapes and existential questions that deserve space. Whether expressed through connection to nature, creativity, meaning-making, or rituals of rest and solitude, spiritual wellbeing is often sidelined in clinical or educational settings. The Neurodivergent Wellbeing Approach course recognises spiritual and existential needs as valid, non-pathological aspects of human life. It gives language and permission for people to honour the deeper parts of themselves, without needing to explain or justify their experience. Read the full blog 👇 https://ndconnection.co.uk/blog/ndwa-go-deeper The latest NDWA training began on Oct 14th. The next round of training will be in spring 2026.  Call for Participants: Join the Neurodivergent Creative Research Community (NCRC), Exploring Regulation through Creative Practice & from a Neurodivergent Perspective Are you a Neurodivergent adult who enjoys creative practices like art, writing, storytelling, or embodied movement? Are you interested in regulation, dysregulation, and how creativity can support wellbeing? We’re inviting you to take part in a unique, paid research opportunity that values your lived experience and creative passions. About the Project Title: Building Neurodivergent-Affirming Cultures of Regulation: A Neurodivergent Perspective Led by Dr Amy Skinner (York St John University, Institute for Social Justice) and Kay Louise Aldred (Neurodiverse Connection), this project will explore how regulation is experienced by Neurodivergent people, using creative and collaborative methods. You'll be part of a co-researcher community, helping to shape a creative, co-produced output and published research. Who Can Take Part? We’re looking for Neurodivergent adults who: Use or are curious about creativity to explore emotions, experiences, well-being and regulation Are open to sharing ideas about how they experience regulation and dysregulation, and what regulated spaces look and feel like for them, and how they can be facilitated, in a supportive, collaborative environment Identify as Neurodivergent (no formal diagnosis is needed to apply) What's Involved? Attend monthly creative sessions (online or hybrid options) Sessions run from December 2025 to July 2026, on the second Thursday of each month (up to 2.5 hours each, with breaks) Engage in creative workshops, short, recorded conversations, and photo sharing of your creative work Take part in a supportive, imaginative, and respectful space Participants will be paid £250 for their time and contributions. How to Apply We have an online information Teams meeting on Thursday, 9th October 2025, at 6 pm, which you can attend via this link: Join the meeting now, Meeting ID: 379 297 777 957 8, Passcode: sY6nQ7ts. To find out more about the project, or you can email us at [email protected] and ask any questions you have. Send an email to [email protected] telling us why you're interested by 5 pm on Monday, 20th October 2025. Details of what to include in the email below. We’ll select participants based on interest and creative fit – we aim for a mix of styles and perspectives If selected, you'll be invited to an online information meeting on Teams on Thursday, 6th November at 6 pm, before confirming your place. Your Wellbeing Your well-being during the research process is important to us. Share only what feels right for you You can pause or skip activities at any time We'll begin with creative work; body-based (somatic) practices will be introduced gently later Full consent info will be provided before you join Your Data and Privacy Your personal data will be stored securely and used only for this project. You’ll be able to review and approve anything with your name or creative work before it's made public or archived. Interested? Have Questions? To apply or find out more, email us at [email protected] by 5 pm on Monday, 20th October 2025. In the email, let us know: About yourself – eg your location and experience Why you're interested in being part of the project Any creative practices you enjoy or want to explore Let’s build something better spaces for regulation and creativity together by, with, and for the Neurodivergent community.  Another important collaboration with @respect_uk RESPECT & a piece of partnership work I'm leading on as Neurodiverse Connection @ndconnectionuk Development Lead. Building on partnership, co-production, research, & the toolkit & development of a neurodiversity practitioner guide for more inclusive domestic abuse perpetrator Interventions, work led by Dr Nicole Renehan at Durham University Neurodiverse Connection has partnered with RESPECT @respect_uk & their Make a Change Programme led by Rebecca Vagi to make their model more inclusive & responsive to Neurodivergent survivors & perpetrators. Honoured to be able to support this development & I'm feeling the responsibility of this work. More to follow.  Neurodiverse Connection (ndconnection.co.uk) exists to advocate, amplify, challenge, educate and promote & we were created to improve support and outcomes for Neurodivergent people. I was delighted to represent the organisation & our mission on Friday, 19th Sept at NIHR Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre (OH BRC) @nihr_research Neurodiversity Conference 2025 at @oxfordsbs @oxford_uni Grateful to Andreia Santos (Neurodiverse Voices Podcast) for the invitation to attend. As part of the invitation to be part of this event & I was invited to speak as Neurodiverse Connection Development Lead on two panels: 1. Lived Experience in Action: Neurodiversity & Research 2. Working Together: Researchers, Neurodivergent People, & Families in Mental Health Research You can't solve a problem with the same mind that created it" (saying attributed to Einstein) At the event, I spoke about decolonising our bodyminds. The key points I shared included: Research, academia, and mental health services often take a capitalist, ableist, normative, and coloniser “observer” view. Even those of us who are Neurodivergent can be conditioned into these mindsets. That’s why we need to neuroqueer our lens and decolonise our minds and approaches - shifting away from the medical model of “deficit and disorder” toward a depathologised understanding of bodymind diversity as natural human variation. When we ground research in lived experience, we start to see how some “evidence-based” practices (like PBS) can actually harm —contributing to suicidality, masking, and loss of identity — because they were designed without acknowledging the embodied reality of living in oppressive systems. We can then ask, are they actually a coloniser tool? We must question the very origins and purposes of psychiatry & psychology: do we want to keep perpetuating a system that pathologises survival responses (meltdown, shutdown, situational mutism, distress behaviours)? Or do we want to create something different, an alternative system that recognises these as adaptive responses to trauma, poverty, and systemic oppression? Bodymind diversity is not an illness and does not require treatment. Instead, we need to diagnose systems, cultures, norms, and attitudes. We must rehumanise both care and research. And importantly, researchers and practitioners themselves need bodymind & wellbeing support - so they can regulate, embody, and extend a truly humanised & relational approach in their work. I also shared about our work on the Culture of Care with NCCMH @thercpsych & with FoNS @fonscharity, and our promotion of the SPACE Framework by Autistic Doctors International (Mary Doherty, Seb Shaw et al) - go to our website ndconnection.co.uk to find out more. Change starts with re-imagining how we understand, research, and support human bodymind diversity and reduce human distress: #thinksystemically #OHRCBDConference2025 #OHRCNDConf2025 #livedexperience #research #mentalheath #neurodiversity #oxford Interconnectedness. We all have strengths, and we all have support needs. For some of us, the contrast between them is more pronounced — and that’s okay. The reason I was able to attend the NIHR Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre (OH BRC) @nihr_research conference in person on Friday was that, most of the time, I work remotely from home in a sensory-friendly, low-nervous-system-arousal environment that helps me manage my energy and avoid burnout. Also, I am grateful for the support of my husband, who accompanied me on the trip. He planned our journey, drove, and supported me with some executive decisions, making it possible for me to conserve energy to show up and engage in a regulated way, accessing my full strengths. This is part of what access and interdependence look like for me. Remembering our interconnectedness means allowing people to be fully human — to have both strengths and support needs. And if we were to create humane systems, cultures, and norms that support the needs of the most sensitive bodyminds (the 'canaries in the mines' Dr James Stacey alluded to) & built more processing space, and lower-sensory & nervous system arousal environments, everyone (every body) would benefit. We all deserve environments that don't overwhelm our nervous systems & to create that, we need to #thinksystemically We need to slow down. Turn down. Make space. And feel. "Understanding nervous system regulation is foundational for creating Neurodivergent-affirming and trauma-informed approaches, both at an individual and organisational level. Here are six ways how this understanding can contribute to more effective, inclusive, and long-lasting change. 1. Enhancing Self-Awareness and Regulation 2. Supporting Authentic Connection and Belonging 3. Creating Safe, Supportive Environments 4. Building Nervous System and Trauma-Informed Policies and Practices 5. Reducing Stigma and Promoting Inclusion and Equity 6. Driving Sustainable Change The Neurodivergent Wellbeing Approach is a holistic, Neurodivergent-friendly wellbeing curriculum that offers a reflective space, nervous system education, and practical strategies. This programme is based on the concept of ‘experience to share’ and is designed to promote self-reflection and the wellbeing of participants, which they can then model and share with those they care for and support. The only requirement is a willingness to self-reflect and a genuine interest in learning about embodiment and creative approaches." Read the full blog here 👇 https://ndconnection.co.uk/blog/creating-neurodivergent-affirming-organisations Find out more about the Neurodivergent Wellbeing Approach Training here 👇 https://ndconnection.co.uk/ndwatraining #educateevolveembody #bodymind #diversity #spirituality #depathologise #rehumanise  "Understanding nervous system regulation is foundational for creating Neurodivergent-affirming and trauma-informed approaches, both at an individual and organisational level. Here are six ways how this understanding can contribute to more effective, inclusive, and long-lasting change. 1. Enhancing Self-Awareness and Regulation 2. Supporting Authentic Connection and Belonging 3. Creating Safe, Supportive Environments 4. Building Nervous System and Trauma-Informed Policies and Practices 5. Reducing Stigma and Promoting Inclusion and Equity 6. Driving Sustainable Change The Neurodivergent Wellbeing Approach is a holistic, Neurodivergent-friendly wellbeing curriculum that offers a reflective space, nervous system education, and practical strategies. This programme is based on the concept of ‘experience to share’ and is designed to promote self-reflection and the wellbeing of participants, which they can then model and share with those they care for and support. The only requirement is a willingness to self-reflect and a genuine interest in learning about embodiment and creative approaches." Read the full blog here 👇 https://ndconnection.co.uk/blog/creating-neurodivergent-affirming-organisations Find out more about the Neurodivergent Wellbeing Approach Training here 👇 https://ndconnection.co.uk/ndwatraining #educateevolveembody #bodymind #diversity #spirituality #depathologise #rehumanise  As Development Lead at Neurodiverse Connection, I'm currently part of a project team led by Dr. Nicole Renehan, an Assistant Professor of Criminology at the University of Durham. The team is developing a practitioner guide for domestic abuse perpetrator intervention practitioners who work with Neurodivergent clients. Research Associate Dr Vicky Butterby is also on the team, along with partners specialising in domestic abuse perpetrator work: Respect, the North East Probation Service, and Community Justice Scotland. The project is funded by the ESRC Impact Acceleration Account. During phase one of the project, we have been proud to use our organisational expertise in advocating for Neurodivergent individuals, facilitating lived-experience informed and led training on Neurodivergence and consultancy on the creation of Neurodivergent-inclusive sensory environments, to shape and inform the co-production of the practitioners’ guide on working with Neurodivergent people. Phase two of the project begins this September, in which we will be delivering training to support the piloting of the guide across three project partner organisation delivery sites. We look forward to launching the guide in April 2026 at a hybrid event, which will be a collaborative effort between Neurodiverse Connection and the Centre for Research into Violence and Abuse at Durham University. To learn more about this project, visit Dr Renehan’s webpage. |
AuthorKay Louise Aldred MA, PGCE Archives
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