Hello! I’m Caitlin (she/they) — a proud Neurodivergent Accredited Mental Health Social Worker (AMHSW), neurodivergent affirming therapist and supervisor, educator, and PhD researcher. I’m also the founder of Cathartic Collaborations — a practice dedicated to relational, neurodivergent-led support, learning, and systems change. I live and work at the intersections of Autism, ADHD, Giftedness, and queerness — as embodied experiences that have shaped how I heal, connect, and show up in the world.
My work is deeply informed by my own lived experience of late diagnosis, burnout, unmasking, and rebuilding, as well as by my ongoing commitment to justice, relational ethics, and the dismantling of systemic barriers within mental health and professional spaces. I speak not just as a clinician, but as someone who has walked the path I support others on — navigating complex identities, systems that weren’t built for us, and the transformative process of becoming more fully ourselves.
Whether I’m facilitating a team training, presenting at a conference, supervising clinicians, or sharing my story publicly, I strive to create spaces that are reflexive, inclusive, and regenerative — where people feel safe to explore complexity, challenge assumptions, and connect with what matters most. For more information about my qualifications, training, and experience, check out my LinkedIn.
Currently available for:
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Keynotes, workshops and panels at conferences
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Guest lectures
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Professional development and training
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Podcast and media appearances
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Consulting & co-designed projects
Photo credit: Branding by Britt
Speaking & Storytelling
Neurodivergent Affirming Speaker for Conferences and Events
I speak from the heart of lived experience and therapeutic practice — weaving together story, research, ethics, and systems change. I speak to what it means to unmask, to burnout, to rebuild, and to reconnect with one’s authentic self in a world that often demands conformity.
Topics I Cover:
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Autistic & ADHD burnout across the lifespan
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Unmasking and identity integration
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Rejection sensitivity and healthy relational dynamics
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Neuroqueering professionalism
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Multi-exceptionality: navigating giftedness and asynchronous development
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Supporting neurodivergent clinicians
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Creating systems that honour, not erase, neurodivergent identities
Past Speaking Highlights:
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Co-host of Divergent Dialogues podcast
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ABC News — ADHD, shame, and systemic burnout
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Divergent Discussion – Kaboose — ADHD and Autistic Burnout
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Positive Disintegration Podcast — Depathologizing Intensity
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Mindful Men Podcast — Neurodiversity and Autism
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Guest lectures — USQ
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Presentations for events - Government, NGOs and other organisations
Workshops & Professional Development
Facilitating Change through Inclusive, Participatory Learning
I deliver training and workshops that are relational, reflective, and practical. I centre neurodivergent voices, needs, and strengths while making theory and research accessible, engaging, and actionable.
Formats:
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Half-day, full-day, or tailored intensives
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Online or in-person (I am Brisbane-based)
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Reflective practice and skills-based learning
Example Workshops:
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Effective Use of Self-Disclosure & Lived Experience Neurodivergence in Therapy
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Neurodivergent Affirming Supervision: Practical Tools for Supervising Autistic and ADHD Social Workers