Training
Training that changes how people understand and respond
Responsive, neuroaffirming learning that brings lived experience, research and practice into conversation by creating meaningful shifts in how people think, relate and work.
From information to changed practice
Contextual, participatory and connected to real work
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Notice the existing frame: We begin with the assumptions, language and practices people already encounter, without shame for what they have not previously known.
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See more of the context: Lived experience, research and systemic perspectives bring into view what individualised or deficit-based explanations tend to leave out.
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Reconsider what is possible: Participants explore different interpretations and responses, holding complexity without replacing one rigid formula with another.
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Translate learning into practice: Ideas become relevant actions, questions and changes that participants can adapt to their roles, relationships, teams and environments.
What shapes the learning
The emphasis, examples and practical application are shaped by the audience and context, recognising that the same approach will not fit every role, team or environment.
Lived experience · Research · Practice knowledge · Real examples · Reflective discussion · Practical application
Participants develop more nuanced ways of noticing context, questioning assumptions and responding with greater curiosity, flexibility and care.
Seeing the whole context
The Ripple Framework offers flexible lenses for understanding the wider context surrounding a question, project or period of change. Rather than treating the immediate issue in isolation, it draws attention to:
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Identity, values, roles and direction
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Capacity, access, embodied needs and sustainability
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Relationships, reciprocity, boundaries and belonging
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Environments, structures, practices and systems
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Strengths, meaning, purpose, contribution and possibilities for what comes next
These are interconnected lenses rather than content areas to complete. They help participants consider how ideas take shape across different contexts and translate learning into more thoughtful, accessible and sustainable practice.
Training topics
Training can be developed around the needs, existing knowledge and context of your team or organisation. Rather than requiring your needs to fit a predetermined workshop, we can identify what participants need to understand, explore or apply and shape the learning accordingly.
Training topic examples:
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Neurodivergent-affirming practice
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Autism, ADHD, giftedness and intersecting neurodivergence
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Neurodivergent mental health
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Burnout, masking, capacity and sustainable participation
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Communication, relationships and reciprocity
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Neurodivergent identity and self-understanding
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Accessibility, inclusion and participation
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Neurodivergence in workplaces and professional settings
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Reflective practice and professional supervision
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Lived experience, knowledge and power
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Relational and systemic approaches to change
Training examples:
Neuroinclusive Workplaces: Practical Strategies for Burnout Prevention, Communication & Belonging
A practical workshop for teams and leaders wanting to build more neuroinclusive workplaces. This session explores how everyday workplace systems, including communication, feedback, workload and sensory environments, can affect neurodivergent staff wellbeing and participation. Participants leave with practical strategies to reduce burnout risk, improve communication across neurotypes, and create more accessible, psychologically safer workplace cultures.
Neuroaffirming Supervision: Tools and strategies for supervising Autistic and ADHD professionals
A professional development workshop offering practical tools and reflective strategies for supervising autistic and ADHD professionals. This session explores identity, burnout, masking, communication differences, capacity, boundaries, workplace systems, and sustainable neuroaffirming practice.
When Lived Experience Speaks: Ethical and Embodied Self-Disclosure of Neurodivergence in Therapy
A professional development workshop exploring how neurodivergent therapists can approach lived experience disclosure with clarity, consent, embodiment, and ethical care. This session supports clinicians to reflect on timing, purpose, boundaries, power, relational safety, and the difference between connection and over-disclosure.
Training formats and audiences
Training can be delivered online or in person and shaped around the depth of learning and participation required. Formats may include:
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Focused professional development sessions
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Interactive workshops
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Half-day or full-day training
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Multi-session learning
The format, content and level of participation are agreed based on your audience, goals and context.
If your primary goal is to introduce an idea, open up a conversation or invite an audience to reconsider a familiar issue, Speaking may be a better fit.
Training can be developed for professional, organisational, research, education and community contexts, including:
Allied health & human services · Workplaces & organisations · Leaders & supervisors · Researchers & research teams · Universities & education · Professional groups · Community organisations
Participants do not need to begin with the same level of knowledge. Training can be shaped around what a group already understands, where uncertainty or tension exists and what would be useful within their particular context.
About Caitlin
I’m Caitlin Hughes (she/they), an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker, researcher, trainer and founder of Cathartic Collaborations.
My work brings together lived experience, research and professional practice. I’m particularly interested in what becomes possible when we move beyond individualised explanations and consider the relationships, environments, assumptions and systems surrounding neurodivergent experiences. Rather than teaching neuroaffirming practice as a fixed set of rules, I support participants to develop ways of thinking that can travel with them into their work and practice.
You can learn more about my professional experience, qualifications, research and approach via LinkedIn or below.
Lauren - Clinic Director
"Caitlin presented a workshop for our team of mental health clinicians on neurodivergent affirming supervision and it was fantastic! The team found Caitlin really engaging and very well researched in the area. Caitlin is an expert in neurodivergent affirming practice and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend her."
Participant - AASW Webinar
Caitlin's presentation drew on lived experience community wisdom, peer-reviewed evidence from neurodivergent-led research teams, and a trans-inclusive example. This was a detailed, nuanced, and practically useful session that validated the anti-oppressive, neurodivergent-affirming work I was doing and articulated clear language for communicating neurodivergent-affirming concepts in supervision, including when advocating with employers.
Training Enquiry Form
Training FAQ
Can training be tailored to our team or organisation?
Yes. Training can be tailored to your audience, context, existing knowledge and learning priorities. We can clarify what you want participants to understand or do differently and shape the training accordingly.
What is the difference between training and speaking?
Training focuses on building shared understanding and translating ideas into practical application. It is best suited to teams and groups wanting to develop knowledge, skills or ways of working.
Speaking is generally designed to introduce ideas, open perspectives and invite people to think differently, making it better suited to conferences, events, panels and broader audiences.