Seen, Heard, Valued: Neurodiversity Affirming Psychology Practice
| Tuesday, August 12, 2025 |
| 8:40 AM - 9:10 AM |
| Prince Room |
Overview
Rebecca Flower, Senior Lecturer | Researcher, Therapy | La Trobe University and Rachel Jellett, Lecturer, Swinburne University Of Technology
Speaker
Dr Rebecca Flower
Senior Lecturer | Researcher | Advocate for neurodiversity inclusive practice
Department of Psychology, Counselling, & Therapy | La Trobe University
Seen, Heard, Valued: Neurodiversity affirming psychology practice
Presentation Overview
Over the past five years, our students, research participants, and community collaborators have guided us on a journey into the lived experiences of seeking psychological support as an Autistic adult. We began with in-depth interviews, aiming to understand the current landscape—what is it actually like to see a psychologist in Australia as an Autistic person?
After hearing some less-than-ideal scenarios, we then sought out to find people who could tell us about their positive experiences to get a sense of where therapy was going right. Through exploring the nature of the therapeutic relationship, factors that create trust, and nuances such as sensory and accessibility requirements in small scale studies, we were inspired to develop our seminal work, a definition of Neurodiversity Affirming Psychology Practice. In this multi-year project, we worked alongside Autistic adults and Autistic and non-autistic psychologists to determine together what it means for a psychologist to offer neurodiversity affirming support to Autistic adult clients. In our presentation, we will talk you through our model of Neurodiversity Affirming Psychology Practice, and what we have learnt along the way from our unique position as a neurodiverse team, often supporting neurodivergent students, through inclusive research practices.
After hearing some less-than-ideal scenarios, we then sought out to find people who could tell us about their positive experiences to get a sense of where therapy was going right. Through exploring the nature of the therapeutic relationship, factors that create trust, and nuances such as sensory and accessibility requirements in small scale studies, we were inspired to develop our seminal work, a definition of Neurodiversity Affirming Psychology Practice. In this multi-year project, we worked alongside Autistic adults and Autistic and non-autistic psychologists to determine together what it means for a psychologist to offer neurodiversity affirming support to Autistic adult clients. In our presentation, we will talk you through our model of Neurodiversity Affirming Psychology Practice, and what we have learnt along the way from our unique position as a neurodiverse team, often supporting neurodivergent students, through inclusive research practices.
Biography
Dr Rebecca Flower (she/her) is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Psychology, Counselling, and Therapy at La Trobe University. Her research focuses on 1) neurodiversity-inclusive workplace practices, and 2) mental health service provision for Autistic adults, the latter which she explores alongside Dr Rachel Jellett. This research explores the experience of Autistic adults and psychologists in working together. Bec is a first in family university graduate, neurodivergent (ADHDer), and is committed to conducting inclusive and respectful research that addresses practical questions of importance to the neurodivergent community. She is also the Executive Editor at the journal Autism in Adulthood.
Dr Rachel Jellett
Lecturer
Swinburne University Of Technology
Keynote by Dr Rebecca Flower and Dr Rachel Jellett
Biography
Dr Rachel Jellett (she/her) is a Clinical Psychologist in private practice and a Lecturer at Swinburne University. She works in partnership with Dr Rebecca Flower to research psychology service provision for Autistic adults. Inspired by her clients and research participants, Rachel is committed to improving accessibility, inclusivity, and equity in mental health services. She recently contributed to Australia’s first evidence-based definition of Neurodiversity Affirming psychology practice and is particularly interested in exploring how these principles apply in real-world service contexts. Through her clinical and academic roles, Rachel aims to bridge the gap between research and practice, advocating for meaningful, evidence-informed change in psychological care.
