FAQs

…what is therapy anyway?

After being a therapist for 13+ years, I feel like I can start to answer this question!! Therapy is so unique to each person and situation, like a conversation or looking at a piece of art. In its simplest form, therapy is a dedicated place to work on feeling better. This can sometimes mean getting a better handle on your life, goals and direction with a second set of eyes (mine!) to help. Other times its really deeply granting oneself the permission to accept ourself just as we are, no big sweeping “A-ha!” change. More often than not it is somehow both of those, at the same time.

I work from an existential lens — none of us chose to be here, but now that we are, it’s our responsibility to make meaning out of the time we have. In that truth there is a great deal of power and inspiration — and somehow, again at the exact same time, a heap of fear, uncertainty, anxiety and profound grief. Therapy with me is a lot of wading through this, stepping into our power and responsibility to proclaim our voice as our own, and also acclimating to the importance of vulnerability and authenticity even when its gritty. The act of being witnessed in an authentic way by another trusted person is, in itself, one of the biggest parts of the medicine of therapy.

…how often do we meet? and how long does therapy go?

At the beginning of treatment I try to meet every week as a way to get our traction going and build rapport. As things get more settled and things feel like they’re in a good spot, lots of folks go down to every other week as is clinically appropriate with what their needs are. Some clinicians do short term solution focused therapy, but the type I do is more long-term, relationally driven and builds over time. Each client is different so the question of how long treatment goes can vary widely. I have some folks I met with for three months to navigate a bumpy season with their divorce, and others I have been seeing ongoing for 9 years without plans to end.

…do you prescribe meds?

Nope —that would be a job for your primary care doctor or a psychiatrist/psychiatric nurse practitioner. If you don’t have one yet and we find out that you would benefit from medication, we can work together to find a good person for the job that is near you or available via telehealth like I am.

…Why does it matter to have a diagnosis of Autism or adhd when you’re not a kid in school? does it make any difference?

Yes!! When we know how to understand and contextualize ourselves, shame transforms into self-compassion, understanding and even curiosity. This is a profound breath of fresh air for many undiagnosed adults, especially if they keep struggling in the same ways over and over again and can’t understand why. A diagnosis can be a deeply grounding experience — feeling believed and understood, seeing clearly that your brain is actually wired differently; truly knowing that you need to build a life that matches your true capacity so you don’t have to keep ending up in differing stages of burnout and overwhelm.

Folks with autism & adhd have specific and often very individualized care needs. When those needs go unmet, risks of more severe mental health issues increase. This sadly can have very serious impacts — suicide rates are much higher in autistic people without intellectual disabilities; addiction rates are higher in autism & in ADHD than the general population; rates of self-injury are higher, and so are rates of disordered eating patterns. It is not an exaggeration to say that an affirming diagnosis of autism and ADHD can help save a person’s life by guiding their treatment and support to better match what they actually need.

…If I do want a diagnosis, Autism and ADHD can only be diagnosed by a Psychologist right?

Nope! Autism and ADHD are most commonly diagnosed by psychologists, but they can be diagnosed by masters level clinicians with proper training. 

In the state of Massachusetts, Masters-Level clinicians (like me, an LMHC) undergo intensive graduate level education, testing, thousands of hours of face-to-face client time, hundreds of hours of supervision and post-graduate training to earn and maintain our licenses as mental health providers. Under our license, we are legally allowed to provide “assessment, diagnosis and treatment, counseling and psychotherapy, of a nonmedical nature of mental and emotional disorders”. For therapists to confidently and ethically work within our scope of practice, we need to keep up with trainings on things that may be complex and specialized (like diagnosing ADHD and Autism!).  As long as a licensed masters-level clinician has sufficient experience and training, they are legally and ethically within their scope of practice diagnosing these conditions. 

…What is the difference between a diagnostic assessment and a neuropsychological assessment? 

A neuropsychological assessment is a test that creates a snapshot of one’s intellectual, emotional, social and behavioral functioning. They are used to diagnose neurodevelopmental and mental health conditions including ADHD and autism. These tests are done by a psychologist (PhD/PsyD), and will often include tools like IQ tests and scored measures that screen for a variety of mental health presentations. If you need autism or ADHD diagnosis for something like a social security disability application or other forensic/government uses, neuropsychological testing with a psychologist is almost always a requirement. 

A diagnostic assessment with someone like me is beneficial as a confirmation of self-identification and can usually be used for accommodations at work or school (I always suggest you double check what they require for your unique needs).  As neuropsychological testing can be very very expensive, hard to find and often requires long wait times, diagnostic assessments with a therapist like me are a powerful and more accessible tool to bridge the gap between self-identification and neuropsych testing.

…What are your qualifications to conduct these diagnostic assessments?

I am trained in the MIGDAS-2, the Monteiro Interview Guidelines for Diagnosing the Autism Spectrum, Second Edition. This is a narrative test that utilizes an interview format to get a full picture of a client’s experience.  I have also have undergone training through Neuropebble with Jamie Roberts, LMFT, an AuDHD therapist who specializes in psychosocial assessments for ADHD & autism.

Also, non-clinical qualifications — I am an autistic ADHD’er, diagnosed in mid-life after decades of anxiety, specific phobias, social inconsistencies and unexplained physical health anomalies. I am also a mom of three ND kiddos, married to a late diagnosed autistic partner. 

…but Why is everyone Autistic now?

It’s not more autism, its autism that has always been here. With more effective screening tools and more awareness (and less stigma, thankfully) more people are coming forward and pursuing self-understanding at higher rates. Dr. Megan Anna Neff has a good post about this here. A study that came out at end of 2025 found that approximately 90% of Autistic people over the age of 40 in the UK are living without a diagnosis. If these numbers are accurate there will likely be a lot of people coming out of the woodwork in the near future. Dr. Megan Anna Neff has an incredible podcast/video about this issue, which she refers to as “The Lost Generation of Autistic Adults"

…Wait. I don’t think I even know what Autism actually is?

I think this is true for a lot of people.  

Autism is a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition that leads to differences with sensory processing and socialization/communication, repetitive and restricted behaviors and highly focused interests. It can sometimes happen alongside intellectual disability or learning disability, but it can also occur in folks with average or high performing intellectual capacity. It exists on a spectrum that is widely varied and deeply individual to each person.

The Autistic Self Advocacy Network has a more thorough breakdown here, & Nick Walker, PhD. has a powerful essay about this here.

If you have any more questions that weren’t answered, email me anytime —
mallory@moonflowertherapy.com