CEs Available and Cost:
1 HR FREE CE Training
Training Format:
May 8, 2026 | 12PM MTN
On Demand Playback Available
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Every nervous system carries its own form of intelligence and resilience. In this one-hour training, we’ll explore how neurodiversity-affirming care helps us move away from pathologizing differences and toward recognizing the adaptive wisdom in how brains and bodies respond to the world. We’ll look at practical ways to create spaces of safety, curiosity, and connection, while also reflecting on how our own ideas about “getting it right” or what therapy is supposed to look like may hold us back. Together, we’ll explore how to collaborate more fully with clients and support movement toward greater nervous system integration.
STATISTICS ON
NEURODIVERSITY
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Autistic adults are up to 4 times more likely to experience depression.
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Suicide risk is significantly elevated — some studies suggest autistic adults are 3–7 times more likely to attempt suicide compared to non-autistic peers.
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Late-diagnosed autistic adults report high rates of misdiagnosis and trauma from prior treatment experiences.
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Adults with ADHD are significantly more likely to experience anxiety, depression, and substance use challenges.
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Undiagnosed ADHD is associated with increased burnout and chronic shame narratives.
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Neurodivergent individuals report higher rates of trauma exposure.
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Masking (especially in autistic individuals) is associated with increased anxiety, burnout, and identity distress.
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Chronic sensory overwhelm can activate persistent sympathetic nervous system states.
OUR MISSION
The missions of IRIS Training Collective and the vision of Next Therapist are closely aligned. Next Therapist’s dedication to helping clinicians build thriving, sustainable practices complements IRIS’s focus on developing practical, clinically grounded skills through trainings led by advanced therapists, experienced trainers, and skilled teachers. Both organizations recognize the gaps in our field and are committed to closing them. By partnering, they can equip therapists with both the tools and the self-awareness needed to bring their whole selves to the work—enhancing clinical impact while supporting professional well-being. Together, they provide trainings that not only elevate therapeutic skills but also sustain the therapist behind the work.
Who is Next Therapist?
NextTherapist is a healthcare platform committed to making therapy accessible, compassionate, and personalized. They connect individuals with the right therapist by ensuring a precise, human-centered matching process while streamlining intake, waitlist management, and scheduling for therapists. Their goal is simple: personalized healing through faster connection.
They eliminate the stress and friction from finding mental health support by providing an easy, intuitive, and stigma-free experience. Through personalized therapist matching, real-time scheduling, and seamless waitlist integration, they ensure individuals get the care they need quickly and efficiently.
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Who is IRIS Training Collective?
Iris is not here to sell you a product but to invite you into a process. They're building something different: a space where you don’t have to shrink to fit in. Where your intuition, intellect, and embodiment matter just as much as your clinical skills. And where training isn’t just about CE credits, it’s about becoming the therapist you actually want to be.
At IRIS, they have built the kind of training they wish they had. Grounded in real clinical work, rich with wrap-around support, and rooted in the belief that growth does not come from perfection but from practice. They are three practicing clinicians who balance therapy, teaching, continued learning, and the complexities of their own lives, just like you.
Their teaching is not about telling you what to do. It is about helping you trust your own clinical judgment and intuition, while holding empathy, courage, and precision. If you are called to this work, they would be honored to support your growth and your journey.
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MEET YOUR TRAINER
Laurel Thornton, LPC
Laurel Thornton is a licensed counselor, clinical supervisor, and EMDRIA-approved consultant known for her ability to make complex concepts both clear and actionable. As a neuro-psychotherapist, she brings a deep understanding of brain-based healing to her work with complex trauma, neurodivergence, and high-performing individuals. Laurel owns a group practice, Whole Brain Solutions, specializing in EMDR for stress- and trauma-based disorders and blends clinical excellence with whole-person care.
As a passionate educator and co-founder of the Whole Brain Institute and the Iris Training Collective, Laurel helps professional helpers and healers deepen their skills with clarity, creativity, and compassion. She brings a love of the AIP model and a respect for each brain’s unique wiring into every training space—empowering clinicians to trust themselves, embrace nuance, and lead with purpose.
Laurel’s teaching brings a belief in the learner’s unique brain, clarifying insight, humor, and a steady commitment to cultivating spaces where learning is both rigorous and deeply human.
