About me:
I went through most of school undiagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder and I found it difficult to connect with outdated academic systems that often suppress creativity in the name of compliance and control. I found freedom in theatre arts and fantasy / science fiction communities, and today I use their gifts to help others imagine and manifest richer lives.
Background:
My name is Seth (he/him) and I am a former psychotherapist turned neurodivergence educator / life coach. My passion is to make the world a kinder and more welcoming place for all brain styles. I especially love working with autistic people and their families to help folks understand and cope with what it means to be a neurodivergent person living in a world designed for neurotypical people.
I left the psychotherapy world because I found it to be too restrictive and pathologizing. Today my services operate from a strengths-based neurodiversity approach that believes that there is no such thing as a “normal” brain and we all deserve to be better understood, cared for, and accommodated. Neurodivergence like Autism and ADHD are not diseases in need of a cure, but rather beautiful and necessary parts of human diversity.
I have many special interests that inform my work including a love for Theater Arts, Star Trek, Star Wars, and Dungeons and Dragons.
Education:
In 2006 I graduated from San Francisco State University with a double major in Psychology and Theatre Arts
In 2013 I graduated from the California Institute of Integral Studies with a Master of Arts in Clinical Counseling with an emphasis in Drama Therapy
In 2016 I completed a post-graduate training program specializing in a specific form of Drama Therapy called “Developmental Transformations”
Work History:
2006-2007 Residential Treatment Counselor for Edgewood Center for Children and Families in San Francisco, CA
2008-2014 Therapeutic Behavioral Service Coach for Edgewood Center for Children and Families in San Francisco, CA
2013-2014 Drama Therapy Practicum Trainee for Alta Bates Medical Center in Berkeley, CA.
2014-2016 School Based Behavioral Health Therapist for Edgewood Center for Children and Families in San Mateo, CA
2016-2023 Mental Health Therapist for the San Mateo Union High School District in San Mateo, CA
2023-2024 Lead Wellness Counselor at Hillsdale High School in San Mateo, CA
Credentials:
Developmental Transformations (DvT) Practitioner #45
