As an Autistic woman, it can be hard to listen to and honor your inner experience. Society can often teach you to ignore the inner voice that tells you what’s right for you, and instead focus on external sources of validation. It’s important to recognize that this inner voice is worth listening to. It will help you to realize that some things you do in your everyday life are worth celebrating, even if they seem small.
It can be hard to be an autistic woman, a woman of color, or a woman of any marginalized identity. This can lead you to mask more and suppress your inner voice so that you can focus on external sources of validation. In this blog, we want to offer encouragement and guidance, so that you can recognize the power of listening to your inner voice.
Take the Win When You Can
Small everyday things that can seem not that big of a deal to some, can be a hurdle for you. For instance, you went grocery shopping. We know that was hard for you. The sensory overload in the store is overwhelming, but you did it. That’s worth celebrating! These small accomplishments are meaningful and can help you learn to appreciate yourself along with the challenges you face and overcome. It can help you learn to recognize and accept all parts of your experience.
Self-Appreciation is a Form of Advocacy
Advocacy does not have to be external. It can be internal and self-directed too. Listening to your inner voice and being true to yourself is a powerful act of advocacy. It’s an acknowledgment that your experience matters and that it deserves to be recognized because there is a range to advocacy. From going into the grocery store despite knowing it will be an overwhelming experience, to advocating for climate change with the strength of Greta Thunberg. All forms are important, but it all starts with self-appreciation.
Listen to Your Own Voice
Only you can know yourself. It can be hard as an autistic woman due to pushing it down due to masking and minimizing it, but it’s important to listen to your own voice. Your inner strength and experiences are worth listening to and recognizing. Self-appreciation, which is also advocacy, can just be doing a hard thing and listening to your inner voice that acknowledges that you did the hard thing. Not burying your experience, not pushing it away, but honoring it. Because you know how hard it is for your system to do. You know what it takes, and you can acknowledge that.
So, when you do the hard things, listen to your inner voice and acknowledge it. Think to yourself after these experiences, “Did I acknowledge that I did this hard thing?”, What can I do to reward myself or acknowledge that I did this?” Take a few minutes and reward yourself for the hard things you do. Appreciating yourself is a form of self-care and an important component of your advocacy journey.
Learn More About Self- Appreciation With Therapy for Neurodiverse Adults
Self-appreciation isn’t easy when you’re used to minimizing your inner experience. But, it is possible to learn how to embrace yourself and honor your inner voice. At Open Doors Therapy, we want to support you in developing a strong sense of self-appreciation. If you’re interested in learning more about our team, our services, and which may be right for you, you can follow these steps to gain more information:
- Reach out to our autism therapy practice and schedule a free phone consultation.
- Learn more about our services and which may be best for you or your child
- Start honoring your inner voice and acknowledging yourself for all the hard work you do!
Other Therapy Services Offered with Open Doors Therapy
Our team understands you do hard things every single day. We also know that taking care of yourself is important, so you can keep doing those hard things. We are here to support you in acknowledging your experiences and honoring your inner voice. This is why our California-based practice is happy to offer a variety of services in support of your mental health. We also offer individual therapy, parent counseling, and group therapy. In addition, we also offer social skills groups. These include college students with autistic traits, young adults with autism, women who identify as neurodiverse, a mother’s group, and an online parent support group. Please visit our Autism Resources page for info and helpful resources. Learn more about our services by reaching out or visiting our blog today!
