Jacqueline 'Jackie' Abeling

Hi, I'm Jackie! I work with neurodivergent and high-achieving folx (ages 16 and up) in developing more flexibility in your thoughts, beliefs, and actions while holding compassion toward yourself—so you can feel freer in your life. I help you understand the coping strategies you use and how these can create strict personal rules that often show up as perfectionism; high expectations for yourself and others; a need for control that sometimes gets directed at food, body, and movement; procrastination; and self-criticism. I recognize how exhausting and overwhelming it is to try to keep it all together in a world that isn’t designed for neurodivergent minds.

I'm neurospicy myself and was diagnosed with ADHD in my mid-30s after burning myself out multiple times over. I'm deeply familiar with the struggles of wanting so desperately to do the thing only to get stuck staring at a wall, endlessly scrolling, or doing literally anything else, all the while screaming at myself, "Get up, you lazy ass!" I am intimately aware of what it's like to feel broken, beat down, like something is wrong with you because you can't seem to do the simple things you know will only take a couple minutes to complete, or that used to be no problem at all. I know what it's like to hold myself (and others) to high standards in an effort to make up for my shortcomings, only to become incredibly frustrated and exhausted when I (and others) can't maintain those expectations. I understand the struggles of navigating relationships, overwhelming emotions, and communication mishaps that are utterly confusing and infuriating. I have first hand experience feeling so overwhelmed that my brain cannot, will not organize or make sense of things, and it shuts down instead. The anxiety and depression cycles that result from the way my brain works are real--and it's frustrating as hell!

It might be hard to believe, but it IS possible to slow the cycles and get out of them more quickly. It's possible to create a life in which your neurospicy brain is an asset, not a liability or a deficit. Our modern world wasn't build for creative, free-spirited, out-of-the-box, deep thinkers. I mean, how would those in power keep their control if we continually asked, "Why?" So, it's no wonder neurodivergent folx struggle to function on sometimes even the most basic level. But when you're able to understand your brain and how it works without the external pressure and expectations, you can work with it rather than against it. With a little curiosity, some willingness to challenge assumptions, and loads of self-compassion, patience, and support, together we can help you feel a little more human--in all your messy glory--and get to a place where you can embrace your life on your terms.

Ready to take the next step? Check out my website to learn a little more and request a free 20-minute meet and greet to see if we're a good fit.