AREAS OF PRACTICE
Internalized Ableism
WHAT IT IS
What Is Internalized Ableism?
When you grow up in a world that treats neurotypical as the standard, it is hard not to absorb some of its messages, that you should try harder, mask better, be less, or be different. Internalized ableism is what that absorption looks like from the inside. Internalized ableism refers to the ways neurodivergent and disabled people come to direct society's negative beliefs about disability and difference toward themselves. It often shows up as shame about how your brain works, relentless self-criticism for not meeting neurotypical standards, or the exhausting pressure to mask, perform, and pass as someone you are not.
How It Shows Up
Signs You May Be Working Through This
Feeling ashamed of your diagnosis or reluctant to disclose it
Believing you are lazy, difficult, or not enough because of how your brain works
Masking your neurodivergence to the point of exhaustion or loss of self
Comparing yourself to neurotypical peers and coming up short
Grieving a version of yourself that could just be "normal"
Difficulty receiving accommodations without guilt
Late-diagnosed adults re-examining years of misattributed struggle
What Sessions Offer
What This Work Looks Like
Sessions create space to name and examine the beliefs you have carried, often without realizing they were beliefs at all. We explore where they came from, how they have shaped your choices and your self-concept, and what it might look like to live with less of them
COMMON QUESTIONS
Frequently Asked Questions
I am not sure I have internalized ableism, I just feel like I need to be better.
That feeling is worth exploring. The two are often closer than they seem, especially when the standard you are measuring yourself against was never built for your brain.
I was recently diagnosed as an adult. Is this relevant to me?
Very often, yes. Late diagnosis frequently brings up grief, anger, and a re-examination of years of self-blame. This work holds all of that.
Take the next step
Use your free consultation to ask questions, share what you’re looking for, and see if working together feels like a good fit.