Neurodivergent Empowered

30/01/2026

I'm doing everything in my power to meet you halfway.

We're just not on the same page about where halfway actually is.

30/01/2026

Sigh…

29/01/2026

I’m speaking at the Women Changing the World Global Summit in Paris this April.

My talk is called “They’re Not Listening. They’re Watching.”

It’s for leaders, mothers, founders, and anyone others rely on to make things work - about the quiet cost of success, how we normalise it, and what our children learn by watching what it costs us.

I’ll be alongside an extraordinary lineup, including Dr Tererai Trent and changemakers from around the world.

📍 Paris
📅 22 April 2026

Tickets: 👉 https://wcwawards.com/summit/

28/01/2026

Wishing all of our Phoenix friends and extended community a gentle start as school returns for some this week.

If school is starting again this week for your family and things feel wobbly already, you’re not doing it wrong.

Transitions ask a lot of nervous systems.
Especially neurodivergent ones.

These are neuro-affirming ways to lower friction, protect capacity, and support a steadier return without forcing readiness before it’s there.

23/01/2026

We’re deeply grateful to Sunshine Coast Council for seeing Sparkly Aliens Inc. as worthy of nomination in these prestigious community award categories.

To be recognised alongside so many people and organisations doing meaningful work across our region is an honour in itself.

This acknowledgement affirms something we care deeply about: that creating safe, affirming spaces for marginalised communities matters, and that collaboration, care, and community-building are worth investing in.

Thank you to Sunshine Coast Council for recognising not-for-profits that prioritise inclusion, dignity, and connection, and for shining a light on the quiet, often unseen work that helps people feel safe, seen, heard, and valued.

We’re proud to be part of a community that chooses to notice, support, and elevate this work.

www.sparklaliensinc.com

21/01/2026

Yesterday we held our annual New Year Kickoff at Neurodivergent Empowered, & I’m incredibly proud to share that our 2025 Players Player Award for Neurodivergent Empowered has been awarded to Alex Raven!

The Players Player is a team-nominated award, & with my sporting background, it’s the most meaningful one we give.

Because your teammates see it all.

They see you on the hard days.
They work alongside you when things are messy or demanding.
They see how you step up for others.
They see the way you show up, day in & day out, & the impact that creates.

On a personal note, watching Alex grow over the past few years has been a genuine joy.

We’ve shared a few laughs recently about his bewilderment when he turned 18, I had the very real conversation with him that with adulthood comes higher standards & expectations. Not as pressure, but as trust. The kind that says: we see you as a man within this team, and we believe you can carry that.

What has stood out to me most this year is not just the work Alex does, but the person he is.

I remember vividly a time I was sharing vulnerably the real female leader realities, Alex shared with me that if there were ever an issue I needed help with, he felt completely confident that he could handle it. That he had it.

That moment mattered more than he probably realised.

Knowing I was not alone in protecting our Nest has brought me genuine peace of mind. It reminded me that we are all building something special together. A team where care, strength, responsibility, & trust coexist.

Hearing Alex speak through tears at Sprinkle’s farewell only reinforced that. It showed the depth of his humanity, his capacity for connection, and the integrity he brings into every space he’s part of.

This past year has forged a beautiful bond across our whole team. I’m deeply grateful that it’s allowed me to be back on the floor, arm in arm with every team member, getting to know them not just as professionals, but as the incredible humans they are.

Alex, we are incredibly fortunate to have you as part of this team. As you know, I have always seen the world in you & what is possible.

Well done. You very much deserve this.

Big Love - Tan x

21/01/2026

The numbers are in!

This is the schedule we’ll be kicking off with for Term 1 at Neurodivergent Empowered. How awesome is it???

Slide through to see:

- Any changes to leaders

- Updated times or days

- Any new sessions being delivered this term

For our current clients - as always, I’ve worked with your requests to amend and adjust where needed to support new schedules and capacity changes. That's one of the perks of being an existing client!

We’re genuinely excited about how this term is shaping up and can’t wait to get started next week.

Thank you for the trust, the communication, and the flexibility that makes this work possible.

20/01/2026

Pokémon people {so you may need the kids input on this one - lol}… I need your help.

Confession:
I am a middle-aged human who did not grow up fluent in Pokémon, but I do know values, nervous systems, and how people actually feel safe.

So I tried something.

I matched each of our Neurodivergent Empowered values to a Pokémon that felt like it embodied that value - not based on strength or cuteness, but on how they move through the world.

Scroll through the images to see how I went 🙈🙈🙈

✨ Bonus nerd moment I did learn:
Eevee evolves into Sylveon through affection and bond - is that correct??

Authenticity enabling connection? Because that feels… very on brand.

So Pokémon people, ND humans, and friendly lore-knowers:

👉 Did I nail this?

👉 Are there better fits I should know about?

Please share below to help this sista out!

Other options I had down were:

Authenticity — Eevee
You can be many things. Each one is fully you. No pretending, no being everything at once. {But didn't want this confused with masking}

Joy — Togekiss
Joy that feels light and settling, not loud or performative.

Accessibility — Rotom
The environment adapts to you — not the other way around.

What else is more aligned?

Please be gentle. I’m learning. 😅
And yes, this is absolutely how my brain works now.

💙💚♥️💛💜🩶🩷🤍

20/01/2026

All I hear in the media right now is negativity about the NDIS Providers.

Fraud. Rorting. Providers swindling money.

And honestly? That hasn’t been my lived reality at all.

The providers I know, and the one I am, take this work seriously. We work long hours. We document carefully. We think deeply about ethics, scope, safety, and sustainability. We show up for people when systems make it hard. We care about doing this properly.

But this constant narrative does something damaging.
It pits providers against each other.
It creates a sense that we have to compete, posture, and prove ourselves.
As if collaboration is a liability instead of a strength.

I’m done buying into that.

It is only in our clients’ best interests when we work together.
When therapists, capacity builders, and support teams are aligned instead of siloed.
When strategies don’t just live in reports, but actually land in real life.

So instead of absorbing the “everyone’s dodgy” storyline, I’m choosing a different one.

NDIS-affirming providers.
Providers who collaborate.
Providers who protect scope and relationships.
Providers who care about outcomes and sustainability.

I take what I do seriously AND I’m also choosing to bring more joy and connection into this work.
Those two things don’t cancel each other out.

I know I’m not alone in this.

I am done with contorting myself... it's time to step back into my heart space with other providers that feel the same because I truly believe that

More info here: https://www.neurodivergentempowered.com/allied-health-collaboration

19/01/2026

After consistent Distinctions in my first term of an AQF9 Masters of Counselling, I finally landed a High Distinction.

For 47 years, I raw-dogged life.
No diagnosis. No medication. No understanding of how my brain actually works.

This isn’t just about Vyvanse or HRT for perimenopause.
It’s about finally working with my brain instead of against it.

Protecting capacity.
Choosing what I add.
Removing what drains.
Designing sustainability instead of surviving on willpower.

All those years where it was just too. freaking. hard.
That wasn’t failure as much as it truly felt like it. That was unsupported capacity.

As Glennon Doyle says, “We can do hard things.”
But we don’t have to do them the hardest possible way!!!

19/01/2026

Some support isn't about doing more.

Swipe through to learn about 1:1 Capacity Building Coaching - what it includes, what it's not, and how it works through Neurodivergent Empowered.

Perfect timing with my Designed 4 More Capacity Building book series in my Publisher's hot little hands - launching in Ireland this year!

Funded under the NDIS Psychosocial Recovery Coach item. Private funding also available.

If this aligns with what you're looking for, you're welcome to reach out by registering your interest: https://www.neurodivergentempowered.com/contact

17/01/2026

There are just no right words for goodbye like this.

I have watched Sprinkle grow from a 12-year-old walking into the original Nest, to a 16-year-old stepping out into her own world adventure with her family. From those early days with our very first girls, then called Wolfpack, to becoming an Emerging Leader in our Animal Crossing Club, her presence has shaped this place in ways that can’t be measured.

Today I watched little people and big people, people who have struggled to find their place in the world, stand up one after another to share how Sprinkle helped them. I watched our team members cry as they spoke. I felt the weight of knowing that this special human won’t be bouncing through the door with a “My Shailer” or playing the coconut song anymore. And honestly, I feel emotionally wrecked by that.

Sprinkle, you have been an absolute gift to all of us. You changed the Nest, and the people in it, simply by being you.

Thank you to everyone who came to the Nest today to say goodbye. Watching the old TikToks from the journey together was so special, and your care made the surprise so worth it for our Sprinkle.

Our wings are always open for you to fly back into the Nest.

We love you and hope you have the best time on your world adventure ###xx

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