The Neurodiversity Family Centre

03/08/2026

🌈 In Person New Peer Connection Groups for Neurodivergent Youth 🌈

#318 - 1175 Cook St, Victoria

Our groups focus on helping youth feel comfortable being themselves while building meaningful connections with peers.ome!

These groups are designed to provide a safe, welcoming space where kids can connect with others who understand them, build confidence, and explore important themes like self-esteem, self-advocacy, and self-acceptance.

Our groups focus on helping youth feel comfortable being their authentic selves while building meaningful connections with peers.

Each session will include fun and engaging activities such as:
✨ Art projects
🎲 Games
🧠 “Meditation in motion” (busy hands, calm mind)
💬 Guided conversations and connection-building activities

Groups will be offered for:
• Girls & Non-binary youth (ages 8–12)
• Girls & Non-binary youth (ages 12–15)
• Boys & Non-binary youth (ages 8–12)
• Boys & Non-binary youth (ages 12–15)

📅 Groups run once per month beginning in April.

If you have a child who may benefit from connecting with peers in a supportive environment, we would love to hear from you.

🔗 Learn more here:
https://www.neurodiversityfamilycentre.com/about-4

02/11/2026

✨ Welcome to the Team, Dane! ✨

We’re so excited to introduce Dane James — our newest practitioner at The Neurodiversity Family Centre! 🧠💛

Dane brings a thoughtful, compassionate, and strengths-based approach to counselling, focusing on supporting:
🌟 Neurodivergent children (7+), teens and adults
🌟 ADHD, anxiety, & emotional regulation
🌟 Trauma-informed care
🌟 Identity-affirming therapy

With a warm and engaging presence, Dane creates a space where clients feel truly seen, heard, and understood — helping folks build confidence, resilience, and practical tools for navigating life’s challenges.

🗓 Availability:

In- Person:
Tuesdays: 8:00am-12:00pm
Wednesdays: 12:15pm-6:45pm

Online:
Friday: 12:30pm-3:30pm

Whether you’re exploring ADHD support, looking for a therapist who ‘gets it,’ or ready to deepen your self-understanding, Dane would love to connect with you.

👉 To learn more about Dane:
Visit: https://www.neurodiversityfamilycentre.com/team-1/dane-james

01/28/2026

The NDFC's Mary Klovance will be sharing her knowledge with parents about how to support their ADH(D) kiddos!

Hey you, we have an online event in February for parents of school-aged children to help build a deeper understanding of how the ADHD brain works. We will explore how some aspects of ADHD can act as a strength in certain situations, and a challenge in others, helping parents better understand and support their child.

Parents will learn neurodiversity-affirming communication strategies to reduce power struggles and strengthen connection. We will also discuss practical ways to help our kids start and finish things they don't prefer doing, without relying on rewards or consequences.

The session will highlight concrete, usable strategies. Parents will leave with tools they can use immediately, greater compassion for their child’s nervous system, and a clearer roadmap for supporting their child in a way that builds confidence, autonomy, and success.

🗓 Wednesday, February 18⁠
🕡 6:30 – 8:00 PM PST⁠
💻 LIVE online event

Please visit familysmart.ca/events to register and learn more. We hope to see you there!

01/28/2026

💭 Why anxiety can feel extra intense for neurodivergent brains

If you’re neurodivergent (especially ADH 👀), anxiety doesn’t always show up the way people expect it to.

That’s because ND brains are often wired for hyperfocus — which is amazing… until anxiety enters the chat.

Here’s what can happen:
• Attention can lock onto worries, thoughts, or body sensations
• The brain keeps zooming in
• Replaying, analysing, scanning for threat
• And suddenly anxiety feels LOUDER and harder to shake

Important reminder 🚨
This doesn’t mean you’re:
❌ overreacting
❌ too sensitive
❌ “stuck in your head”

It means your brain is doing what it does best: focusing deeply on something it deems important.

For many ADHers, anxiety isn’t just about fear —
it’s about where attention gets stuck.

That’s why sometimes treating only anxiety doesn’t fully help…
because the hyperfocus is still running the show 🎬

Supporting anxiety in ADHD often means also supporting:
• Attention flexibility
• Nervous system regulation
• Gently shifting focus (not forcing it)

This can look like:
• Movement
• Sensory input
• Co-regulation
• Body-based regulation
• Reducing cognitive pressure

(Not “just think positive” — your nervous system would like a word.)

When hyperfocus softens, anxiety often becomes less intense and more manageable 💛

You’re not broken.
Your brain just needs supports that actually work with it. This is why it is so important to work with an ADH specialist, not just "someone who knows about ADH".

—

01/24/2026

🌟 Meet Veronika Varga — Our New Counsellor! 🌟

We’re so excited to welcome Veronika Varga, MA, RCC to The Neurodiversity Family Centre team! Veronika brings over 15 years of experience supporting children, teens, adults, caregivers, and families with compassion, curiosity, and deep respect for each person’s unique way of thinking and being. 

Veronika works with a wide range of areas including trauma, ADH(D), autism, anxiety, depression, emotional regulation, grief, and self-esteem, and supports families in building connection and understanding. 

Her approach is warm, trauma-informed, and strength-based, creating a safe space where experiences are honored, regulation is supported, and practical strategies are developed collaboratively. She integrates expressive tools like play, art, and music with evidence-informed therapies such as EMDR, CBT, DBT, and somatic psychotherapy — all grounded in neurodiversity-affirming practice. 

✨ Whether you’re navigating big emotions, executive functioning challenges, nervous system regulation, or family communication, Veronika is here to walk with you in a way that builds confidence, autonomy, and resilience. 

📍 Available both in-person (Victoria, BC) and online

💫 Ready to get support or learn more?
👉 Book an intake with Veronika today: https://www.neurodiversityfamilycentre.com/team-1/veronika-varga

Let’s celebrate strengths and offer care that truly meets people where they’re at. 🌈💛

12/13/2025

🎄 Neurodivergent Parent Tip: Social Energy Is Finite

The holidays often come with extra gatherings, conversations, expectations, and noise.
For neurodivergent parents, this can quickly overwhelm the nervous system.

✨ Self-regulation tip this Christmas:
Plan your exits before you arrive.

Before a gathering, decide:
• How long you’ll stay
• Where you can step away for quiet
• A simple phrase to leave without over-explaining

Examples:
“We’re heading out now—thanks for having us!”
“I’m going to take a short breather.”

You are allowed to:
✔ leave early
✔ skip events
✔ protect your energy

Regulation isn’t about pushing through — it’s about honouring your limits so you can stay present for what matters most.

11/26/2025

📢 **We're Hiring!** 📢

The Neurodiversity Family Centre is looking for Registered Clinical Counsellors and Registered Social Workers to join our team and provide neurodiversity-affirming care to children, teens, adults, families and/or couples. Our goal is for our practitioners to choose which age level they feel most comfortable with.

The ideal candidate is:

✅ Knowledgeable about and has experience in working with Autistic and/or ADH(D) individuals
✅ Accommodating and flexible
✅ Passionate about providing Neurodiversity Affirming Care
✅ Wishes to work as a part of a group practice long term
✅ Wants to support either children, teens, adults, families, and/or couples

If you're passionate about making a difference and want to be part of a dynamic team, we want to hear from you!

👉 **Learn more about the role here**: https://www.neurodiversityfamilycentre.com/about-8
✉️ **To apply**: Send your CV to admin@neurodiversityfamilycentre.com to start the pre-screening process.

11/17/2025

✨ Supporting Neurodivergent Learners Begins With Connection ✨

Instead of pushing compliance, this article explores how educators can shift toward connection-based approaches that help neurodivergent students feel safe, understood, and ready to learn. 💛📚
It breaks down simple, practical strategies teachers can use right away to reduce overwhelm, support regulation, and create truly inclusive classrooms. 🌈🤝

Read the full article here 👉 https://shorturl.at/IS2vG

11/15/2025

Advocating for your Neurodivergent Child 💛✨

In BC Parent Magazine, Mary Klovance shares how parents can confidently advocate for their neurodivergent children at school through collaboration, clear communication, and practical supports. She offers actionable strategies for working with teachers, requesting accommodations, and navigating IEP processes — all through a neurodiversity-affirming lens. 🌈📚🤝

Read the full article here: http://shorturl.at/G54vq

11/02/2025

📘 New Article Alert
In this article, I explain how parents can confidently advocate for their neurodivergent children at school. I highlight how to spot needed supports — even without an IEP — work with teachers to create a tailored plan, and build on your child’s strengths rather than focus only on deficits. Ready to shift the conversation from surviving to thriving?
👉 Read more: https://shorturl.at/yTugq

10/27/2025

🌿 Meet Dr. Samaneh (Sama) Abedini – New Practitioner at NDFC! 🌿

We’re delighted to welcome Sama to The Neurodiversity Family Centre team! With over 14 years of experience, she supports teens, adults, couples, and families navigating ADHD, Autism, trauma, anxiety, mood concerns, and relationship challenges. 💬

Her approach is grounded in neurodiversity-affirming, trauma-informed, and family-centered care — she honors each person’s unique way of being and collaborates with them to build stronger connections, resilience, and engage in authentic communication. She offers therapy for youth (12+), adults, couples, and families, including parent coaching and interventions for grief, self-esteem, and borderline-traits.

Areas of focus include:
• Anxiety & depression
• Self-esteem and confidence building
• Parent coaching & support
• Family therapy (12+) and couple therapy
• Trauma-focused / attachment-based interventions
• Borderline personality traits & self-harm support

If you’re looking for thoughtful, inclusive, and empowering support in Victoria, BC — Sama is here to help you thrive.
Learn more about her and book a session:
https://www.neurodiversityfamilycentre.com/team-1/dr.-samaneh-(sama)-abedini-

10/26/2025

📘 New Article Alert
In this article, Mary Klovance explains how parents can confidently advocate for their neurodivergent children at school. She highlights how to spot needed supports — even without an IEP — work with teachers to create a tailored plan, and build on your child’s strengths rather than focus only on deficits. Ready to shift the conversation from surviving to thriving?

👉 Read more: https://bcparent.ca/advocating-for-your-neurodivergent-child-at-school/