Approach
Not everyone comes by organization innately.
Some people need to learn how systems work, so that they can start to see systems at work all around them.
Increased insight and targeted skill development allow for independent control over the management of materials, time, and communication.
Some people need to learn how systems work, so that they can start to see systems at work all around them.
Increased insight and targeted skill development allow for independent control over the management of materials, time, and communication.
I work with high-school students, college students, graduate students, and other adults who are cognitively strong and creative. Many of these adolescents and adults have been diagnosed with executive function weaknesses, attention deficits, and/or language-based learning disabilities, including disorders of reading and writing. On neuropsychological testing, they present with weaknesses in working memory, processing speed deficits, and/or executive function that impact their ability to organize their materials, manage their time, and organize their ideas for effective or efficient communication (listening, speaking, reading, or writing). They typically have above average to superior intellect, most do not or did not qualify for services in school (due to their high performance), and many have co-occurring anxiety disorders and/or depression. Almost all of my clients have a creative bent; the majority of them are overwhelmed by the many ideas they have.
My clients have many strengths. They often receive praise for their:
People with this profile often have a desire to be more organized and almost always have an interest in sharing the interesting ideas in their minds. Failed attempts to organize, however, cause them to determine that organization isn't for them, resulting in frustration, anxiety, and/or self-blame. Some people respond by rallying against organization, despite a sense that they would benefit from the structure. In my practice, I have found that people like to find their own solutions and often do not respond well to executive function therapy that is provided in a prescriptive manner. That is, they experience tools such as planners, graphic organizers and outlines as oppressive and limiting, seeing these supports as someone else's take on how they should think or complete tasks, decreasing their access to support.
With great respect for this experience, I use a metacognitive, bottom-up approach to teach clients how to start with their ideas and find the organization in those ideas by applying foundational organizational skills. An improved understanding the organization fundamentals allows people to develop their own structures to manage their materials, time, and communication on their terms. My clients have shared that this bottom-up approach feels palatable to the organization-resistant, accessible to those who are afraid of failing again, and authentic to those who are looking to honor their individual process.
My clients have many strengths. They often receive praise for their:
- independent thinking,
- ability to make novel connections,
- intuition-based insight, and
- creativity, including creative writing.
- materials (e.g., organizing backpacks/desks/files),
- time (e.g., planning and assignments/projects; meeting deadlines),
- reading material (e.g., resulting in weak comprehension and retention), and
- essay writing (e.g., initiating writing despite having many ideas; being concise; developing a thesis statement; using main ideas).
People with this profile often have a desire to be more organized and almost always have an interest in sharing the interesting ideas in their minds. Failed attempts to organize, however, cause them to determine that organization isn't for them, resulting in frustration, anxiety, and/or self-blame. Some people respond by rallying against organization, despite a sense that they would benefit from the structure. In my practice, I have found that people like to find their own solutions and often do not respond well to executive function therapy that is provided in a prescriptive manner. That is, they experience tools such as planners, graphic organizers and outlines as oppressive and limiting, seeing these supports as someone else's take on how they should think or complete tasks, decreasing their access to support.
With great respect for this experience, I use a metacognitive, bottom-up approach to teach clients how to start with their ideas and find the organization in those ideas by applying foundational organizational skills. An improved understanding the organization fundamentals allows people to develop their own structures to manage their materials, time, and communication on their terms. My clients have shared that this bottom-up approach feels palatable to the organization-resistant, accessible to those who are afraid of failing again, and authentic to those who are looking to honor their individual process.