Despoina Kalogianni

Psychologist SKJ
 

I am Despoina, originally from Greece. After working for years with multilingual international and Dutch families and their neurodivergent children and adolescents, I have realized that something was missing in our approach of helping neurodivergent people. While searching for more, I found the neuroaffirmative approach. This means that neurodivergence is seen as a natural and valuable part of the neurological diversity of humans. Every neurodivergent brain is unique and is allowed to exist. Therefore, I don't aim to "fix", "treat" or change a neurodivergent child or adult. What I do is to understand how their neurodivergent brain works, building on their strengths and finding strategies that truly suit them and their personal experience together. 

In my work with neurodivergent and neurotypical children and adolescents, also welcoming adults who think that a neuroaffirmative approach may suit them better, I use elements from, but not limited to, art therapy, systemic therapy and ACT.