It is a unique time in the world. Humanity has recently weathered a global pandemic during which we used wide-reaching digital tools to communicate our experiences and information online. People have become more aware of the importance of mental health and psychological well-being as an essential feature of functionality in navigating the ceaseless demands of modern life. As a result of many variables, the conversation around mental health and the attention paid to unaddressed mental health concerns has exploded.
As a psychologist and psychotherapist, I am mostly grateful for the increased awareness that mental health has achieved in everyday life. However my concern is that the ability for mental health practitioners to meet the needs of clients and patients has not bloomed at the same pace. In general, the health needs of the Swiss population cannot be adequately serviced by the amount of healthcare providers available. This leaves a massive support gap that eventually burdens other social systems and leaves patients without resources and information to help them better navigate their situations.
The neurodiversity support network of switzerland (nsns) was born from this observation. Clients are contacting our clinic at a record rate, curious to understand if they can better adapt the particular demands of their life to the way that they think, experience life and process information. Adults, teens, and families are increasingly aware of the concept of neurodivergence and are curious to know if they meet criteria for autism, ADHD, obsessive compulsive disorder or another way of being wired that falls under the umbrella of this terminology. As psychologists, we can provide an assessment, diagnosis, documentation and some general recommendations about what a newly diagnosed person can do but we are severely limited by availability, administrative obstacles, adequate training and other obstacles, leaving clients underserved and vulnerable to disenfranchisement.
The team at nsns recognizes that within this moment lies a unique opportunity to provide much needed resources not just to clients, but to their families, medical providers, employers, schools and other stakeholders that ultimately influence the client’s unique life circumstances. The nsns mission envisions reducing the critical consequences associated with neurodivergence like depression, burnout, trauma, addiction, loss of housing, under- or unemployment, and instead builds on the wave of awareness and compassion that currently exists in this particular moment in time. As such, we enable conversations that are necessary to building a world that keeps all minds in mind.
Although our aspiration to create a more equitable and accessible landscape for neurodivergent people sounds grand, we believe that starting with small efforts creates a snowball that drives progress. For example, our advocates at nsns speak with organizations about how to offer and implement simple but effective accommodations for employees that result in better outcomes for workplace productivity and employee well-being. Additionally, our nsns coaches work with individuals or families to help them process diagnoses and recognize available options for taking care of their needs, thus providing immediate support when psychotherapeutic services are currently burdened by intense demand. The nsns team believes that taking a multi-pronged approach will result in more comprehensive and sustainable changes for society.
We created nsns with the premise that our specialized services provide clear benefits for everyone. We firmly believe that every mind can function well under circumstances that are sensitive to and curious about the potential that naturally exists when people connect with their innate strengths. Through our own lived experiences as neurodivergent people, our team understands the importance of our mission and what lies at stake if our needs are not taken into account. In all that we do, nsns strives to create a world that keeps us in mind: at work, home, school, in our doctor’s offices and anywhere else where we can flourish.
To check out more about nsns, you can listen to our episode on the c2 podcast where founders Dr. Elizabeth Frei and Rachael Camp discuss our motivation and mission.