Therapy at Enlitens Isn't a Talk Show. It's a Workshop.

By Liz Wooten, LPC

About the Author: Liz Wooten, LPC, is the founder of Enlitens and a rebellious academic dedicated to dismantling the broken mental health system. As an AuDHD therapist with years of front-line crisis experience, she brings a deep, lived understanding to her work. Read Liz’s Full Story Here

You sit on the couch. The therapist asks, “So, how was your week?” and your brain explodes.

Not with a simple answer, but with a thousand interconnected data points—a shimmering, non-linear web of memories, feelings, sensory details, and tangential ideas. You know that if you just started talking, it would sound like a chaotic, rambling “mess.”

So you pause. You perform a high-speed, internal triage, desperately trying to edit your rich, 3D experience into a flat, 2D story that the therapist can follow. You pick one “acceptable” thread, polish it into a neat narrative, and present it. By the time you’ve finished your first sentence, you are already exhausted.

The traditional “talk show” model of therapy places the entire burden of translation on the neurodivergent client. It demands that you, the person seeking help, perform the immense, unacknowledged cognitive labor of making your experience palatable and understandable for a linear-thinking listener. It is a system that, by its very design, forces you to mask, perform, and ultimately, leads to your exhaustion.

“Your brain’s ability to see the connections between a dozen different topics at once is not a flaw. It is a creative and intellectual superpower. You shouldn’t have to apologize for it, especially not in therapy.”

Many neurodivergent brains excel at associative thinking—making rapid, non-linear connections between seemingly disparate ideas. The neurotypical world, including most therapy rooms, is built on a foundation of linear thinking. The constant clash between these two operating systems is not a flaw in your brain; it is a fundamental incompatibility. You’ve been trying to run your brilliant, creative software on their outdated, incompatible hardware.

You have been auditioning for a talk show when what you really need is a workshop.

A talk show demands a polished, linear story. It requires a performance. A workshop thrives on the raw materials of your chaos.

We don’t want your edited monologue. We want to get out the whiteboard, dump out the entire messy box of puzzle pieces, and start sorting them with you. Your “mess” is not a barrier to the work; it is the work.

THE TALK SHOW (Passive & Exhausting)
Your Job: Perform a neat, linear story.
The Goal: Be a “good patient.”
The Result: Exhaustion and feeling misunderstood.
THE WORKSHOP (Active & Empowering)
Our Job: Create a space for your chaos.
The Goal: Build a functional system, together.
The Result: Clarity and tangible tools.

Stop performing. Stop translating. Stop being a guest on someone else’s talk show. It’s time to be the lead engineer in your own workshop. That’s what an active therapy model is all about. When you are ready to stop telling stories and start building systems, we’re here. It’s time to find a therapist who gets it.

Go Deeper Down the Rabbit Hole

If You're Looking for a Blank Slate...

A manifesto on why we reject the “blank slate” therapist model you’ve been performing for.

What is an AuDHD Therapist?

A guide to why a neurodivergent therapist can “skip the translation” and meet you in your chaos.

A Guide to the "Sensory Hangover"

A deep dive into the profound exhaustion you feel after your social and emotional “performances.”

*The information here is meant to guide and inform, not replace the care of a qualified healthcare professional. If you have questions or concerns about a medical or mental-health condition, please reach out to a trusted provider. The examples shared are based on general personas—no personal health details are used. At Enlitens, your privacy is a top priority, and we fully comply with HIPAA regulations to keep your information safe and confidential.

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Take one second. That’s all I’m asking.

Do not try to “calm down.” Do not try to “fix it.” Do not listen to the voice screaming that you need to do something right now.

Just be here, with me, for one single breath.

My name is Liz. I’ve spent years working overnight in the ER, sitting with people on what was often the worst night of their entire lives. I have sat in the eye of the hurricane, and I can tell you with absolute certainty that the chaos you feel right now is not the truth.

It is a storm in your nervous system. And a storm is just a weather pattern. It is not you. It is not permanent. And you do not have to navigate it alone.

Right now, your brain’s alarm system is screaming. The logical part of your brain has been taken offline. That is a normal, brilliant, biological survival response. But you and I are going to bring it back online, together.

We are going to do one, simple, physical thing. This is not a bulls*hit mindfulness exercise. This is a direct, manual override for your nervous system.

Place your hand on your chest.

Can you feel that? The rise and fall. The rhythm. That is the anchor. That is the proof that you are here, in this moment, and you are alive.

Keep your hand there.

Now, we are going to make one choice. The storm is telling you there are a million overwhelming things you have to do. That is a lie. There are only three choices right now, and you only need to pick one.

If you or someone else is in immediate, physical danger and you need help on site, right now:

This is the button you push when you need the paramedics or the police to show up. This is the “bring the fire truck” button.

If you are having thoughts of suicide and you need to talk or text with a human, right now:

This is the national, 24/7 lifeline. It is free, it is confidential, and it is staffed by trained counselors who are ready to listen without judgment. This is the “I need a lifeline” button.

If you are in St. Louis, you are not in crisis but you are in deep distress and need to talk to someone local:

Behavioral Health Response (BHR) is our community’s lifeline. They provide free, confidential telephone counseling and can connect you with local resources. This is the “I need a local guide” button.