Rates of Autism and ADHD identification among females and female-identified at birth individuals are rising — and many of these identifications are arriving during some of the most hormonally and psychologically complex seasons of a person's life: pregnancy, postpartum, perimenopause, and everywhere in between. This is not a coincidence. It is an invitation for clinicians to deepen their understanding.
This 2-day, 8-hour live virtual training bridges the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model with an affirming, nuanced framework for working with Neurodivergent clients across the perinatal through perimenopausal continuum. As identification rates continue to climb, this knowledge is no longer a specialty — it is becoming foundational for any clinician working with this population.
Why Now? Why This Population?
For generations, Autism and ADHD in females and female-identified at birth individuals went unrecognized — masked by socialization, minimized by gender bias, and misread by diagnostic tools built around a different profile. Hormonal shifts across the reproductive lifespan now appear to be a significant catalyst for both identification and symptom change, making the perinatal and perimenopausal windows critical — and often destabilizing — moments of self-discovery. Clinicians who understand this intersection are uniquely positioned to offer something transformative.
What We'll Explore
Across two days, participants will move through a rich, layered curriculum designed to integrate clinical skill with deep compassion:
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The IFS Model as a Framework — Revisiting core IFS concepts through a Neurodivergent lens, including the profound complexity of Self and Parts in clients who have often been told that their inner world is "too much" or "not enough"
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Why Identification Happens Here — Understanding the biological, hormonal, and psychosocial reasons why Autism and ADHD so often surface or shift during the perinatal through perimenopausal stages
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Masking as Parts — Exploring the adaptive, protective, and exhausting role that masking plays, and how to meet it with curiosity rather than urgency
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Common Managers & Firefighters — Identifying the protective parts that show up most frequently in Neurodivergent perinatal and perimenopausal clients and how to work with them effectively
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Cultural Burdens — Examining how ableism, patriarchy, individualism, capitalism, racism, homophobia, and transphobia become internalized burdens carried by our clients' Parts, and how these systems shape their relationship with their own neurology
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Unburdening Within Systems of Oppression — Holding the tension between IFS healing work and the very real, ongoing impact of living inside systems that were not built for our clients
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The Nuance of Exiles — Understanding how chronic misattunement, late identification, masking, and systemic marginalization shape the exile landscape in Neurodivergent clients
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Autistic & ADHD Burnout — Understanding burnout as it presents in Neurodivergent individuals, and how it differs meaningfully from occupational or general burnout. Autistic and ADHD burnout is not simply being tired or overwhelmed — it is the result of prolonged masking, chronic misalignment between a person's neurology and their environment, and the cumulative cost of decades spent navigating a world not designed for them. This section explores how to recognize it, how hormonal transitions can trigger or deepen it, and how IFS offers a compassionate pathway through
Special Clinical Considerations
Alexithymia & Interoception:
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Recognizing how differences in identifying and feeling emotions internally may shape the way clients engage with Parts work
Sensory & Nervous System Regulation:
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Understanding how sensory experience and nervous system differences intersect with Parts activation and window of tolerance
Concrete & Literal Processing:
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Adapting IFS language and inquiry to meet clients where they are, without pathologizing their communication style
Parts vs. Neurological Differences:
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Developing the clinical discernment to distinguish between a Part's behaviour and a neurological trait — a distinction that matters enormously for how we respond
This training gives particular attention to the adaptations and awareness that working with Neurodivergent clients requires, including:
Who Should Attend: This training is designed for therapists, counsellors, social workers, midwives, nurses, OBs, psychiatrists, and other clinicians who work with individuals across the perinatal through perimenopausal spectrum and want to show up with greater skill, humility, and understanding for their Neurodivergent clients.
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Please note, participants are encouraged to arrive with a working knowledge of IFS. Our full 20-hour training, Parts in Transition: IFS Training for Perinatal Providers, is an excellent foundation.
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Participants will receive a handbook, handouts to use with clients, and a copy of the slides.
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Participants will have access to the demo library.
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All sessions will be recorded for participants to review.
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This training will be held live, online through Zoom.
FAQ'S
Here are some answers to frequently asked questions about the Parts in Transition program:
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Can participants outside of Ontario, Canada join the training? Yes! We are so excited to be able to welcome participants from all over the world.
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Do I have to be a psychotherapist or social worker? No! We welcome participants who provide or are planning to provide perinatal care to people in various settings such as midwives, doulas, parent coaches, as well as mental health practitioners.
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Do I have to have previous IFS training? Yes, participants are encouraged to arrive with a working knowledge of IFS. Our full 20-hour training, Parts in Transition: IFS Training for Perinatal Providers, is an excellent foundation.
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What currency is the price of the training in? Canadian/CAD. Please review the exchange rates for the currency in your location and any international fees you may be charged by your credit card company or financial institution.
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Are there payment plans available? Yes! Contact us to inquire at info@ifspathways.ca
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Are CEUs offered? No, CEUs are not offered for this course. Because our programs attract participants from many different countries—and CEU requirements differ widely, even within the same country—we cannot ensure that our courses will be formally recognized for continuing education credit. We are happy to provide attendance letters and you will receive a certificate of completion with the training dates and hours.