Neurodivergent Masking, Individuation and the Spiral of Becoming

We’re often told to “just be ourselves.” But what if you never had the safety to discover who that self was in the first place?

What happens when fitting in becomes more important than finding yourself? And what does it really mean to “unmask” as a neurodivergent person?

In this accessible, thought-provoking session, Emma reframes masking not as deception or inauthenticity, but as survival. While masking can protect in the short term, it can also interrupt identity development, particularly during adolescence, when we are usually forming a sense of who we are.

Drawing on developmental theory, professional and lived experience, Emma challenges traditional linear models of growth. Many neurodivergent nervous systems revisit safety, belonging and self-trust repeatedly across the lifespan.

Introducing the Spiral of Becoming, she offers both explanation and practical direction. Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of how masking shapes identity, alongside small, practical shifts that reduce shame, support nervous system safety and make authenticity safer, whether in themselves, their children or the people they work with.

Rather than pushing for radical unmasking or “fixing” identity struggles, this session focuses on creating the conditions where self-trust, choice and identity can develop safely, at any age.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

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Host or Publisher Nansa