Sarah Mireles, LPCC, CLC is a therapist and the founder of Sarah Mireles Therapy. She is a neurodivergent professional with over 10 years of experience helping neurodivergent teens and their families. Her clinical experience spans intensive hospital, residential, and outpatient settings. She specializes in working with individuals who struggle with anxiety, OCD, autism, ADHD, and other forms of neurodivergence. Central to her work is the belief that if the home environment isn't built for neurodivergent functioning, progress rarely lasts, which is why she created a parent training program to teach families the skills they need to support long-term change.
In this episode of the Concussion Coach podcast, host Bethany Lewis and therapist Sarah Mireles discuss the significant overlap between post-concussion syndrome and neurodivergence. Sarah explains that concussions can either create or exacerbate symptoms like emotional dysregulation, executive dysfunction, anxiety, and rigidity. The conversation focuses on how parents and caregivers can create a supportive home environment to foster recovery.
Sarah introduces four core principles for parents:
Emotional Regulation: Learning foundational skills to manage one's own emotions and model calm, regulated behavior.
Radical Openness: Being open to new experiences, vulnerability, and feedback to help teens step outside their comfort zones.
Mental Flexibility: Pivoting and improvising when plans change or a teen is struggling, rather than adhering to rigid expectations.
Healthy Relationships: Prioritizing connection and teaching communication skills to help teens maintain at least one healthy relationship.
The episode emphasizes that symptom relief is temporary, but sustainable change comes from building foundational skills in both the teen and the family. Sarah provides practical tips like using check-ins, and utilizing self-regulation techniques (e.g., self-compassion, breathing) before difficult conversations.
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