“AuDHD” therapist providing neurodiversity-affirmative Adult Autism Assessments.

[VintageRed]

Melody Marin on Inclusive Therapists

Learn about Melody Marin, Therapy, Counseling, Coaching in Austin, Texas. Find Melody Marin profile and more on Inclusive Therapists.

www.inclusivetherapists.com

Thoughts on this? I have a friend who is considering seeing this psychologist for an autism assessment. I have a lot of negative, reactive feelings to the whole approach outlined on her site, but wanted to get others sense to see if I’m being unreasonable.

---

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[RxPsych]

I read through the website and her bio and I don't understand all the buzzwords. I'm still in my graduate program and I can't keep up with it all. AuDHD? Neurodiversity-affirming autism assessments? Is that code for "handing out diagnoses like candy for the sake of being 'affirming'?"
I'm also not sure why there are 4-6 sessions 45 mins each for an assessment? Is this empirically supported? It could be and I could be entirely wrong.
Under the focus section, Autistic Person Opposing ABA? Is the autism community rising up against the gold standard intervention? Black Liberation, Fat Liberation. I understand what they're trying to say, but it just feels asinine to have all these terms.
Plus, CSPP graduate. I don't want to judge someone based off their program of graduation, but this all feels like it aligns quite well.

All that said, this isn't someone I would personally recommend anybody to.

 

[summerbabe]

My assessments do NOT involve questionnaires and do NOT come with a full report at the end, and are therefore not typically suitable for those seeking official school or workplace accommodations. They are more intended for those seeking personal knowledge and understanding in a supportive and affirmative environment. I can, however, provide a brief letter verifying a diagnosis.

So as long as your friend knows that they are having a conversation about potential neurodiversity (which could be valuable for the right person) and will likely be receiving less actual 'assessing' than your typical brief biopsychosocial intake appointment that includes one or more brief self-report symptom measure, then sure, why not?

 

[Fan_of_Meehl]

Melody Marin on Inclusive Therapists

Learn about Melody Marin, Therapy, Counseling, Coaching in Austin, Texas. Find Melody Marin profile and more on Inclusive Therapists.

www.inclusivetherapists.com

Thoughts on this? I have a friend who is considering seeing this psychologist for an autism assessment. I have a lot of negative, reactive feelings to the whole approach outlined on her site, but wanted to get others sense to see if I’m being unreasonable.

I hope that we're nearing peak levels ideological capture/influence in psychology.

However, I fear that we're not.

 

[Fan_of_Meehl]

I read through the website and her bio and I don't understand all the buzzwords. I'm still in my graduate program and I can't keep up with it all. AuDHD? Neurodiversity-affirming autism assessments? Is that code for "handing out diagnoses like candy for the sake of being 'affirming'?"
I'm also not sure why there are 4-6 sessions 45 mins each for an assessment? Is this empirically supported? It could be and I could be entirely wrong.
Under the focus section, Autistic Person Opposing ABA? Is the autistic community rising up against the gold standard intervention? Black Liberation, Fat Liberation. I understand what they're trying to say, but it just feels asinine to have all these terms.
Plus, CSPP graduate. I don't want to judge someone based off their program of graduation, but this all feels like it aligns quite well.

All that said, this isn't someone I would personally recommend anybody to.

The late Scott O. Lilienfeld identified "use of obscurantist language" as one of the hallmark practices of pseudoscientists and their pseudoscientific work. In other words, neologisms and buzzwords.

 

[aim-agm]

The late Scott O. Lilienfeld identified "use of obscurantist language" as one of the hallmark practices of pseudoscientists and their pseudoscientific work. In other words, neologisms and buzzwords.

"Use of neologisms can be a sign of failure of reality-testing, i.e. schizophrenia and pseudoscience."

 

[WisNeuro]

"My work doesn't involve science, or facts, or anything grounded in reality! It's whatever subjective delusion you and I want it to be!"

 

[PsychPhD90]

Uh, I'm in my second year of my Clinical PhD program so feel free to correct me if I'm taking this in the wrong way, but I audibly laughed at "my assessments do NOT come with a full report... btw it's $1000-$1500 for an adult autism assessment".

 

[BuckeyeLove]

How much money we thinkin this lady making. Honestly.

 

[WisNeuro]

How much money we thinkin this lady making. Honestly.

Depends on how her other marketing is. The Amen Clinics bilk individuals out of five figures pretty easily selling absolute garbage science wrapped in pretty pictures.

 

[Fan_of_Meehl]

Depends on how her other marketing is. The Amen Clinics bilk individuals out of five figures pretty easily selling absolute garbage science wrapped in pretty pictures.

The P.T. Barnum School of Professional Psychology

 

[PsyDr]

Uh, I'm in my second year of my Clinical PhD program so feel free to correct me if I'm taking this in the wrong way, but I audibly laughed at "my assessments do NOT come with a full report... btw it's $1000-$1500 for an adult autism assessment".

“I’ll tell you my opinion for $1k, but I’m not writing that up”

 

[WisNeuro]

“I’ll tell you my opinion for $1k, but I’m not writing that up”

I mean, it's kind of a good idea. If you're going to spout off a bunch of nonsensical bull**** under your license, probably better not to leave a paper trail in case of a board complaint.

 

[psych.meout]

Uh, I'm in my second year of my Clinical PhD program so feel free to correct me if I'm taking this in the wrong way, but I audibly laughed at "my assessments do NOT come with a full report... btw it's $1000-$1500 for an adult autism assessment".

“I’ll tell you my opinion for $1k, but I’m not writing that up”

Can't be leaving a paper trail for licensing boards or malpractice attorneys.

Nothing says true "inclusivity" like claiming to be knowledgeable of every cultural tradition imaginable.

 

[NeuroObsessed]

Depends on how her other marketing is. The Amen Clinics bilk individuals out of five figures pretty easily selling absolute garbage science wrapped in pretty pictures.

Is this Dr. Daniel Amen? The famous psychiatrist I’ve been seeing on social media recently? I don’t know much about his clinical work or clinics, so I’m just wondering what they are doing that is considered bad or pseudoscience?

 

[WisNeuro]

Is this Dr. Daniel Amen? The famous psychiatrist I’ve been seeing on social media recently? I don’t know much about his clinical work or clinics, so I’m just wondering what they are doing that is considered bad or pseudoscience?

The one and only, do a little digging, and try and find empirical support for most of it.

Brain Doctor to the Stars Labeled a ‘Snake-Oil’ Salesman

Daniel Amen was once called “the most popular psychiatrist in America,” but critics and former patients say he’s a grifter who is giving desperate people false hope.

www.thedailybeast.com

Daniel Amen

Daniel Amen (1954–) is an American snake oil salesman, quack,[2] "the most popular psychiatrist in America",[3] brain disorder "specialist", and a bestselling self-help author guru. He co-authored a diet/"Biblical lifestyle" book with Rick Warren, Mark Hyman and Mehmet Oz. Amen runs a...

rationalwiki.org

Dr. Amen’s Love Affair with SPECT Scans

Daniel Amen loves SPECT scans (Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography). And well he should. They have brought him fame and fortune. They have rewarded him with a chain of Amen Clinics, a presence

sciencebasedmedicine.org

 

[Fan_of_Meehl]

I mean, it's kind of a good idea. If you're going to spout off a bunch of nonsensical bull**** under your license, probably better not to leave a paper trail in case of a board complaint.

She just provides a single sheet of paper with a FULL COLOR, hand-drawn (with crayons) fist indicating either a 'thumbs up' or a 'thumbs down' on it.

[with a watermarked 'Pearson Assessments' logo in the shape of an arrow pointing 'this side up' to be read/interpreted by qualified users]

And a complimentary Hershey's Kiss candy with every reading.

 

[PsyDr]

Can't be leaving a paper trail for licensing boards or malpractice attorneys.
View attachment 379857
Nothing says true "inclusivity" like claiming to be knowledgeable of every cultural tradition imaginable.

I’m sure really knowledgeable people lump a vast array of ethnicities into singular racial units. Because that’s scientific.

And then where’s all the Persian peeps? And the Jewish peeps? And the Afrikaans?

Depends on how her other marketing is. The Amen Clinics bilk individuals out of five figures pretty easily selling absolute garbage science wrapped in pretty pictures.

I think the genius of Amen, is that face to face contact is the rate limiting step of mental health. He found a way to sorta get around that.

 

[WisNeuro]

I’m sure really knowledgeable people lump a vast array of ethnicities into singular racial units. Because that’s scientific.

And then where’s all the Persian peeps? And the Jewish peeps? And the Afrikaans?




I think the genius of Amen, is that face to face contact is the rate limiting step of mental health. He found a way to sorta get around that.

I mean, I can have a minimum wage paid tech put someone through a qEEG for an hour, print off some colorful brain pictures, charge a couple grand, then "treat" someone's "long mTBI/Lyme's/ADHD variant/etc" with some computerized programs for a couple hundred bucks a session if I wanted to sell my integrity and just cash out of this bitch. There are a lot of ways we can make very good money by being unscrupulous. I don't think it takes any particular genius, though at the scale he does, I'll give him that he's a better snakeoil salesman than most, it just takes more of a callous disregard about the people you are scamming. Or perhaps a measure of self-respect for not stooping that low as a provider. That's the hard part for a lot of people.

 

[PsyDr]

I mean, I can have a minimum wage paid tech put someone through a qEEG for an hour, print off some colorful brain pictures, charge a couple grand, then "treat" someone's "long mTBI/Lyme's/ADHD variant/etc" with some computerized programs for a couple hundred bucks a session if I wanted to sell my integrity and just cash out of this bitch. There are a lot of ways we can make very good money by being unscrupulous. I don't think it takes any particular genius, though at the scale he does, I'll give him that he's a better snakeoil salesman than most, it just takes more of a callous disregard about the people you are scamming. Or perhaps a measure of self-respect for not stooping that low as a provider. That's the hard part for a lot of people.

I didn't say I agreed with his practice. I just noted that we are in a service industry, which means our income is limited by the number of face to face hours. He found a work around for that.

But I will also note some other dude moved towards private practice, got involved in forensics, made real money, and started getting irritated with others for misunderstandings. Wanna hang out?

 

[WisNeuro]

I didn't say I agreed with his practice. I just noted that we are in a service industry, which means our income is limited by the number of face to face hours. He found a work around for that.

But I will also note some other dude moved towards private practice, got involved in forensics, made real money, and started getting irritated with others for misunderstandings. Wanna hang out?

Definitely

 

[mypointlesspov]

I just got an ad on Instagram for a master's level clinician doing autism assessments....

One of the points on the website is:
Has your TikTok or another social media platform been serving you autism-related content and you're absolutely beyond curious

 

[singasongofjoy]

I just got an ad on Instagram for a master's level clinician doing autism assessments....

One of the points on the website is:
Has your TikTok or another social media platform been serving you autism-related content and you're absolutely beyond curious

well, that explains why my eval + feedback today took a million hours and ended with me providing a copy of a recent brief report citing the high percentage of inaccurate info about ASD in tik tok videos

 

[singasongofjoy]

"My assessments do NOT involve questionnaires and do NOT come with a full report at the end, and are therefore not typically suitable for those seeking official school or workplace accommodations. They are more intended for those seeking personal knowledge and understanding in a supportive and affirmative environment. I can, however, provide a brief letter verifying a diagnosis. "

.... and who are these letters being provided to, for what end? not like that will get you any accommodations at work or school, or any benefits - not in my state anyway. Though I'm sure there are small employers who don't really know what to do with them, which is too bad.

Either the evaluator on the site doesn't take insurance, or they are not coding truthfully in their billing. Also if in addition to actual standardized testing, if an evaluator does not require some sort of 3rd party childhood history - even if have to get creative about where to find that info (records from well-child visits usually have some behavior obs at minimum...) then I am going to assume the general population served is tik tok-referred, can probably pay out of pocket, and will probably make tik toks or blog posts (are those still a thing?) about their experiences that may compromise validity of future evaluations.

 

[DynamicDidactic]

PsyD in Clinical Psychology from The California School of Professional Psychology, Alliant International University, San Francisco Campus

 

[albatross_at_crossroads]

The one and only, do a little digging, and try and find empirical support for most of it.

Brain Doctor to the Stars Labeled a ‘Snake-Oil’ Salesman

Daniel Amen was once called “the most popular psychiatrist in America,” but critics and former patients say he’s a grifter who is giving desperate people false hope.

www.thedailybeast.com

Daniel Amen

Daniel Amen (1954–) is an American snake oil salesman, quack,[2] "the most popular psychiatrist in America",[3] brain disorder "specialist", and a bestselling self-help author guru. He co-authored a diet/"Biblical lifestyle" book with Rick Warren, Mark Hyman and Mehmet Oz. Amen runs a...

rationalwiki.org

Dr. Amen’s Love Affair with SPECT Scans

Daniel Amen loves SPECT scans (Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography). And well he should. They have brought him fame and fortune. They have rewarded him with a chain of Amen Clinics, a presence

sciencebasedmedicine.org

I first heard about Amen clinics from this forum. Then after several years, I finally saw Dr. Amen on social media and connected the dots. Just wanted to say thanks so much everyone for keeping me in the loop with the pseudoscience out there. Initially when I saw his videos I was like - when did this research breakthrough happen? And then saw the name and it clicked. Good thing he has an unusual name )

On topic: Tik Tok is full of videos telling youth (and young parents) they have ADHD and autism (or that their child does). If you do assessments in that area, it's a good idea to keep on hand some articles/briefs to debunk what they've been told.

Regarding this therapist - I actually think it's a good idea (for her) that she doesn't provide a paper trail. But can we put a stop somehow to this "affirming" diagnosing based on nothing? Is there a way to legally/ethically limit this craziness?

 

[clausewitz2]

I first heard about Amen clinics from this forum. Then after several years, I finally saw Dr. Amen on social media and connected the dots. Just wanted to say thanks so much everyone for keeping me in the loop with the pseudoscience out there. Initially when I saw his videos I was like - when did this research breakthrough happen? And then saw the name and it clicked. Good thing he has an unusual name )

On topic: Tik Tok is full of videos telling youth (and young parents) they have ADHD and autism (or that their child does). If you do assessments in that area, it's a good idea to keep on hand some articles/briefs to debunk what they've been told.

Regarding this therapist - I actually think it's a good idea (for her) that she doesn't provide a paper trail. But can we put a stop somehow to this "affirming" diagnosing based on nothing? Is there a way to legally/ethically limit this craziness?

Not sure if I've posted this before, but this helped me clarify some of my thoughts on the matter:

Project MUSE - Psychiatric Diagnosis as Recognition in Disorder Identified Individuals

 

[borne_before]

As a behavioral psychologist - this is just kinda funny to me "I am committed to liberation of all identities with a clinical focus on neurodiversity affirmation." --> "Sliding Scale/ Low-Cost Options: Currently Unavailable." Should really be saying "I am committed to liberation of all identities with a clinical focus on neurodiversity affirmation. Unless youre poor."

My work does not involve "fixing" anything or anyone. The goal of my work is to assist in connecting individuals to their own authenticity and to create a safe space for them to exist exactly as they are. I believe that the tenets of working with neurodivergent individuals should first and foremost be affirmation of their unique neurotypes, acknowledgement and unpacking of ways they have been oppressed on interpersonal, cultural, and institutional levels, honoring of the systems and defenses they have developed to survive, and gently and safely connecting them with more authentic expressions of themselves as appropriate. I believe that this approach translates to all marginalized identities, and I use an anti-oppressive framework in all of my client interactions.

Eww.

 

[eeor1006]

Urghh. There are definitely people who will pay to hear a licensed psychologist say their self diagnosis is right and poor you have been oppressed by our terrible society.

 

[WisNeuro]

Urghh. There are definitely people who will pay to hear a licensed psychologist say their self diagnosis is right and poor you have been oppressed by our terrible society.

Remember to throw "late stage capitalism" in there somewhere to really get them going.

 

[ClinicalABA]

I'm trying to make sense of her listed "Service Areas" an why only a handful of states (including mine) are left of the list. Maybe remote therapy regulations?

 

[WisNeuro]

I'm trying to make sense of her listed "Service Areas" an why only a handful of states (including mine) are left of the list. Maybe remote therapy regulations?

I assume non-PSYPACT states are not on the list.

 

[ClinicalABA]

I assume non-PSYPACT states are not on the list.

yeah- that seems to be the case now that I look at the list.

 

[VintageRed]

well, that explains why my eval + feedback today took a million hours and ended with me providing a copy of a recent brief report citing the high percentage of inaccurate info about ASD in tik tok videos

Would you be willing to share the brief report?

I first heard about Amen clinics from this forum. Then after several years, I finally saw Dr. Amen on social media and connected the dots. Just wanted to say thanks so much everyone for keeping me in the loop with the pseudoscience out there. Initially when I saw his videos I was like - when did this research breakthrough happen? And then saw the name and it clicked. Good thing he has an unusual name )

On topic: Tik Tok is full of videos telling youth (and young parents) they have ADHD and autism (or that their child does). If you do assessments in that area, it's a good idea to keep on hand some articles/briefs to debunk what they've been told.

Regarding this therapist - I actually think it's a good idea (for her) that she doesn't provide a paper trail. But can we put a stop somehow to this "affirming" diagnosing based on nothing? Is there a way to legally/ethically limit this craziness?

Would you be willing to share some of the articles/briefs that you use to help debunk?

 

[cara susanna]

Amen's the person pushing the idea that ADHD can be trauma-related, right?

 

[WisNeuro]

Amen's the person pushing the idea that ADHD can be trauma-related, right?

Seem's like everyone is doing that these days. Last I saw, he was evaluating and treating something like 7 or 9 different sub types of ADHD he claims his scans can detect.

 

[VintageRed]

Amen's the person pushing the idea that ADHD can be trauma-related, right?

I also saw a tik tok video recently that claimed that neurodiversity meets Criterion A for PTSD because it is "traumatic" to exist as a neurodiverse individual in a "society designed by and for neurotypicals."

 

[WisNeuro]

I also saw a tik tok video recently that claimed that neurodiversity meets Criterion A for PTSD because it is "traumatic" to exist as a neurodiverse individual in a "society designed by and for neurotypicals."

My most recent trauma was when I went grocery shopping yesterday and had to wait longer than 2 minutes to go through the self-scan. It's not fair.

 

[cara susanna]

I also saw a tik tok video recently that claimed that neurodiversity meets Criterion A for PTSD because it is "traumatic" to exist as a neurodiverse individual in a "society designed by and for neurotypicals."

Oh yup, I've heard that.

 

[borne_before]

Amen's the person pushing the idea that ADHD can be trauma-related, right?

Isnt that Gabor Mate?

 

[Shiori]

Isnt that Gabor Mate?

Yeah, that's Gabor Mate. He is an interesting character in the trauma story.

 

[cara susanna]

Isnt that Gabor Mate?

Ohh, right, that's the one.

 

[PsychSupreme]

Isnt that Gabor Mate?

He also does this with substance use disorders—forget that data doesn’t support any differences in the rates at which that population experiments w substances or significant differences in rates of trauma or ACEs (and that the strongest evidence supports a diathesis which simply makes some people more prone to develop addiction)…it’s all TRAUMA.

 

[Fan_of_Meehl]

He also does this with substance use disorders—forget that data doesn’t support any differences in the rates at which that population experiments w substances or significant differences in rates of trauma or ACEs (and that the strongest evidence supports a diathesis which simply makes some people more prone to develop addiction)…it’s all TRAUMA.

From a certain (ridiculously imprecise) perspective...all 'stress' is adaptation of the organism to changing environmental conditions, therefore, all experiences of an organism throughout life promote organismic adaptations that fall somewhere along the dimension of the 'trauma- and stressor-related disorder' construct. It's one of dem 'truisms.' A one degree Fahrenheit increase in temperature from 70 to 71 degrees is an environmental change that the organism has to adapt to (and therefore is 'stress' of a sort).

Of course, if everybody has it, then...nobody 'has it.' If a category literally applies to every single living human (or organism) then it is an utterly meaningless category.

Criterion A does not neatly 'cleave nature at his/her joints' and there is no barely perceptible implicit 'dotted line' necessarily clearly demarcating the boundary between 'crosses threshold' to qualify for Criterion A vs. 'fails to cross threshold.' Often, there is room for debate/disagreement on this, though most experienced (and competent) clinicians can probably make reliable determinations that frequently agree (depending on the nature of the event(s)). The current guidelines for Criterion A in the DSM are 'pretty good,' I'd say but the literature (and clinical experience) yields plenty of room for debate/discussion around the proposed 'boundaries' separating 'traumatic' vs. 'non-traumatic' (perhaps merely 'tragic').

I'm definitely solidly in the camp of trying to limit further 'bracket creep' of expanding Criterion A, however, though current trends in the literature don't look to favorable in that regard. There are ostensibly serious clinicians/researchers in traditionally reputable journals arguing that 'bad experiences' in terms of ostracism, people calling you bad names, or other more subtle social stressors should count as Criterion A stressors to serve as a basis for a PTSD diagnosis.

 

[PsychSupreme]

Your choice of phrase with “carving nature at its joints” is very reminiscent of the chapter on trauma in Hupp and Santa Maria’s (2023) Pseudoscience in Therapy: A Skeptical Field Guide. FWIW, I know at least carasusanna is with you on keeping Criterion A like it is! Trauma isn’t my area of expertise by any means, but I do try to stay abreast of the trends because I have an interest in combating pseudoscience a la Lilienfeld, and trauma circles are drowning in pseudoscience.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

My take: people are now using the word "trauma" like they've been using the word "depressed" for decades (or, to a not-quite-as-analogous extent, terms like "antisocial"--which I think many people would be dumbfounded if they knew what they were actually saying--or "OCD"). Some know the difference between how they're using the term colloquially and what it means clinically; many do not. "Trauma" is also a great attention-getter, for those who want that.

I think the tricky part with trauma (or "trauma") is that people also think this then means they can, and perhaps should, develop a persisting mental health disorder as a result. While not understanding that despite research suggesting most people worldwide will experience at least one actual criterion A-level event in their lifetime, the vast majority of us also do not develop PTSD (i.e., resiliency is the modal response).

 

[Fan_of_Meehl]

My take: people are now using the word "trauma" like they've been using the word "depressed" for decades (or, to a not-quite-as-analogous extent, terms like "antisocial"--which I think many people would be dumbfounded if they knew what they were actually saying--or "OCD"). Some know the difference between how they're using the term colloquially and what it means clinically; many do not. "Trauma" is also a great attention-getter, for those who want that.

I think the tricky part with trauma (or "trauma") is that people also think this then means they can, and perhaps should, develop a persisting mental health disorder as a result. While not understanding that despite research suggesting most people worldwide will experience at least one actual criterion A-level event in their lifetime, the vast majority of us also do not develop PTSD (i.e., resiliency is the modal response).

"Paranoid" is another one. I never fail to be bemused at VA when veterans are trying to argue with me to convince me that they are "paranoid."

 

[MCParent]

I’m reading some psychoanalytic stuff (Balint, Seinfeld) for fun and it’s funny how full circle we are on “trauma” since analysts called everything trauma too. They got all the new people beat with pre birth trauma tho.

 

[borne_before]

I've thought more about it - but my main issue is that it says more about the therapist than the patient. Like, they claim to be kind of nondirective/rogerian, but then state that therapy will be about oppression. This clinician thinks that psychopathology stems from the postmodern grievance quips - systems, oppression, etc., and there is no room to empower the individual seeking help or help the control their life, thoughts, get in touch with values.

So I guess my main issue is that the virtue signaling is making some claims about psychopathology that, in my opinion, are not compatible with the goals of psychology: to describe, explain, predict, and influence outcomes.

Beware of postmodern psychologists. And I feel bad for this clinician because it's probably not their fault. They probably went to a very ideologically captured school where questioning this perfect rhetorical fortress was worse than saying slurs.

 

[Ollie123]

I’m reading some psychoanalytic stuff (Balint, Seinfeld) for fun and it’s funny how full circle we are on “trauma” since analysts called everything trauma too. They got all the new people beat with pre birth trauma tho.

Next up on Tik-Tok....pre-conception trauma.

If your great-great-great-great-grandma experienced trauma...you did too! And life was pretty ****ty back then, so chances are good she did. For only $2,000 out-of-pocket, I will provide you a document stating this. No evaluation necessary, because evaluations are also traumatizing. My malpractice carrier was quite insistent I disclose this document is most-definitely-not-a-psychological-report and I am providing it in my side gig as a trauma-informed neuro-historical charlatan, not as a psychologist. However, you can give your boss this document and demand they continue paying you while you process the trauma we aren't completely sure happened but it probably did (success not guaranteed).

It also comes with a complimentary emotional support pterodactyl.