We delivered our Disability Awareness workshop for Rhodes Wellness College. This college offer counselling and life coaching training. We were asked to create a workshop specific to the needs of their future counsellors and their interactions with disabled, Deaf, and/or neurodivergent clients.
We also added information about how disabled, Deaf, and/or neurodivergent students, facility, and counsellors can care for themselves and contemplate any internalized ableism they may be experiencing. An example is that we heard from a counselling student that since going back to in person sessions, they feel less able to stim in front of their patients. When they worked online, they could stim off screen. They felt less professional when the client could see them stim. We had a good discussion about why they feel this way and what they as individuals, and the college as a whole, can do to recognize and address issues like this.