Jane McPhillips Hypnotherapy

Is it possible to be more autistic/ADHD following a diagnosis?

Is it possible to feel more autistic/ADHD after a diagnosis? — Jane McPhillips Hypnotherapy | Sheffield Not much is talked about how life is after the label is confirmed, as so much energy and media focus is on waiting for the formal diagnosis. However clients report feeling as though all the dials have been turned up and life is extremely vivid in many ways. These experiences are normal and need more

Moved to hear how this amazing team are finding wellbeing sessions useful. 🙏🏻

Family Voice and Ammi's Kitchen want to thank McPhillips Hypnotherapy for her wonderful support during these hard times for the voluntary sector.

She comes to us every term to support us each to work out our strategies for coping with the demands of the work we all do. She brings a lovely calm with her and gently creates a safe space.

It's an incredibly valuable session for everyone on an individual level, but also as a team. Jane is simply extraordinary in how she leads the sessions; she listens deeply with quiet integrity.

Her work is invaluable and makes our team work more sustainable.

We can’t change how we are wired.
But we can change how we interpret our sensitivities.

For many people, discovering they are neurodivergent, whether ADHD, autistic, or both, feels like the lights have finally been turned on.
Past experiences begin to make sense.
Struggles with anxiety, overwhelm, or exhaustion soften into understanding and self-compassion.

From there comes acceptance,
not a single moment, but an ongoing practice.

And then something powerful can happen.
When we stop fighting our sensitive brains,
when we loosen the exhausting effort of masking or trying to be who we think we should be,
we create space to reinterpret the signals our brain is constantly receiving.

Because neurodivergent brains often notice everything:

• Sounds, conversations, subtle shifts
• Body language, emotional tone
• lights, smells, textures, temperature

With the amygdala frequently on high alert,
a lifetime of interpreting these signals as threatening can fuel anxiety and chronic overwhelm.

But interpretation is not fixed.

With awareness, we can begin to shift from:

“This is a threat” → “This is something I notice”
“They’re judging me” → “My brain is reacting from old patterns”

Many people with ADHD or autism know the internal loops:

Am I too loud?
Too intense?
Did I interrupt?
Did I respond correctly?

While social awareness has its place, constant self-monitoring is draining, particularly when masking becomes a survival strategy rather than a choice.

What if we softened the judgement?
Reduced the fear?
Allowed noticing without spiralling?

In Adlerian terms, how others perceive us belongs to their life task, not ours to carry.

Awareness
Acceptance
Self-love
Retraining interpretation

Less energy spent fighting yourself.
More space to work with your wiring.

Because when we do:

• The nervous system finds more regulation
• Sensitivities become information, not danger
• Differences reveal strengths

And life can feel lighter

If this resonates with you, personally or professionally, especially if you’re navigating ADHD, autism, anxiety, or overwhelm, you’re not alone in the journey.

The ‘wall of awful’ and how it can sabotage the neurodivergent experience.

It can seem like a simple task, so why don’t we just get started?

The wall of awful is a phrase that can shed some light and validate this experience for many neurodivergent people, especially those of us with ADHD.

When we do a task, we aren’t just dealing with that one task.
We are dealing with a whole list of past experiences (maybe seen as failures by ourselves) that create often unpleasant emotions.
Feelings that we would like to avoid again at all costs.

These may include (but not exclusively):

🙁Past rejections when we have made a mistake
🙁Being found out for an error and being shamed for it
🙁Letting someone down due to forgetting an important task
🙁Missing an important date, birthday etc

We don’t just need motivation to complete a task, but also the time and strength to overcome the wall in front of it.

So how do we manage this? How do we get that thing done?

Recognise the wall is there.
It is real.
It triggers unpleasant emotions.
Other people may not understand this wall. (We are not other people).

Having awareness and recognising these experiences start to break down the wall, bit by bit.
Give yourself some time to process this trigger and what the wall looks like for you.

Get to know your wall of awful and how to break it down brick by brick.

Then take steps to climb over it, see through it, or maybe even knock it down!

The ‘wall of awful’ is a concept by ADHD coach Brendan Mahan, taken from Jessica Mccabe’s book ‘How to ADHD’.

🌟Neurodivergent networking tonight 7pm in Sheffield, few spaces left!!🌟

Why not come along to our first gathering where you can find a supportive place to share your business, amongst others with similar strengths and challenges.

The aim is to:

🌟Support each other’s exciting new projects and help each other to spread the word

🌟Unmask the challenges of running a business being neurodivergent

🌟Build confidence in how to network, alongside others that understand

There is a small charge (under £6) to cover the cost of the venue.

When: tonight Dec 2nd 7pm
Where: RumKeg Abbeydale Rd



Tickets click here ⬇️

Neurodivergent Networking (with a difference) A safe space to connect with other neurodivergent business owners locally.This first gathering is to gather ideas on how we would like this group to serve you in business.The aim is to:🌟Support each other’s exciting new projects and help each other to spread the word🌟Unmask the challenges of...

What if our imagination is a tool that we can use to unmask more safely?

I work with many late diagnosed neurodivergent adults.
For many of us this has resulted in years of masking to find more socially acceptable ways to present ourselves.

Many clients want to discover their authentic selves, but find this hard as rumination and self checking behaviours are so automatic. Many struggle to unmask with themselves.

However, what if our imagination can be the key to unlocking our authentic selves?
The body and brain learn how to keep us safe, and masking is a part of the survival process. To unlearn these safety behaviours can feel scary, so what if this happened in a safe way?

Hypnosis is a state of deep relaxation and can be a safe state to explore different settings and scenarios, playing out speaking differently, holding our body more naturally or behaving without the masking filter. Our subconscious is listening and can learn another way to narrate our thoughts.

This process is always collaborative, and even exploring the imaginative day in session can begin to set new neural pathways of what is possible.

Our imagination is an under used, natural tool, to a life of living unmasked more often.

We are by nature creative thinkers, let’s use this vast resource to discover who we really are behind the mask.

🌀 Autistic women & stimming: the power of being seen
(A post for those who want to understand, and those who want to feel understood.)

As autistic women, many of us learned young to suppress our natural ways of being—especially the way our bodies wanted to move.
Whether it was rocking, tapping, humming, or fidgeting—if it didn’t fit the mould, we were told to stop.
Sometimes gently.
Often not.

And so, we masked.
We hid the very movements that helped us soothe, regulate, think, and release.

Why?
Because we rarely saw anyone else doing them.
We didn’t see adult women stimming safely and unapologetically.
We didn’t have a feedback loop that said:
👉 This is okay.
👉 You are safe.
👉 You are not odd.

That’s why visibility matters.

Stimming isn’t always about distress.
It can be grounding, comforting, joyful—even empowering.
And it starts, not with a performance, but with permission.
Permission to unmask to ourselves.
To get curious about the movements our body naturally wants to make.
And to let them do their thing.

💬 So, as an autistic woman, I want to gently share some of my current stims—because maybe this helps someone else feel a little less alone.

🔹 I tap the tips of my fingers against my thumb in turn, quite quickly. It helps me process, soothe, and think.
🔹 I hum when I’m overstimulated, especially at night to help me sleep.
🔹 I rock when I need to regulate or calm my nervous system.
🔷 I always carry a hairband in my pocket to fidget with to help in many different scenarios.

These are not oddities.
They are forms of care.
They are responses to needs that might otherwise go unmet.

Let’s normalise them. Let’s share them. Let’s see each other.

If you stim, and you feel comfortable, I’d love to hear how it shows up for you.
And if you don’t stim but want to understand—thank you for reading this far. Your curiosity matters.

Networking should always be fun! 😆

It was great to have a 1:1 today with the lovely Vicky Gardner from Ambispace and see how our businesses align.

First of many interesting conversations as I connect with organisations aligned with my values around neurodiversity.

Check out this brilliant business of Ambispace let’s get more conversation and connections with other neuroaffirming businesses.

Drop me a DM if you are open to a 1:1, and a selfie! 😂

Networking to learn, connect, and grow 🌱

I walked into the Infinite Skills CiC networking event hoping to meet a few like-minded people…
I left with a full heart, new connections, and a whole lot of inspiration. 💛

✨ First ever experience of Human Bingo (surprisingly brilliant for getting us all talking and laughing — even the introverts!).
✨ Genuine conversations with kind, interesting people who made me feel instantly welcome.
✨ Thought-provoking talks from the amazing Liban Saleh and Kaltum Osman Rivers, sharing stories that were informative, and inspiring.

So grateful for evenings like this — where community, learning and a little courage come together.

Special thank you to Sahra Garuf for being my networking buddy, this is your year! 🙏

Here’s to more connection, collaboration, and stepping outside the comfort zone. 🙌

Did you think you have ADHD?

You are not alone.

Waiting lists are longer than they have ever been and conversations about ADHD are no longer confined to schools.

The path to understanding ADHD for yourself can be a difficult one. I hear many clients having various thoughts and doubts about themselves:

💡Maybe I’ve made it up and I’ve just convinced myself I have these issues

💡I managed to get through school

💡I can’t find enough information about how it presents differently for women

💡I feel silly that it’s taken this long to realise their could be an underlying reason for my struggles

💡My parents think I can’t possibly have ADHD as I was always a well behaved child

It’s ok to have doubts.

ADHD is easily missed for many years and often becomes more apparent when there is a significant life change such as:

🧠More responsibility, such as becoming a parent or a high pressured job

🧠Hormonal changes for women eg perimenopause

🧠A relationship break up

🧠Lockdown during the pandemic forced many people to reflect on themselves when there was a lack of structure and routine

Whatever the shift, finding safe people to have conversations with can help you discover more about ADHD for yourself.

Validation and understanding can make a huge difference. Take your time, explore at your own pace.

There is a growing community of people who now feel validated and understood. Reach out when the time is right.