top of page

Paths Uncharted.
A collaborative blog by Divergent Path Wellness
exploring mental health in context, centering neurodivergent and queer experiences, and undermining prescriptive paths
Search

Grief, Trauma & Healing
Compassionate reflections on loss, trauma, and the messy, nonlinear process of healing—especially in marginalized communities.


Understanding Complex Trauma: How It Impacts the Nervous System and How Therapy Can Help
Complex trauma is a term that’s gaining more recognition in both clinical settings and everyday conversations about mental health. For...
Hannah Dickey MSW, LMSW
Jul 254 min read


Allowing Space for Grief
Whether it’s the personal loss of a beloved person or other animal, or the larger-scale loss felt as we experience the polycrisis of climate change, pandemics, and genocide, learning to accept the grief that we experience and carry with us as individuals and communities can be transformational.

Sarah Lawson, Clinical MSW Intern
Jul 183 min read


Unlearning Religious Shame as a Queer Person: You Were Never the Problem
For LGBTQIA+ folks raised in rigid or rejecting faith traditions, healing can start with the radical idea that there was nothing wrong...
Helen Dempsey-Henofer LCSW, ADHD-CCSP
Jun 137 min read


Navigating Holiday Grief After Leaving High-Demand Religion
Holidays, whether those that get a lot of mainstream fanfare or those that are more a part of lesser-know cultural tradition, can be a...
Helen Dempsey-Henofer LCSW, ADHD-CCSP
Apr 256 min read


When Your Relationship Isn’t Safe: Intimate Partner Violence in the Queer Community
Resources to help identify when a relationship is unsafe and how to seek support

Sarah Lawson, Clinical MSW Intern
Apr 75 min read


Healing from Trauma: A Neurodivergent-Affirming Approach to Recovery
A common misconception about healing from trauma is that you are broken and that healing is how you get fixed. Healing from trauma is not...
Hannah Dickey MSW, LMSW
Mar 214 min read


Religious Trauma and Executive Function: putting the pieces (and the people) back together
Religious trauma and executive dysfunction go hand in hand more often than you might think. Executive dysfunction is commonly associated...

Thomas Harper LMSW
Mar 76 min read


Queer Religious-Trauma Healing: A Compassionate Path Forward
So glad you found your way to this little corner of the internet. My queerly beloved person, friend, family member—dear fellow community...
Hannah Dickey MSW, LMSW
Feb 73 min read


Understanding Religious Trauma
Introduction to Religious Trauma Religious trauma can include widely varied experiences. To illustrate these we're going to use two...
Helen Dempsey-Henofer LCSW, ADHD-CCSP
Jan 285 min read


Is therapy going to work for me?
If you're asking yourself whether therapy will work for you, Hannah Dickey MSW, an LGBTQIA+ affirming therapist in Virginia, responds to:...
Hannah Dickey MSW, LMSW
Aug 17, 20243 min read


Another shooting... thoughts from an angry therapist
My heart breaks for Maine. Deep deep sadness is present and while I am looking forward to doing my work, being as present as I can be...
Helen Dempsey-Henofer LCSW, ADHD-CCSP
Oct 26, 20232 min read


When life does not go as planned: 3 self-care tips for life's disruptions
Sometimes things happen that we were not prepared for. When your world gets rocked, when the structure that you trusted as "how things...
Helen Dempsey-Henofer LCSW, ADHD-CCSP
Sep 6, 20233 min read


Tuning in post-tragedy
What can be learned from listening to your feelings? In May 2022 I'd written the following letter. Fellow Human, Hi. Recent events in...
Helen Dempsey-Henofer LCSW, ADHD-CCSP
May 30, 20233 min read
bottom of page