Short-Term Intensive Therapy (STIM Pathway) For Neurodiversity

STIM Pathway: Exploring Your Neurodivergent Identity

Realising that you may be neurodivergent, or beginning to understand yourself as autistic or as having ADHD in adulthood, can bring a need to pause and take stock. You might find yourself looking back over your life with new understanding, trying to make sense of patterns that previously felt confusing or difficult to explain.

What is the STIM Pathway? 

The Short-Term Intensive Model (STIM) pathway offers a focused space to explore what this understanding means for you personally. The work is shaped around one or two areas that feel most important to you right now. This might include reflecting on the impact of going undiagnosed, understanding experiences such as masking or burnout, considering how ADHD or autism shows up in your daily life, or thinking about what supports, adjustments or self-care approaches could make a difference going forward.

You may want to use this brief model to process grief, frustration or shame linked to earlier experiences. You might be trying to make sense of your past experiences through a neurodivergent lens, or looking at a specific area of your life such as work, relationships, study, parenting or future planning. The focus remains practical and individual. We work with what feels most relevant and meaningful for you.

The aim is to support you in integrating this new information about yourself into your sense of identity and into everyday decision-making. This can help you move towards ways of living that feel more sustainable and more aligned with your values.

STIM is a time-limited model. It includes three extended therapy sessions, a follow-up session, and structured treatment planning. Because the work is concentrated, it can suit you if you want to explore neurodivergence in a focused way without committing to longer-term therapy at this stage. It can also sit alongside existing therapy if you would like dedicated space to focus on neurodiversity for a defined period.

This pathway is neurodiversity-affirming and trauma-informed. It draws on compassion-focused therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). The overall approach is collaborative, respectful and tailored to your goals.

What to Expect

The STIM Pathway is a brief, structured piece of work. It involves a 1-hour treatment planning consultation (€150), three 2-hour therapy sessions (€300 each), followed by a 1-hour review consultation (€150) approximately six weeks later.

This means you are committing to a total of 8 hours of scheduled sessions, with a total cost of €1,200. The sessions are longer than standard therapy appointments, which allows you to work in more depth over a shorter period of time.

Because of this format, it can help to have a sense of what you might like to focus on, even if that is still taking shape. Between sessions, you may find yourself reflecting on what has come up or noticing things more closely in your day-to-day life.

This is a focused piece of work rather than an open-ended process. For some people, it offers a clear starting point. For others, it complements ongoing therapy by creating space to look specifically at neurodivergence.

This pathway may be less suitable if you are looking for ongoing weekly support or if you are currently in acute distress and need more regular input.

Referral Pathways

The STIM Pathway is offered following consultation with a member of the EBTC clinical team, so that together you can decide if this is the right fit for your needs. It is not a self-referral service.

You may be referred to this pathway in several ways:

• Following an initial consultation with a member of our neurodiversity assessment team. This may include situations where you decide not to proceed with a full diagnostic assessment but would still like space to explore your experiences through a neurodivergent lens.

• After completing a full neurodiversity assessment and receiving identification as autistic or ADHD.

• Through the Adult Mental Health assessment process, where this brief and focused model is considered a good clinical fit.

• By your current or previous EBTC therapist. This may include therapists working in adult mental health, couples or psychosexual therapy, or physiotherapy services. A referral can be made even if you attended therapy with EBTC in the past.

You do not need a formal diagnosis to access this pathway. If you identify as neurodivergent and would like to explore what that means for you, this is a valid starting point. What matters is that you have had an opportunity to discuss your needs with a member of the team so that together you can decide whether this structured, time-limited approach is likely to be helpful.

If this pathway is clinically appropriate, it will be offered to you as one of the possible next steps following this consultation.

Ready to Begin?

If you’d like to learn more or start the assessment process, get in touch with our team today by calling us on 091-727777 or get in touch via the contact page.