This roundtable discussion aims to bring together neurodiverse counselors to collaborate on identifying needs, sharing experiences, and developing strategies for creating a more inclusive and accessible future in counseling. As professionals with unique perspectives, neurodiverse counselors are well-positioned to advocate for and implement changes that benefit both themselves and their clients.

This session will facilitate group brainstorming and dialogue to explore the challenges and opportunities faced by neurodiverse counselors and their clients. Participants will have the opportunity to generate ideas and develop actionable steps to foster a more supportive professional environment in their own communities.

Learning Objectives:
• Participants will analyze the limitations of traditional court-mandated programs in effectively addressing the personal and relational dynamics of co-parenting conflicts.
• Participants will discuss the influence of therapeutic approaches on high-conflict co-parents’ co-parenting self-efficacy, self-regulation, and psychological flexibility, drawing on findings from a pilot study.
• Participants will explore and discuss alternative dispute resolution methods that emphasize therapeutic and psychoeducational approaches to managing co-parenting conflict.

Presenter: GinaMarie Russo, EdS
GinaMarie Russo, Ed.S., LMFT, LMHC, is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Licensed Mental Health Counselor in the state of Florida. A proud four-time graduate of the University of Florida, she earned her Ed.S. and M.Ed. degrees in Marriage and Family Counseling in 2020. She also holds an M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education (2009) and a B.A. in Special Education (2008). GinaMarie is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Counselor Education at UF.

GinaMarie is a collaborative, trauma-informed, systemic, and emotionally focused clinician. Her practice affirms that all parts of a person are valid, welcome, and important. Grounded in a developmental, trauma-informed, and neurodiversity-affirming worldview, she integrates Internal Family Systems (IFS), Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT/EFIT), and the Enneagram to support self-awareness, self-acceptance, empathy, and connection in both individual and relational work.