Continuing our series on Disability Pride Month: in the first two posts, we looked at invisible disabilities like PTSD, ADHD, chronic pain, and anxiety [hyperlink to post 1]. Then we talked about simple habits — person-forward language, following someone’s lead, staying curious instead of assuming — that help make space for those experiences [hyperlink to post 2]. Here’s how those same principles shape the way we practice therapy at HGI Counseling.
Collaborative Therapy, developed at HGI Counseling and now taught in graduate programs worldwide, starts from the same place: we don’t walk into a session carrying assumptions about what a person needs, and we don’t treat a diagnosis as a roadmap. We start by asking what the person in front of us wants to be different, and we let their priorities lead. Problems aren’t immediately solved. Instead, they’re dissolved in language. The conversation is where change happens, and that requires the person feeling genuinely heard.
For people navigating disabilities, visible or invisible, that matters. Mental health care can sometimes exacerbate the same problem it’s meant to address by leading with the diagnosis rather than the person. At HGI Counseling, the person’s own perspective and experience are what guide the work.
The same is true for caretakers and family members. Caretaker fatigue — the sustained emotional and physical weight of supporting someone through a significant health challenge while managing your own life — is a real experience that deserves attention too. Our therapists work with both individuals living with disabilities and the people in their lives.
If You or Someone You Care About Could Use Support
We offer sliding-scale fees so cost isn’t a barrier to care, and there’s no waitlist to speak with a therapist on our team. To learn more or connect with a professional, visit hgicounselingtx.org.
For further reading: Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life by Marshall Rosenberg.