You’re neurodivergent, and so am I. My mindful mentoring is designed by and for neurodivergent people.
Together, we’ll explore mindful, neuroscience-informed, and body-based practices. This isn’t therapy, but a supportive space for your well-being, mental health, or meditation journey.
What is Mindful Mentoring?
This space is for you if you want:
– A co-pilot for a new mindfulness journey.
– Support to deepen an existing meditation practice.
– Neuro-affirming tools that actually fit your brain.
I bring my skills, knowledge, and an attitude of curious experimentation to every session. I am a qualified psychotherapist and mindfulness teacher with many years of experience.
No more “sit still and be silent.” Traditional meditation often uses inaccessible language and exclusive spaces. My approach is different. We’ll honor your nervous system, your unique neurotype, your past experiences, and how you feel on the day we meet.
Sessions can be led by your current feelings or a theme we’ve chosen. Everything is adapted, accessible, engaging, and easy. These sessions are:
– Trauma-sensitive
– Neurodivergent-affirming
– Disability-aware
– Mental health-informed
Interested in bringing these ideas into your professional practice? [See here to learn more about professional applications of these methods].
In Our Sessions, We Might Explore:
Mindfulness Practices:
– Beyond the stereotypes: Many feel they “can’t do mindfulness.” I believe this is often due to outdated teaching methods. My personalised approach makes it genuinely accessible and easy to weave into daily life.
– The benefits: Mindfulness can lessen anxiety, stress, and depression. It builds capacity for self-compassion and helps us respond to emotions with kindness, not reaction.
– Deeper insights: We can explore how Buddhist concepts offer insight into who we are and foster personal growth and ease.
– NeuroAffective Touch®: I’m training in this somatic tool to help you gently regulate and build self-compassion through self-touch.
Breathing:
– Why it helps: Neuroscience-informed breathing techniques can soothe anxiety, reduce stress, quiet overthinking, and reconnect you when feeling shut down.
– My unique experience: I draw from diverse traditions like yoga pranayama, Wim Hof, trauma-focused breathwork, and vagus nerve strengthening. We’ll find what works for your nervous system.
Mindful Movement:
– Movement is medicine: Based on neuroscience and body-based modalities, I teach simple movements. Regular practice can reduce stress, build resilience, and ease your nervous system.
– Accessibility focused: Movement can be key for meditation, especially if high stress, trauma, or neurodivergence make stillness difficult or inaccessible.
EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques):
– “Tapping” for ease: This therapeutic tapping targets specific body points to help process emotions and reduce distress.
iRest® yoga nidra (I am currently undertaking training in this and can incorporate it into sessions):
– iRest (Integrative Restoration) is a meditation practice designed to help you achieve deep rest and relaxation, release stress, and develop tools for navigating difficult emotions and thoughts. It aims to improve your sense of well-being, resilience, and inner peace. It can be particularly useful for burn out recovery and responding to shut downs.
My Journey & Expertise: Training and Influences:
As a qualified psychotherapist and mindfulness teacher, my approach to mindful mentoring is built on a strong foundation of diverse training and is continuously inspired by leaders in neuroscience, neurodivergence, somatic, and contemplative fields. This allows me to offer practices that are adaptable, safe, and truly beneficial for neurodivergent minds.
Core Areas of Expertise:
– Interpersonal Neurobiology (IPNB) & Neuroscience: Influenced by pioneers in their field like Dr. Daniel Siegel, my work is deeply rooted in understanding how our brains, bodies, and relationships shape our well-being.
– Neuro-Affirmative & Somatic Approaches: I draw from the insights of leaders like Dr. Anna Neff, Kieran Rose, Emma Castledine, Dr. Luke Beardon, Dr. Nick Walker, Deb Dana, Pat Ogden, Stephen Porges, Peter Levine, Ben Woolf, Diana Barnett, and Licia Sky. This ensures practices are adapted with respect for neurodivergent experiences and integrate the body’s wisdom for regulation.
– Trauma-Sensitive Practices: My training in Trauma Studies, Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness (TSM), and the work of Bessel van der Kolk means all guidance is offered with careful awareness and deep respect for past experiences.
– Buddhist Psychology & Mindfulness Lineage: My foundational practice is heavily grounded in Buddhist psychology and trauma-sensitive, inclusive mindfulness. I’ve undertaken extensive training and study at the European Institute of Applied Buddhism (EIAB), completed a Diploma in Meditation Teacher Training and formal Yoga Nidra Training, and spent many years in meditation and mindfulness retreats.
– Key Teachers & Traditions: Influenced by Thich Nhat Hanh and the Plum Village tradition, Oren Jay Sofer, David Trelevan, Kaira Jewel Lingo, and Melina Bondy.
– Embodied & Restorative Practices: I incorporate methods like NeuroAffective Touch®, iRest (Integrative Restoration – current training), Breathwork for Anxiety, Hatha Yoga, Somatic Movement, and Qi Gong Concepts to support deep rest, regulation, and embodied awareness.
This comprehensive background allows me to tailor approaches that acknowledge and honor your unique neurotype, helping you discover practices that truly resonate and support your journey towards greater ease and well-being.
Ready to Explore?
Sessions: Held via Zoom. Fortnightly or monthly are common rhythms, but we can adjust to your needs.
Free Chat: Book a free 30-minute introductory chat to see if this is a good fit.
Questions? Feel free to email me jessica.bearinind@gmail.com
See my FAQs and fees here.
NiMiN: Neurodivergence in Mindfulness
Join NiMiN! This free group meeting is for neurodivergent meditators, mindfulness teachers, or anyone neurodivergent-identifying and interested.
What it is: Hosted by Cheetah House, we meet quarterly.
What we do: My colleague Kelly Birtwell (Manchester University) and I share accessible mindfulness practices and create space for ideas, themes, and questions about neurodivergent mindfulness experiences.
Find more info and book your spot here.
What Others Have Experienced:
“A really interesting experience, feels like an exciting and innovative approach. I’ve actually been thrown out of a yoga class for making noise and find the prescriptive breathing techniques actually make me panic. So, it was great to access mindfulness another way, thank you!” — Bruford College, Student
“The choices given to enable me to access the exercises made me feel less conflicted and allowed me to feel it wasn’t a demand but my own choice. I liked being given so many different options in the way I focused on my chest for instance. Another difficulty that I have experienced in the past was exactly what you said about having to sit still, the bouncing and pressing my feet down helped me still feel in touch with myself whilst not struggling against myself” — Bruford College, Student
“Jessica explained complex ideas very accessibly. The exercises were easy to follow and kept me engaged throughout sessions. I am familiar with meditation and tried a few techniques but everything I learnt today was brand new and exciting. I look forward to attending more sessions.” — Natalia Millman, Artist