Heather Cook

A brown bamboo toothbrush rested alongside a plant.

Is It Anxiety Or Sensory Stuff?

Anxiety and sensory stuff can be difficult to pick apart, so I’d like to talk a bit about them and how they can intersect.

The words "mental health" spelled out on scrabble letters next to a green leaf.

Four Mental Health Myths That Are Unhealthy

A few comments about four mental health myths that I’ve seen play out pretty consistently over the years.

Hourglass rested on the shore nearby footprints.

Healing Communication Wounds Takes Time

Healing communication wounds with new experiences is a gradual process.

Close-up on a person in shadow being cast in orange and blue light.

(Re)Building Self Trust After You Learned You’re Autistic

Once you discover your autism, you may realize just how severed the connection to yourself is, but it is possible to get in touch with yourself; to learn to trust your instincts better.

Letting Go of the Shame of Avoiding People

For autistics, it makes sense why we tend to avoid social situations; the majority of our interactions can be uncomfortable. But we can’t lean into the discomfort until we stop shaming ourselves.

Someone typing on a computer while another person watches the screen.

My thoughts on Accountability Partners

Accountability partners is a popular concept, designed to keep us accountable to someone else in order to create motivation to get things done, but I have a different opinion.

A beige envelope opened to a thank you note.

Why Thank You Notes Work

Why thank you notes work might surprise you. Rather than relics of the past, these tools still serve an important purpose.

Parent holding their child's hand, while the kid looks to a lake in the distance.

The Danger Of Assuming People Wanted The Life They Got

How social pressures shape our lives, and then people assume that’s what we wanted.

I Upset Others When I Mask Less

Sometimes when we unmask our autism, other people will have big reactions and get really upset, and we might think that we have to go back to masking because of that. But here’s a third option.