Taryn Nergaard

I'm pressing pause on the "public" parts of my work in order to make space for new possibilities. Making this decision has given me a renewed curiosity and creativity that I'm looking forward to exploring.

You can read more about that on today's Substack post.

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Time for Monday Memes! Share with a friend to start their week off right! 👏

🧠 Go to tarynnergaard.com/resources for helpful resources as you discover & explore your neurodivergence!

A little update on Substack. (Those are all the words I've got for today.)

https://tarynnergaard.substack.com/p/discipline-feels-like-success

Share with a friend to start their week off right! 👏

I'm not sure how I got here, but I'm glad I'm where I am.

(Go to tarynnergaard.substack.com to read this week's reflection.)

Today's your last chance to enroll in Explore Your Neurodivergence for a September start!

Coaching starts next week and runs til the end of October.

Go to tarynnergaard.com/explore to grab the final spot!

Thanks to for this reminder earlier this week in her stories.

EVERYONE can benefit from good coaching, but that doesn't mean everyone can afford it.

It's always been important to me that a) I can make a living in a way that supports my family and doesn't put a strain on my mental health and b) that I can use what I know and what I have to give back to others.

I try to price my coaching to honour my time and expertise without letting the investment be a barrier to those of us without a ton of disposable income.

That being said, not everyone can afford my fees. So, this year, I opened up scholarship opportunities for those who need it.

If you've been seeing me talk about my Explore Your Neurodivergence coaching program this fall and wish you could join, but you don't have the financial means to join, please message me.

✨ I'm happy to work with you on a payment plan that feels reasonable to you, or you can request a scholarship application. I'm currently able to offer 1 full scholarship or 2 partial scholarships for the current enrollment.

I don't want the investment to keep you from finding a safe space to process your newly discovered neurodivergence. Message me today or visit tarynnergaard.com/scholarship for an application.

You don't need to process all this new information alone!

As a certified, trauma-informed coach, I’m trained to hold space for those needing a safe place to process their thoughts and feelings, I'll help you consider what you’ve learned about yourself and how you might want to move forward in a way that feels supportive and sustainable.

Enrollment closes on September 13th, so don't delay!

Monday memes let's go 👏 Share with a friend to start their week off right!

Last Sunday marked my first sober birthday.

Giving up alcohol may not be the top decision that has helped me the most, but it's a crucial part of my healing.

I’m hesitant to label myself as an alcoholic; however, that may be self-deceit.

In past years, I've abstained from alcohol for months, both intentionally and unintentionally. I’ve never blacked out and my only arrest was as a sober 16-year-old. But, in various ways and at various times, I've relied on alcohol.

Read more > https://tarynnergaard.substack.com/p/sober

The Explore Your Neurodivergence Self-Reflection Journal is an added support to the one-on-one coaching sessions included in my upcoming 6-week program.

Each week of the journal contains 3 reflection questions for you to journal, as well as a pre-session reflection and a post-session notes/action steps page.

This allows you to gently explore your thoughts, emotions, needs, and desires throughout the week in a supportive, sustainable way.

The digital journal is exclusively available to those who enroll in my upcoming Explore Your Neurodivergence coaching program.

Interested? Go to https://www.tarynnergaard.com/explore

A year ago, I was just starting to accept my own Autistic identity. I had no idea that a year later I would have the joy and honour of helping others accept their own identities.

"Taryn has been a gentle guide and soft place to land as I navigate the complexities of my newly diagnosed autism. She has proven to be a secure place to share the delights and dismay as I explore the needs of my neurodivergent mind and body. As a fellow autist just a bit further along this road, Taryn extends a helping hand to those stepping onto the same path with generosity and compassion. This journey would not be the same without her." - Thelma Nienhuis

If you, too, need "a gentle guide and soft place to land," I'd love for you to join me for my 6 week coaching program starting September 18th. Leave a comment or DM me and I'll send you more info.

One of the most common things I hear from those who suspect they are neurodivergent (particularly those who are autistic) is that they are afraid to tell people and have their experience denied, minimized, or misunderstood.

There are so many thoughts and emotions that come with discovering your neurodivergence and adding the pain of not being believed or understood feels like too much to bear.

And, unfortunately, this does happen. People will deny your experience.

This fear of not being believed can cause us to spend hours accumulating information to help us build our case. And as natural connection-makers, our brains can go into overdrive as our thoughts weave from past to present, seeing our entire lives through a new lens.

I don’t know how it feels to you, but to me, it was exhausting. I felt like I was drowning. I couldn’t feel at peace with what had long made sense to me until I felt I had enough “proof” to show everyone else in my life that my conclusion could be believed.

So let me start here: I believe you.

You don’t need to prove your neurodivergence to me. Your deeper knowing is rich with wisdom and you are the expert of your own life (whether you feel like it yet or not.)

As a coach, rather than a clinician, I don’t need you to show me all the evidence. I’m here to be a compassionate witness so you can begin to believe in yourself.

Monday memes are back! Share your favorite with a friend!

Wondering if you're neurodivergent?

I created a new resource just for you!

The PDF includes a curated list of resources around Autism and ADHD, as well as combined AuDHD and the relationship between neurodivergence and trauma. I also included links to my favourite online tests.

I know how overwhelming it can be to find good information and also not get sucked into the vortex of the internet. My hope is this resource gives you a safe place to start discovering your neurodivergence.

Download here > https://www.tarynnergaard.com/resources/p/discover-your-neurodivergence

I've been consistently journaling for close to three months. Since then, I've taken the pressure off myself to always publish polished pieces. Sometimes, it feels right to simply share part of my own processing straight from my journal.

That's what I'm sharing today, and it ends with a couple of questions I'm asking myself.

If you, too, consider yourself sensitive or have tried to bury that sensitivity, this is for you.

https://tarynnergaard.substack.com/p/caring-comes-at-a-cost

In her book, The Wisdom Of Your Body, Dr. Hillary McBride refers to the body as the home no one can take from you, yet how many of us have rendered ourselves homeless?

Read my latest edition of Everything Belongs > https://tarynnergaard.substack.com/p/a-home-no-one-can-take-away

I’m no longer shouting the “your disability is your superpower” refrain—words that make our existence easier for the world to swallow. Words that require no sacrifice.

My latest Substack post will make many of you uncomfortable, and I'm okay with that.

https://tarynnergaard.substack.com/p/i-hesitate-to-call-myself-disabled

I reminded myself this week that I'm the one responsible for stilling the waters of my own life.

I generally take a full or partial sabbatical for the month of August, but this year looks a bit different as I seek out which parts of my work support my mental health and well-being and which parts need to be paused to make space for those supports.

I'm starting a little early by stepping away from Instagram & Facebook for the foreseeable future.

I'll be on Threads instead, which has been a life-giving way to share my impromptu thoughts as well as have genuine conversations with people. My bio states that I'm an AuDHD weirdo here to unmask, so if that interests you, you'll find me there.

Additionally. Everything Belongs will still be sliding into inboxes regularly (if not weekly). That's the place where my more thoughtful musings get published. You can subscribe to those emails at the link in my bio.

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📷 credit

It was such a delight to join Cindy Thompson on her podcast, A Resilience Project!

In our conversation, I share my personal story of being neurodivergent and why I'm passionate about helping others rediscover their needs, desire, and goals for well-being.

You can listen on your favourite podcast platform or at https://www.aresilienceproject.com/episodes

Mondays are for memes. Share your favorite with a friend!

"Don't be afraid to fail in public" is the Threads post I read not long after writing this reflection on the topic.

But this is more than just me wrestling with my beliefs about failure.

It's about wanting to create a space that's safe for us to be honest about how hard entrepreneurship can be.

It's about wanting female business owners to keep betting on ourselves no matter how many times the odds don't seem to he in our favour.

And, for today, it's also an announcement that the Soul Care Retreat has been cancelled due to not enough registrations. (Unfortunately, I was unable to wait until my original deadline of July 22nd.)

I have a lot of feelings this week, both comforting and uncomfortable. But overall, I'm grateful to keep showing up and doing this work because YOU matter to me.

https://tarynnergaard.substack.com/p/on-failure

“If you’re willing to pay attention to and dialogue with what’s happening inside of you, you’ll find that your body already knows the answers about how to live a full, present, connected, and healthy life.”

- Dr. Hillary L. McBride, The Wisdom of the Body (currently reading)

I like to know all the details, how about you?

Here's a peek at what our weekend Soul Care Retreat will look like.

Have questions? Send me a message!

The Soul Care Retreat will be an intimate experience with a maximum of 20 guests (including facilitators). We also have a minimum number of guests required to secure our venue.

In order to continue moving forward with our plans and preparation, all guests will need to be registered by Saturday, July 22nd. If you're interested in joining us, you'll want to register as soon as possible!

🌿 soulcareretreat.ca