Unmasking
For ADHD’ers ages 19+ in Victoria BC
(self-diagnosis welcome)
7:00 - 8:30pm on Tuesday Evenings
Sept 17th - Nov 5th 2024
1600 Cook Street, Victoria
(Inner Quest Foundation)
You deserve to feel understood
Unmasking is a love letter to ADHD’ers.
To the younger versions of us who needed the reminder that we are not broken.
That we deserve to have community, support, and a space where all parts of us are welcome.
A space to feel seen, where we can talk about systems and strategies that actually work for us.
The world may have told you there was something wrong with you.
So many of us ADHD’ers faced pressure to hide (or “mask”) our true selves in the world just to make it through.
The constant feeling of needing to hide your true self is exhausting and you deserve better.
We want you to know that there is nothing wrong with you.
Our goal for Unmasking isn’t to “fix” you—it’s to help you navigate broken systems and feel less alone while doing it.
This is why we’ve created an 8-week group for ADHD’ers ages 19+. A space where we can learn from and honour each other’s experiences of ADHD, talk about systems and strategies to work with our brains (not against them), and maybe share a meme or two.
Who are we?
Hi! Our names are Amelia Lowe and Ciara Harte (pronounced Kira), and we are both Registered Clinical Counsellors and proud ADHD’ers.
It is our passion to help folks from a trauma-informed, intersectional perspective, and we firmly believe in the power of healing in community.
This matters to us because we’ve been there (and are still learning, ourselves). Our hope for Unmasking is to offer a space to learn from each other and feel more grounded and self-compassionate towards ourselves as neurodivergent people.
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The Investment
We are offering Unmasking on a tiered system as part of our commitment to financial accessibility and equity.
This pricing system allows each person to consider their financial access when joining, making way for those who may need extra support.
We also offer various flexible payment plans for each pricing tier, and receipts can be submitted to any extended benefits that cover Registered Clinical Counsellors.
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$650 – Join & Give
This is our community care option. The extra money you contribute supports fellow ADHD’ers who may be on the other end of our sliding scale. This option is meant for folks who own the home they live in, have investments or inherited money, or have a high degree of earning power due to their level of education, gender, class, background, family system, or privilege.
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$550 - Join
This is the actual cost of Unmasking. This option is meant for folks who can comfortably meet all of their basic needs, and who have extended coverage and/or expendable income to purchase things like coffee, books, etc.
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$450 - Join & Receive
This option is meant for folks who might otherwise find joining Unmasking a big financial stretch, for whom it might create financial hardship.
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What if I can't come to all the groups?For 8 Week Groups: If you can’t come to each group night, or have to come late/leave early—that’s so okay! After each week we will send the whole group an email overview of the things we talked about that week along with resources. If you're registered for an 8 week session, there are no refunds for missed weeks.
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How is the space "Neurodivergent-Affirming?" What does that mean?Neurodivergent-affirming means that we recognize there is no one “right” way of showing up or functioning—one way is not better than another, it is just different! As ADHD’ers, we know that sometimes group spaces can be tough, and we want this space to feel different than others you might have experienced before. We welcome everyone to move around as needed and to share as much or as little as they want. We will provide snacks, and have a mix of colouring & fidget items available to use while we meet (Amelia and Ciara also make use of this!!). We know folks process information in lots of different ways—we use slides/visuals/email overviews as well as verbal discussions, videos & tiktoks, and activities.
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What topics are covered in group?Some of the topics we cover include Motivation & Care Tasks (e.g. house chores, homework or work tasks, etc.), Understanding our Sensory Systems, Social Communication & Relationships, Biology of our ADHD brains, Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria, and more! We also are very open to changing the material to fit the needs of each group. Your input matters to us!
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What are the available payment plans?We want to make Unmasking as accessible as possible, and can split up payments into 2 or 4 payments. The payment plans are available for all price tiers. Receipts may be submitted to extended benefits for reimbursement if you have coverage for Registered Clinical Counsellors. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us!
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What does an average group night look like?Great question! At the start of group, we get settled and start with a check-in question (everyone is always welcome to pass). Afterwards, we will share some slides with information related to that evening's topic. And then we will end the evening by doing an activity of some kind. This can include discussion questions, watching videos related to the topic, journalling, or a similar shared activity. Participants are always welcome to engage to the level they are most comfortable with, no questions asked. This is your space, and we want it to be the most helpful & supportive it can be for you!
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Will Ajax be there?Absolutely! Ajax is Amelia's 5-year-old black lab who is an important and valued member of the Unmasking YYJ team. He is so excited to meet you all (seriously, he just loves people so much).