Embracing Neurodiversity: A Journey of Resilience
Dyslexia, ADHD and Being Neurodivergent in Canterbury: The Ferrari With the Handbrake On
If you’re a neurodivergent therapist in Canterbury or someone who struggles with dyslexia or ADHD, this blog is for you. I didn’t get diagnosed until adulthood, and I’ve built a full-time therapy practice based not on academic success, but on resilience, pattern-thinking, and empathy. Here’s how.
If You’re Struggling, This Is for You
From Two GCSEs to Full-Time Therapist
I was diagnosed with dyslexia at 36. ADHD followed years later. And if you’re reading this and wondering if you’ll ever “make it”—especially if you’re neurodivergent or struggle academically, please know:
You are not broken.
You’re not stupid.
You just haven’t been seen in the right way yet.
From 2 GCSEs to Full-Time Therapist
I remember being labelled the kid who looked around the room too much.
“If she just tried harder…”
But I was trying. Harder than most. I couldn’t learn in the way I was expected to.
My therapist once told me:
“Beck, you’re like a Ferrari with the handbrake on.”
All the power in the world, just no one knew how to release it.
Understanding My Unique Learning Journey
Discovering Clarity Through Late Diagnosis
Embracing Neurodivergent Strengths
The Myth of “The Quitter"
After school, I didn’t know what I wanted to do.
I started computer science. Quit.
Then, travel and tourism at Canterbury College. Quit.
Then, a teacher training course to be a TA. Quit that, too.
Aerobics instructor course? Quit.
Nail technician course? Yep, quit.
My family came to expect it.
“Becky never finishes anything.”
And I internalised that: I’m a quitter. I’ll never get it right. I’m just not cut out for success.
What They Didn’t See
What they didn’t see was the shame.
The shame of not understanding.
The shame of being slow at reading.
The shame of standing in class while a teacher made me sing “I’m a Little Teapot” because I didn’t know my times tables.
What they didn’t see was how I masked through my behaviour, joked my way out of tests, and distracted myself just to survive a system that didn’t get me.
I didn’t fail school. School failed me.
Finding Strength in Neurodivergence
Building a Business Anyway
I built my therapy business in Canterbury without a degree in marketing.
I taught myself SEO, content, how to run a calendar, and how to build a website.
I’ve cried in front of my accountant more times than I can count.
Like the time I told her I’d made £102,000 because I’d added the numbers up wrong.
I’m dyscalculic. Maths is a total mystery to me.
But I pay people to do the things I can’t do.
And I own the things I’m good at.
Because shame has no place in success.
For Every Neurodivergent Client I Support
This is why I support neurodivergent clients.
Because I know how hard it is when you’ve been told all your life that you’re “too much,” “too lazy,” “not academic enough.”
You might have been told to be a hairdresser instead of a therapist.
You might’ve been told you’d never earn enough money.
You might’ve internalised all of it and given up.
But I’m here to say:
With the right support, you can do anything.
I’ve worked hard. I’ve done the inner work. I’ve made peace with being imperfect.
And that’s made me a better therapist.
Understanding Eating Disorders: A Path to Healing
I’m Imperfect, And That’s the Point
I tell my clients:
I’m not here to be perfectly perfect.
I’m here to be real.
If you put me on a pedestal, I’ll fall off.
But I’ll always hold space for you to show up as you are.
Messy. Trying. Brilliant. Tired. Creative. Wired differently.
Because you don’t need to be fixed.
You need to be seen.
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Meet Becky Stone
I’m Becky Stone, a therapist based in Canterbury. I specialise in eating disorders, ADHD, and neurodivergent support for adults and teens. I run a full-time private practice, offering both online and walk-and-talk therapy. My approach is shaped by lived experience, deep empathy, and the belief that healing happens when we feel truly understood. I’m dyslexic. I’m ADHD. I’m imperfect. And I’m proof that success doesn’t have to look traditional to be real.
