Theodore Champagne LMHC

As a neurodivergent nonbinary counselor, my personal experiences strongly inspire my choices as a counselor! I view my clients as my peers and believe in the power of sharing our lived experiences. I've found that my personal experiences have eliminated the stigma that many people have around neurodivergence and the LGBTQIA+ community so that I'm able to approach my clients with honesty and appreciation. I always try to remember my experiences in counseling growing up and strive to find new and innovative ways to approach the counseling space that solve many issues I remember facing.

As someone with a background in theatre, I am often asked what inspired me to become a counselor! I've always been passionate about having tough conversations and celebrating the diversity found within human experiences. While theatre does this in a universal way, counseling does this on a very personal level. When I realized the gaps in care provided to nonbinary and autistic individuals, I was inspired to turn my social justice efforts from the stage into the counseling world!

One of the most insightful things I've learned as a mental health professional is how important the power of connection is! When you conduct research into counseling techniques and therapeutic modalities, all of the research shows that the therapeutic relationship is truly what determines whether the counseling process is effective. This is why I always stress to potential clients the importance of connecting with your therapist and I've found that this not only influences outcomes but makes the process more fun!

• Florida, Licensed Mental Health Counselor, MH21448

After graduation, I worked at a group practice serving individuals ages 13 and up who had a wide variety of presenting problems. I moved to my own private practice in 2021 so that I could focus on clients who are part of the LGBTQIA+ community and/or the neurodivergent community! I'm passionate about working with populations in which I have lived experience and believe in transforming what counseling looks like for these communities. I am also working towards my Ph.D. in counselor education and supervision in the hopes of becoming a professor and educating future counselors on best practices for working with clients from these groups.