Haley Graham : A Conversation on Mental Health, Autism, and Finding Your Way

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Psychotherapist Haley Graham shares her journey from pharmacist to mental health advocate after her son's struggle with school led her to found the Bounce Brighter Futures Foundation.

Her personal experience with neurodivergence drives her passion for supporting children, parents, and teachers through therapeutic storytelling and compassionate understanding.

• Founded Bounce Brighter Futures Foundation in 2019, now supporting 90 families weekly with 12 therapists

• Approximately 50% of children seeking support are neurodivergent (autistic or ADHD)

• School attendance difficulties often stem from not belonging in the system rather than just peer bullying

• Cautions against therapists inadvertently teaching autistic children to mask better

• Uses storytelling with woodland animals to help children explore mental health challenges

• Created "Shadow Monster" story as metaphor for facing anxiety and OCD

• Developing new book based on interviews with late-identified autistic adults

• Believes autism itself isn't the problem—fitting into society creates mental health challenges

• Emphasizes curiosity about children's experiences rather than trying to fix them

• Advocates for thoughtfulness and empathy when supporting neurodivergent individuals

Find Haley Graham on LinkedIn, Instagram (hayleygrahauthor), and at Bounce Brighter Futures website.

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