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Welcome to Divergent Life
At DL, we celebrate uniqueness and empower neurodivergent individuals to flourish and thrive.
Divergent Life is a neuroaffirming psychology and education practice grounded in respect, curiosity, and deep listening.
We work alongside neurodivergent children, adults, parents, and professionals who are seeking understanding beyond labels, and support that reflects who they actually are. Our focus is not on fixing, correcting, or reducing difference, but on helping people understand their nervous systems, honour their patterns, and build lives that fit.
Founded in 2021 by Dr Emma Offord, Divergent Life was created in response to the limits of traditional medical and deficit-based models. Too many neurodivergent people were being reduced to checklists, traits, or diagnoses, without space for context, identity, trauma, hormones, creativity, or complexity.
Our work starts with the whole person.
How we work
Across assessments, therapy, coaching, group programmes, and education, we take a neuroaffirming and trauma-informed approach that recognises neurodivergence as a natural and valuable form of human variation.
Rather than focusing on isolated traits, we explore the interconnected systems that shape lived experience, including:
Sensory profiles and sensory trust
Attention, information processing, and cognitive pull
Communication styles and relational safety
Masking, burnout, and identity erosion
Giftedness and asynchronous development
Hormones and neurodivergence across the lifespan
Somatic and nervous system regulation
This integrated lens allows us to offer assessments and support that feel accurate, humane, and meaningful, not abstract or pathologising. Read about our team members below.
Our team
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Dr Emma Offord
FOUNDER
Emma is a thoughtleader in neuroaffirming approaches to neurodivergent diagnosis and support. She is trailblazing new ways of defining neurodivergence through the lens of giftedness and strengths.
While still recognising and validating the challenges and stigma neurodivergent people face, Emma is leading the way in dismantling societal norms associated with the medical model of disorder. She provides clinical supervision for the team.
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Jolene Ironside
THERAPIST
Jolene is an Integrative Counsellor using the Arts, ADHD Coach and holistic therapist who specialises in children and young people, families, trauma, sensory processing and neurodivergence. Jolene is one of our certified SSP practitioners.
She is a trained trauma therapist, sensory profiler and skilled in nervous system regulation. Jolene brings the mind and body into her practice, providing a holistic approach to support her clients.
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Dr Ashlyn Firkins
CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST
Ashlyn is an HCPC registered Clinical Psychologist with over a decade of experience supporting individuals in both NHS and private settings.
With a special focus on neurodivergence, she works compassionately with people across all stages of life who navigate complex psychological and physical health challenges, including chronic fatigue and persistent pain, and is one of our clinical neurodivergence assessors.
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Jo Gifford
CREATIVE & CONTENT
As a storyteller and writer with a background in digital strategy, publishing, and communications, Jo brings a blend of creativity and late diagnosed compassion to the work we are creating here at DL.
At Divergent Lives, Jo’s input is on storytelling, content strategy, and creative development, helping us all to build conversations that inspire understanding, advocacy, and systemic change. She thrives on helping to craft narratives that spark connection and empower people to share their voices with the world.