Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Stephanie Holmes
Hi Dr. Stephanie, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I began my career as licensed professional counselor (LPC) young in marriage over two decades ago. Life change in 2005/2006 changed when my eldest daughter was diagnosed with Asperger’s (autism). Less was known about girls and autism and each school year was a fight and advocacy for her. During this time my marriage was not in a good place. We thought it was because life was hard with a child with ASD and another with ADHD. Life was on hard mode. In 2019 my husband was diagnosed with ASD as well. Who could help us navigate our neurodiverse marriage with faith? There was no one. We have become the resource we wish we would have had- we focus on autism-faith and marriage & family.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No, life with children with needs is a hard road. And children with needs do not come with an instruction manual. And 20-25 years ago what resources available were few and did not address ADHD and ASD in girls. Thankfully as someone in the field of psychology I had a leg up getting started, but that didn’t mean I knew I was I was doing and how to build the team that I needed for community and support. The Christian faith world is not knowledgeable or equipped to work with and support families with kids with differences and needs. I wanted to give up- I was overwhelmed almost had a nervous break down. We moved from NC to GA to find resources and rebuild. Once my children graduated high school I turned my focus of coaching and counseling to families impacted with ASD/ADHD and other developmental issues. I focus on marriage and family health.
We’ve been impressed with We have 2. Autism Spectrum Resources for Marriage & Family, LLC is the coaching side for marriage and family. The International Association of NeuroDiverse Marriage and the Neurodiverse Christian Couple Podcast is aimed at coaching and training coaches who work with couple in this niche., but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Autism Spectrum Resources (ASR) is my coaching practice that focuses on building health and success for individuals on the autism spectrum and marriage and family that have neurodivergent family members. However, we always have a wait list! There are coaches and counselors and chaplains that want to and need to be trained so we began offering training in the niche of neurodiverse marriage and family issues that encompass the Christian faith. So we have 2 branches we serve from. One to marriage and families and one to train others who want to serve these families well. My family has written a book about our journey- the first of its kind all four of our perspectives. It is called Embracing the Autism Spectrum: Finding Hope & Joy Navigating the NeuroDiverse Family Journey. It is our story and lived perspectives, professional perspective and spiritual hindsight learning we hope will help other marriages and families like us. We also started a podcast dedicated to life and marriage and faith and autism called NeuroDiverse Christian Couples available on the Mental Health News Radio platform.
What matters most to you? Why?
Families impacted with differences and developmental delays and disabilities are doing life on hard mode. They can become isolated and fractured without proper support. For people of faith who want their church family to be part of their support, many churches are not equipped and even turn families with needs away. We have built an online community for those seeking group identity and belonging, but we also seek to train churches and faith leaders on understanding and better serving this community better. All people no matter their neurotype want to be welcomed, to belong and have someone be happy to be with them. Everyone wants to be seen and known. That is our why.
Pricing:
- Classes for marriage run $400 a semester per person
- New groups form each semester and are more cost efficient than 1 on 1 coaching
- Autism Assessment for those 16+ is $150 an hour
- Coaching 1 on 1 is $150 an hour
- Courses are available for self-study for various prices depending on the number of hours in the course
Contact Info:
- Website: www.HolmesASR.com; www.christianneurodiversefamilies.com; www.christianneurodiversemarriage.com
Image Credits
Head ShotCredit: JLondon Images
Logo and Canva Boxes: Callie Revell
Logo Design: Divine Media
