Third Wave Therapy and Mentor First will co-host a live professional training on June 20, 2026, titled Neurodivergent Affirming and Informed Care: Integrating Clinical and Developmental Theory. Designed for counselors, social workers, marriage and family therapists, and other helping professionals, the training explores why many neurodivergent individuals continue to struggle despite receiving therapy, medication, accommodations, coaching, and other well-intentioned supports. The live online event offers six continuing education hours approved by the National Board for Certified Counselors and introduces a developmental framework that can complement existing clinical approaches.
The training is informed by more than a decade of work at NeuroDev, a residential post-secondary developmental program serving neurodivergent young adults. Through supporting hundreds of students and families, the presenters observed that many young people continued to struggle despite receiving therapy, medication, accommodations, and other traditional supports. This experience led to the development of Neuro-Developmental Mentoring (NDM™), a framework that integrates developmental theory, neuroscience, and neurodivergent-affirming and neurodivergent-informed principles to help professionals better understand how growth, learning, and change occur.
"Over the past decade at NeuroDev, we've worked with young adults who had often exhausted traditional supports and were still feeling stuck," said Jason Grygla, MA, Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, co-founder of NeuroDev and co-presenter of the training. "What we discovered is that many challenges commonly viewed as motivation, resistance, or mental health issues also have developmental components. When professionals understand how development, nervous system regulation, connection, challenge, and ownership interact, they gain a different lens for supporting meaningful and lasting change."
The training will be presented by Jason Grygla, MA, Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor; Debbie Grygla, Certified Parent Coach; and Cam Sherman, MA, Associate Clinical Mental Health Counselor. Together, the presenters bring decades of combined experience supporting neurodivergent young adults, families, and professionals through developmental, educational, mentoring, and clinical roles. Attendees will receive six continuing education hours for live participation, an NDM Practitioner Training Certificate, training materials, and access to ongoing professional mentoring support through the Mentor First Community. The event will be held online on Saturday, June 20, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Registration and additional event details are available at MentorFirst.circle.so/c/professional-learning-ces.
About Third Wave Psychotherapy
Third Wave Psychotherapy is a North Carolina-based counseling and training organization specializing in evidence-based approaches, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), mindfulness-based interventions, and other contextual behavioral therapies. In addition to providing therapy services, 3rd Wave Therapy offers professional training and consultation to help clinicians translate research into effective, real-world practice. Through clinical services, supervision, consultation, and continuing education, the organization is committed to advancing compassionate, evidence-informed care. Learn more at 3rdWaveTherapy.com.
About Mentor First
Mentor First provides professional education, mentoring, and training in Neuro-Developmental Mentoring (NDM™), a framework developed through more than a decade of mentoring neurodivergent young adults toward greater independence at NeuroDev. Drawing on neuroscience, developmental theory, attachment theory, emotion regulation, and neurodivergent-affirming principles, NDM offers a practical approach to supporting growth beyond symptom management alone. Mentor First equips clinicians, educators, parents, and helping professionals with practical tools to support development, build self-trust, and create the conditions where lasting growth becomes possible. Learn more at MentorFirst.circle.so