Unmasking With Compassion: A Neurodiversity-Affirming Mindfulness Support

Many people with ADHD, autism, or learning differences learn to hide parts of themselves just to get through the day. It's exhausting. They mask to fit in, stay safe, or avoid judgment. But living like this can be exhausting. What happens when you stop performing and start listening to yourself instead? In Unmasking with Compassion, we meet monthly to gently explore what masking costs you — and what becomes possible when you meet yourself with kindness instead. Using mindfulness, self-compassion, and simple tools from Nonviolent Communication, you’ll practice noticing your real needs, softening your inner critic, and trying small, brave moments of being more yourself. This is a calm, neurodivergent-affirming space where you don’t have to pretend. All parts of you are welcome — especially the ones you’ve been told to hide. About the facilitator Mary-Carmen Wiser (she/her) is a mindfulness educator, facilitator, and community builder with a Master’s in Mindfulness Studies from Lesley University. She creates warm, trauma-aware spaces where women, neurodivergent people, and queer folks can reconnect with themselves, release stuck emotions, and practice self-compassion as a powerful tool for healing. Her work blends meditation, psychology, body-based practices, and deep care. She helps people soften their inner critic, untangle internalized messages, and build more honest connection — within themselves and with others.