Workshop descriptions

  • Workshop I: The New Disease Paradigm

    This class is focused on understanding the root cause bio-mechanism of many chronic illnesses. We’ll talk about the Cell Danger Response, the cellular immune cycle, and mitochondrial state shifts. Students will learn why western medicine treats symptoms in separate silos or clusters rather than addressing the common root causes.

  • Workshop II: Self-Management After Medical Gaslighting

    This class is focused on Unshaming the all-too-common experience of medical gaslighting, denial of care, and being told “it’s all in your head” or “it’s just anxiety.” We’ll talk about the disability community's history of self-managing chronic conditions as a survival response to “falling through the cracks” of the medical system. We’ll also discuss tips for the most common ND chronic illnesses.

Who is this for?

This set of two workshops is open to anyone who is interesting in learning about chronic illness from a disability studies & neurodiversity paradigm lens. 

Most past students fall into one or both of these categories. 

- People who are neurodivergent (or exploring the possibility of being neurodivergent) who want to better understand their own life experience and the experiences of their neurodivergent friends and family members. 

- Professionals who help neurodivergent clients. This includes therapists, coaches, teachers, counselors, social workers, somatic practitioners, massage therapists, and other types of helping professionals like teachers and community organizers. 

The information in this set of workshops is useful for nervous system beginners as well as for people who have a lot of nervous system education already and are looking to expand and/or contextualize that information. 

This work is rooted in the Neurodiversity Paradigm and blends the lived experience of the neurodivergent community with many references to the currently existing research about sensory trauma. A short optional reading list will be shared before the workshops. 

The Lived Experience of Chronic Illness

What I learned that helped me manage EDS, MCAS, POTS, and Long Covid

I've been sick off and on for as long as I can remember. At age 5, I had tonsils removed after repeated infections, with the promise that this would stop the sickness. A few months later when I was NOT magically better, the doctors shrugged and said maybe the surgery wasn't necessary after all, maybe it's just allergies.

Fast forward to 2016, I was deep in Autistic burnout and the symptoms of my EDS, MCAS, and POTS were unbearable. Constant pain and discomfort. The doctors said, you look healthy, tests are normal, it's just anxiety. Then I found groups of other people with these illnesses online and started learning so much about how my body works. Now I know more about these conditions than most of my doctors. 

By the time Covid happened, I understood how my body could easily get stuck in an inflammatory immune response and stay there for months, and despite all precautions, that is exactly what happened. I had Long Covid 3 times ranging from a year of symptoms to 3 months. I credit the chronic illness community & their support for my quick recovery the most recent time.


This mini workshop series is designed to facilitate greater understanding of chronic illness and to inspire peer support and exchange of ideas around this common neurodivergent experience. 

Although this is an educational class, and not a trauma processing space, many students have reported transformational experiences from previous classes. 

This series is specifically focused on viewing the body as an ally. Our bodies don't hate us. They're on our side, even in the midst of illness. 

On Being "Canaries in the Coal Mine

This will be the 3rd set of workshops I've shared this year. All of them fit the theme of diving into what it means to be metaphorically the "canaries in the coal mine." This concept was originally used in the 1990s to describe Autistic people, but it also fits the experience of many sensitive neurotypes. 

Previous & future workshops are sold separately unless you have an all-access pass membership: 
March - Systemic Trauma & the Stress Cycle
June - Sensory Trauma
August - Neurodivergent Burnout
Sept - Freeze, Fawn & Masking
Nov - The Neuroscience of Community - updated for 2026

Pricing options

The cost for 3-4 hours of workshop time is $140. If that amount is financially dificult, you can choose the sliding scale rate, no questions asked. If the reduced cost is inaccessible, please scroll down to the end of the page to find the scholarship application. Each paid spot in the course makes one free scholarship spot available for someone else.

FAQ

  • How long do we have access to the videos?

    Recordings are lifetime access. If we ever move away from Thinkific (this course platform), we'll upload the videos to YouTube and send you a private link to access them. You can also download recordings to keep permanently.

  • Is there a way to ask Janae questions about this series?

    Yes! Each of the two sessions will have at least 30 minutes of Q & A time after the presentation of information.

  • Would this course work for a high school student?

    Yes, but it's especially important for teens and young adults to have someone they trust to talk with about this info beyond the class setting.

  • Are there CEUs?

    Check with your supervisor! My in-person groups count for CEUs but online groups have varying requirements. If you need documentation, you can create a certificate for Janae to sign off on.

  • Can I buy the course as a gift for someone else?

    Yes! Gifting educational opportunities is a great way to support someone in your life. When you go to the checkout page, you can click the box next to "This is a Gift" and then add the recipients email address.

Facilitator / Teacher

Janae Elisabeth

Trauma Geek

Janae (they/she/he) is an information synthesizer who has been studying polyvagal theory and related nervous system models for 6+ years. Their specialty is tying together threads of information from many different fields to create a holistic understanding of the nervous system and neurodivergence. Janae has deeply studied these topics in an effort to understand herself better as an AuDHD PDAer with complex trauma. Since 2018, they have been teaching about trauma, the nervous system, and neurodiversity through local peer support circles and through the advocacy and education project, Trauma Geek. Past students in Janae's courses have reported transformational experiences including more self-love, more gentleness with themselves, more understanding of their own bodies, more acceptance of themselves, and more connection to community. For legal reasons, please note, Janae is not a counselor or therapist.