Amanda Besinger, MS, MSW, LCSW

she/her/hers

I’m a social worker and child development specialist who focuses on emotional wellness and neurodivergence. I’m also multiply neurodivergent myself.

But that’s not where this began.

I initially moved to Chicago in 2006 for love…of improvisational comedy and theatre.

Early on, I remember teaching children’s theatre and encountering a very impulsive, very active, very noisy child— about 9 years old, super creative, and always moving. While trying to keep the group quiet backstage (a near impossible feat), I finally looked at this busy kiddo and blurted out, “Stop!” In perfect timing, he yelled back, “No! You stop! I’m sick of everybody yelling at me all the time!”

Whoa. I think I literally said that out loud: “Whoa.” My face, my voice— my entire being— softened. “You’re right.”

Research shows that AD/HD kiddos receive 20,000 more negative messages than neurotypical children…by the time they’re 12. And there I was, another adult, just adding in to that total.

While working extensively with children and families, I discovered my passion for helping others grow and earned my master’s degrees in social work and child development. I knew I needed more tools if I was going to help others create real change.

During my clinical field work and first positions out of graduate school, I continued to find myself drawn to working with neurodivergent people. And while I received plenty of training in a variety of therapy approaches, a little voice inside me struggled to reconcile what those approaches were saying with what I am certain I felt. And for the first several years, I had no idea I was neurodivergent, too.

When I was first diagnosed as an adult, I was ambivalent and incredulous. I was so unprepared for the transformation to come— which ebbed and flowed in powerful waves of emotion that many of my neurodivergent peers know all too well. Throughout that time, I gained not only new levels of insight and self-awareness, but also tremendous gratitude for the beauty of how my “different” brain works.

I’ve seen how neurodivergence is typically viewed in treatment centers, schools, and workplaces. I’ve experienced firsthand how the approaches offered so often miss the mark. I’ve worked in preschools, Early Intervention, private practices, therapeutic schools, and residential facilities. I’ve participated in meetings of all kinds— in various seats at the table. I’ve been in IFSP and IEP meetings, parent-school “check-ins,” interdisciplinary team consultations, employee interviews and reviews, and more. From these experiences and others, I continue to grow and am ever learning ways to know better and to do better. And I’m motivated to help other helping professionals do better, too. That’s precisely why I have chosen to do things differently— for me, it’s not just an option; it’s the only way forward.

I’ve learned that supporting our needs and celebrating our differences are not mutually exclusive endeavors. I’ve learned to listen to neurodivergent people— which also meant listening to that little voice inside me all along that knew a kiND path is possible.

I treat needs, not neurotypes. Very often, our needs are the same: to embrace and express who we are without shame or fear, to feel less anxious or worried, to shine a little brighter, feel a little happier, and to love and be loved. Belonging is important to all of us. I am here to offer acceptance, compassion, and understanding and, more important, to help you develop this for yourself.

So much of what I love about my work is getting to know people and helping them through life, one step at a time, no matter who they are or where they are on their path. I can say for certain I am looking forward to meeting you— and, if I’m lucky enough, walking alongside you for a time, wherever you are.

~Amanda

You can find out more about my services here or go here to learn more about the kiND difference.

image description: photo of Amanda Besinger, LCSW. She is a woman with brown hair, smiling, wearing a yellow sweater and standing against a tree

Education

High School Diploma, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

Bachelor of Arts, Philosophy and Theatre, Hamilton College

Master of Science in Child Development, Erikson Institute

Master of Social Work, Mental Health Specialization, Loyola University Chicago

Memberships + Affiliations