Therapist | Clinical Supervisor| Neurodiversity and Culturally Affirming Framework

Hello, my name is Dafiny Alves. I am a mixed-race Brazilian, neurodivergent Integrative Counsellor, Clinical Supervisor, and Life Coach. I am also a certified anxiety and trauma-informed practitioner and a member of the BACP and NCPS.

I have extensive experience working with neurodivergent young people, young adults, and women who have received a later-in-life diagnosis. I support clients navigating burnout, masking, OCD, emotional dysregulation, executive dysfunction, people-pleasing patterns, anxiety, and the impact of trying to “hold it all together” for too long.

My approach is neurodivergent-affirming, trauma-informed, and grounded in understanding how your nervous system and life experiences have shaped the way you cope and relate to yourself. I don’t see you as something to be fixed, but as someone who may have had to adapt in ways that were necessary for survival, even if they are now leaving you feeling exhausted, stuck, or disconnected from yourself.
In our work together, we focus on making sense of what is happening for you underneath the anxiety, overwhelm, or self-criticism, and gently exploring new ways of relating to those experiences. This might include understanding patterns like masking, burnout, people-pleasing, or emotional overwhelm, and building more self-awareness, self-trust, and emotional regulation over time.

I often work with people who feel like they are coping on the outside but struggling internally. You might be someone who is highly self-aware but still feels overwhelmed by your thoughts and emotions, or someone who has spent years adapting, masking, or pushing through without really feeling understood.
Many of my clients come to me at a point where things feel harder to manage — after a diagnosis, during burnout, or when long-standing patterns like anxiety, OCD traits, emotional dysregulation, or people-pleasing begin to feel unsustainable. Others are still questioning whether they might be neurodivergent and are trying to make sense of experiences that have never quite fit into the explanations they’ve been given before.
Often, there is a deep sense of exhaustion from trying to hold everything together, alongside a quieter wish to feel more like yourself — calmer, more grounded, and less at war with your own mind.

CPACB – Diploma in Integrative Counselling
Advanced Certificate in Clinical Supervision (Level 6) – Counsellor Tutor
Diploma in Life Coaching (Level 7) – HSC Oxford Home Study Centre
Certified Clinical Anxiety Treatment Professional (CCATP) – PESI UK
Additional training includes:
Trauma and Self-Harm in Children and Adolescents (PESI UK)
Advanced Trauma Treatment for Children and Adolescents (PESI UK)
CBT for Anxiety and OCD (PESI UK)
Safeguarding Children (Level 3) – Hillingdon SCP
Neurodiversity-Informed Mindfulness – Mindful Society Global Institute
Mental Health First Aid

I continue to engage in ongoing professional development in neurodiversity-affirming, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive practice.