Complex Trauma and Schemas in Neurodivergent People

Dr Ozgur (Oz) Yalcin at the Neurodivergence Wellbeing Conference 2026, Gold Coast

Why do so many neurodivergent people live with a harsh inner critic?

Dr Ozgur Yalcin explains how complex trauma and schemas develop in autistic and ADHD people, and how to work with them in a neurodiversity-affirming way.

Presented at the Neurodivergence Wellbeing Conference (NWC26) on the Gold Coast, Queensland, in September 2026. Dr Yalcin uses schema therapy and a model of internal parts (modes) to show how unmet needs, masking and ableism shape the inner voices many neurodivergent people know well.

This is the full recording of the talk (22 minutes).

In this talk

0:00 Introduction: neurodivergent schemas and the internal cast
2:01 The late bus
5:11 Schema therapy foundations: core needs, schemas and modes in plain language
11:30 Complex trauma and how schemas form: misattunement, bullying, exclusion and ableism, and the common schemas that result
13:26 Meet the cast: the Foolish Optimist, Neurotypical Advisor, Ableist Critic, Vulnerable Child and Neurodivergent Healthy Adult
20:03 The burnout cycle, and how the healthy adult interrupts it
21:06 Clinical guidance for therapists: why masking hides distress in therapy, and why a dysregulated patient may feel safer with you

Related research

Spicer L, DeCicco E, Clarke A, Ambrosius R and Yalcin O (2024). Understanding early maladaptive schemas in autistic and ADHD individuals: exploring the impact, changing the narrative, and schema therapy considerations. Frontiers in Psychology.

Read the paper

Complex Trauma and Schemas in Neurodivergent People | Neurodivergence Wellbeing Conference 2026 (22 minutes).

Presented by Dr Ozgur (Oz) Yalcin, Senior Clinical Psychologist and Director of ANIMA Health Network.

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