6 NBCC-Approved CEs
Live on Zoom
Oct 3 or Nov 7
9-4p PT
Ethics is about more than following a code. It’s about the relationships we create, the assumptions we carry, and whether the people sitting across from us feel safe enough to tell us the truth.
This course explores what ethical practice can become when we understand the quieter ways harm happens through misunderstanding, masking, misattunement, and the assumptions built into traditional models of care.
We’ll examine how masking, sensory experience, intersectional identity, relationship, and creativity reshape ethical decision-making when working with neurodivergent and gender-expansive clients —and how expressive and relational approaches can help them experience therapy as a place where they no longer have to disappear in order to belong.
You’ll leave with practical (and fun!) expressive arts interventions, a deeper understanding of the ethical complexity when working within these populations, and an intersectional clinical lens you can bring directly into your work with neurodivergent and gender-expansive clients.
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Participants will receive:
6 NBCC-approved ethics continuing education hours (certificate mailed upon completion of the course)
Three Expressive Arts Interventions you can use right away
A downloadable course handout and resource list
One hour of scheduled breaks throughout the day
The course is taught by Mandy Parida. Mandy is a licensed mental health counselor, educator, expressive arts practitioner, writer, and founder of Different On Purpose.
For more than 25 years, Mandy has worked alongside neurodivergent and gender diverse children, adults, and families across clinical, educational, community, and expressive arts settings. Her work is grounded in the belief that there is more than one way to communicate, regulate, participate, make meaning, and belong.
Expressive arts are central to her practice. Rather than relying only on verbal insight, Mandy uses image, movement, metaphor, play, writing, and other creative processes as ways of accessing experience that may not fit neatly into language. This intermodal approach deeply informs how she thinks about ethics, access, autonomy, relationship, and clinical competence.
Through her work with neurodivergent and gender-expansive clients, Mandy has become increasingly interested in the ethical questions that emerge when traditional clinical expectations are treated as neutral: eye contact, punctuality, compliance, emotional expression, independence, gender norms, professionalism, and even what “progress” is supposed to look like.
Note: Participants will receive 6 continuing education hours and 1 hour of scheduled breaks
Ethics Beyond the Norm: Working with Neuroqueer Clients Through Expressive and Relational Practice has been approved by NBCC for NBCC credit. Different on Purpose, LLC is solely responsible for all aspects of the program. NBCC Approval No. SP-5360.
After registering, you’ll receive a confirmation email. A few weeks before the course, you’ll receive the Zoom link, course agenda, and a brief description of everything you’ll need for the day (including suggested art supplies!).
First Tuesdays of each month starting in October 2026.
5-6:30pm Pacific on Zoom
A monthly gathering for adults exploring neuroqueering through creativity, connection, and community.
Neuroqueering is the practice of questioning norms that limit authenticity, expression, belonging, and human flourishing.
Many of us spend years adapting ourselves to fit spaces that were never designed with all brains, bodies, identities, and ways of relating in mind. We learn to blend in, explain ourselves, shrink parts of who we are, or carry the exhausting work of translating ourselves for others.
The Adult Neuroqueer Collective is a monthly online gathering for people interested in exploring more authentic, creative, and connected ways of being. Participants may identify as neurodivergent, queer, gender diverse, questioning, highly sensitive, or wonderfully unconventional—or simply feel drawn to the practice of neuroqueering.
Through guided expressive arts, meaningful conversation, reflection, and shared experiences, we explore identity, expression, relationships, community, and what becomes possible when we loosen the grip of expectations that no longer serve us.
This is not therapy. It is a space for curiosity, creativity, connection, and belonging.
You do not need to be an artist. Just bring your journal, your expression tools, your favorite stim toy, your emotional support animal, your curiosity—or simply yourself.
Come neuroqueer with us.
Wednesdays, Oct. 7–Dec. 2
Thanksgiving week off
5–6 PM Pacific on Zoom
Let’s Play! is a small, live online expressive arts group for neurodivergent kids ages 8–11.
Across eight weeks, we’ll make things, invent, play, move, tell stories, share interests, and follow ideas wherever they lead.
Kids are invited to participate in ways that work for them. There is no right way to make the art, join the conversation, or be part of the group.
Registration includes:
8 live, one-hour Zoom sessions
A small, closed group where kids get to know the same people week after week.
A $95 Let’s Play! Art on Purpose™ kit
Shipped to your home before the group begins, with materials we’ll use for making, playing, inventing, experimenting, and creating together. Also includes 5 Make Art on Purpose invitations with QR codes that guide kids into playful, self-directed creative experiences in between sessions.
Weekly expressive arts invitations
Art, storytelling, games, movement, music, characters, collaborative play, and plenty of room for kids’ ideas to take us somewhere unexpected.
Characters on Purpose
Kids can create original characters throughout the group. With permission, their creations can be featured in the Characters on Purpose gallery on the Different On Purpose website, and one character from each Let’s Play¡ session will be invited to join the official Characters on Purpose collection.
A small neurodivergent-affirming community
A space where kids can move, fidget, look away, get excited, take time to answer, participate differently, and connect without having to perform the “right” way to be in a group.
$595 for the full 8-week experience
Art on Purpose™ kit and shipping included.
The Art on Purpose™ Kit is a thoughtfully curated expressive arts experience designed through a neuroqueer lens - centering creativity, curiosity, connection, and self-expression over perfection and performance.
Each kit includes intentionally selected art materials and original Make Art on Purpose guides that reduce decision fatigue and make it easier to begin. Instead of gathering supplies or wondering where to start, you’ll have everything you need to begin creating right away.
You don’t need artistic experience—only a willingness to be curious.
Art on Purpose™ Kits are included with registration for our 8-week groups.
They are also available as standalone kits for anyone who wants to explore creativity at home independently or with friends and family.
Whether you’re creating on your own or alongside others, the invitation is simple: Make art on purpose.
Every kit includes:
Thoughtfully selected expressive arts materials
5 Original Make Art on Purpose™ creative guides
A Different on Purpose tote
Creative tools selected to reduce decision fatigue and support getting started
A ready-to-create experience delivered to your door
Meet Bombo™ (he/him) —a curious pigeon with a big heart and an even bigger sense of adventure.
Created by a 10-year-old neurodivergent gender-expansive kid and brought to life through Different on Purpose™, Bombo™ celebrates curiosity, authenticity, and the freedom to become who you are.
This soft everyday tee is for kids who know there’s more than one way to fly, more than one way to belong, and more than one way to be yourself.
Every purchase helps bring the stories of Beeno™, Bombo™, Bella™, and their friends to life through future children’s books and creative resources.
🩵🤍🩷 Part of the Different on Purpose™ Character Collection.
.: Made with 100%, midweight (5.3 oz/yd² (180 g/m²)), US cotton that feels soft to the touch and a great choice for any season.
.: Fabric blends: Heather colors - 50% cotton, 50% polyester, Sport Grey - 90% cotton, 10% polyester, Ash - 99% cotton, 1% polyester.
.: All t-shirts come with pearlized, tear-away labels for total comfort and a scratch-free experience.
.: Made using ethically grown and harvested US cotton.
Meet Bombo™ (he/him) —a curious pigeon with a big heart and an even bigger sense of adventure.
Created by a 10-year-old neurodivergent gender-expansive kid and brought to life through Different on Purpose™, Bombo™ celebrates curiosity, authenticity, and the freedom to become who you are.
This soft everyday tee is for kids who know there’s more than one way to fly, more than one way to belong, and more than one way to be yourself.
Every purchase helps bring the stories of Beeno™, Bombo™, Bella™, and their friends to life through future children’s books and creative resources.
🩵🤍🩷 Part of the Different on Purpose™ Character Collection.
.: 50% cotton, 50% polyester (fiber content varies for different colors)
.: Medium fabric (8.0 oz /yd² (271 g/m²))
.: Regular fit
.: Sewn in label (sensory warning)
Meet Beeno™ (they/them) — a character created by an 8yo wonderfully different child for her nonbinary sibling and the upcoming star of Beeno's Bandana— a story about belonging, sensory differences, courage, and discovering that being yourself is worth the risk.
This soft tee celebrates kids who experience the world in their own unique way and reminds us that our differences aren’t something to hide. They’re part of what makes us who we are.
Whether you’re buzzing with ideas, asking big questions, or finding the courage to show up just as you are, Beeno™ is here to remind you: You never have to trade comfort for belonging.
Every purchase helps bring the stories of Beeno™, Bombo™, Bella™, and their friends to life through future children’s books and creative resources.
🩵🩷🤍 Part of the Different on Purpose™ Character Collection.
.: Made with 100%, midweight (5.3 oz/yd² (180 g/m²)), US cotton that feels soft to the touch and a great choice for any season.
.: Fabric blends: Heather colors - 50% cotton, 50% polyester, Sport Grey - 90% cotton, 10% polyester, Ash - 99% cotton, 1% polyester.
.: All t-shirts come with pearlized, tear-away labels for total comfort and a scratch-free experience.
.: Made using ethically grown and harvested US cotton.
OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 (Certificate No. 168252, OETI - Institut fuer Oekologie) for safety and quality assurance.
Meet Beeno™ (they/them) — a character created by an 8yo wonderfully different child for her nonbinary sibling and the upcoming star of Beeno's Bandana— a story about belonging, sensory differences, courage, and discovering that being yourself is worth the risk.
This soft tee celebrates kids who experience the world in their own unique way and reminds us that our differences aren’t something to hide. They’re part of what makes us who we are.
Whether you’re buzzing with ideas, asking big questions, or finding the courage to show up just as you are, Beeno™ is here to remind you: You never have to trade comfort for belonging.
Every purchase helps bring the stories of Beeno™, Bombo™, Bella™, and their friends to life through future children’s books and creative resources.
🩵🩷🤍 Part of the Different on Purpose™ Character Collection.
Disclaimer:
.: 50% cotton, 50% polyester (fiber content varies for different colors)
.: Medium fabric (8.0 oz /yd² (271 g/m²))
.: Regular fit
.: Sewn in label (sensory warning)
Meet Bella™ (she/her) —a flamingo who reminds us that beauty grows from authenticity, not conformity.
Created by a gender-expansive 9-year-old and brought to life through Different on Purpose™, Bella™ celebrates self-expression, confidence, and the courage to shine exactly as you are.
This cozy hoodie is for kids who know that being yourself isn’t something to hide—it’s something to celebrate.
Every purchase helps bring the stories of Beeno™, Bombo™, Bella™, and their friends to life through future children’s books and creative resources.
🩵🩷🤍 Part of the Different on Purpose™ Character Collection.
.: The crew neckline along with the tee's classic fit, deliver a timeless style that is perfect for daily use.
.: All t-shirts come with pearlized, tear-away labels for total comfort and a scratch-free experience.
.: Made using ethically grown and harvested US cotton.
.: This blank tee is certified by OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 (Certificate No. 168252, OETI - Institut fuer Oekologie) for safety and quality assurance.
Meet Bella™ (she/her) —a flamingo who reminds us that beauty grows from authenticity, not conformity.
Created by a gender-expansive 9-year-old and brought to life through Different on Purpose™, Bella™ celebrates self-expression, confidence, and the courage to shine exactly as you are.
This cozy hoodie is for kids who know that being yourself isn’t something to hide—it’s something to celebrate.
Every purchase helps bring the stories of Beeno™, Bombo™, Bella™, and their friends to life through future children’s books and creative resources.
🩵🩷🤍 Part of the Different on Purpose™ Character Collection.
.: 50% cotton, 50% polyester (fiber content varies for different colors)
.: Medium fabric (8.0 oz /yd² (271 g/m²))
.: Regular fit
.: Sewn in label (sensory warning)
Different on Purpose™ isn’t just a phrase. It’s an invitation.
An invitation to create your own path, embrace curiosity, and celebrate the ways we each experience the world differently. Inspired by the belief that diversity makes communities stronger, this hoodie is for anyone who believes belonging doesn’t require becoming someone else.
Made for everyday comfort, it’s a quiet reminder that authenticity is something worth wearing.
Part of the Different on Purpose™ collection, where creativity, community, and authenticity come first.
Because the world doesn’t need more people trying to fit in. It needs more people who are different on purpose. 💜
.: The Gildan 18500 is made from a medium-heavy fabric (8.0 oz/yd² (271 g/m²)) made of 50% cotton and 50% polyester. This blend delivers cozy warmth and a soft feel that makes it perfect for chilly days.
.: The classic fit along with the pouch pocket and the tear-away label make for a highly comfortable, scratch-free wearing experience.
.: Made using 100% ethically grown US cotton.
.: OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 (Certificate No. 168252, OETI - Institut fuer Oekologie) certified with low environmental impact.
Make Art on Purpose™ is an invitation to slow down, notice what you’re carrying, and put it somewhere besides your head.
Part of the Different on Purpose™ collection, this hoodie celebrates creativity, reflection, and the quiet rituals that help us reconnect with ourselves.
.: Heavyweight fabric (6.1 oz/yd² (206.8 g/m²))
.: Relaxed fit
.: Pre-shrunk 100% ring-spun US cotton
.: Available in 58 colors
.: Sewn-in label
Journal on Purpose™ is an invitation to slow down, notice what you’re carrying, and put it somewhere besides your head.
Journaling isn’t about having the right words. It’s about making space for the ones that are already there.
Part of the Different on Purpose™ collection, this design celebrates creativity, reflection, and the quiet rituals that help us reconnect with ourselves—one page at a time.
Printed on a soft, garment-dyed Comfort Colors tee, it’s made for morning coffee, therapy homework, late-night thoughts, messy notebooks, and anyone who believes the blank page is a place to begin.
Because every page is a chance to meet yourself with curiosity.
.: 100% airlume combed and ring-spun cotton (fiber content varies for different colors)
.: Medium fabric (6.0 oz/yd² (170 g/m²))
.: Relaxed fit
.: Tear-away label for scratch-free comfort
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