Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria keeping you stuck? Nervous-system-first 1:1 single session support for difficult, awkward, and unfinished conversations - built for neurodivergent communication, meltdowns, shutdowns, burnout, and RSD.
how to work with me 1:1
So often, we don’t say what we need to say ...
RSD doesn’t just keep you stuck – it can keep your whole system under stress.
One message can become hours of overthinking. One awkward interaction can sit in your body for days, months or years.
One unfinished conversation can drain your energy, focus, and sense of safety.
This 1:1 single-session support helps you find steady ground again – so you can reply, repair, renegotiate, or release.
"If you’ve spent years not saying what you really think - just thinking about it, replaying it, rehearsing it, repeating it - you’re not alone. But thinking isn’t communicating, and it doesn’t get your needs met".
Nervous system first. Always.
- Sometimes you’re waiting for validation, permission, or reassurance that you’re “allowed” to need what you need.
- Sometimes it’s because you can’t regulate in the moment - so you either go quiet, or it all comes out at once.
- Maybe you’ve only recently discovered you’re neurodivergent and it finally makes sense: the awkwardness, the word-loss, the fear of being misunderstood, the nervousness, the shame that arrives when you try.
- These sessions are a steady place to practise - to work out and ask for what you need without forcing yourself through panic or embarrassment.
- And to start doing things differently, one small shift at a time.
What this is: The Glad We Talked® Method is focused 1:1 support
The Glad We Talked® Method is a one-off, nervous-system-first 1:1 focus session – 1 to 1 single session where we work through one challenge you are facing.
One conversation, one message, one action thats been avoided for too long, one boundary, one rupture, one decision.
One thing you really need to say or do – whether verbally, in email or any other way.
It’s designed to help you:
say the uncomfortable thing without spiralling
ask for your needs to be met (clearly, kindly, steadily)
repair after rupture (without grovelling, blaming, or disappearing)
set boundaries without guilt
stop avoiding and move forward – or choose to let something go
- deal with something you have been ignoring – which deep down you know can’t be ignored any longer.
You’ll leave with language you can use and a steady plan for follow-through.
(If you need more support afterwards, you can always book another session – but we treat each session as complete in itself.)
So you wait. You hope others will notice. You tell yourself it’s not worth making a fuss. And when your needs aren’t met, the disappointment lands anyway - unspoken, unresolved, still carried in the body.
These sessions help you move from waiting to asking, without shame - and without losing yourself.
- You might have already tried advice, talked it through with friends, or even asked AI - and you’re still left with the same knot.
- Because you don’t just need suggestions. You want a human space to explore what’s true for you.
- And when your nervous system is involved - especially if you’re neurodivergent - communication isn’t just about wording. It’s about processing, safety, timing, shutdown, overwhelm, and the fear of getting it wrong.
- In these sessions, you’ll understand how your nervous system and neurodivergence shape communication, and you’ll practise asking for what you need in a way that feels steady, less shaming and doable.
- This isn’t about perfect wording. It’s about safe honesty.
How it works ...
We slow it down and work with what’s underneath:
what state your nervous system goes into (freeze, appeasement, fight, disappear)
what the fear is protecting you from
what you actually need / want to communicate
where the pattern repeats
- Its polyvagal-informed – nervous system first.
Then we build what you can use:
a message draft, script, or conversation plan
a steady strategy for the moment you speak
a repair pathway if it gets messy
one next step you can actually follow through on
You’ll leave with: clearer words, steadier confidence, and a plan to implement.
Step 1 -
Steady Session – Stay 75 minutes or upto 90 minutes
One clear knot. One focused outcome.
Perfect for a message, boundary, conversation plan, or stuck decision.
For repeating patterns, bigger ruptures, intimacy blocks, or layered situations.
Fee Stays The Same
Step 2 - Pick your focus
Steady parenting for real neurodivergent nervous systems.
Parenting is communication under pressure. When your nervous system (or your child’s) goes into fight/flight/freeze, it’s easy to shout, shut down, over-explain, or give in – then feel guilt afterwards.
We can work on:
co-regulation tools for meltdowns, shutdowns, and overwhelm
setting boundaries without shouting (and holding them kindly)
repair after rupture (when you’ve lost it, or your child has)
neurodivergent family communication (ADHD/AuDHD, sensory needs, demand avoidance, processing time)
co-parenting conversations and tricky family dynamics
your own triggers: why certain moments hijack you, and what can help.
rejection sensitivity in parents and kids (big reactions to “no”, correction, or tone)
alexithymia: helping feelings become nameable (without forcing “talk about it”)
proprioception/sensory needs that affect regulation (restlessness, crashing, clumsiness, seeking pressure/movement)
Popular sessions
Steady Parenting Reset
Rupture & Repair (Parenting)
Meltdown / Shutdown Plan
Boundaries Without Shouting
Family Pattern Break Deep Dive
Parenting Capacity Plan
Honesty without harm. Closeness without losing yourself.
Many “communication problems” are nervous system problems: shutdown, defensiveness, fawning, over-explaining, disappearing, exploding. Mismatched nervous systems can cause misunderstandings resulting in relational fallout.
We can work on:
preparing for a hard conversation
repair after rupture
boundaries without guilt
needs that come out sideways (anger, silence, criticism, caretaking, over explaining)
repeating cycles (pursue/withdraw, appeasement/resent, shut down/explode)
intimacy blocks (closeness feels unsafe, even when love is present)
alexithymia (struggling to identify/describe feelings) and finding words without pressure
rejection sensitivity and fear of conflict, criticism, or “being too much”
Popular sessions
The Steady Conversation
The Repair & Reconnect Session
Clarifying My Needs
Boundaries Without Guilt
The Intimacy Block Deep Dive
The Pattern Break Deep Dive – Relationships Edition
Midlife isn’t a crisis – it’s often a recalibration. A reset. A different season.
This one-off, nervous-system-first focus session is for when something no longer fits and your body knows it before your mind has caught up.
You might book this session if you’re navigating:
changing capacity, energy, or tolerance
identity shifts or grief for old versions of yourself
late neurodivergent diagnosis (ADHD / AuDHD) reshaping how you see your life
burnout after years of coping, masking, or over-functioning
reassessing work, relationships, boundaries, or priorities
the sense that “I can’t keep doing things the same way”
We’ll slow it down and work with one midlife knot – not your whole life.
Using a nervous-system-first lens, we’ll look at the real data: patterns, body cues, limits, needs, and what’s asking to change now.
You’ll leave with:
clarity about what’s shifting (and why)
language to name what you need
a steady next step that fits your current capacity
practical tools you can use beyond the session
This isn’t about reinventing yourself.
It’s about listening to your nervous system and choosing what comes next – with honesty, clarity and steadiness.
Life admin, overwhelm, and capacity – without shame.
Adulting isn’t just organisation. It’s nervous system load, executive functioning, and emotional energy.
We can work on:
overwhelm triage (“everything is urgent and I can’t choose”)
frozen tasks (forms, HMRC, calls, money, booking, admin)
capacity planning (burnout edges, inconsistent energy)
boundaries with family/work/emotional labour
systems that don’t collapse after a hard week
rebuilding self-trust after shutdown/burnout
alexithymia and decision fatigue: understanding what you feel/need so choices get easier
proprioception and body-awareness supports (feeling “uncoordinated”, clumsy, misjudging space, or living slightly disconnected from your body)
rejection sensitivity and avoidance spirals (putting off messages, calls, admin)
Popular sessions
The Overwhelm Reset
From Freeze to Follow-Through
The Capacity Plan
The Grown-Up Boundaries Session
Life Systems for Real Nervous Systems
Self-Trust Deep Dive
Tough people conversations in business: your VA/contractor/team (feedback, missed deadlines, scope creep, payment, ending the relationship)
Business is relational. Money is relational. Visibility is relational. If your nervous system reads those things as unsafe, you can be capable and still feel stuck.
We can work on:
visibility without panic (posting, selling, being seen)
offer clarity (saying what you do without overexplaining)
boundaries + rates (scope creep, undercharging, guilt)
client conversations (feedback, endings, repair)
follow-through when avoidance keeps winning
rejection sensitivity (feedback, visibility, perceived criticism, difficult conversations)
communication when feelings are hard to name (alexithymia) – clarity without overwhelm
Popular sessions
Visibility Without Panic
The Steady Offer Session
The Message You’re Avoiding
The Boundary & Rates Reset
The Intimacy Block Breakthrough
The Pattern Break Deep Dive – Business Edition
Grow without self-abandonment.
A nervous-system-first approach to emotional eating.
Emotional eating isn’t a lack of willpower – it’s often regulation, overwhelm, sensory needs, stress, shutdown, or years of coping in the only way that worked at the time.
We can work on:
identifying patterns and triggers (stress, rejection sensitivity, fatigue, sensory overload, transitions)
building regulation alternatives that actually fit neurodivergent nervous systems
CBT-E informed support (thoughts, behaviours, routines, and maintaining cycles) without rigid, shame-based rules
planning for high-risk moments (evenings, loneliness, conflict, after work/school)
rebuilding trust with hunger/fullness cues where possible (including alexithymia/interoception challenges)
reducing guilt/shame and strengthening self-compassion with structure
Popular sessions
Emotional Eating Reset
CBT-E Informed Deep Dive
Trigger & Plan Session
Evening Overwhelm Plan
Step 3 - Book Your Session
About Yasmin
Yasmin Shaheen-Zaffar is a BACP-accredited trauma and relationship counsellor and the creator of the Glad We Talked® programmes. Late-diagnosed neurodivergent (ADHD/AuDHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia), she brings a nervous-system-first approach to communication, repair, boundaries, and emotional regulation.
She specialises in emotional regulation and neuro-affirming support for alexithymia, rejection sensitivity, and persistent drive for autonomy, and works with neurodivergent, mixed-heritage, and multi-faith communities.
Yasmin has created 100+ interactive resources used by counsellors, including Polyvagal Teen®, The Angry Tent®, The Anxiety Tent®, The Sandwich of Capacity™, and the Empty Chair Cards.
FAQ'S
These 1 to 1 single session focus sessions are therapeutic in nature, but they’re not long-term therapy or counselling. They’re focused support to help you communicate, repair, and move forward with a specific situation or pattern. If you’re already in therapy, this can sit alongside that work.
Think of it as a mixture of psychoeducation in counselling and coaching skills and mentoring.
Because you’re not paying for time – you’re paying for the outcome.
Both sessions are designed to work through one focused issue and leave you with something tangible: clarity, language you can use, a plan for repair or follow-through, and tools you can take away.
Some people need more time to arrive, process, or regulate. Others get there more quickly. The length reflects what supports your nervous system, not the value of the work.
I price for results, not minutes on a clock.
Once you book, you’ll receive a confirmation email. We recommend adding the appointment to your calendar straight away.
You’ll also receive three reminder emails: 24 hours, 1 hour, and 10 minutes before your session.
If you choose to opt in, you can also receive text reminders at the same times.
I offer a 7-day cancellation policy.
You may cancel or reschedule your session up to 7 days before your booked time for a full refund or to reschedule at no cost.
Cancellations or reschedules made within 7 days of the session are non-refundable, as the time has been reserved specifically for you.
If something genuinely unexpected or serious happens, you’re welcome to reach out and I’ll respond with fairness and care, where possible.
Yes. Where it’s helpful, I’ll share clear, practical psychoeducation – especially around the nervous system, neurodivergence, communication patterns, rejection sensitivity and emotional regulation.
This isn’t a lecture, and it isn’t abstract theory. It’s explained in a way that helps you understand why something is hard and what to do differently in real life.
The aim is insight that reduces shame and supports action – not information overload.
You won’t be expected to “talk perfectly” or learn in one narrow way. We’ll work in a nervous-system-first, neuro-affirming way – with pacing, processing time, and structure that supports you to stay steady.
Yasmin has personally created 100+ interactive resources around nervous system regulation and communication. Depending on what you’re working through, she’ll introduce you to a few relevant tools during your session (not all of them so not ot overwhelm you) – and teach you how to use them so you can take them away and use them in your own time.
You’ll leave with practical support you can return to, not just insight you have to remember.
Because they were built from lived experience and clinical practice.
Yasmin is neurodivergent herself (late-diagnosed ADHD/AuDHD, dyslexic, and dyspraxic), and she’s also a BACP-accredited trauma and relationship counsellor.
Over the years, she has created 100+ interactive resources designed to support nervous system regulation, communication, and emotional processing — and these resources are used by counsellors in practice.
Some of her best-known tools include Polyvagal Teen®, The Angry Tent®, The Anxiety Tent®, The Sandwich of Capacity™, and The Empty Chair Cards (to name a few).
In your session, she’ll introduce the most relevant tools for your specific challenge and show you how to use them so you can take them away and use them in your own time.
By interactive tools, we mean resources you actively use, not things you just read or listen to. Online – some in the form of an app
They’re designed to help you:
understand what’s happening in your nervous system
externalise thoughts and feelings (so they’re not all stuck in your head)
find words more easily when you’d usually go blank
regulate emotions through doing, seeing, moving, or mapping – not just talking
These might include cards, visual maps, prompts, body-based exercises, or simple frameworks you can physically or visually work with during the session.
They’re especially helpful for neurodivergent people because they support different ways of processing – not just verbal thinking – and you can take them away and use them again in your own time.
Yes. You can book individually or as a couple. If you book as a couple, we pace it so both nervous systems can stay present and we focus on clarity, safety, and repair – not “winning.”
That’s okay. If conflict shows up, we slow it down. I’ll support you to pause escalation, name what’s happening underneath, and translate reactivity into something more workable.
Shutdown is a nervous system response, not a failure. We’ll slow the pace, use structure and prompts, and create space without pressure. You won’t be forced to speak before your body is ready.
This one off session isn’t suitable where there is ongoing abuse, coercive control, or where someone doesn’t feel safe to speak freely or you are in crisis. If you’re unsure, reach out before booking so we can check what support is most appropriate.
Because they were built from lived experience and clinical practice.
Yasmin is neurodivergent herself (late-diagnosed AuDHD, dyslexic, and has dyspraxia), and she’s also a BACP-accredited trauma and relationship counsellor and a member of the BACP Coaching Division.
Over the years, she has created 100+ interactive resources designed to support nervous system regulation, communication, and emotional processing – and these resources are used by counsellors in practice.
Some of her best-known tools include Polyvagal Teen®, The Angry Tent®, The Anxiety Tent®, The Sandwich of Capacity™, and The Empty Chair Cards™ (to name a few).
In your session, she’ll introduce the most relevant tools for your specific challenge and show you how to use them so you can take them away and use them in your own time.
Hello there ....
I Am Yasmin Shaheen-Zaffar
(she/her) – a neurodivergent BACP-accredited Trauma & Relationship Counsellor specialising in neurodivergence, multi-faith dynamics, and mixed-heritage relationships.
I’m the founder of Watoto Play, where I create therapy resources for the neurodivergent community, and my work also spans training, consulting, spoken verse, podcasting, and public speaking. At heart, I describe myself as a creative and social entrepreneur – building tools, connections and conversations that support families, communities and organisations feel safer, steadier, and more understood.
Why Our Guided Journeys
Support Neurodivergent Systems
Nervous-system first, not behaviour-first
My programmes focus on regulation, capacity, and safety rather than compliance or “fixing” behaviour - recognising that neurodivergent responses are often adaptive, not problematic.
Language that reduces shame increases clarity
Everything is designed to move away from “calm down,” control, or deficit-based models, offering affirming language that helps neurodivergent folk understand why they respond the way they do.
Paced to reduce overwhelm and burnout
With short lessons, gentle drip timing, and long access windows, the structure supports neurodivergent energy, attention, and capacity = allowing learning to happen without pressure.
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