Let's be clear: A rigid, punitive cancellation policy is a clinical failure. It is an ableist business practice that punishes neurodivergent clients for the very symptoms they are seeking help for.

You're staring at the booking page. You know you need help. Your grades are slipping at WashU, and the "smart kid" identity you've had your whole life is crumbling. But your brain is screaming at you: What if you book it and just… forget? What if you sleep through it? Another missed deadline. Another failure. Another fee you can't afford.

That fear is not a character flaw. It is a logical response to a lifetime of being shamed for having a brain that struggles with Executive Function.

The Neuroscience of Why You Forgot

Here's what the research actually says: ADHD is an Executive Function Disorder, not a Behavior Disorder. Full stop. When you forgot the appointment, you didn't have a behavior problem. You had a neurological event — a predictable outcome of how your brain processes time, priority, and sequence.

And the temporal processing piece is specific: the ADHD brain shows specific deficits in processing temporal information. Time blindness isn't a cute TikTok term — it's a measurable neurological difference in how your brain processes timing and rhythm. Demanding perfect adherence to a rigid schedule from a brain with temporal processing differences is like demanding perfect hearing from a person with auditory processing disorder. It's not willpower; it's capacity.

And the system that labeled you? The standard DSM diagnostic criteria for ADHD are insufficient for capturing the full range of Executive Function impairments experienced by adults. The very diagnostic tool used to describe your brain can't even capture the extent of what you're managing. You're being held to a standard that the system itself can't adequately define.

A truly neuro-affirming policy is not about having no boundaries; it's about having flexible, compassionate boundaries built on a deep understanding of the brain and a foundation of mutual respect.

Our Clear, No-BS Policy

Our policy is designed to honor two realities at once: 1) Your brain is not broken, and you will never be shamed here. and 2) Liz's time is a finite resource, and a missed appointment is a spot that another person in crisis could have used.

  • The Night-Before Rule: As long as you cancel by midnight the night before your session, there is zero fee. No questions asked.

  • The Day-Of / No-Show Policy: We get that life happens and brains are complex.

    • First time: It's a freebie. $0. We'll reach out to make sure you're okay and help you reschedule.

    • Second time: $25.

    • Third time (and after): $50.

  • The 7-Day Grace Period: If you are charged a fee but reschedule within 7 business days, that fee will be credited in full to your next session.

We are not in the business of collecting fees. We are in the business of providing care. When you're ready for a process designed with your brain in mind: Start here →

Part of: Getting Started → | Related: Time Blindness · Executive Function