You glance at the clock and your blood runs cold. The paper is due in an hour. The exam starts in ten minutes. The time you swore you had just vanished.

It's not the first time. And with that hot wave of panic comes the cold, familiar shame: I'm lazy. I'm undisciplined. I'm a fraud. My past success was a fluke, and I don't have what it takes to succeed on my own.

For your entire life, the world has taught you a single, brutal lesson: lateness is a moral failing. It is proof that you don't care. Now, imagine bringing that shame into the one place you are supposed to be safe, only to be met with a cold, punitive policy.

This is not just a policy. It is a clinical and ethical failure. A therapist who penalizes you for a neurological trait they are supposed to understand is actively participating in the ableist, shame-based system you are paying them to help you heal from.

A Quick Translation of Your Brain's Operating System

Your struggle with punctuality is not a character flaw. For many neurodivergent brains, it is a legitimate Executive Function challenge called time blindness.

And the research is specific: the ADHD brain shows specific deficits in processing temporal information — timing, rhythm, and the felt sense of duration. A neurotypical brain experiences time like a progress bar on a file download — you can feel it moving forward. For an ADHD-wired brain, there is often no progress bar. There is only the window that is currently open. Your brain literally does not render the passage of time in the background.

And ADHD is an Executive Function Disorder, not a Behavior Disorder. When the system punishes your lateness, it is treating a neurological event as a behavior choice. That's not just wrong — it's clinically violent. Shaming someone for time blindness is like shaming someone for being colorblind. It is a demand that they perceive a reality their neurology is not built to see.

Shaming someone for time blindness is like shaming someone for being colorblind. It is a demand that they perceive a reality their neurology is not built to see.

Our Policy is Our Philosophy

So, here is our policy on lateness, stated with absolute clarity: We are a neurodivergent-affirming practice, which means we f*cking get it. You will never be shamed, lectured, or financially penalized for being late. Period.

  • If you're a few minutes late: We'll start when you arrive. We will use the remaining time with the same focus and dedication. There is no passive-aggressive clock-watching.

  • If you're significantly late: We'll check in. If there's still enough time to do meaningful work, we will. If not, we will work with you to reschedule, with compassion and without judgment.

We have built our practice to be a refuge from the punitive systems of the outside world, not a reflection of them. You are coming to us to get help with the very challenges that make things like punctuality difficult. Our job is to provide tools, not punishment.

When you're ready for a guide who understands your brain's unique relationship with time: Start here →

Part of: Enlitens Interview Hub → | Related: Forgetting an Appointment · Executive Function