Presenters
Dr. Rabia Subhani
Faith Clarke
Josh Davis
Mati Boulakia-Bortnick
Dates
November 12, 19, December 3, December 10, 2026
10:0AM-11:30AM PST
1:00PM-2:30PM EST
Find your local time zone.
Duration
6 hours (total)
Recordings are available.
“Neurodiversity may be every bit as crucial for the human race as biodiversity is for life in general.”
— Harvey Blume, quoted by Thomas Armstrong in AMA Journal of Ethics.
What if we began with the simple premise that there is no single “normal” way of being human? We all perceive, process, communicate, relate, learn, and grow in different ways. Neurodivergence—including autism, ADHD, and other forms of neurological difference—invites spiritual companions to look more closely at the assumptions we bring to our practice, and to consider how our approaches might better serve the full range of people who seek spiritual companionship.
This online series from SDI brings together four religiously diverse presenters with different lived experiences, professional perspectives, and approaches to neurodivergence. Rather than presenting a single definition or model, this webinar will create a rich and multifaceted conversation about what spiritual companionship can look like when we make more room for difference.
You can expect more than a webinar on spiritual direction for neurodivergent people. Neurodivergent people are already part of every spiritual direction community, whether or not they identify themselves that way. And, many people who seek spiritual companionship may have very different ways of processing, communicating, relating, and experiencing the world.
The larger invitation is therefore one of expanding our capacity for welcome.
By hearing from multiple presenters with different backgrounds and perspectives, spiritual companions can begin to question their own assumptions, gain practical tools for adapting their practice, and develop a deeper appreciation for the many ways human beings encounter meaning, mystery, and the sacred.
None of us are “normal.” We are all uniquely wired, shaped, and formed. Spiritual companionship becomes more generous when we make room for the full diversity of ways people are in the world.
“There is no normal flower or culture. Similarly, we ought to accept the fact that there is no normal brain or mind.”
— Thomas Armstrong, The Myth of the Normal Brain, Journal of Ethics, American Medical Association
In This Course, You Will Explore...
- What assumptions about “normal” communication, attention, emotion, embodiment, or spiritual practice might we unconsciously bring into spiritual direction?
- How might autism, ADHD, and other forms of neurodivergence shape a person’s experience of spirituality, relationship, silence, prayer, or discernment?
- What can spiritual companions do differently—practically and relationally—to make their practice more accessible?
- How do we distinguish between supporting someone and trying to “fix” or normalize them?
- What might neurodivergent people teach the broader spiritual direction community about attention, presence, creativity, embodiment, and ways of knowing?
- How can we become better companions without needing to become experts in every form of neurodivergence?
Presenters
Dr. Rabia Suhbani - Session One
November 12: Presenting on “Beyond “Normal”: Understanding Neurodiversity and the Sacred Self”, Dr. Rabia Subhani is a clinical psychologist and neuropsychologist whose work brings together neurodiversity, mindfulness, spirituality, and compassionate care. She specializes in neurodiversity-affirming approaches and has extensive experience supporting neurodivergent individuals and families.
Dr. Subhani’s personal and professional journey has been deeply shaped by Sufi spirituality, meditation, and contemplative practice. She describes how spiritual retreats and her personal Sufi practice transformed her understanding of mindfulness, love, healing, and the human experience. Her approach honors the inner and sacred dimensions of neurodivergence while drawing on her extensive clinical and evidence-based training.
She is a certified mindfulness meditation teacher and has trained in compassion-based practices, mindfulness-based stress reduction, mindful self-compassion, and other contemplative approaches. Through her work, Dr. Subhani explores how mindfulness, spirituality, and neurodiversity can support greater self-understanding, connection, and a more compassionate relationship with oneself.
Josh Davis - Session Two
November 19: Josh Davis is a late-diagnosed autistic and ADHD spiritual director, pastor, and multicultural worship leader who brings both lived experience and years of accompanying others to his work with neurodivergent people. Josh is the host of Neurodivergent Faith, a podcast exploring the intersection of neurodivergence, spirituality, and Christian faith. He is also the founder of Proskuneo Ministries, where he has spent many years creating spaces for people from diverse cultures and backgrounds to encounter God together. His work is rooted in a deep curiosity about the ways human beings experience the sacred—and a conviction that there are more ways of encountering the Divine than we often recognize.
Faith Clarke - Session Three
December 3: Presenting on “Practicing Neurodivergent-Affirming Spiritual Companionship: From Awareness to Practice”, Faith Clarke is an organizational health and teamwork specialist who helps leaders and organizations create inclusive, people-first, and restorative work cultures. With a background in computer engineering, systems thinking, curriculum and learner-experience design, and doctoral research in teamwork, Faith brings an interdisciplinary approach to organizational culture and human performance. She is particularly passionate about inclusion for BIPOC and neurodistinct individuals, drawing on her experience as a Caribbean immigrant and mother of neurodistinct children. Through her work with Work Ecosystems for Humans, she supports leaders and teams in creating healthier cultures that align values, strengthen collaboration, and support sustainable impact.
Faith is also the author of Parenting Like a Ninja: An Autism Mom’s Guide to Professional Productivity and has worked extensively at the intersection of autism, productivity, organizational culture, and human-centered leadership.
Mati Boulakia-Bortnick
December 10: Presenting on “Belonging Without Becoming “Normal”: Neurodiversity, Spiritual Direction, and Sacred Community”, Mati Boulakia-Bortnick (he/they) is a student rabbi at the École Rabbinique de Paris and Educational Director of the Jewish Autism Network, where he leads educational programs and peer-support initiatives for autistic members of the Jewish community. An autistic and multi-disabled activist, educator, and advocate, Mati works at the intersection of autism, disability, neurodiversity, Judaism, and spirituality. He also provides consulting and peer-support coaching focused on creating more inclusive spaces and practical tools for disabled communities. Mati serves on the Board of Directors of SVARA and is pursuing advanced academic work in disability theology and neurodivergence in rabbinic literature.
Mati has also described his work as exploring the relationship between autistic identity, Jewish text, disability, and spiritual life.
Additional Information
- Participants from all spiritual traditions and orientations are welcome in this webinar series as are those with all levels of spiritual experience.
- Each session will run 90 minutes. We understand that the timing of the seminar will not be convenient in every time zone on the planet. For those who have trouble making this time, a recorded copy of each session will be made available to all those who sign up.
- CEU credits are available for all those who participate. SDI will provide a certificate of completion for self-reporting to agencies. More information can be found here: continuing education units (CEUs).
- Scholarships are available for those facing financial hardship. Please apply here.
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