Low-Demand Therapy in Practice: Working with Demand Avoidant Profiles

Do you find traditional therapy approaches often heighten anxiety or resistance in demand-avoidant clients?
Are you unsure how to set up sessions, language, and expectations to support a child with a PDA profile?
Would you like practical, neurodiversity-affirming tools to create safety, connection, and engagement in therapy?

This intermediate-level, skills-based training is designed for psychologists who work with children and adolescents presenting with Pathological (or Pervasive) Demand Avoidance (PDA) profiles and other neurodivergent presentations. The session offers a practical framework for adapting therapy to suit demand-avoidant nervous systems—focusing on safety, flexibility, collaboration, and authentic connection.

Delivered live via Zoom, this 4-hour training (12:00–16:00 AEDT) combines theoretical grounding with practical tools, including language examples, session setup ideas, and low-demand approaches you can use immediately in your clinical work.

What You Will Learn

• How to identify key features of the PDA profile within broader neurodivergent presentations.
• Why traditional behavioural and directive models often increase anxiety and resistance.
• Practical tools for building trust, safety, and engagement in therapy sessions.
• The role of declarative language and how to shift from instruction to collaboration.
• Session setup strategies: environment, communication, and pacing for success.
• How to respond to avoidance, control, or shutdown behaviours with compassion and flexibility.
• Frameworks for working collaboratively with families and schools to support low-demand, strengths-based approaches.

Event Details

📍 Delivery: Live via Zoom
🕒 Duration: 4 hours (12:00–16:00 AEDT)
🎥 Recording: A recording will be available to registrants after the event.

Presenter: Shannon Lopez is a Clinical Psychologist, Board-Approved Supervisor and Principal Clinical Psychologist at Spencer Health. She has a strong interest in child and adolescent therapy, autism and ADHD assessment, and is a neurodiversity-affirming practitioner dedicated to evidence-based, compassionate care. With years of experience supporting children, adolescents and families, Shannon brings practical, real-world insights to these sessions.