High masking autism involves suppressing autistic traits to blend into neurotypical expectations, often at great personal cost. While masking can provide social and professional advantages, it also leads to chronic exhaustion, burnout, and identity confusion. Many high-masking autistic adults don’t realize the toll until they reach complete burnout, after years of suppression. Understanding the impact of masking is the first step toward self-acceptance and breaking free from the cycle of exhaustion. Read more about the hidden costs of high masking autism and how to navigate unmasking.

Health & Wellness, NeurodivergenceKristina RisolaMarch 17, 2025Autism, Mental Health, Unmasking, Neurodivergence, NeurodiversityComment

What is Autistic Masking?

Late-diagnosed and high-masking autistic adults often carry an invisible burden. Our ability to “pass” as neurotypical is seen as a strength in society, but it comes at a deep personal cost. Many of us don’t realize how much effort we exert to our mask until we begin to unravel and burn out. For some of us, realizing that we’ve been masking our true selves for our ENTIRE lives can be more shocking than our autism diagnosis itself. Our masks have been running for so long that we don’t know where they begin or end, blurring the lines between who we are and who we feel pressured to be.

Neurodivergence, Health & WellnessKristina RisolaMarch 3, 2025Autism, Unmasking, Neurodiversity, NeurodivergenceComment

5 Expressive Arts Exercises For Autistic Unmasking

For many late-diagnosed Autistic adults, unmasking is both empowering and unsettling. After a lifetime of suppressing Autistic traits to fit into a neurotypical world, the question Who am I beneath this mask? takes center stage. Expressive arts exercises can offer a powerful, nonverbal vehicle to reconnect with your authentic self in a way that feels grounding and embodied. In this post, we’re diving into 5 of my favorite unmasking expressive arts exercises.

Expressive Arts, Health & Wellness, NeurodivergenceKristina RisolaFebruary 17, 2025Autism, Neurodivergence, Expressive Arts, Unmasking, CreativityComment

What is Neurodivergent Affirming Therapy?

For many neurodivergent individuals, traditional talk therapy has failed. We’ve spent years cycling through therapists, wondering why we can’t just “get it.” We show up each week and do the “work”, but it always seems like something isn’t quite right. Finding a neurodivergent therapist can make all the difference in creating a safe and valuable therapeutic space.

Late Diagnosis and Autism: Why Does It Matter - A Personal Story

The path to a late autism diagnosis is like finding a missing puzzle piece that for many of us, we didn’t know was missing. It can be a powerful, emotional experience that leads one to self-acceptance and authenticity.

Copyright 2025 CRooked tree Arts & Wellness, LLC Kristina Risola mA, CRC, NBC-HWC, RMHCI info@beacrookedtree.com

Copyright 2025 CRooked tree Arts & Wellness, LLC
Kristina Risola mA, CRC, NBC-HWC, RMHCI
info@beacrookedtree.com