Relational Unmasking
Relational Unmasking explores increasing neurodivergent authenticity. This can be liberating, relieving, joyful and validating. But what happens when my unmasking impacts another person in an unwanted way? Should my unmasking be solely for my own liberation, or does my impact on others factor in to the process?
What is it like to unmask in a relational way? How can I stay curious about my impact as I unmask and attend to it, while also staying true to myself? How can this inherent tension lead to healthy conflict, conflict in which we stay relational as we negotiate the various, sometimes opposite, needs?
Because the answers to these questions are not black and white, built into the Relational Unmasking model is a commitment to relational repair. In the Relational Unmasking groups we guide, we actively give and receive feedback about impact. My unmasking will likely impact others I care about. I want to know about that and take care of it. And I am also interested in being more and more myself in the face of others being more and more themselves in a way that is different than me. The negotiation of that space is Relational Unmasking.
