A woman with short, two-toned brown and blonde hair, wearing a septum piercing and colorful earrings, smiles at the camera. She is dressed in a light-colored sweater, and there are pink flowering shrubs in the background.

Silhouettes of tall plants against a twilight purple sky with the moon visible.

Meet your neurodivergent therapist

FENNEL HOPPE, LCSW

About Unfurling Ferns Therapy

Everyone deserves care that sees them as whole and worthy. At Unfurling Ferns Therapy, I provide therapy and evaluations for ADHD and Autistic adults and teens. My approach is affirming, accessible, and grounded in best practices, with a focus on creating spaces where neurodivergent people feel seen and understood rather than needing to be ‘fixed’.

My Story

I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with training in psychodynamic therapy and in conducting adult ADHD and Autism evaluations. I’m also neurodivergent myself, diagnosed as ADHD and Autistic in my 30s.

My own process of understanding my brain and learning what real support feels like is part of what led me into this work, and it continues to shape how I practice.

My approach is depth-oriented and relational, with an emphasis on clarity, collaboration, and understanding how your inner world has been shaped over time. I move at a slower pace that supports processing, reflection, and meaning-making in a way that feels steady and grounding.

I care deeply about offering therapy and evaluations that are not rooted in behaviorism or “fixing,” but instead grounded in relationship, clarity, and respect. My goal is to support ADHD and Autistic adults in ways that honor how our minds work without pathologizing traits that are part of who we are.

A Glimpse of Me

Outside of work, I enjoy wandering bookstores, tending my garden, crafting, playing with my cats, and going on walks. These are some of the ways I stay grounded and present in daily life.

Identities: white, non-binary (they/them), queer, Autistic and ADHD.

Education

Smith College School for Social Work — MSW, Clinical Social Work (2023)
Portland State University — B.S. in Psychology (2018)

Licensure

Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) — Oregon
License number: L17450

Professional Memberships

Professional Member, CHADD (Children and Adults with ADHD)
American Professional Society of ADHD and Related Disorders (APSARD)

MY CLINICAL FOCUS

My Clinical Focus

I work with neurodivergent teens and adults who want therapy that feels thoughtful, affirming, and grounded in mutual understanding. Many of the people I work with are exploring identity, trying to make sense of long-standing patterns, or looking for therapy that finally feels aligned with how their brain works.

Who I Work With

Neurodivergent teens and adults, including:

ADHD and Autistic teens and adults
People who suspect they may be ADHD or Autistic
People who have a formal diagnosis and want deeper understanding
Teens and adults who mask heavily or feel disconnected from themselves

People with overlapping or complex presentations, such as:

Dysthymia, anxiety, and depressive disorders
OCD
PTSD and complex relational trauma
Bipolar I/II
BPD

People who haven’t felt understood in therapy before:

Many prior diagnoses, but none have fully fit
Tried therapy for years without feeling seen
Felt pressured to “perform” or act neurotypical
Prefer slower pacing, time to think, and permission to be themselves

High achievers, gifted, and 2E individuals:

Deep thinkers who carry a lot internally
Highly capable on the outside and struggling privately
Navigating perfectionism, burnout, and chronic overwhelm

Communication and emotional expression differences:

Alexithymia
Difficulty with interoception
Slower processing
Hyperlexic
Rich inner worlds that are hard to put into words

Older adults:

Seeking clarity later in life
Reflecting on decades of “feeling different”
Exploring identity, grief, and meaning with new language

MY APPROACH

My Approach

My approach is warm, relational, and paced around your needs. I want therapy to be a place where you can unmask, notice all the different parts of yourself, and trust that every part is welcome.

People often heal not through pressure or correction, but through the steadiness, attunement, and acceptance we build together.

I draw from existential, person-centered, humanistic, anti-oppressive, relational, and feminist approaches, supported by psychodynamic training and a person-in-environment systemic lens. I pay attention to how identity, relationships, nervous system patterns, and larger systems shape your experience.

How I Practice

Warm, steady, and collaborative
Clear, explicit communication — no guessing
Respect for processing latency, sensory needs, and different communication styles
Space for grief, shame, burnout, and long-term misattunement
All emotions and all parts of you are welcome here

My work is grounded in disability justice and liberation psychology. I name systems of oppression and power, support self-advocacy, and help people understand their experiences in context rather than internalizing blame.

How I use skills

When skills are helpful, I draw from ACT, DBT, CBT/CBT-I, somatic strategies, and mindfulness — always in an adaptive, non-behaviorist way. I also integrate collective wisdom from the neurodivergent community and my own lived and clinical experience.

I treat skills as experiments, not rules. If something doesn’t work, the problem isn’t you — it’s the intervention. Therapy is most effective when it’s flexible, integrative, and shaped around how your mind and nervous system actually work.

My Approach to Evaluations

My evaluations are collaborative, strengths-based, and narrative. I take my time, gather information thoughtfully, and use gold-standard tools while centering your lived experience.