Erin Taylor, LCSW
Licensed Clinical Social Worker ▪ Second Arrow Counseling
I understand masking from the inside: the constant calculation, the suppression of natural responses, the exhaustion of translating yourself for every room you enter. When I recognized that pattern in myself and understood its cost, I knew what kind of therapeutic space I wanted to build for others. One where the work isn't about becoming more palatable but about mapping what's actually true. Years of adapting to others' expectations create disconnection from internal signals. Real change requires understanding what your nervous system is actually doing, not just getting better at hiding it.
My clinical path spans about 15 years across hospital systems, community mental health, and private practice. Over time my practice has become increasingly focused on adults with ADHD, high-masking autism, anxiety, and the complex trauma that comes from chronic masking and invalidation. Often these are people who've been told their sensitivity is a problem, their intensity is exhausting, or their struggles aren't visible enough to be valid. I pursued specialized certifications in ADHD and autism because I wanted my training to reflect what I understood from lived experience. My approach is neurodiversity-affirming, and I draw from Internal Family Systems, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and body-based therapies as tools for understanding how you're wired rather than overriding it.
In practice, this means I work to understand the specific architecture of how your mind operates and what it costs you to maintain it. Real connection takes time to build, especially when you've learned that showing up authentically often comes with consequences. I don't rush that process.
Outside of sessions, my time moves between creative projects, photography, and the ordinary chaos of parenting. These rhythms remind me that meaningful change rarely announces itself dramatically. More often, it emerges from the small, repeated practice of noticing without correcting, of allowing yourself to exist before deciding what needs fixing. That's the foundation of how I work.
HOW I WORK
Guiding Principles
You Can't Change What You Can't See
I am naturally oriented toward seeing connections in how people operate. Your experiences form patterns that show what activates you, what helps you feel safe, and where protective strategies emerge. When those patterns become visible, you move from reacting automatically to responding intentionally. You can't change what you can't see.
Curiosity Over Correction
Real change doesn't come from fighting yourself or forcing transformation. It comes from understanding why you do what you do, and working with the parts or you that feel stuck or painful. My approach isn't about fixing what's wrong. It's about getting curious about what's worked to keep you safe, and what might be possible if those strategies didn't have to work quite so hard.
Accommodating Reality, Not Pursuing Conformity
Neurological differences are real and internal. They don't depend on how visibly you struggle or how well you compensate. You don't need to prove them. I don't frame ADHD or autism as superpowers, and I recognize there are real, often painful struggles that come with these differences. My work is about validating that reality while building accommodations that work with how you're actually wired, not asking you to conform to a neurotypical standard.