Lauren Dibble doesn’t hold back when charting her success. “Thank God I have ADHD,” she says.
This may sound strange coming from a marriage and family therapist who helps clients deal with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, anxiety, autism and other neurodivergence. For Dibble, the way her mind works is a blessing.
“My brain is hardwired to follow niche interests,” she says. “After college, I tried out a bunch of careers to see what I wanted to double down on. I was an AmeriCorps volunteer. I did outreach in Spanish to agricultural workers. I studied Spanish for mental health professionals in Peru. I worked at a record shop. I did babysitting. I did online merchandising while going to grad school part time at night. I was a tech recruiter.”
The rich, diverse background gave her the path to find her calling.
“Going straight from undergrad into a Ph.D. program might be fine for some people. But by having certain life experiences, I can identify with a lot of my clients,” Dibble says. “I don’t ever think I could have done something else.”
She grew up in a family with ADHD. Her younger brother was diagnosed in high school. Her own diagnosis came in 2017.
After grad school, Dibble worked in community mental health. When the pandemic hit, she pivoted to telehealth. Luckily, she collected her supervised hours before the shutdown. She hit the ground running with online counseling.
“It was actually a really good time to start a private practice,” Dibble says. “The overhead costs were very minimal because everything was virtual. In the winter of 2020, I was studying for my licensing exam, building my website and devouring tons of information about ADHD.”
Dibble launched Brilla Counseling primarily online in 2020. When pandemic restrictions lifted and she could start in-person services, she opened Brilla’s first office last August in East Sacramento near the 57th Street Antique Mall.
She knew the neighborhood. Her grandmother ran a booth at the antique mall. When Dibble opened her own office, she asked the landlord, Chris Little, if he had any small spaces available. He didn’t, but his friend Don Gudie did and called Dibble with an offer.
Dibble was grateful for the new office’s proximity to her house in River Park. Her 2-year-old daughter has epilepsy. Being close brings peace of mind.
Brilla Counseling offers therapy, coaching and group support for neurodivergent individuals and families.
“We do acceptance and commitment therapy versus cognitive behavioral therapy, which fights off bad thoughts with positive thoughts—but that means you’re fighting yourself,” Dibble says.
The practice also specializes in ADHD for women, an under-researched group that often presents differently than “stereotypical externalization,” she says.
Because studies show women with ADHD need community for successful treatment, Brilla offers an ongoing psychotherapy group for women, along with an online community.
Dibble and Mary Cate Bernal convene the Sacramento Women with ADHD monthly meetup group at the East Sac office. Dibble serves as an “ask me anything” resource at the meetings.
With the addition of clinical counselor Joseph Boyle and associate marriage and family therapist Vanessa Salvaleon, Brilla Counseling is becoming the community gathering place Dibble envisioned.
“It’s so fascinating, the people I’ve gotten to talk to,” Dibble says of her clients. Their stories and life experiences, it’s inspiring.”
For information, visit brillacounseling.com.
Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. Follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram: @insidesacramento.
