While it is often seen as admirable to be as independent as possible, we would have learned and created nothing substantial without sharing our knowledge as a community. Mykola Bilokonsky has done a great job providing resources and is actively developing a community so that we do not have to navigate everything alone. Even if you are skeptical, you will at least learn about more potential tools and points of views that you may not have been exposed to otherwise
Talking with Mykola gave me a different way to understand masking and see more specifically how it’s a part of my life, and gave me a different lens to look at my childhood with. With this lens, I see additional commonalities with other people on the spectrum that I hadn’t seen before, and have a greater understanding of how and why I am the way I am.
Thirty minutes with Mykola had a noticeable positive impact on me.
[Take a Chance by ABBA playing in bgm] I want autistics to know I am being so serious when I say you will (almost definitely) not regret taking a chance on Myk. I felt like a full human being for the first time in a long time, like a purifying ritual. Maybe that sounds dramatic, but if you’re like me and feel at odds with being in a society or personal life situation that doesn’t inherently understand you... There are people in this world that will. Myk is one of those people.
If you're looking to work at your own speed with some interesting concepts and a storytelling coach, I’d recommend reaching out. My first session was a great indication of the work possible. I like that I don't feel a sense of urgency, more a realistic possibility toward a less painful way of being.
Myk isn’t just helping me navigate a neurotypical world. He’s showing me that I can create and inhabit a much richer world that is my own. I can make a home for myself in myself. And bonus: we’ll do that via my lifelong special interest in metaphor, memory, culture, and narrative. I’m blown away.
I did the reading, I began processing the trauma, I understand the threads of the past that have led me to where I am. But I was stuck at the question: what the hell do I do now? Meeting with Myk for just one coaching session has made me feel hopeful and provided me a deep sense of knowing that I will have the community, resources and guidance necessary to proceed on my journey as a late diagnosed auDHD person and really find myself after hiding to become a palatable and acceptable person in a neurotypical world. In a few words, I feel as though I have a safety net and that I’ll be okay if I fall.
I think sometimes what a person needs is a reminder. Even for non-autistics, there’s things society tells us to just do, just put up with, at the cost of our own well-being, even if it may not always be overtly stated to our faces. Myk is a reminder that our lives have meaning, and that our physical and emotional health matters. He obviously doesn’t wave a magic wand, but he can give guidance and direction. He doesn’t treat a person poorly for not knowing we have options we might not have thought about when we’re wrapped up in a situation. Whether or not you take his advice, I think it is meaningful advice. But it’s not just about whether or not his advice is valuable and good. I think he’s genuinely a cool dude to talk to, and I personally feel you would not regret taking the time to talk with him.
In my introductory conversation Myk, he quickly established himself as a knowledgeable and trustworthy champion of the ND community. I felt safe opening up about my mental health struggles—in exchange, he used metaphors and allegories to encourage me look within myself for answers, confront my self-doubt, and trust what I uncover.