Neurodivergence, Interoception, and the Nervous System – Why Your Body Holds the Key
Claire Gunzel is a registered counsellor and somatic sex educator in Victoria, British Columbia. She has been in the coaching and counselling space for seven years and is the founder of Alchemy Wellness. She is passionate about working with marginalized groups such as people who are neurodivergent, sex workers, and other underserved populations.
If you’ve ever struggled to identify what your body is telling you or felt overwhelmed by too much sensation, you’re not alone. For many people who are neurodivergent, the relationship between mind and body is complex, often shaped by years of masking, misattunement, overexposure to environments that don’t support their needs, or nervous system dysregulation. Well, here’s the good news: You and your nervous system are not broken, though it may very well feel like it. Attuning to your body starts by learning to listen to it. That’s where interoception, Polyvagal Theory, and compassionate, body-based work come in.
What is interoception, and why does it matter?
Interoception is your brain’s ability to sense what’s happening inside your body. It’s how you know you’re hungry, need to pee, or feel anxious, even before your thoughts catch up. It's also one of the least talked about sensory systems, especially with regard to people who are neurodivergent.
When interoception is dysregulated, you might:
Struggle to name emotions (“I don’t know what I feel”)
Behave impulsively
Have difficulty detecting internal signals like thirst, pain, or tension
Get overwhelmed by subtle external or internal cues, causing shutdown or distress
Feel emotionally numb or disconnected from your body
If you’ve ever described yourself as “an overthinker,” “always on alert,” or “weirdly sensitive to everything (or some specific things),” there is likely an interoceptive piece at play.
The polyvagal perspective: Your body is not betraying you
Developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, Polyvagal Theory explains how your autonomic nervous system constantly scans for safety, a process that occurs below the level of conscious awareness.
There are three primary states:
Ventral vagal (safety & connection): You feel grounded, socially open, and able to think clearly.
Sympathetic (fight or flight): You feel agitated, anxious, or ready to run.
Dorsal vagal (shutdown): You feel foggy, disconnected, withdrawn, or numb.
For people who are neurodivergent, especially those with sensory processing differences or trauma histories, the autonomic nervous system often gets stuck in hyper- or hypo-arousal. This is not a character flaw. It’s neurobiology doing its best to protect you.
The point is not to learn to stay in “ventral vagal” all the time. That is largely impossible. The real point is flexibility: building your capacity to shift states with awareness, self-trust, and support.
Why traditional talk therapy is often not enough
While traditional therapy can offer valuable insight, many neurodivergent clients find themselves hitting a wall. They can understand their patterns intellectually but struggle to feel and sense any difference in their bodies.
That’s because cognitive insight doesn’t always reach the autonomic nervous system—the part responsible for your felt sense of safety. Learning this skillset requires bottom-up approaches that include sensation, breath, boundaries, and bodily awareness.
How Claire Gunzel and Alchemy Wellness can help
As a licensed counsellor and certified somatic sex educator trained in nervous system regulation, trauma work, and Dr. Betty Martin’s Wheel of Consent, I help clients who are neurodivergent reconnect with their bodies in safe, shame-free ways.
Whether you're navigating autistic burnout, ADHD-related overwhelm, sensory sensitivity, or simply want to feel more grounded and self-aware, our work together focuses on:
Building interoceptive awareness at your own pace
Mapping your unique nervous system responses
Reclaiming agency and boundaries in embodied, accessible ways
Developing tools for regulation that actually feel good and learning to find your edge in things that bring you discomfort
No forced eye contact. No pressure to perform. Just space to get curious, feel more, and come home to yourself, on your own terms.
Final thoughts: Slowness is not a setback
If you’ve felt broken or behind because your body doesn’t respond the way you or others expect it to, please know: your body and your nervous system are not broken. They are wise. And with the right support, they can become a source of clarity, strength, and empowerment, not mere survival.
Read more from Claire Gunzel
Claire Gunzel, Registered Professional Counsellor & Sex Therapist
Claire Gunzel is a Registered Professional Counsellor and Somatic Sex Therapist passionate about helping individuals and couples cultivate deeper connections, heal from past experiences, and embrace pleasure with confidence. With a compassionate, body-based approach, she empowers clients to navigate intimacy, relationships, and personal growth. Claire’s insights blend science, mindfulness, and real-world strategies to support lasting change. Learn more about her work and latest articles at [your website or link].
