Join us for a rich, unfiltered conversation with Katie Keech, LMFT—queer, neurodivergent, and plural therapist—on what system-affirming care really means. From the politics of difference to the power of parts, this one goes deep.
In this episode of Healing My Parts, we sit down with therapist Katie Keech, LMFT (they/them), a queer, neurodivergent, and plural clinician whose presence is nothing short of magnetic. Together, we unpack what system-affirming care actually looks like—from bodyminds to backlash, trauma to truth—and why embracing difference is a deeply political and healing act.
Whether you're a system, supporter, or a clinician walking with us, this conversation is an invitation to rethink what safety, dignity, and authenticity can look like in the therapy room and beyond.
⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 – Welcome & Guest Intro
Meet Katie: plural, queer, neurodivergent therapist + advocate
02:00 – Beyond the Binary: Neurocomplexity and Bodymind
Katie shares how intersections of neurodivergence shape identity
05:00 – System-Affirming vs Singlet-Performing
Why masking and blending aren’t signs of healing
07:00 – The Politics of Difference
From eugenics to neurocosmopolitanism: why sameness is a control tactic
10:30 – Scared of Consciousness?
The real reason people resist DID visibility
12:30 – Are Parts Inherently Good?
Nuance around “evil,” groomed systems, and complexity
14:00 – Misunderstood Parts & Therapist Misattunement
Why teen parts and risky behaviors are often mislabeled
17:00 – Projection in the Therapy Room
Countertransference, burnout, and why “resistance” is a therapist’s issue
20:00 – When DID Isn’t Believed (or Treated)
Katie + Monika share personal and client stories of invalidation
23:00 – Fusion vs Choice
Performing healing to appease therapists vs honoring internal truth
26:00 – What Burnout Really Looks Like
Autistic & system burnout as nervous system overwhelm—not depression
31:00 – Plural Friendship & “Too Much”
What people get wrong about being friends with systems
36:00 – Disclosure, Safety & Groomed Systems
Navigating who to tell, how to protect young parts, and relational risks
41:00 – Endogenous vs Traumagenic
Why the binary may be a false split—and why it matters less than you think
46:00 – Cultural Models of Plurality
A look at colonialist roots of the DSM and erasure of plural worldviews
50:00 – The Neurodivergence Web
Autism, DID, ADHD, daydreaming, and the brilliance of the brain
56:00 – Shame, Fixing, and System Flattening
ABA, conversion therapy, and the violence of “normalizing”
1:01:00 – Creating Plural-Friendly Worlds
Why we need spaces where we can drop the mask, and just be
1:04:00 – Final Reflections from Katie
A tree that splits from lightning isn’t broken—it’s adapting. So are we.
Connect with Katie!
Website: katiekeech.com
Instagram: @katiekmft
TikTok: Neuroqueer Therapist
X: @keechmft
