The Forgotten Ones: Autism and Incarcerated Women

In this episode Whitney Storey, LPC and senior psychology instructor, whose work spans incarceration, autism, perinatal mental health, and religious deconstruction, traces the accidental path that brought her from theater education to counseling. Whitney explains why she gravitated toward helping incarcerated women and autistic clients, and critiques the justice system and diagnostic systems. She shares how authenticity and radical acceptance shape her relational approach, why diagnostic labels often miss neurodivergent people (especially AFAB adults), and how small acts of humanization in jails and classrooms can create powerful, reparative experiences.

Whitney's Psychology Today Profile