Natalie Bunner
LCSW-BACS
Natalie Bunner, LCSW-BACS, CCTP is the founder of Thrive Therapy, a pediatric focused private practice in Lafayette, LA. As a trained clinician in EMDR and TF-CBT, a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, and a Child/Youth Mental Health Specialist, she provides direct clinical intervention primarily to children and young adults ages 5–25. Additionally, she provides supervision and mentorship to emerging social workers and consultation to professionals in the “helping” fields. An international speaker, conference presenter, and expert contributor to articles and books across multiple journalistic and professional platforms, Natalie focuses on pediatric mental health, trauma, neurodivergence, and whole-child wellness. She has built a practice committed to supporting neurodivergent clients and their families and helping them navigate trauma, school anxiety, family transitions, and other challenges through a relational, evidence-based approach.
With the belief that healing happens through connection, Natalie and her team are intentionally about walking alongside their clients with compassion, skill, and respect.
Strength Beneath the Struggle: Strengths-Based Practice with Autistic, ADHD, and Anxiety-Distinct Children
"Strength Beneath the Struggle: Strengths-Based Practice with Autistic, ADHD, and Anxiety-Distinct Children" invites mental health professionals to examine how neurodivergent children are understood, assessed, and supported in clinical care. Using a whole-child, strengths-based lens, this training acknowledges established developmental, medical, and counseling perspectives while also questioning how those frameworks may unintentionally reinforce stigma, deficit-based treatment, or narrow interpretations of behavior. Participants will explore diagnostic overlap, developmental differences, and the societal expectations that shape how autistic, ADHD, and anxiety-distinct children are labeled, treated, and supported.