Show Notes

In this episode, Patrick Casle and Dr. Salena Justice, a psychologist who specializes in working with high-masking autistic adults, talk about the realities of autism assessment and the ongoing need for affirming care in the mental health field.

Here are 3 key takeaways:

1. Affirming Approaches Matter: Many traditional training programs still lack truly affirming perspectives on autism, often focusing on stereotypical or high-support presentations. It's important for providers to move beyond outdated models and truly listen to the lived experiences of autistic individuals.
2. Telehealth Can Be Empowering: Contrary to common hesitation, effective and affirming autism assessments are not only possible via telehealth—they can even be preferable for many autistic adults. Being in a familiar environment helps clients feel more at ease, making the assessment process more validating and less stressful.
3. Language and Permission Shape the Experience: Creating a supportive space goes beyond formal assessments. Small changes—like offering examples of accommodations, normalizing special interests, or allowing follow-ups after sessions—can make a huge difference. Language that celebrates strengths (not just points out deficits) makes the process more empowering and constructive.

More about Salena:

Dr. Salena Justice is a licensed psychologist who specializes in working with high-masking autistic adults throughout the US. She specializes in skills-based therapy and autism evaluations, helping clients understand how their brains work and learn practical tools for everyday life, like managing burnout, emotions, relationships, and work without constant overwhelm. She’s passionate about validating overlooked experiences and turning self-understanding into real-world change.

• Instagram: instagram.com/dr.salenajustice
• Website: drsalenajustice.com

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Transcript

PATRICK CASALE: Hey, everyone. Welcome back to the All Things Private Practice podcast. I'm joined today by Dr. Salena Justice, who is a licensed psychologist who specializes in working with high masking autistic adults throughout the US. 

She specializes in skill-based therapy and autism evaluation, helping clients understand how their brains work and learn practical tools for everyday life, like managing burnout, emotions, relationships, and work without constant overwhelm. 

She's passionate about validating overlooked experiences and turning self-understanding into real-world change. Thanks for coming on and making the time to be here today.

SALENA JUSTICE: Yeah, thank you for having me. I'm excited for this conversation.

PATRICK CASALE: I did not realize you were in Western Carolina, which probably was more of an impetus for me to be like, “Hey, you want to come on here?” 

I have a lot of providers here in this area, like we were just talking about before recording, who are doing autism evaluations and assessments, and especially those who are really competent in high masking individuals and non-stereotypical presentations of autism. I think that gets overlooked a lot here. So, it's nice to know you're in the area and a resource.

But tell us a little bit about why this feels like an important population for you? And why you started doing these assessments? Like, give us a little glimpse into that.

SALENA JUSTICE: Absolutely. Yeah, so this wasn't the trajectory I always kind of saw myself on. When I was getting my psychology education, I was working always with the autism population. But I think a lot of us, when we go through training, we work a lot with little kids and very high support needs. That's just kind of where the training lies. 

I loved that work. It was great. But as I kind of went through my training, I discovered more and more one, like, how wide the spectrum is and the lack of services for folks that, you know, are lower support needs, but still have support needs. 

So, my last, like, training experience was at a college setting. So, these are folks off living on their own in college, but still need some extra supports. So, that was really kind of a change in just the way I viewed things, and learning how to be more affirming, and things like that in my practices, because a lot of my training wasn't super affirming, if we're being honest. And that's all stuff that I kind of had to learn on my own. Shifting into private practice, even I didn't think that there was enough people out there that needed these services. And I was kind of blown away pretty immediately at how many folks out there do identify with this, and need that support, and aren't able to find it wherever they're located.

PATRICK CASALE: Yeah, yeah, for sure. I think that's a big contention point is the lack of affirming education track and experience for mental health. I know for me, for my masters, which was in clinical mental health counseling, I think we probably only talked about autism in like a 30-minute blip in a childhood development course, and that's the only time we ever referenced it. And it was like glanced over very quickly. It was not a focal point whatsoever. We didn't even have the space to have conversation or curiosity. 

And I do think that as we see more and more people who are discovering that they are autistic later in life, into adulthood, that just means that the need for more providers is necessary, but the need for more providers does not always equate to having access to affirming providers. 

SALENA JUSTICE: Absolutely. 

PATRICK CASALE: That is, unfortunately, a huge problem area in our field.

SALENA JUSTICE: Definitely. And I would argue, like, I got pretty extensive training in autism assessments. And, like, I had multiple years of, like, practicum experience in autism settings. And it was a very specific type of autism they were teaching us. And again, not the most affirming, I'd say more in line, but like, applied behavior analysis kind of work. 

PATRICK CASALE: Yeah. So, tell us a little bit about, like, how do we go from living in that world to becoming a more affirming provider? Because, you know, I think that as we deconstruct what we think autism is, and I think it's just so complex, and when we talk about spectrums, in general, not every autistic person is the same, right? 

So, like, a lot of people get missed. And a lot of high maskers get missed. And a lot of AFAB get missed. A lot of [INDISCERNIBLE 00:06:09] get missed. A lot of trans people get missed. A lot of black and brown people get missed. If you don't look like me, you get missed a lot of the time. And even I-

SALENA JUSTICE: And even then, you… yep.

PATRICK CASALE: I was autistic until I was 35. So, tell us a little bit about how, like, your journey goes from like, all right, I got extensive training, probably for people who have higher support needs, one presentation of autism, in general, not an affirming way. Fast forward to present day, 2026, here we are.

SALENA JUSTICE: Yeah, and it's a lot of learning we have to do on our own, right?

PATRICK CASALE: Yeah.

SALENA JUSTICE: And I personally, as a neurotypical person, have to learn from autistic voices, I think, is the biggest thing, because I don't have that lived experience, I need to hear from people that do. 

So, social media, honestly, has been a great one, just to hear people's experiences, reading a lot of books, and memoirs, podcasts. There's so much information and educational materials out there now, which is great, but you have to seek it out on your own, because, again, it's not a course we took in college that you're forced to kind of go through. You have to kind of be that self-starter. 

And honestly, I learn a ton from my clients. You know, I'll be seeing multiple people in a day and kind of noticing those patterns between them, even, of like, okay, multiple people are struggling with this, let me dive further into that. And a lot of it is learning as I go. And, you know, we're never going to know everything, so we're always kind of continuing to learn. And, yeah, you're just along for the ride.

PATRICK CASALE: Yeah, that's well said. I mean, even as an AuDHDer myself, I still have to learn and unlearn a lot. And I think that we live in an ableist society, you have to unpack and deconstruct your own internalized ableism. 

SALENA JUSTICE: Absolutely. 

PATRICK CASALE: I know the first time I heard, like, that I might be autistic was in an ADHD assessment that I was going to. And I was not ready to hear that information at that time. And I shut down immediately because I had a very ableist, stereotypical version of what autism meant in my head. And I was like, “Yeah, that's not me. I'm not autistic.” Like, “How dare you say that to me?”

SALENA JUSTICE: Right. And I think a lot of people have that experience. And it's hard to, like, a provider, bring that up to a client, because they might not be ready to hear it. And I think that's the beauty of social media, is people are being introduced to the idea gently, and then they can dismiss it for a while, and then they'll see it again and be like, “Oh.” You know, they get to do it at their own pace. And I think that's been really helpful for a lot of people. 

PATRICK CASALE: Yeah. I mean, you know, social media is good and bad. And there is a lot of good. And what I see is a lot of good from people with lived experience, from all sorts of walks of life, all sorts of intersecting identities and diversity talking about their experiences as autistic, ADHD, AuDHD, whichever, or any other form of neurodivergence, being able to do so publicly and share their own opinions, their own journeys, super important, because so much of the research is done on really privileged white boys a lot of the time, as a starting point are really privileged white families, and in general have access to resources and making space to acknowledge that disparity. 

And I think that those who argue like, you can't diagnose via social media, sure. Like, don't watch one 30-second reel and come away with it like feeling this explains my life, but it can be such a great doorway into learning more, and doing deeper dives, and getting more access to information, and experience. And really starting to create a interest in terms of I think this really reflects my experiences. I need to learn as much as I can. And I think that's what ends up happening for a lot of people.

SALENA JUSTICE: Definitely. And I see a lot of the people, by the time they find me and come in for an assessment, they've done so much research, and most of the time they are receiving a diagnosis, because you don't spend two years researching this, learning it, identifying with it pretty strongly. You know, the average person, average neurotypical person is not doing that. 

PATRICK CASALE: Yeah, exactly. And there's a lot of autistic imposter syndrome around this. Do you see that from your clients? Yeah, like a lot of people who have searched for this answer their entire lives, and they've gone through the wringer. Like misdiagnosis after misdiagnosis, opportunity after opportunity. Nothing really checks the boxes. Nothing really fully aligns. And you've done all this research, you fully align with this. I think you come into these assessments or evaluations with so much overwhelm of like, what if this is not the answer, and what if it is, and I still feel like it doesn't describe me, or I don't get to take up space, because what if it's wrong? And I see that happen a lot.

SALENA JUSTICE: Yeah, so two things there. One, like, when I'm doing the feedback sessions and delivering that diagnosis, most people are feeling like breathing a sigh of relief. They're like, “Thank God I didn't make this up. Okay, I feel very validated.”

But even with that, they still question it, right? And like, even me a professional giving you that formal diagnosis, it's not, you know, a fix for everything. And I think that's a lot of what to unpack in therapy afterwards, of like, really coming to terms with it and processing that diagnosis, because it is heavy. Even if you've known for two years, as you've been doing your research, it's still heavy to get a formal diagnosis, and, like, what the hell do you do with it from here?

PATRICK CASALE: Exactly. Yeah, that's really well said. I talk about a lot how, post autism discovery, you almost expect to have this like aha, epiphany moment, the world suddenly makes sense, everything gets better. Oftentimes, things get really harder, because as you drop the mask and are no longer suppressing autistic traits and experiences, things start to often intensify.

SALENA JUSTICE: Absolutely.

PATRICK CASALE: And sensory for me is the one that, like, feels the most pronounced in terms of intensification as well as autistic burnout. But I think mine has gone hand in hand. And I think I've said it in my TEDx, like oftentimes an autism diagnosis means that a lot gets worse before it gets better. 

And I do think from the identity perspective and the sense of self perspective, it's invaluable. Like, having the information and being able to say, like, this describes my entire experience and identity and existence, and being able to integrate that with sense of self, finally, is so unbelievably powerful. But there is so much to unpack and deconstruct. And you're right, like doing that with a therapist or someone who really gets it is so freaking important, because there's going to be a complexity of emotion, from grief, relief, exhaustion, overwhelm. Like, autistic joy will be thrown in the mix. Like, burnout will probably be thrown in the mix. Like, who the hell am I? What do I enjoy doing with my life? What are my hobbies? Like, all of the things start to come-

SALENA JUSTICE: Right.

PATRICK CASALE: …into light.

SALENA JUSTICE: Absolutely. And when you say, like the unmasking, I think that's a huge piece. It's like people don't necessarily know who the heck they are under that mask. Because, you know, I'm working with a lot of folks in their 30s and 40s, and that mask has been there the whole time, right? Since a really young age, especially like, once you go through adolescence and you really like form that identity, they might not really know what that identity is. And that's a learning curve, as we kind of figure it out together. 

And I totally, with what you're saying about a lot of traits, like intensifying, absolutely. And I think it's, one, the unmasking. But two, like, you're paying attention to them now, where before you had your blinders on and you're like, “I got to toughen up. I'm fine. I don't need this support.” Once you take a look at them and open up like the floodgates, so to speak, it can come pouring out.

PATRICK CASALE: Yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure. And it's just that awareness piece of paying attention, starting to realize the accommodations that you might not need to be putting into your life. 

I told my wife a couple weeks ago, and now we're, like, four and a half years into autism discovery, like I feel more autistic now than I ever have in my life. Like, I feel more disabled now than I ever have in my life. 

And I think that has come with the awareness and the hyper awareness of like all the things. And I'm like, “Oh my God. Like, these are all the things that I need to put into place to get through my day.” Where, in the past, I might have just thought it was just like, “That's just a part of who I am. Like, I just do A, B, C, D, E, to get all of these things done.”

And you can almost convince yourself when you don't know what you don't know, that everybody has the same types of experiences or struggles, of like everyone goes through these steps to do this thing, and it's like no. That's just not true. 

And also, it's not true that everyone is going through their life thinking about all of these things in this, like, ruminating way of this deep, philosophical, existential questioning about, like, why the hell does my life feel the way that it feels? 

We did an Ask a Neurotype series on Divergent Conversations, the other podcast that I co-host. And it's really illuminating for me to have like neurotypicals on, and ADHDers on, and be like, “So, how do you go through like social events? How do you go through, like picking up on context? How do you go through this?” And every answer just made it seem like damn life feels like it is a lot simpler in a lot of ways.

SALENA JUSTICE: Yeah. And I would assume that a lot of the neurotypical people maybe didn't even have an answer for you, because it's so automatic. Like, I don't know how I pick up on that context, I just do, right? And then, you have a 10-step process.

PATRICK CASALE: Yeah. 

SALENA JUSTICE: And we talk a lot about cognitive load, of like, how much you're balancing in your brain. And it's like, no wonder we're experiencing burnout in so many people, because that's so much to keep in your head.

PATRICK CASALE: Absolutely, absolutely, yeah. We had my former business partner on who's neurotypical, and we're like, “How do you go through, like, deciding which buckets to put people in your social sphere?” And she was like, “What are you talking about? I just flow through life.” We’re like, “Flow through life. What the hell does that mean?”

SALENA JUSTICE: Right, what is this? 

PATRICK CASALE: Yeah, but you're absolutely right, that cognitive load is intense. So, okay, I want to switch gears to, how do we create some sort of affirming environment? I think, are you doing in person, telehealth, hybrid? Like, what's your process right now?

SALENA JUSTICE: Everything's been telehealth up until now. I am kind of currently looking at fostering some more in community services, but I've been in private practice for two years, and it's been strictly telehealth up until now.

PATRICK CASALE: Okay, so talk us a little bit about, how do you create an affirming space and environment in a telehealth, virtual world when we're talking about autism assessment? Because I think that question comes up quite a bit in terms of, like, can we really make these assessments happen virtually? 

SALENA JUSTICE: Yeah.

PATRICK CASALE: And the answer is emphatically yes, but I still-

SALENA JUSTICE: Absolutely.

PATRICK CASALE: [CROSSTALK 00:20:22] a lot.

SALENA JUSTICE: And I think having an affirm space, that almost makes it easier, because the person is in their comfortable environment. Just like working for fun works a lot better for a lot of autistic folks. Same thing with this. So, they're more comfortable in their space. There's not a lot of the pressures of how they're going to be sitting, how they're presenting themselves, eye contact over Zoom. Like, this isn't real eye contact, right? You're staring at a screen. It's just different. So, one is that.

Two, I will say, so therefore, I have to ask a lot more questions than things I'm going to be able to observe on my own. So, in an autism assessment, I'm not, like, grading your eye contact via Zoom. Like I said, that's not typical eye contact. I'm asking what your experiences are. 

And most of my assessments are going to be me asking you what your experiences are, rather than me casting judgments based off of what I'm observing in a short period of time.

PATRICK CASALE: Right, yeah, that's a great way to state that. And I think that makes a lot of sense. And also, like, I think about how we create more affirming space, in general, and sometimes it's by, like, giving permission for things, right? Like, I know when I went and got my autism assessment, it was in the office. It was pretty sterile. It felt really uncomfortable a lot of the time. I definitely did not feel comfortable, like, bringing a fidget with me or any sort of [CROSSTALK 00:21:44]-

SALENA JUSTICE: Right.

PATRICK CASALE: …aid. And even now, I'm always talking about like, when we create neuro-affirming spaces, like offering up permission and asking for what people need, is really important. 

A lot of times, people don't know what they need. Like, offering examples of those things, too. Because I think when you say, like, in a space that can be affirming, we can go the distance of saying, like, what do you need to feel accommodated? 

And some people may not know the answer to that, especially higher masking people who may not know their needs yet. So, giving some examples of like, some people like to use fidget toys, and some people like to be able to sit on the floor, or turn the lights off, or whatever. And giving that permission up front so that people feel even more comfortable. And I know that that makes it an enormous difference. 

Now, I often talk about how, like, special interests are gateways into like the autistic soul and your process in terms of like special interests using the MIGDAS, even, of like, being less focused on, like, the black and white questions that come up in a lot of these assessments. 

SALENA JUSTICE: Right. Yeah, yeah. Well, first of all, with the MIGDAS, I love that. That's where it jumps in as we talk special interests, first and foremost. It creates a good rapport going there. And I love to dive into it with people. 

First of all, I always say it's probably my favorite part of an autism assessment is I get to learn so many people's, like, super niche interests, and, you know, most things I know nothing about, but they're more than happy to tell me, and I can ask questions. And, you know, maybe there's some things I could relate to. Maybe there isn't. But I think that's a really good like, letting them take a breath and be like, “Okay, like, this is a safe space. I can talk about this. She's not rolling her eyes at me, like maybe some people in my real life do when I talk about it.” Like, I think that's really nice.

The MIGDAS, it is a structured interview with a set list of questions. But, of course, we're riffing on things. I might have extra questions I want to ask. I might reward some things to make it a little less intense, because first and foremost, I want the person to be comfortable, right? 

And also, I let them guide a lot, too. So, if they have, you know, a bunch of information that's not on that, that's okay, too. So many people come into assessments, and they might even have a list they've made already. Like, these are all their traits. I want to make sure they have time to talk about those and not be this, like, sterile person with my clipboard checking boxes and saying like, “Oh, nope, that's it. That's all my questions. I don't care what you have to say.” Obviously, I want to hear that. 

The other thing, too, is, like, delayed processing for a lot of people or not being able to express vocally. So, I always accept emails over the next couple of days, afterwards of like, “I know you're going to get off this call and be like, ‘Shit. I wish I would have said this, this, this, and this.’” Happens almost every time. Like, send me an email tonight. Send me an email tomorrow. Totally happy.

PATRICK CASALE: Yeah, that's a really affirming way to do that, especially for so many of us that are autistic, that struggle with that delayed processing in the moment. Sometimes these assessment measures can feel like they're putting you on the spot, right? To-

SALENA JUSTICE: Absolutely.

PATRICK CASALE: [CROSSTALK 00:24:55] immediately. And I remember my biggest struggle, probably in my assessment process, was trying to create and narrate the story in the ADOS, I think it was where-

SALENA JUSTICE: Oh, yeah.

PATRICK CASALE: Give me these examples. Build this thing around this thing, like, visually, and like, tell me all the details. And I'm like, very linearly and concretely saying, like, then this happens, then this happens, then this happens. And it was just like, if I had more time, maybe I’d explain it in more depth. But like, being put on the spot, I was like, I don't know what to say. 

I also felt like my assessment, I remember getting the feedback, and one of the things that my psychologist said was, like, “One of the big telltale signs for you was that you did not offer reciprocation and communication. When I told you that I had a guitar hanging on my wall, you didn't ask me if I played music.” And I was like, “I just feel like that's a strange thought, because, like, why the fuck would I care if you play music? I'm not there to talk about you. So why-”

SALENA JUSTICE: Right, it's your assessment hot him. 

PATRICK CASALE: So, context shifting, right? Is like a big part of the autistic experience, and not being able to “pick on typical context.” But in my mind, the context didn't make sense. But if there was like a container to say, like, I'm going to ask you this thing because I want to see if you ask about these questions, it might have been a little different for me, but nevertheless, I just thought it was a fascinating example. I was like, “Why the fuck would I ask you that?”

SALENA JUSTICE: And I don't use the ADOS. I was trained in it. That's where, like, most of my training, again, came from. I think it's great for younger kids, higher support needs, more of the obvious presentations. 

PATRICK CASALE: Sure.

SALENA JUSTICE: I don't like, and I hear a lot from the autistic community, it feels like a test, and you're going to pass or fail it. And like, people are trying to figure out, okay, what do they want me to do in this situation? 

PATRICK CASALE: Exactly.

SALENA JUSTICE: So, I would much rather just ask, like, oh, like, in your everyday life, people you're comfortable with, first of all, not me, this person you just met. Like, do you ask them questions about themselves? Right?

PATRICK CASALE: Exactly.

SALENA JUSTICE: And you'd be able to speak to that more? 

PATRICK CASALE: Yeah.

SALENA JUSTICE: I will say it does take a level of self-awareness that not everybody has, but I do find that most of the folks I work with are probably hyper self-aware more than lacking that awareness.

PATRICK CASALE: Yeah, absolutely. I think it's weird being a mental health professional going into assessment process, too, because you kind of know enough to be dangerous and enough about like what's happening. So, for me, I'm like, “Yeah, clearly I'm here for one reason and one purpose.”

But then when I tell my wife like that interaction, she's like, “Yeah, that happens all the time in your life. Like people, you don't, you don't ask the follow-ups if you're not interested.” And I was like, I think we could have framed it in a different way, where I would have been able to give that example. But nevertheless, it was just interesting to go through. 

And I still frame the autistic experience and the results in such a deficit-based pathologizing way, because I remember he was like, “Okay, you have autism.” Which, you know, I certainly don't love using person-first language anymore. I did at the time. “And you're going to need all of these ways that you're going to have to support yourself, and accommodate yourself. And all these struggles are going to be your struggles.” And I'm like, “Wow, this feels fucking wonderful. Like, I do not this feels like there's a light at the end of the tunnel right now.” 

SALENA JUSTICE: And it's funny because, like, there's some really simple language shifts there that I feel like we could make… So, like, when you say about, like, asking follow-up questions, like, I usually worried of like, “Oh, do you prefer talking about areas of high interest, right?” Instead of saying, like, “Can't talk about unpreferred areas, right? Or, you know, even with like, the recommendations section at the end. Yes, it is a bunch of supports. But like, these are some things that are going to make things a little easier for you. These are some things I recommend that I think will be helpful, not you have to do these or your life's going to suck.

PATRICK CASALE: Right. Yeah, because if you're framing it that way, that person's leaving that appointment like, “My life is over.” Like, “Everything I'm seeing about autism is true. It is a life sentence, and a death sentence in some ways.”

And it's like autism is hard. There are struggles. And there are also wonderful strengths and just such beautiful moments. And it's about having the nuance to say exactly what you just said. Like, yeah, there are going to be challenges and areas that you're going to struggle in, and here are ways that you can support yourself. And like, I just think that language matters. And when you don't have affirming assessors or affirming providers, it can make you shy away from the mental health landscape altogether. 

And unfortunately, I see that happen for a lot of autistic people, even in a sense of like going to a therapist and saying, like, “I just discovered that I'm autistic.” I've had a lot of friends and colleagues, unfortunately, have the therapist say, like, “Yeah, I'm not going to be able to support you. I'm going to have to refer you out.” And that feels pretty shitty as well. 

SALENA JUSTICE: Yeah. And I would say that's maybe even a step up from the just straight up, dismissive, “No, you're not. What are you talking about?” Right? And like, there's so many levels to it. And I guess, as an outsider, I'd almost prefer the referral, because then, at least they get the care that and support that they need. But it doesn't feel good for maybe you've been working with this person for a while, and they're like [CROSSTALK 00:30:20]-

PATRICK CASALE: Yeah. 

SALENA JUSTICE: …to the [INDISCERNIBLE 00:30:21].

PATRICK CASALE: Yeah, exactly. So, I think there are, like, like you said before, listen to autistic people, learn from autistic people. There's so much out there for those of you who are like, “I don't know where to start.” You know, I think that there are so many resources on social media that are free and accessible, so many podcasts. Like, the list is really endless. And the opportunities to learn and to listen to different autistic voices are endless. 

And I encourage all of you who are listening to be listening to all sorts of autistic voices. Like those who are non-speaking on social media, those who are at different places in terms of marginalization and intersectionality. Like, there are lots of perspectives to learn that the autistic experience is not a binary one. And it is not a black and white one. And I think that is a really important lesson and takeaway, because there's so much misinformation about autism, in general, even in 2026.

SALENA JUSTICE: Absolutely. And just to kind of piggyback on that, when you were talking about like there's good and bad from social media, I think one of the beautiful things is these are people you wouldn't really interact with in your everyday life. As much as we want to be diverse and expose ourselves to different people, we all live in bubbles in our community and having access to people, but like you said, like a non-speaking person, maybe you would never interact with them. Now, you can get their first-hand accounts for what their experiences are, and it's like it's right there at your fingertips.

PATRICK CASALE: Absolutely. Yeah, tons of resources out there. So, I'm glad to know that you are one of them. Our group practice will certainly be sending clients your way. And I really just appreciate you coming on and making the time here today, and having a little bit of behind-the-scenes in terms of what it's like to offer autism assessments. 

And for those of you listening, I don't believe that Dr. Justice has a wait list right now. So, if you want to tell people where they can find you and who you work with, especially the states that you can work with, I know that can be a lengthy one. And we'll add all this to the show notes so you have access to everything that she's about to tell you.

SALENA JUSTICE: Yes, absolutely. So, I'm located in North Carolina, but I do telehealth through The Psychology Compact called PSYPACT, which means that I can see folks in 43 US states. So, I guess the easier answer would be the ones I can't see are going to be New York, Massachusetts, Oregon, and California are the big ones. There's a couple random ones in there, too, but can't see those. But most states I can see. And again, that's all via telehealth, which I try to, you know, create a pretty comfortable, affirming environment there. 

The best way to find me is going to be over on Instagram. It's just @dr.salenajustice. That's where most people find me. But Patrick will have my website linked as well. And folks can go right on there, and schedule a consultation call. 

As for providers, feel free to email me if you have questions or anything like that as well. 

PATRICK CASALE: Great. Thank you. Real quick question, just for myself, what ages do you work with in terms of assessment?

SALENA JUSTICE: So, I'm only doing adults at this time, so 18 and up. I find that that's easier to have that delineation, because the assessment looks so different for different age ranges. I do also, for providers, I have good referral sources for kids as well and teens. So, if you're looking for that, feel free to reach out as well. 

PATRICK CASALE: Awesome. Thank you so much for coming on and having this conversation, and looking forward to collaborating in the future.

SALENA JUSTICE: Yes, thank you so much for having me.

PATRICK CASALE: And to everyone listening to All Things Private Practice, new episodes are out on Saturdays and all major platforms and YouTube. Like, download, subscribe, share. Doubt yourself, do it anyway. And we'll see you next week.