Contemplative Circle for Love of Neurodivergent People
Monthly In-Person Gatherings at Bread of Life
Beginning May 10, 2026, and then every Second Sunday
at 3:00pm-4:30pm
Group led by Heidi Smith
Join an in-person, 90-minute gathering for the parents and grandparents of neurodivergent (e.g. Autism, ADHD, OCD) children, including adult children. This contemplative circle will afford participants the opportunity to reflect on their inner experience of caring for their beloved child: the joy, the mystery, the complexity and the struggle. Rather than focusing on logistics, services and the rest, we will attend to how this role shapes us as individuals.
Could this be for you? Parenting and caregiving can be very demanding, offering little opportunity to pause and reflect. Caring for a loved one who is neurodiverse can also be isolating. This offering invites you to spend time in the heart and spirit realm of your role while sharing time with others on the same journey. Come nourish yourself and receive support while exploring the emotions and Divine presence in your relationship with your loved one/s.
What it looks like? We will open with a brief check-in and then share a reading or meditation along with a few minutes of silence for space to breathe and just be. We will take turns sharing what is arising for us, listening deeply to each other and holding space for one another with brief periods of silence to pause and take in the experience. We will close our contemplative circle with a brief meditation or somatic exercise.
While there is no charge for this offering, donations to support Bread of Life are encouraged. You are welcome to attend on an ongoing or drop-in basis.
Please register for each session in advance so we know how many to expect.
Meet Heidi
Heidi Smith completed her spiritual director training through the Institute for Jewish Spirituality in 2025, and has provided spiritual direction in both an individual and group setting. A member of Bread of Life’s Community of Practice since its inception, she served on the planning committee for three years. She is the mother of an autistic/ADHD young adult, the step-mother of two adult women and the very happy wife of Bob Smith. Through parenting her daughter, Heidi learned that she too has ADHD. As part of her exploration of neurodivergence, she has planned and facilitated a support group and educational programming for parents of neurodivergent kids. Heidi appreciates the deep spiritual experience of raising her daughter as well as the wider perspective she’s gained from loving her and watching her grow. She knows her life will continue to be enriched in meaningful and unexpected ways throughout their lives together.
This is a free offering. Suggested donation of $10-$20 per session.