Author: Arwynne O’Neill  –   Updated: June 2026

💜 Wellbeing Astrology

In this episode of the Starzology podcast, Arwynne O’Neill welcomed clinical therapist Sarah Mireles to discuss how astrology can help parents better understand their neurodivergent children.

Therapy and Astrology 

Understanding vs. Labeling

Sarah has spent the last decade working with neurodivergent teens, young adults, and their families. While she relies on evidence-based therapeutic approaches in her practice, she has also found astrology to be a valuable tool when clients are open to it.

When a child struggles with focus, emotional regulation, communication, or meeting everyday expectations, parents find themselves searching for answers. Clinical diagnoses like ADHD, autism, OCD, and PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance) provide one set of insights, but they can also leave families feeling stigmatized, casting blame, and struggling to communicate.

Rather than viewing behaviors through a lens of pathology, the language of astrology offers a different set of tools, which can help parents see their child’s challenges and strengths as part of their natural wiring rather than evidence of illness or disability. This shift in perspective can be incredibly powerful.

A parent who previously saw willfulness and a lack of impulse control (perhaps associated with fiery placements or Uranian aspects) might begin to reframe in terms of independence and spontaneity. A child who struggles with traditional learning methods may simply process information (Mercury) differently, or at a different pace, than their peers. Astrology provides a symbolic framework that can help families approach these differences with curiosity rather than judgment.

Podcast Episode

Listen to the podcast episode of the conversation with Arwynne and Sarah.

Mercury and Ways of Thinking

Sarah noted that many parents become frustrated when their children do not think or learn in expected ways. Astrology can help reframe those differences by exploring Mercury’s role in the birth chart, as it is associated with communication, learning, and information processing.

One child may need to talk through every thought before arriving at a conclusion (Mercury in Air). Another may think visually, intuitively, or emotionally rather than through linear logic (Mercury in Fire or Water). Still another may become intensely focused on details that others overlook (Mercury in Virgo or aspected by Pluto).

The goal is not to diagnose based on planetary placements, but rather to recognize that everyone processes information differently. Understanding those differences can reduce conflict and shame in families struggling with these issues.

Strengths and Challenges

A recurring theme throughout this episode is balance.

Astrologers know that every placement represents both gifts and challenges. Perfectionism can create anxiety, but it can also foster excellence. Hyperfocus can become an obstacle when it interferes with daily life, but it can also lead to remarkable expertise and creativity.

Arwynne reflected on her own Virgo tendencies, noting that perfectionism can be a burden or a superpower depending on how it’s managed.

Sarah agreed. In her work, she helps parents recognize that traits associated with neurodivergence are not purely negative. The same characteristics that create challenges in one environment can become strengths in another.

Astrology as a Tool for Compassion

Throughout the discussion, Sarah and Arwynne returned to a central idea: astrology works best when it is descriptive rather than predictive.

A birth chart cannot tell parents what is “wrong” with their child, but it can offer a framework for understanding who their child is, how they think, and what strengths they can lean into to help overcome obstacles.

For families navigating neurodivergence, that perspective can be transformative. Instead of focusing exclusively on symptoms, deficits, or diagnoses, astrology invites parents to see the whole person: strengths, struggles, potential, and all.

In the end, therapy and astrology share a common goal. Neither is about fixing people. Both are about understanding them more deeply. And often, understanding is where healing begins.

Contact Sarah

If you feel so inclined we invite you to reach out to psychologist Sarah Mireles on these links.

Email

https://sarahmirelestherapy.com/contact/

Website

Sarah Mireles Therapy

Author Bio

Arwynne O’Neill: Research Astrologer

Arwynne O’Neill works as a research astrologer in Vancouver, with a focus on delving into historical cycles and how they relate to societal transformations as influenced by the energies of the outer planets.

Contact Arwynne

Website MsPink

Ms Pink Art shop

Instagram @mspinkdotcom

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