The Neurodivergent Woman

Aging as an Autistic Person with Prof. Sandra Thom-Jones Nov 03, 2024

This week Monique interviews Professor Sandra Thom-Jones about aging as an autistic person. Sandra is an autistic author, artisan, academic, and advocate. She provides consultancy services to education, employment, and healthcare providers, and supports for autistic people, through her consultancy ‘Autistic Professor’. Sandra is the author of Growing in to Autism, and she has undertaken numerous research projects in partnership with the autistic community on the experiences of autistic people and the knowledge and attitudes towards autism in the community; including research that won the Autism CRC’s 2019 and 2021 awards for research translation and the 2022 award for inclusive research.

Monique and Sandra cover:

Sandra’s experience of her neurodivergence throughout her life and her path to identifying her autistic neurotype.
Why do older autistic adults tend to be ‘invisible’ to society at large, and what factors contribute to the support needs of this population?
Generational trends in the understanding of and meaning associated with an autism diagnosis, and the implications for disclosure and self-advocacy.
The unique needs of autistic folk when navigating later stages of life like menopause, increasing healthcare needs, aged care, retirement, and managing family changes and transitions.
The importance of discarding neuro-normative expectations about what aging or retirement ‘should’ look like, and Sandra’s tips for a joyful retirement as an autistic person.

You can find more of Sandra’s work through her website – www.autisticprofessor.com – or follow her on Facebook (@autisticprofessor) or Instagram (@sandrathomjones_au_author).

Get a copy of Sandra’s book, Growing in to Autism, and pre-order her upcoming book, Autistics in Academia, through Cambridge University Press.

Follow Sandra on socials to stay updated on her next book, on the experiences of autistic people in the workplace!

Want polished copies of our episodes in beautiful and readable pdf article format? Grab them here.

Enjoyed the episode and want to support us further? Join our Patreon community! Patreon subscribers receive basic episode transcripts from Season 4 onwards, access to a monthly live zoom hang out, 50% off our episode articles, plus bonus monthly content (depending on subscription tier). Check out our Patreon page to support us, as we aim to make quality mental health care information accessible to everyone: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod.

Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Grooming with Anna Clarke Oct 20, 2024

Content warning: This episode discusses grooming and sexual assault. Some listeners may decide to skip this one.

This week Monique interviews fellow psychologist Anna Clarke on grooming. As a multiply neurodivergent psychologist, EMDR therapist, and play therapist, Anna is passionate about supporting care teams with a trauma-informed, neurodivergent-affirming lens, and they are experienced in working with survivors of sexual assault and family violence.

On this episode Monique and Anna unpack this incredibly important topic, including what makes grooming such an insidious, ‘hard to pin down’ practice. Monique and Anna cover:

Anna’s understanding of neurodivergence, their path to discovering their own neurodivergence, and what late identification has meant for them.
What is grooming?
What kinds of relationships have the potential for grooming behaviour?
The distinct phases of grooming.
The factors that increase the likelihood of disabled, neurodivergent, and / or previously traumatised folk being targeted for grooming.
What effect does grooming have on the individual and on their broader support network?
Other forms of manipulation like love bombing and gaslighting.
Signs to look out for – both in the perpetrator and the person being groomed.
Ways that parents and the broader community can protect vulnerable people from grooming.
Anna’s advice for those who have experienced grooming or who suspect they may be experiencing this.

Find out more about Anna’s work on this topic and sign up for their upcoming Grooming Webinar (with all profits being donated to support services for survivors of sexual assault) through Divergent Futures.

Here are some resources we’d recommend:

Blue Knot Foundation. Call 1300 657 380 or email helpline@blueknot.org.au - Supporting adult survivors of childhood trauma and adult survivors of institutional child sexual abuse around the National Redress Scheme. Also has resources for supporters of survivors.
Check out the National Resource on grooming. This page has all the National information for Australia on grooming, and on reporting grooming or abuse.
State based victim support reporting and links.
Autistic Guide to Healthy Relationships.

Want polished copies of our episodes in beautiful and readable pdf article format? Grab them here.

Enjoyed the episode and want to support us further? Join our Patreon community! Patreon subscribers receive basic episode transcripts from Season 4 onwards, access to a monthly live zoom hang out, 50% off our episode articles, plus bonus monthly content (depending on subscription tier). Check out our Patreon page to support us, as we aim to make quality mental health care information accessible to everyone: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod.

Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder with Penny Moodie Oct 13, 2024

This week we speak with Penny Moodie about Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Penny is a writer, OCD advocate, and mum of three little people. She is the author of ‘The Joy Thief: How OCD steals your happiness – and how to get it back’ and the co-creator the website soocd.com.au, which is packed with information on OCD and how to get support.

In this episode Penny very generously shares her personal experience with OCD, and she takes us through the ‘why’ of OCD and the strategies and treatment approaches she has found helpful.

We cover:

What is OCD, and crucially, what isn’t OCD?
Some of the key mechanisms of OCD, including thought-action fusion, uncertainty anxiety, the ‘just right’ feeling, and the feedback loop between obsessions and compulsions.
Periods of OCD onset.
Talking to kids about their thoughts.
Penny’s personal experience of OCD throughout her life, including in childhood, her adolescence, and throughout her adulthood, and her path to accurate diagnosis.
OCD in the perinatal period.
Treatment approaches for OCD and strategies that Penny has found useful, including ERP, methods to reframe and manage distressing thoughts, medication, self-compassion practice, and connecting with other people experiencing OCD.

You can find Penny on Instagram @pennymoodie and through her website, So OCD. Get a copy of Penny’s book, The Joy Thief, here.

The book Penny mentioned was The Man Who Couldn’t stop, by David Adam.

Want polished copies of our episodes in beautiful and readable pdf article format? Grab them here.

Enjoyed the episode and want to support us further? Join our Patreon community! Patreon subscribers receive basic episode transcripts from Season 4 onwards, access to a monthly live zoom hang out, 50% off our episode articles, plus bonus monthly content (depending on subscription tier). Check out our Patreon page to support us, as we aim to make quality mental health care information accessible to everyone: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod.

Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Grief and Loss with Liam Spicer Oct 06, 2024

On today’s episode Monique interviews Liam Spicer about grief and loss. Listeners will notice that Liam is not a neurodivergent woman, but we’ve decided to make an exception this time as Liam is an expert in the area of neurodivergence and grief.

Liam is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology, and he’s a Psychologist, EMDR Consultant, and Accredited Schema Therapist based in Launceston, Tasmania. He is also an Autistic ADHDer, and is passionate about training, research, and collaboration with other neurodivergent individuals in the Neurodiversity Affirming Space. Liam’s current PhD is focused on the use of Schema Therapy for Prolonged Grief, and he has published journal articles and book chapters on grief in addition to presenting at national and international conferences. His interest in this area is derived from both professional and personal lived experience of loss.

Just a quick warning for listeners, this episode contains mention of death and loss. Some of our listeners may decide to skip this one.

Monique and Liam cover:

Liam’s journey to understanding his own neurodivergence.
What is grief?
Is there such a thing as a ‘normal’ response to grief, and what are some common myths about grief.
Different types of grief and loss (and the validity of feeling big feelings about all of these types of losses!), including death loss, loss of aspects of daily living, loss associated with life transitions and with chronic or acute health conditions, loss of routines or coping mechanisms, and grief associated with diagnosis.
Some key factors for neurodivergent people and their supports to keep in mind when dealing with grief and loss, and strategies around managing these ND specific factors.
What is ‘Prolonged Grief’ and what can you expect when seeing a therapist for Prolonged Grief?
Liam’s personal experiences with grief and strategies for supporting grieving loved ones. (Note: this section discusses miscarriage loss, so consume with care if this is a tough subject for you).

You can find Liam through his website or on Instagram or LinkedIn @LiamSpicer.

Want polished copies of our episodes in beautiful and readable pdf article format? Grab them here.

Enjoyed the episode and want to support us further? Join our Patreon community! Patreon subscribers receive basic episode transcripts from Season 4 onwards, access to a monthly live zoom hang out, 50% off our episode articles, plus bonus monthly content (depending on subscription tier). Check out our Patreon page to support us, as we aim to make quality mental health care information accessible to everyone: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod.

Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Working with Eating Disorders with Margo White Sep 29, 2024

We are thrilled to interview Margo White this week on working with eating disorders in the neurodivergent population. Margo is an Accredited Clinical Nutritionist, proudly neurodivergent AuDHDer, mother of two, and founder of Whole Body Nutrition. Margo helps Neurodivergent folk of all ages, genders, and backgrounds to cultivate an emotionally healthy relationship with food. A relationship that understands, and accepts that there are different ways of eating, and that validates all sensory feeding differences. Margo draws from a neuro-affirming, trauma informed, and lived experience lens.

In this episode we cover:

Margo’s own path to discovering her neurodivergence and how this was integral to developing her current clinical focus.
Why it is so important for a person’s neurodivergence to be taken into account when treating eating disorders.
Can you ‘cure’ neurodivergence with a specific diet??? (spoiler alert: no).
Some of the key challenges that neurodivergent folk can have with food and eating, what drives these challenges (including sensory processing differences, executive functioning, interoception, burnout and motivation, + more), and what are some strategies to ease these friction points.
Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) – what is this and how does Margo approach treatment of ARFID with her neurodivergent clients.
Anorexia and Binge Eating Disorder in neurodivergent folk.
Margo’s lived experience of an Eating Disorder.
Margo’s advice on how parents of neurodivergent kids with atypical eating can best advocate for their kids’ needs, and how adults can advocate for their own needs.

You can find Margo through her website – Whole Body Nutrition – and on Instagram (@margos_wholebodynutrition) and Facebook.

Check out Margo’s eBooks on Neurodiversity Affirming Feeding Practices and on ARFID and the Nervous System.

Margo also mentioned Naureen Hunani’s work on neurodivergence and eating – find her on Instagram @rds_for_neurodiversity

Want polished copies of our episodes in beautiful and readable pdf article format? Grab them here.

Enjoyed the episode and want to support us further? Join our Patreon community! Patreon subscribers receive basic episode transcripts from Season 4 onwards, access to a monthly live zoom hang out, 50% off our episode articles, plus bonus monthly content (depending on subscription tier). Check out our Patreon page to support us, as we aim to make quality mental health care information accessible to everyone: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod.

Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Entrepreneurship and Neurodivergence with Dr Hayley Kelly Sep 22, 2024

This week Monique chats with Dr Hayley Kelly about entrepreneurship. Hayley is a clinical psychologist, CEO, and Founder of Therapists Rising. Her goal is to transform the mental health landscape by helping therapists build sustainable and impactful businesses. Diagnosed with Autism and ADHD later in life, she brings a unique, neuroaffirming approach to entrepreneurship, inspiring mental health professionals to embrace innovation, creativity, and resilience in their practices.

This episode is jammed with incredible insights on how to leverage your neurodivergent strengths as a business owner – it’s a must listen for any ND folks thinking of launching themselves into the world of entrepreneurship and business ownership (or for those who are there already!).

In this episode Monique and Hayley cover:

Hayley’s conceptualisation of neurodivergence and the identity shifts she experienced through late diagnosis.
How Hayley’s knowledge of her own neurodivergence helped her to understand the past challenges as well as the strengths she’d experienced in the workforce over her career.
Her path to entrepreneurship and finding her ‘zone of genius’.
The strengths of ADHD in entrepreneurship and business ownership.
Strategies for managing rejection sensitivity and feeling like an imposter in this space.
Strengths of the Autistic brain, and the AuDHD brain, in entrepreneurship and business ownership.
Hayley’s tips for neurodivergent folk working in (or moving toward) this space.

You can find Hayley through her website, Therapists Rising, or on Instagram @dr.hayleykelly.

Want polished copies of our episodes in beautiful and readable pdf article format? Grab them here.

Enjoyed the episode and want to support us further? Join our Patreon community! Patreon subscribers receive basic episode transcripts from Season 4 onwards, access to a monthly live zoom hang out, 50% off our episode articles, plus bonus monthly content (depending on subscription tier). Check out our Patreon page to support us, as we aim to make quality mental health care information accessible to everyone: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod.

Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Being Childfree Sep 15, 2024

We kick off Season 6 with a chunky episode about being childfree, and share our personal experiences on this topic. This was a really meaningful and important topic for us – we hope you find it useful!

We cover:

The cultural and normative context of motherhood
Understanding your desire for or against motherhood and what are the complexities and nuances in this.
Ruby Warrington’s ‘Motherhood Spectrum’
Reasons why you might not want to be a mother – both in general and factors specific to neurodivergent folk.
Finding meaning in life outside motherhood and exploring alternate archetypes for different stages of life.

Things we mentioned plus other good resources:

Women without Kids – by Ruby Warrington, the book and podcast
Goddesses in Everywoman; Powerful Archetypes in Women’s Lives – by Jean Shinoda Bolen
Awakening Shakti – by Sally Kempton
Women Who Run with the Wolves; Contacting the power of the Wild Woman – by Clarissa Pinkola Estes
The Wife Drought – by Annabel Crabbe
Regretting Motherhood; A Study – Orna Donath

Our astute listeners might notice the cacophony of crows occasionally kicking off in the background of this ep – imagine yourself in the Australian bush if it helps!!

Want polished copies of our episodes in beautiful and readable pdf article format? Grab them here.

Enjoyed the episode and want to support us further? Join our Patreon community! Patreon subscribers receive basic episode transcripts from Season 4 onwards, access to a monthly live zoom hang out, 50% off our episode articles, plus bonus monthly content (depending on subscription tier). Check out our Patreon page to support us, as we aim to make quality mental health care information accessible to everyone: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod.

Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Future of Neurodiversity Affirming Practice with Sonny Jane Wise Jun 02, 2024

For our final episode of the season we welcome Sonny Jane Wise to the podcast, to share their wisdom on all things neurodivergence. This is a fabulous ep to start with if you’re new to the neurodiversity affirming model, and also if you’ve been here a while!

Sonny Jane is a trans, multiply neurodivergent & disabled public speaker, advocate and author. Sonny was diagnosed with Autism and ADHD as a child and grew up only hearing a deficit narrative about their neurodivergence. Since then, they have gone on to build an audience of over 100, 000 people online, have written The Neurodivergent Friendly Workbook of DBT Skills and We’re All Neurodiverse and has worked with organisations and services around Australia and the world to help change the narrative around neurodivergence and create a more neurodiversity affirming society.

In this episode we cover:

Key definitions of neurodiversity affirming practice, including the difference between ‘neurodiverse’ and ‘neurodivergence’ and between the pathologising / medical model of practice and the neurodiversity affirming model.
Sonny Jane’s experience of being early diagnosed under a pathologising model and the lifechanging impact of discovering neurokin and the neurodiversity affirming community.
Disability and ableism and neuronormativity (oh my!)
The intersectional impact of different aspects of Sonny Jane’s identity, their neurodivergences, and their disabilities, and how this intersectionality impacts their access to services.
The future of neurodiversity affirming practice.

You can find out more about Sonny Jane and access their content through their website.

Want polished copies of our episodes in beautiful and readable pdf article format? Grab them here.

Enjoyed the episode and want to support us further? Join our Patreon community! Patreon subscribers receive basic episode transcripts from Season 4 onwards, access to a monthly live zoom hang out, 50% off our episode articles, plus bonus monthly content (depending on subscription tier). Check out our Patreon page to support us, as we aim to make quality mental health care information accessible to everyone: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dyspraxia with Rosemary Richings May 26, 2024

We are thrilled to have Rosemary Richings on the podcast today, to chat with us about her experience of dyspraxia. Rosemary is a writer, editor, and public speaker specialising in disability and neurodiversity, and she is the author of Stumbling Through Space and Time: Living Life With Dyspraxia. Rosemary is on the board of trustees of Dyspraxic Me, a charity for dyspraxic young adults.

In this episode we cover:

What is dyspraxia?
How is dyspraxia diagnosed?
Rosemary’s experience of dyspraxia from childhood to adulthood.
The mental load of neurodivergence.
What has been helpful in accommodating and supporting dyspraxia for Rosemary.

You can find Rosemary through her socials here, and through her website.

You can access more information on dyspraxia through the Developmental Coordination Disorder Australia website.

Want polished copies of our episodes in beautiful and readable pdf article format? Grab them here.

Enjoyed the episode and want to support us further? Join our Patreon community! Patreon subscribers receive basic episode transcripts from Season 4 onwards, access to a monthly live zoom hang out, 50% off our episode articles, plus bonus monthly content (depending on subscription tier). Check out our Patreon page to support us, as we aim to make quality mental health care information accessible to everyone: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Compassionate Practice May 19, 2024

In this week's episode we chat about compassionate practice. We have both been super keen to do an episode on compassion for a while now, given compassion is a core tenant of our practice. In this ep we went through some of the core features of compassion, how this can be used therapeutically, and developing self-compassion. We loved putting this episode together for you!

We cover:

What is compassion and what are the benefits of compassionate practice?
What does it mean to be in an active state of compassion.
How compassion fits into the ‘haunted house’ of our brain.
Working with the inner critic.
Compassionate practice and neurodivergence.
Strategies for compassionate practice and for activating a state of ‘rest’ in our nervous system.

Resources on compassionate practice:

The Compassionate Mind – by Paul Gilbert
Fierce Self Compassion – by Kristen Neff
Online compassion quiz
Preorder Monique’s book - The Neurodivergence Skills Workbook for Autism and ADHD: Cultivate Self-Compassion, Live Authentically, and Be Your Own Advocate.
Access Michelle’s three part course on compassionate practice exclusively through our Patreon (‘Buy us a Wine’ tier).
Check out the study Monique mentioned mentioned on Autism and self compassion.

Want polished copies of our episodes in beautiful and readable pdf article format? Grab them here.

Enjoyed the episode and want to support us further? Join our Patreon community! Patreon subscribers receive basic episode transcripts from Season 4 onwards, access to a monthly live zoom hang out, 50% off our episode articles, plus bonus monthly content (depending on subscription tier). Check out our Patreon page to support us, as we aim to make quality mental health care information accessible to everyone: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Minority Stress with Rebecca Gannon May 12, 2024

Today on the show Monique interviews Rebecca Gannon. Rebecca is a Neurodivergent Psychologist with a Masters in Educational and Developmental Psychology. Their clinical work focuses on Autism and ADHD assessment for adults as well as supervising other Psychologists and allied health professionals in neuroaffirming practice skills. Rebecca is Aboriginal, a parent, a partner, and their long-standing special interest just happens to be Autism.

On this episode Monique and Rebecca cover:

Rebecca’s experience of her own neurodivergence, including the pivotal role of community as part of a healthy self-identity + the importance of understanding all aspects of your neurodivergent identity.
The importance of advocacy based on lived experience and community consultation when providing support services to people with a minority identity.
The Minority Stress Model.
Rebecca’s experience of having both Aboriginal and neurodivergent minority identities.
Ways to psychological safety for minority group members in health care settings.
Rebecca’s experience navigating the health care system as an ND parent of a child with complex health needs.
Heavy Metal Music (it’s relevant, we promise!).

Things we mentioned:

Literature on ABA
The Australian Indigenous Psychology Association.
Another Day in the Colony – book by Chelsea Watego
Find out more about Dr Tracey Westerman here.

You can contact Rebecca through her website, Kaleidoscope Assessment or on Instagram @kaleidoscopeassessment.

Want polished copies of our episodes in beautiful and readable pdf article format? Grab them here.

Enjoyed the episode and want to support us further? Join our Patreon community! Patreon subscribers receive basic episode transcripts from Season 4 onwards, access to a monthly live zoom hang out, 50% off our episode articles, plus bonus monthly content (depending on subscription tier). Check out our Patreon page to support us, as we aim to make quality mental health care information accessible to everyone: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Depression and TMS with Michelle Marques May 05, 2024

In this week’s episode we are thrilled to chat to Michelle Marques about her experience with depression and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, plus a million other things. Michelle is an Autistic and ADHD writer with a background in journalism and a Master’s in African American studies. Her writing and research focuses on gender, sexuality, race, neurodiversity, and pop culture.

We chat about:

Michelle’s experience of learning about her neurodivergence and the hidden cost of ADHD for high achievers.
Codeswitching, the privilege of authenticity, and intersecting identities as an Autistic person and as a cultural minority.
Michelle’s experience of depression and how she differentiates between depression and burnout as a neurodivergent person.
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation.
Things Michelle has found helpful for managing her mental health.

You can find Michelle’s writing on her Substack “Neurodivergent Black Girl” and you can follow her on Instagram @michellemar.ques.

Update! An American psychologist has reached out and let us know that TMS can be covered by Medicare in some cases in the USA. Here's some more information on that.

Want polished copies of our episodes in beautiful and readable pdf article format? Grab them here.

Enjoyed the episode and want to support us further? Join our Patreon community! Patreon subscribers receive basic episode transcripts from Season 4 onwards, access to a monthly live zoom hang out, 50% off our episode articles, plus bonus monthly content (depending on subscription tier). Check out our Patreon page to support us, as we aim to make quality mental health care information accessible to everyone: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Early Identification with Josephine Barbaro Apr 28, 2024

This week on the podcast Monique interviews the incredible Associate Professor Josephine Barbaro. Josie is a late identified Autistic ADHDer. She is a Principal Research Fellow and Psychologist at the Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre, La Trobe University, Melbourne. She is the Research Director of Identification and Diagnosis of Autism, and Clinical Director of the Victorian Early Assessment Clinic, providing neuro-affirming, transdisciplinary assessments for neurodivergence in children under 3 years. Josie’s research interests are in the early identification and diagnosis of Autism, family health and well-being following a diagnosis, and Neurodiversity Affirming research and practice.

In this episode Monique and Josie cover:

Josie’s path to understanding her own neurodivergence.
The heritability of neurodivergence and the importance of taking a whole-family approach to supporting neurodivergent kids.
Josie’s work on early identification of Autism and the development of the SACS early identification screening tool and the ASDectect app.
Josie’s research and work into closing the gender gap in early diagnosis of Autism.
Why early identification is so important and addressing concerns parents can have around ‘labelling’.
How to share a diagnosis of Autism with your child.
Debunking the myths around overdiagnosis of Autism.

Things we mentioned:

The Victorian Early Assessment Clinic.
The SACS early identification screening tool training
The ASDectect app
Conversation article co-written by Josie and Marie Camin on talking to your child about their diagnosis.
Conversation article co-written by Josie and Dr Nancy Sadka debunking the myth around overdiagnosis of Autism.
Books to use as a conversation starter to introduce neurodivergence to a child include The Brain Forest and The Rainbow Brain, both by Sandyha Menon, and Round World Square Me by Chelsea Luker.

You can contact Josie via email at veac@latrobe.edu.au or find her on her socials here.

Want polished copies of our episodes in beautiful and readable pdf article format? Grab them here.

Enjoyed the episode and want to support us further? Join our Patreon community! Patreon subscribers receive basic episode transcripts from Season 4 onwards, access to a monthly live zoom hang out, 50% off our episode articles, plus bonus monthly content (depending on subscription tier). Check out our Patreon page to support us, as we aim to make quality mental health care information accessible to everyone: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sensory Regulation with Joanne Seymon Apr 14, 2024

A note to our listeners: In this episode we chat about self-harm. Some of our listeners may prefer to skip this one.

Happy Monday! In today’s episode Monique interviews Joanne Seymon; AuDHDer Occupational Therapist, and co-founder of Kaiko Fidgets. Jo is passionate about developing appropriate sensory tools for teens and adults, with a focus on harm minimisation and emotional regulation. She uses both her lived experience and her background in occupational therapy to match sensory needs to the right sensory support. In this episode Jo shares some personal details about her son Kai’s mental health journey, and Kai has given his consent for these details to be shared.

In this episode Monique and Jo cover:

How Kaiko Fidgets came to be and Jo’s path to diagnosis and understanding her own neurodivergence.
What actually is ‘Occupational Therapy’ (OT) and how can OTs work with neurodivergent folk?
Different sensory needs and ideas around supporting sensory regulation.
When pain is used as a regulator – Jo’s approach to this and some options for harm minimisation.
Understanding and managing the cumulative effect of sensory load.

Find Jo on her website (www.kaikofidgets.com), through her socials (@kaikofidgets), or reach out to her via email (jo@kaikofigets.com)

Want polished copies of our episodes in beautiful and readable pdf article format? Grab them here.

Enjoyed the episode and want to support us further? Join our Patreon community! Patreon subscribers receive basic episode transcripts from Season 4 onwards, access to a monthly live zoom hang out, 50% off our episode articles, plus bonus monthly content (depending on subscription tier). Check out our Patreon page to support us, as we aim to make quality mental health care information accessible to everyone: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod.

Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stimming with Marie Camin Apr 07, 2024

On this week’s episode Monique interviews Marie Camin about stimming. Marie is a multiply neurodivergent clinical psychologist, researcher, and a neurodiversity advocate. Marie is currently completing her PhD on Autistic stimming at La Trobe University and she is a Founding Committee Member of the OTARC Autistic Advisory Group; she believes strongly in contributing to a more accurate and affirming understanding of Autistic experiences through co-production with the community. She loves animals, pop culture, and anything creative.

This episode is jam packed with goodies! Monique and Marie cover:

Community as a key part of the neurodivergent identity.
Marie’s experience as a neurodivergent clinical psychologist and her path to discovering her own neurodivergence.
A side quest on special interests.
Everything stimming – what is it, how is it understood (both from a community perspective and based on the DSM), and many examples of what stimming can look like.
The evolution of thinking in the psychological field around the purpose of stimming and responses to stimming.
Harm minimisation approaches for stimming that is harmful to self or others (please be aware that self-harm is mentioned here, and so some listeners may decide to skip this).
Marie’s advice for other neurodivergent folks trying to function in a neuro-normative way.

Want to learn more about Marie or get in touch with her? You can find her through her website here, or on Instagram @mariecamin.

Check out her digital downloads and ND Pride stickers here!

Want polished copies of our episodes in beautiful and readable pdf article format? Grab them here.

Enjoyed the episode and want to support us further? Join our Patreon community! Patreon subscribers receive basic episode transcripts from Season 4 onwards, access to a monthly live zoom hang out, 50% off our episode articles, plus bonus monthly content (depending on subscription tier). Check out our Patreon page to support us, as we aim to make quality mental health care information accessible to everyone: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod.

Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pelvic and Sexual Pain with Shan Morrison Mar 31, 2024

This week on the podcast we interview ADHDer and physiotherapist Shan Morrison. Shan is a Specialist Women’s, Men’s & Pelvic Health Physiotherapist and fellow of the Australian College of Physiotherapists. She has practiced exclusively in pelvic health for 30 years, and is the director of Women’s & Men’s Health Physiotherapy: a private practice based in Melbourne that exists to restore pelvic health and empower every person to live their best life. Shan’s clinical passion is being part of a like-minded multi-disciplinary team that takes a whole person approach to supporting those experiencing persistent pelvic and sexual pain.

In this episode we cover:

Shan’s experience of neurodivergence, particularly as an ND physiotherapist, and her path to discovering her own neurodivergence.
The role of a Pelvic Health Physiotherapist in general, and we learn all about Shan’s specialty of pelvic pain, including the causes of persistent pelvic pain, some common pelvic pain conditions, and factors that contribute to persistent pelvic pain.
Shan’s approach to treating persistent pelvic pain wholistically – what does this involve and how does she do this in her practice.
The overlap of neurodivergence and persistent pain conditions.
Why is it so important to screen for multiple aspects of an individual’s mental and physical health as a health professional, regardless of your specific speciality.
What to do if you are experiencing persistent pelvic pain.

You can connect with Shan via her practice website – www.wmhp.com.au – or by email: shan@wmhp.com.au

Shan recommends the following resources:

This simple pain education website (general not pelvic pain).
The book ‘Healing Pelvic Pain’ by Dr Peta Wright and Dr Wright’s website which has a number of resources.

Things we mentioned:

Michelle’s on-demand webinar that Shan mentioned, for allied health professionals on Identifying Neurodivergence, can be accessed directly here or through our website.
You can access the study Shan mentioned on psychoeducational needs around persistent pelvic pain in women here.
The qualitative study on heterosexual sexual satisfaction that Michelle mentioned is in ‘Girls & Sex’ by Peggy Orenstein

Want polished copies of our episodes in beautiful and readable pdf article format? Grab them here.

Enjoyed the episode and want to support us further? Join our Patreon community! Patreon subscribers receive basic episode transcripts from Season 4 onwards, access to a monthly live zoom hang out, 50% off our episode articles, plus bonus monthly content (depending on subscription tier). Check out our Patreon page to support us, as we aim to make quality mental health care information accessible to everyone: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod.

Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Neurodivergent Parents Parenting Neurodivergent Kids with Dr Celia Falchi Mar 24, 2024

Today’s guest is ADHDer psychologist Dr. Celia Falchi. Celia works in private practice in Wellington, New Zealand. She works with predominantly neurodivergent clients across the lifespan, specialising in trauma work, and she engages in advocacy work within the profession, including being on the Education Committee for AADPA. Celia is also mum to two AuDHDer neurodivergent kids, who are 10 and 13 years old. In this episode Celia shares some personal details about her kids, and Celia’s kids have given their consent for these details to be shared.

In this episode we cover:

Celia’s personal journey with discovering her own neurodivergence in adulthood, and how her ADHD has affected different areas of her personal and professional life.
Juggling the emotions and needs of multiple different family members (including her own!).
The importance of “modelling humanity” as a parent, and showing that it’s OK to make mistakes.
The central importance of relationship and joyful connection when parenting, and approaching behavioural challenges with curiosity.
Supporting ND kids’ mental health as a parent, and the importance of belonging.
Advocating for and supporting your kids in the school system.

The book that Celia mentions is ‘Relationship Based Treatment of Children and their Parents; an integrative guide to neurobiology, attachment, regulation, and discipline’ by Elizabeth Sylvester and Kat Scherer.

Want polished copies of our episodes in beautiful and readable pdf article format? Grab them here.

Enjoyed the episode and want to support us further? Join our Patreon community! Patreon subscribers receive basic episode transcripts from Season 4 onwards, access to a monthly live zoom hang out, 50% off our episode articles, plus bonus monthly content (depending on subscription tier). Check out our Patreon page to support us, as we aim to make quality mental health care information accessible to everyone: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod.

Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

'We don't know what we don't know' with Jodie Wilson Mar 17, 2024

A note to our listeners – this episode briefly mentions suicide, so some of our listeners may decide to skip this one.

This week on the podcast Monique interviews Jodie Wilson, who is an AuDHDer veterinarian, researcher, author, and mum (not necessarily in that order!). Jodie advocates for diversity inclusion within the veterinary industry through her work with the Veterinary Kaleidoscope and she also works as a researcher at the Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre at La Trobe University. Jodie is currently in the middle of her second Masters degree, which looks at the intersection of autism and wellbeing, and she is about to launch her first non-fiction book: A Guide for Autistic Professionals Considering Disclosing their Diagnoses at Work.

In this episode Monique and Jodie cover:

Jodie’s experience of late diagnosis and what identification of her neurodivergence meant for her in both her personal and professional life.
How Jodie dealt with autistic burnout, managed a sudden loss in her physical mobility, and how she has tailored her working life to accommodate her needs.
Key take homes from Jodie’s research into the experience of autistic folk interacting with mental health systems.
The strengths that neurodivergent vets bring to the industry and the challenges that neurodivergent folk may face in this industry.
Jodie’s advocacy work with the Veterinary Kaleidoscope.
Jodie’s top tips for other adult diagnosed neurodivergent folk

For those wondering, Jodie’s research on the experience of autistic adults interacting with mental health care (and the associated resource to come out of this) is not currently publicly available, but we will share it when it is!

You can find the study that Monique mentioned on autistic folks with chronic pain interacting with the healthcare system here.

You can find Jodie here: www.disrupt.vet and sign up to get an alert when her book is out here: www.disrupt.vet/books

Want polished copies of our episodes in beautiful and readable pdf article format? Grab them here.

Enjoyed the episode and want to support us further? Join our Patreon community! Patreon subscribers receive basic episode transcripts from Season 4 onwards, access to a monthly live zoom hang out, 50% off our episode articles, plus bonus monthly content (depending on subscription tier). Check out our Patreon page to support us, as we aim to make quality mental health care information accessible to everyone: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod.

Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Menopause Transition Mar 10, 2024

Menopause! It happens to roughly half of the human race, but it continues to be shrouded in mystery for many people. In today’s episode we discuss this very important transition. We cover:

Why are we doing an episode on menopause?
The social aspect of the menopause transition.
An overview of our sex hormones and how these change during the menopause transition.
Early and premature menopause.
Common signs and symptoms of peri-menopause and menopause.
The effect of peri-menopause on our mood, cognition, and physical functioning.
The research on peri-menopause and menopause in neurodivergent folk.
Strategies for managing the menopause transition.

Things we mentioned:

ADDitude Survey on ADHD and menopause.
When My Autism Broke, Autism research ‘is all about the blokes and the kids’, and Period of Importance – studies on autism and menopause.
Australasian Menopause Society

Resources on Menopause:

Menopausing: The Positive Roadmap to Your Second Spring Hardcover by Davina McCall & Dr Naomi Potter. Dr Naomi Potter is a UK GP and British Menopause Society accredited specialist doctor.
Hormone Repair Manual: Every woman's guide to healthy hormones after 40 by Lara Briden
Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez
The Feel Good Guide to Menopause by Dr Nicola Gates
https://reframingautism.org.au/menopausal-and-melting-down-an-autistic-tale-of-sensory-survival/
https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/physical-health/menopause
https://henpicked.net/menopause-hub/

Want polished copies of our episodes in beautiful and readable pdf article format? Grab them here.

Enjoyed the episode and want to support us further? Join our Patreon community! Patreon subscribers receive basic episode transcripts from Season 4 onwards, access to a monthly live zoom hang out, 50% off our episode articles, plus bonus monthly content (depending on subscription tier). Check out our Patreon page to support us, as we aim to make quality mental health care information accessible to everyone: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod.

Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Decolonising Neurodivergence with Claire Johnston Jun 12, 2023

On our final episode for season 4 we welcome Claire Johnston to the podcast. Claire is a citizen of the Red River Métis Nation, who lives on the land of their ancestors in Treaty 1 Territory, also known as Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. They are a Métis beadwork artist and are currently mentoring under Métis artist and Knowledge Keeper Jennine Krauchi.

Claire is a proud autistic person who finds immense joy in working with their hands. They believe their ability to work intricately and precisely with their hands is a gift from their ancestors, meant to be shared with the world. Claire is a founding member of a grassroots Métis collective called Red River Echoes, which works towards reclaiming sovereignty, land, culture, and kinship across the Métis Homeland.

Claire is also a member of the Two-Spirit Michif local and is a team member of the Re*Storying Autism project out of Brandon University, which works toward a liberated future for neurodivergent people through art, and challenges western, capitalist, biomedical, and colonial understandings of people who think differently.

This episode was such a joy to record. We chat about the intersection of indigenous and neurodivergent identity, the impact of colonisation on identity formation for neurodivergent indigenous peoples, and how we can join the work of decolonising indigenous neurodivergent identity. We chat about claiming your identity through connection to culture and ancestral knowledge, and the vital importance of recognizing your gifts.

Claire shares their experience as both a research participant and a collaborator with the Re*Storying Autism project and speaks to the importance of having their experiences and the experiences of other indigenous autistic folk be ‘witnessed’. Claire shares their experience of neurodivergence, including the social justice drive, their work as a beadwork artist, and the strengths and challenges of their neurotype.

Things we mentioned:

Check out Claire’s short video for the Re*Storying Autism project here.
Find out more about the Re*Storying Autism project here (information about the the Critical Autism Summit 2024 will be oosted here, and the neurodiversity module for teachers will also be published here).
Re*Storying Autism Instragram
Get in contact with Claire by email clairenancyjohnston5@gmail.com or Instagram!

Want polished copies of our episodes in pdf article format? Grab them here.

Thanks for listening to the show! We will be back with Season 5 in February 2024. You can stay in touch over the season break by following us on Facebook and Instagram, or by joining our Patreon community. Patreon subscribers receive basic episode transcripts for Season 4, access to a monthly live zoom hang out, 50% off our episode articles, plus bonus monthly content (depending on subscription tier). Check out our Patreon page to support us, as we aim to make quality mental health care information accessible to everyone: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod.

Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Perfectionism with Jennifer Kemp Jun 04, 2023

This week we chat with Jennifer Kemp about perfectionism. Jennifer is a Clinical Psychologist based in Adelaide, Australia. She is the author of ‘The ACT Workbook for Perfectionism: Build Your Best (Imperfect) Life Using Powerful Acceptance & Commitment Therapy and Self-Compassion Skills’ as well as several e-books, which are linked below. Monique and Jennifer are currently co-writing a book on Neurodivergence and Self-Compassion, which is due to be released in 2024.

In her private practice Jennifer uses acceptance and commitment therapy and compassion-focused approaches with adults experiencing perfectionism, eating disorders, depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and chronic illness, as well as many late-diagnosed neurodivergent adults. Jennifer balances this quite imperfectly with writing, presenting, and providing consultations to professionals seeking to deepen their therapeutic practice.

On this episode Jennifer shares her personal experience of neurodivergence and perfectionism. She explains what is perfectionism, how perfectionism interacts with neurodivergence, and what can cause perfectionism. Jennifer shares with us what can perfectionism look like, for kids, teens, and adults. Throughout the episode we chat about strategies to work with perfectionism, and Jennifer also shares her top tips for managing perfectionism, including the ‘passengers on the bus’ metaphor.

You can find more of Jennifer’s work here:

Her website: https://jenniferkemp.com.au/
The ACT Workbook for Perfectionism
Free E-books: https://jenniferkemp.com.au/publications/ - including ‘Autistic Burnout: A Brief Guide to Recovery and Prevention’, ‘More than Procrastination: Strategies for Navigating Autistic Inertia and ADHD Paralysis’, and ‘The Perfectionistic Helper: Striving to Help and Never Fail’.
The Passengers on the Bus Metaphor Worksheet

Want polished copies of our episodes in pdf article format? Grab them here.

Thanks for listening to the show! We will be back with Season 5 in February 2024. You can stay in touch over the season break by following us on Facebook and Instagram, or by joining our Patreon community. Patreon subscribers receive basic episode transcripts for Season 4, access to a monthly live zoom hang out, 50% off our episode articles, plus bonus monthly content (depending on subscription tier). Check out our Patreon page to support us, as we aim to make quality mental health care information accessible to everyone: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod.

Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Acquired Brain Injury May 28, 2023

Happy Monday! This week we chat about Acquired Brain Injury (ABI). We cover what is an acquired brain injury and what can cause an ABI, how does ABI fit within the neurodivergence umbrella, and the prevalence of ABI in Australia. We explore what are some of the cognitive manifestations of ABI and what can impact how an ABI manifests, identity shifts that can occur with an ‘acquired’ neurodivergence and the role of grief and compassion, and factors to consider in recovery.

Access the nun study we mentioned here.

Want polished copies of our episode in pdf article format? Grab them here.

Thanks for listening to the show! We will be back with Season 5 in February 2024. You can stay in touch over the season break by following us on Facebook and Instagram, or by joining our Patreon community. Patreon subscribers receive basic episode transcripts for Season 4, access to a monthly live zoom hang out, 50% off our episode articles, plus bonus monthly content (depending on subscription tier). Check out our Patreon page to support us, as we aim to make quality mental health care information accessible to everyone: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod.

Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Selective mutism with Chantell Marshall May 21, 2023

This week we welcome Chantell Marshall to the podcast, who some may know through the social media handle @shylittlepixie. Chantell is an autistic woman, who lives with selective mutism, severe social anxiety and c-PTSD. She spends most of her time at home with her plants and her foster kittens. Chantell shares her personal journey through autism and mental health openly on social media; Chantell says that she finds this rather bizarre because in person she often cannot speak two words to a new person.

So it is for this reason that we have run this week’s episode a little differently. Because of Chantell’s selective mutism she is not able to speak with us, but she shares her experiences and answers our questions through the written word. Chantell’s words will be read by an autistic voice actor, Allison Welch.

On this episode we cover Chantell’s path to understanding her own neurodivergence and what this meant for her, what is selective mutism, language considerations and why Chantell prefers the term ‘selective’ mutism over ‘situational’ mutism, and Chantell’s experience of living with selective mutism throughout her childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. We also chat about the overlap of autism and selective mutism, how the fight flight and freeze responses play into selective mutism, and how common it is for internalised stress to be mistaken and praised for ‘compliance’, particularly in girls and afab individuals. Finally, Chantell shares what has been helpful and not helpful for her over her lifetime, her top tips for others, and some of her special interests!

Chantell would like to add the following:

I would like to thank Allison for being so kind to offer to be my voice for this podcast. I am so genuinely grateful to you! I would also like to thank Michelle and Monique for being so incredibly understanding in regard to my difficulties with speaking, and for being so willing to provide accommodations to enable me to still be able to share my story here on their wonderful podcast. This is honestly all it takes! I hope others can learn from their foresight and be willing to make adjustments for other Autistic people when needed, too.

Want polished copies of our episode in pdf article format? Grab them here.

Thanks for listening to the show! We will be back with Season 5 in February 2024. You can stay in touch over the season break by following us on Facebook and Instagram, or by joining our Patreon community. Patreon subscribers receive basic episode transcripts for Season 4, access to a monthly live zoom hang out, 50% off our episode articles, plus bonus monthly content (depending on subscription tier). Check out our Patreon page to support us, as we aim to make quality mental health care information accessible to everyone: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod.

Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Language and Communication with Adina Levy May 14, 2023

Today’s guest is Adina Levy. Adina is an AuDHDer, speech therapist, professional educator, and podcaster. She runs Play. Learn. Chat., and her podcast is called The Exploring Neurodiversity podcast. Adina loves intertwining her personal and clinical experiences with the lived experiences and perspectives of other neurodivergent people. She is dedicated to helping professionals and families to better understand the unique interests, individual strengths, and support needs of neurodivergent children.

In this episode we focus on understanding language and communication differences in neurodivergence, and the role that speech therapists can play. Adina talks to us about what a speech therapist is, why she doesn’t use the term ‘speech pathologist’, and how speech therapists can work with neurodivergent folks in an affirming way. We unpack what it means to communicate and the societal bias toward speech as the only form of communication. We chat about what can be behind communication differences in neurodivergent folk, and touch on gestalt language processing, the purpose of echolalia, the importance of incorporating nonspeaking time into daily life, literal interpretation of language, and interrupting. Finally, Adina shares her own experience as a neurodivergent speech therapist and gives her top tips for others.

Things we mentioned:

Visit Adina’s website here: https://playlearnchat.com/about/
Adina’s podcast is called The Exploring Neurodiversity podcast
Check her out on instagram @play.learn.chat
You can access Ido Kedar’s book, ‘Ido in Autismland’ here
Adina's checklist for parents looking for the right speech therapist for their child is here

Want polished copies of our episode in pdf article format? Grab them here.

Thanks for listening to the show! We will be back with Season 5 in February 2024. You can stay in touch over the season break by following us on Facebook and Instagram, or by joining our Patreon community. Patreon subscribers receive basic episode transcripts for Season 4, access to a monthly live zoom hang out, 50% off our episode articles, plus bonus monthly content (depending on subscription tier). Check out our Patreon page to support us, as we aim to make quality mental health care information accessible to everyone: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod.

Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Friendships May 07, 2023

This week we chat friendships – this was a huuuuuge topic! We cover understanding your friendship needs and how these might change over time, different ways of connecting and forms of friendships, maintenance and management of friendships over time, and factors specific to neurodivergent women and afab folk in friendships. We also chat through the impact of attachment and personal triggers on friendships and how to engage in healthy conflict management and boundary setting in friendships.

Want polished copies of our episode in pdf article format? Grab them here.

Thanks for listening to the show! We will be back with Season 5 in February 2024. You can stay in touch over the season break by following us on Facebook and Instagram, or by joining our Patreon community. Patreon subscribers receive basic episode transcripts for Season 4, access to a monthly live zoom hang out, 50% off our episode articles, plus bonus monthly content (depending on subscription tier). Check out our Patreon page to support us, as we aim to make quality mental health care information accessible to everyone: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod.

Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Neurodivergence and Sex with Talisin Switch Apr 30, 2023

Content warning: In this episode we talk explicitly and directly about sex. Please be mindful of this if you usually listen with children around.

This week we welcome Talisin Switch to the podcast. Talisin is a neurodivergent sex worker and educator, specialising in BDSM and queer exploration. They consider themself to be a person with one foot in theoretical academics and the other in practical experience and use an integrative approach to their work. They're passionate about further aiding people's knowledge of themselves in a welcoming and safe environment.

Talisin gives us a rundown on neuroqueer theory and shares their personal experience of neurodivergence. They take us through what their job entails, and we dive deep into sexual content, sex as play, disability and sex, the crucial role of sex education, and what BDSM means. Finally, we cover the overlap of neurodivergence and kink / gender-diverse / sexuality-diverse communities.

Want polished copies of our episode in pdf article format? Grab them here.

Thanks for listening to the show! We will be back with Season 5 in February 2024. You can stay in touch over the season break by following us on Facebook and Instagram, or by joining our Patreon community. Patreon subscribers receive basic episode transcripts for Season 4, access to a monthly live zoom hang out, 50% off our episode articles, plus bonus monthly content (depending on subscription tier). Check out our Patreon page to support us, as we aim to make quality mental health care information accessible to everyone: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod.

Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Personality Apr 23, 2023

This week’s episode is all about personality – what is personality, what factors impact the formation of personality, and how can we measure it? We also chat about personality disorders, unpacking what these are, how they are formed, and how personality disorders fit within the neurodiversity spectrum. We deep dive into Borderline Personality Disorder and Narcissistic Personality Disorder, as exemplifiers.

A note for astute listeners – early in the episode we are discussing temperament categories and the percentage of babies that fall into each category. These percentages don’t add up to 100% - this is because roughly 30% of kids don’t fall clearly into any category.

Michelle’s favourite book on a powerful female archetype: ‘Artemis; The Indominable Spirit in Every Woman’ by Jean Shinoda Bolen.

Want polished copies of our episodes in pdf article format? Grab them here.

Thanks for listening to the show! We will be back with Season 5 in February 2024. You can stay in touch over the season break by following us on Facebook and Instagram, or by joining our Patreon community. Patreon subscribers receive basic episode transcripts for Season 4, access to a monthly live zoom hang out, 50% off our episode articles, plus bonus monthly content (depending on subscription tier). Check out our Patreon page to support us, as we aim to make quality mental health care information accessible to everyone: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod.

Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Immigrant Experience and Neurodivergence with Sandhya Menon Apr 16, 2023

This week’s guest is author and educational and developmental psychologist, Sandhya Menon. Sandhya is an autistic ADHDer. She was born in Singapore, is of Indian-Swiss heritage. She moved to Naarm/Melbourne in Australia after high school, where she lives and works today.

Sandhya has written the book The Brain Forest to help children understand neurodiversity and inclusive practice. Her upcoming book, The Rainbow Brain, is the first children's book of its kind to outline both autism and ADHD in one person. Sandhya is a sought-after speaker at autism conferences and has spoken at Reframing Autism, Autism from the Inside Out and Yellow Ladybugs. Understanding intersectionality is an important part of her work, committing herself to the pursuit of anti-racist, neurodiversity-affirming and queer-inclusive education, acknowledging it is a process and journey.

We cover a huge amount of topics in this episode, including Sandhya’s professional work as a psychologist and author, her experiences as a BIPOC woman, an immigrant, and a neurodivergent woman, cultural difference in the experience of neurodivergence, Sandhya’s experience of how autism and ADHD live together within her, ‘ikigai’, and Sandhya’s top tips for others.

More from Sandhya:

Check out Sandhya’s website, Onwards and Upwards Psychology, here: https://www.onwardsandupwardspsychology.com.au/
Grab a copy of ‘The Brain Forest’ or pre-order Sandhya’s book ‘The Rainbow Brain’ here.
Sandhya also recommended the book ‘Living Sensationally’ by Winnie Dunn.

Want polished copies of our episodes in pdf article format? Grab them here.

Thanks for listening to the show! We will be back with Season 5 in February 2024. You can stay in touch over the season break by following us on Facebook and Instagram, or by joining our Patreon community. Patreon subscribers receive basic episode transcripts for Season 4, access to a monthly live zoom hang out, 50% off our episode articles, plus bonus monthly content (depending on subscription tier). Check out our Patreon page to support us, as we aim to make quality mental health care information accessible to everyone: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod.

Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder with Genevieve Hall Apr 09, 2023

This week we welcome Genevieve Hall back to the pod to chat with us about her experiences with Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD). Genevieve is a writer, marketing consultant, and creator of the Demimonde Jewel Shop. Her special interests include gemstones, bees, and starting new hobbies (ideally a niche crafting skill). On any given day Genevieve will be either powered or frustrated by her ADHD, and PMDD has been a familiar and unwelcome visitor over the years.

On this episode we unpack exactly what is PMDD, and how is it different from PMS or regular fluctuations in mood and physiology across a menstrual cycle. Genevieve shares her experience with PMDD, including the mood, cognitive, and physical symptoms she experienced, her path to diagnosis, the overlap between PMDD and ADHD, and strategies to manage and treat symptoms of PMDD. Tune in if you have a menstrual cycle or love someone who does!

Want polished copies of our episodes in pdf article format? Grab them here.

Thanks for listening to the show! We will be back with Season 5 in February 2024. You can stay in touch over the season break by following us on Facebook and Instagram, or by joining our Patreon community. Patreon subscribers receive basic episode transcripts for Season 4, access to a monthly live zoom hang out, 50% off our episode articles, plus bonus monthly content (depending on subscription tier). Check out our Patreon page to support us, as we aim to make quality mental health care information accessible to everyone: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod.

Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Self Expression with Cynthia Spleen Apr 02, 2023

This week we talk to Cynthia Spleen, aka @plasticmessiah, about self expression. Cynthia is a neuroqueer Mauritian creative based in Naarm. They identify as an autistic and nonbinary person, and have been drawing obsessively since they first picked up a pencil. Cynthia paints, makes music and comics, tattoos, writes, and performs.

We chat with Cynthia about identity and labels, fashion, creativity, unmasking, the centrality of interest and passion in their life, family relationships, and what is involved in a ‘light exorcism’. This was such a powerful conversation about the importance of self expression and the deep need for immersion in art and creativity that many ND people experience!

Check out Cynthia’s website here: www.cynthiaspleen.com or find them on socials @plasticmessiah

Want polished copies of our episodes in pdf article format? Grab them here.

Thanks for listening to the show! We will be back with Season 5 in February 2024. You can stay in touch over the season break by following us on Facebook and Instagram, or by joining our Patreon community. Patreon subscribers receive basic episode transcripts for Season 4, access to a monthly live zoom hang out, 50% off our episode articles, plus bonus monthly content (depending on subscription tier). Check out our Patreon page to support us, as we aim to make quality mental health care information accessible to everyone: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod.

Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Autistic Burnout Mar 26, 2023

Season 4 is here! We kick off the season with a very chunky episode on Autistic Burnout. In this episode we cover what is burnout in general, the difference between optimal and peak performance, what is Autistic Burnout and what are the signs, what causes and what exacerbates Autistic Burnout, preventative and recovery strategies, and what burnout can signal to us.

Find the study on autistic burnout that we mentioned here.

Want polished copies of our episodes in pdf article format? Grab them here.

Thanks for listening to the show! We will be back with Season 5 in February 2024. You can stay in touch over the season break by following us on Facebook and Instagram, or by joining our Patreon community. Patreon subscribers receive basic episode transcripts for Season 4, access to a monthly live zoom hang out, 50% off our episode articles, plus bonus monthly content (depending on subscription tier). Check out our Patreon page to support us, as we aim to make quality mental health care information accessible to everyone: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod.

Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Your questions answered Nov 28, 2022

On our last episode for Season 3 we answer your questions! We cover:

Questions around diagnosis, including the process of getting a diagnosis, grief and identity issues around late diagnosis, when to tell kids about their diagnosis, and the pros and cons of diagnosis
Why is it that some neurodivergent people seem to ‘thrive in chaos’ and others need clear structure, routine, and processes?
Imposter Syndrome
Strategies for removing sensory and practical barriers to self care.
Can medication help executive functioning issues in autistic adults?
Nuances in sensory processing – sensitivity to multisensory environments versus specific triggers and tactile defensiveness.
Social anxiety disorder versus autistic social anxiety.
Different aspects of interoceptive awareness.
Strategies to make your work life less draining for you and a better fit.

Thanks everyone who sent in questions, and listen out in Season 4 for full episodes on some of the meatier topic suggestions and questions!

Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com

Visit our websites to attend upcoming client and professional development webinars:

Michelle's website: https://www.michellelivock.com/

Monique's website: http://moniquemitchelson.com.au/

We are on Patreon! Check out our Patreon page to support us, as we aim to make quality mental health care information accessible to everyone: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Identity with Clem Bastow Nov 21, 2022

This week we welcome Clem Bastow to the pod. Clem is an autistic author, cultural critic and screenwriting researcher from Naarm/Melbourne. Their work appears regularly in The Guardian, The Saturday Paper and The Big Issue, and their debut nonfiction book ‘Late Bloomer’ was published by Hardie Grant in 2021. They are currently completing a PhD in screenwriting and Autistic experience at RMIT, and they have taught screenwriting at University of Melbourne and short story at RMIT.

We chat with Clem about identity, language, and the power of seeing ourselves represented in fiction and media. We discuss the importance of seeing autistic stories, shared by autistic voices, to better represent the diversity of autistic experience. Clem shares their path to diagnosis and an autistic identity, and we chat about the myth of ‘high functioning’.

For more about Clem, or to buy their book ‘Late Bloomer’, check out Clem’s website here: http://www.clembastow.com/

Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com

Visit our websites to attend upcoming client and professional development webinars:

Michelle's website: https://www.michellelivock.com/

Monique's website: http://moniquemitchelson.com.au/

We are on Patreon! Check out our Patreon page to support us, as we aim to make quality mental health care information accessible to everyone: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Advocacy with Barb Cook Nov 14, 2022

This week we have Barb Cook on the pod. Barb is a neurodivergent author, speaker, and advocate, best known as founder of Spectrum Women Magazine and leading editor and co-author of the book, Spectrum Women, Walking to the Beat of Autism. Barb works in her own practice, the NeuroDiversity Hub in Gympie, as a Developmental Educator, Integrative Nutritionist and a Neurodiversity Employment Consultant for neurodivergent adults.

We chat with Barb about advocacy, including her journey to becoming an autistic, ADHDer, and dyslexic advocate, how to become an advocate for yourself and for others, and what are some of the key barriers to self-advocacy. This episode is packed full of practical examples and tips from Barb about how to know what you need and advocate for this. Barb also chats with us about the importance of self-acceptance and advocating for yourself, to yourself, after a late diagnosis.

Find a registered developmental educator here: www.deai.com.au

The Autistic Self Advocacy Network of Australia and New Zealand (ASAN) https://asan-aunz.org/

For links to Barb’s books, including her new book with Yenn Purkis ‘The Autism and Neurodiversity Self-Advocacy Handbook’, check out Barb’s website here: https://barbcook.com.au/

Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com

Visit our websites to attend upcoming client and professional development webinars:

Michelle's website: https://www.michellelivock.com/

Monique's website: http://moniquemitchelson.com.au/

We are on Patreon! Check out our Patreon page to support us, as we aim to make quality mental health care information accessible to everyone: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pathological Demand Avoidance Nov 07, 2022

On this week’s episode we discuss Pathological Demand Avoidance, or PDA. We explore what PDA is, including the history of this construct, and the positives and negatives of the PDA concept. We cover what factors can contribute to demand avoidance amongst neurodivergent people, including personal, neurobiological, cultural, and social factors, and chat though how our stress response plays into demand avoidance, and what you can do to lessen the impact of demand avoidance on your life (or how you can support your child with this).

For more information on Pathological Demand Avoidance check out:

Kirsty Forbes (https://www.kristyforbes.com.au/)
Raelene Dundon, who has authored ‘PDA in the Therapy Room – A clinician’s guide to working with children with Pathological Demand Avoidance’.

Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com

Email us your questions for our Q&A episode by November 7th!

Visit our websites to attend upcoming client and professional development webinars:

Michelle's website: https://www.michellelivock.com/

Monique's website: http://moniquemitchelson.com.au/

We are on Patreon! Check out our Patreon page to support us, as we aim to make quality mental health care information accessible to everyone: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Repetitive behaviours Oct 31, 2022

This week we explore repetitive behaviours. We cover repetitive behaviours in autism, OCD, tics and Tourette’s Syndrome, and hoarding behaviour, including what causes and drives repetitive behaviours across these neurodivergences. We discuss the overlap of different neurodivergences that include repetitive behaviours, in addition to what distinguishes and differentiates different forms of repetitive behaviour.

Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com

Email us your questions for our Q&A episode by November 7th!

Visit our websites to attend upcoming client and professional development webinars:

Michelle's website: https://www.michellelivock.com/

Monique's website: http://moniquemitchelson.com.au/

We are on Patreon! Check out our Patreon page to support us, as we aim to make quality mental health care information accessible to everyone: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sexual assault and neurodivergence Oct 24, 2022

Trigger warning: This episode contains multiple references to sexual assault. Listener discretion is advised.

It is a disturbing reality that neurodivergent women are more likely to experience sexual assault in their lifetime compared to neurotypical women. In this episode we define sexual assault and sexual consent, and chat through the statistics around sexual assault amongst neurodivergent women. We explore the factors driving the increased risk of sexual assault for neurodivergent women and discuss how to enact change, at a personal and societal level.

Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com

Email us your questions for our Q&A episode by November 7th!

Visit our websites to attend upcoming client and professional development webinars:

Michelle's website: https://www.michellelivock.com/

Monique's website: http://moniquemitchelson.com.au/

We are on Patreon! Check out our Patreon page to support us, as we aim to make quality mental health care information accessible to everyone: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Diversity and inclusion support in the workplace with Dr Tanya Murray Oct 09, 2022

Dr Tanya Murray is an autistic woman and the principal project officer for the All Kinds of Minds team for the Department of Education in Queensland. This week we chat with Tanya about diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We cover what inclusion means in a workplace, ways that workplaces can work toward inclusion, make change, and embrace a different approach, how to create an inclusive culture in the workplace, and how employees can recognize if a workplace is inclusive. We explore the strengths that neurodivergent minds bring to the workplace, and go through some examples of workplace adjustments to enable neurodivergent minds to flourish in a work setting. Finally, Tanya tells us about The All Kinds of Minds team that she is part of, and the neurodiversity pilot her team has run.

Check out the Diversity Council of Australia website here - https://www.dca.org.au/

Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com

Email us your questions for our Q&A episode by November 7th!

Visit our websites to attend upcoming client and professional development webinars:

Michelle's website: https://www.michellelivock.com/

Monique's website: http://moniquemitchelson.com.au/

We are on Patreon! Check out our Patreon page to support us, as we aim to make quality mental health care information accessible to everyone: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Disability with Dr Sarah Bernard Oct 03, 2022

This week we welcome Dr Sarah Bernard on the podcast. Dr Bernard is a disabled autistic ADHDer doctor based in Perth. She is a research team member at Autistic Doctors International and is passionate about disability advocacy and neurodiversity in healthcare. We cover a lot in this episode, including Sarah’s experiences as a neurodivergent woman in university, medical training, and professional life, the intersection of gender expectations and neurodivergence when communicating, and work-based accommodations and strategies. Sarah also shares her experience of mirror touch synaesthesia.

Sarah shares with us her path to diagnosis, and her experiences ‘coming out’ as neurodivergent and as disabled. We talk about the myth of ‘high functioning’, what it means to be disabled, and the importance of interdependence over independence.

Check out Sarah’s blog, The Neurodivergent Doctor, here - https://neurodivergentdr.wixsite.com/website

Check out Autistic Doctors International here – www.autisticdoctorsinternational.com

Sarah is on Twitter - @autisticdoc

Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com

Email us your questions for our Q&A episode by November 7th!

Visit our websites to attend upcoming client and professional development webinars:

Michelle's website: https://www.michellelivock.com/

Monique's website: http://moniquemitchelson.com.au/

We are on Patreon! Check out our Patreon page to support us, as we aim to make quality mental health care information accessible to everyone: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Depression and anxiety Sep 26, 2022

In this episode Michelle and Monique explore two of the most common mental health conditions: depression and anxiety. We unpack what separates normal sadness and worry from clinical levels of depression and anxiety and what the ‘purpose’ of these emotional states are. We discuss the overlap of depression and anxiety in neurodivergence, including how common it is, and what factors contribute to depression and anxiety in neurodivergence. Finally, we talk solutions. Including how to support good mental health functioning long term, and what you can do in the moment.

Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com

Email us your questions for our Q&A episode by November 7th!

Visit our websites to attend upcoming client and professional development webinars:

Michelle's website: https://www.michellelivock.com/

Monique's website: http://moniquemitchelson.com.au/

We are on Patreon! Check out our Patreon page to support us, as we aim to make quality mental health care information accessible to everyone: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Exceptional and unusual abilities in neurodivergence Sep 19, 2022

This week Michelle and Monique discuss unusual and exceptional abilities in neurodivergence. We explore savant abilities, ‘splinter skills’, hyperlexia, and giftedness, as well as ‘twice exceptionality’.

Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com

Email us your questions for our Q&A episode by November 7th!

Visit our websites to attend upcoming client and professional development webinars:

Michelle's website: https://www.michellelivock.com/

Monique's website: http://moniquemitchelson.com.au/

We are on Patreon! Check out our Patreon page to support us, as we aim to make quality mental health care information accessible to everyone: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bipolar Disorder with Anastasia McLean Sep 11, 2022

This week Michelle and Monique talk with Anastasia McLean about Bipolar Disorder. Anastasia is the host of The Bipolar Diaries podcast. In this episode we cover what actually is Bipolar and Anastasia shares her experiences through adolescence, getting a diagnosis, and into adulthood. We talk about the difficulty teasing apart personality and neurodivergence, the overlap of some of the cognitive traits of Bipolar and ADHD, trauma, her experiences with friendships and relationships, and her medication journey. Anastasia shares her key behavioural and lifestyle strategies, and also the strengths that have come with her neurodivergence.

Anastasia talks about her experiences with such openness and grace – it was such a pleasure to have her on the podcast!

Listen to Anastasia’s podcast – The Bipolar Diaries – wherever you get your podcasts. Follow her on Instagram @thebipolardiaries_

Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com

Email us your questions for our Q&A episode by November 7th!

Visit our websites to attend upcoming client and professional development webinars:

Michelle's website: https://www.michellelivock.com/

Monique's website: http://moniquemitchelson.com.au/

We are on Patreon! Check out our Patreon page to support us, as we aim to make quality mental health care information accessible to everyone: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does an Autistic, ADHD’er brain look like? Sep 05, 2022

Welcome to Season 3 of the pod! In this episode Michelle and Monique discuss the overlap and the differences between Autism and ADHD. We cover the differences in presentation of the two, and what it looks like to have both an Autistic and ADHD brain, across executive functioning, special interest, social processing, and sensory processing domains. We also explore the diagnostic criteria for both Autism and ADHD; what is being measured through these criteria and what are other possible explanations for Autistic and ADHD traits.

Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com

Email us your questions for our Q&A episode by November 7th!

Visit our websites to attend upcoming client and professional development webinars:

Michelle's website: https://www.michellelivock.com/

Monique's website: http://moniquemitchelson.com.au/

We are on Patreon! Check out our Patreon page to support us, as we aim to make quality mental health care information accessible to everyone: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Neurodivergence and disordered eating with Annie Crowe May 02, 2022

TW: This episode discusses disordered eating, weight loss, and diet culture, and Annie describes her experiences during periods of an active eating disorder. Some listeners may find this content triggering, particularly those currently experiencing an active eating disorder, and those in recovery from an eating disorder. Please consume with caution, and reach out to your local crisis line if you need to talk to a professional.

In our final episode for Season 2 Michelle and Monique chat with Annie Crowe about neurodivergence, late diagnosis, chronic health issues, and disordered eating. Annie is an Autistic lawyer with ADHD, dyslexia and Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. Annie shares her journey to diagnosis and her experience of disordered eating throughout her childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. We chat about the overlap between neurodivergence and eating disorders, including common eating disorders that co-occur with Autism and ADHD, and untangling eating issues that are part of neurodivergence versus part of an eating disorder. We discuss barriers to effective treatment of health and eating issues for neurodivergent individuals and what can be done differently to improve treatment and recovery.

Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com

Michelle's website: https://www.michellelivock.com/

Monique's website: http://moniquemitchelson.com.au/

We are on Patreon! Check out our Patreon page for exclusive additional content: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod

To find out more about Michelle’s upcoming online webinars, visit www.redlandspsychologists.com.au/groups

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Interoception and alexithymia Apr 25, 2022

This week Monique and Michelle chat about interoception and alexithymia. We unpack what these concepts mean, and the difference between the two, including understanding our embodied experiences and emotional awareness. We describe some activities to build interoceptive awareness.

A handout detailing the interoceptive activity described on the podcast will be available on our Patreon this month!

Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com

Michelle's website: https://www.michellelivock.com/

Monique's website: http://moniquemitchelson.com.au/

We are on Patreon! Check out our Patreon page for exclusive additional content: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod

To find out more about Michelle’s upcoming online webinars, visit www.redlandspsychologists.com.au/groups

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Representation and intersectionality with Paige Krystal Wilcox Apr 11, 2022

Our guest this week is Paige Krystal Wilcox. Paige is an award-winning activist and author, and she uses the Intentional Storytelling method to create compelling stories that counter unhealthy or unhelpful bias, tropes, and stereotypes in mainstream media. Paige is a neurodivergent woman who was assigned male at birth, and she does not use the labels trans or transgender.

In this episode we discuss the power of stories as a communication tool and the importance of representation in media. Paige shares with us her method for creating complex and diverse characters. We unpack ‘intersectionality’ and what this has meant for Paige throughout her life, and the personal strengths and challenges that have come from her neurodivergences and life experiences. Finally, Paige shares some of the accommodations she has in the workplace and she extols the benefits of spreadsheets and walking!

Paige’s books:

My Life Most Memoirable

Before We Pulled The Trigger

Paige’s podcasts:

Listen More with Page Krystal Wilcox

Paisal: A True RomCom

Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com

Michelle's website: www.michellelivock.com

Monique's website: www.moniquemitchelson.com.au

We are on Patreon! Check out our Patreon page for exclusive additional content: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod

To find out more about Michelle’s upcoming online webinars, visit www.redlandspsychologists.com.au/groups

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Parenting neurodivergent kids Apr 04, 2022

Monique and Michelle discuss some of the strengths and challenges in parenting neurodivergent kids, whilst being neurodivergent yourself. We talk through the heritability of neurodivergence, intergenerational impacts of this, and the importance of knowing yourself to best know and support your child. We address boundary setting, managing conflicting sensory needs, teaching interoception, and managing expectations.

Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com

We are on Patreon! Check out our Patreon page for exclusive additional content: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod

To find out more about Michelle’s upcoming online webinars, visit www.redlandspsychologists.com.au/groups

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Perinatal maternal mental health and neurodiversity with Amanda Donnet Mar 28, 2022

In this week’s episode Monique and Michelle interview clinical psychologist, Amanda Donnet. Amanda works at the intersection of infant feeding, mental health, and early parenting, and she works from a Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) framework. She champions finding solutions that honour the needs of both parents and baby, bringing fierce compassion to perinatal mental health.

In this episode we discuss common mental health challenges in the perinatal period and the intersection of society, gender, and neurodiversity in the perinatal mental health space. We unpack some common CFT-based frameworks and approaches in this space, and talk though loads of practical strategies, coving maternal rage in the perinatal period, managing sensory and executive functioning load, and how to manage both mother and baby’s needs during this time.

This episode is packed with information! This month our Patreon subscribers receive a tip sheet detailing many of the great strategies mentioned in the episode. Check out our Patreon page for this and more exclusive additional content: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod

Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com

To find out more about Michelle’s upcoming online webinars, visit www.redlandspsychologists.com.au/groups

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Treating sleep disorders Mar 21, 2022

This week is part 2 of our two-part series on sleep. In this episode we discuss issues around chronic disordered sleep. We chat about the impact of sleep on emotional regulation and the feedback loops between other disorders or health conditions and sleep, including trauma, anxiety, depression, and pain conditions.

Monique takes us through how sleep disorders are actually assessed and treated. She explains the sleep drive and how we can tune into this for the best chance of sleeping, and how sleep consolidation works.

Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com

We are on Patreon! Check out our Patreon page for exclusive additional content: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod

To find out more about Michelle’s upcoming online webinars, visit www.redlandspsychologists.com.au/groups

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Synaesthesia and ADHD epidemiology with Dr Holly Erskine Mar 14, 2022

This week Monique and Michelle interview neurodivergent woman, epidemiologist, and mental health researcher, Dr Holly Erskine. Holly’s PhD research focussed on the global epidemiology of ADHD and conduct disorder as well as the long-term outcomes associated with these. She now leads an international project looking at mental health in adolescents in Kenya, Indonesia, and Vietnam.

In this episode we discuss with Holly her experience of synaesthesia and she explains to us just how grapheme-colour synaesthesia works. Holly also describes her research on ADHD epidemiology, including prevalence data, long term outcomes for ADHDers, and the surprising (or maybe not!) connection between ADHD and driving accidents. We discuss disability and disorder terminology versus ‘difference’, and unpack some of the intricacies and inadequacies of language.

To explore more about GBD data visit GBD compare at: https://vizhub.healthdata.org/gbd-compare/

A caveat: Dr Holly Erskine is not associated with the Deloitte report mentioned in the episode.

Please excuse some of the audio bumps – this was our first attempt at recording over Zoom!

Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com

We are on Patreon! Check out our Patreon page for exclusive additional content: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod

To find out more about Michelle’s upcoming online webinars, visit www.redlandspsychologists.com.au/groups

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chronic pain and autoimmune conditions Mar 07, 2022

In this episode Monique and Michelle discuss the overlap between neurodivergence, chronic pain, and autoimmune conditions. We review information on the prevalence of chronic pain and autoimmune conditions in neurodivergent women and discuss what can contribute to these conditions in neurodivergent women. Finally, we go through some strategies on how to manage the ‘boom and bust’ of chronic health conditions.

Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com

We are on Patreon! Check out our Patreon page for exclusive additional content: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod

To find out more about Michelle’s upcoming online webinars, visit www.redlandspsychologists.com.au/groups

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sleep and neurodivergence Feb 28, 2022

This week is part 1 of a two-part sleep series. Monique and Michelle discuss sleep cycles, common sleep issues and sleep disorders in neurodivergent people, and what can contribute to or cause sleeping issues. We go through some strategies to support healthy sleep, and what to do if you’re worried about your sleep.

In part 2 of the sleep series, to be released on 21st March, we will dive into clinical sleep disorders and how to treat them.

Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com

We are on Patreon! Check out our Patreon page for exclusive additional content: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod

To find out more about Michelle’s upcoming online webinars, visit www.redlandspsychologists.com.au/groups

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Psychosis and schizophrenia with Dr Ilvana Dzafic Feb 21, 2022

In this episode Monique and Michelle interview schizophrenia and psychosis researcher, Dr Ilvana Dzafic. We unpack how psychosis and schizophrenia fit into the neurodiversity framework, what is the psychosis continuum, and how psychosis and schizophrenia are experienced and perceived cross culturally. We also explore some underlying biological mechanisms of psychosis, including the predictive coding theory, and chat about differences between men and women experiencing psychosis. Ilvana shares her own experiences of psychotic-like perceptions.

Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com

We are on Patreon! Check out our Patreon page for exclusive additional content: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod

To sign up for Michelle’s online webinar on Understanding Autism on 24th February 2022, or to find out more about this and other upcoming webinars, visit www.redlandspsychologists.com.au/groups

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Executive functioning Feb 14, 2022

This week Monique and Michelle unpack executive functioning – our brain’s ‘admin team’. We talk about how neurodivergent brains manage and act on information, covering working memory, planning and organising, and getting started on tasks. We also discuss differences between executive functioning in ADHD and Autism, and strategies to support executive functioning.

Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com

We are on Patreon! Check out our Patreon page for exclusive additional content: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod

To sign up for Michelle’s online webinar on Understanding Autism on 24th February 2022, or to find out more about this and other upcoming webinars, visit www.redlandspsychologists.com.au/groups

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The history of neurodivergence Feb 07, 2022

Kicking off our second season, Monique and Michelle explore the history of neurodivergence. In this episode we discuss the idea of a ‘normal’ brain, the adaptive functions of various neurodivergencies, how cultural narratives can impact how we see our effectiveness in society, and the historical evolution of Autism and ADHD.

Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com

We are on Patreon! Check out our Patreon page for exclusive additional content: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Neurodivergent Woman Season Two Trailer Jan 31, 2022

Welcome to Season 2 of The Neurodivergent Woman Podcast! Episode 1 coming February 7th!
Join us, clinical psychologist Monique Mitchelson and clinical neuropsychologist Michelle Livock, for the second season of The Neurodivergent Woman Podcast – a podcast showcasing neurodivergent women from all walks of life. Covering Autism to ADHD and everything in between, we aim to educate and inspire women who think differently.
Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com
We are on Patreon! Check out our Patreon page for exclusive additional content: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Relationships and communication Sep 27, 2021

In our final episode for season 1, Monique and Michelle talk about relationships and communication. We discuss making friends as an adult, communication barriers in neurotypical-neurodivergent relationships and in neurodivergent-neurodivergent relationships, attachment theory, and navigating intimate relationships.

In this episode we briefly discuss attachment theory. It is important to flag that regardless of your attachment style, it is very possible to move toward a secure attachment as an adult. The following books are a good starting place:

Raising a Secure Child - Kent Hoffman, Glen Cooper, Bert Powell

Attached - Amir Levine, Rachel Heller

Hold Me Tight - Sue Johnson

Other books we mentioned:

Safety Skills for Women on the Spectrum – Leanne Holiday

ADHD After Dark – Ari Tuckman

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The female hormone cycle Sep 19, 2021

In this episode Monique and Michelle discuss the female hormone cycle. We chat about what happens at each stage of our hormone cycle, how this impacts multiple aspects of our daily functioning, and what we can do to make each stage work for us.

Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com

We are on Patreon! Check out our Patreon page for exclusive additional content: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod

To find out more about Michelle’s upcoming online webinars, visit www.redlandspsychologists.com.au/groups

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ADHD with Genevieve Hall Sep 12, 2021

In this episode Monique and Michelle talk with Genevieve Hall. Genevieve is an ADHDer, a writer, and a digital marketer. She shares the importance of having a ‘roadmap’ to her brain, what the diagnostic process was like for her, and her experiences with medication.

Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com

We are on Patreon! Check out our Patreon page for exclusive additional content: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod

To find out more about Michelle’s upcoming online webinars, visit www.redlandspsychologists.com.au/groups

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Autism with Tanya Sep 05, 2021

Monique and Michelle have Tanya on the podcast this week. Tanya is Autistic, she is a public servant researcher, and parent. She shares what being Autistic means to her, the importance of finding your tribe, and her experience as an Autistic parent.

Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com

We are on Patreon! Check out our Patreon page for exclusive additional content: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod

To find out more about Michelle’s upcoming online webinars, visit www.redlandspsychologists.com.au/groups

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Neurodivergence and therapy Aug 29, 2021

This week Monique and Michelle talk about neurodivergence in the therapy space, including how therapy is adjusted, strategies for anxiety and overwhelm, and different therapeutic styles.

Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com

We are on Patreon! Check out our Patreon page for exclusive additional content: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod

To find out more about Michelle’s upcoming online webinars, visit www.redlandspsychologists.com.au/groups

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Neurodivergence and trauma Aug 20, 2021

In this week’s episode Monique and Michelle discuss the overlap between neurodivergence and trauma. They cover the difference between big T and little t traumas, how trauma processed in the brain, and how trauma is treated.

Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com

We are on Patreon! Check out our Patreon page for exclusive additional content: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod

To find out more about Michelle’s upcoming online webinars, visit www.redlandspsychologists.com.au/groups

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dyslexia with Hariet Dunn Aug 15, 2021

This week Monique and Michelle talk to Hariet Dunn. Hariet is dyslexic, and she’s a film and TV editer, set designer, and costume designer. Hariet shares her experiences in the school system and how she managed this, and the creative strengths dyslexia has given her.

Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com

We are on Patreon! Check out our Patreon page for exclusive additional content: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Perceptual and processing differences Aug 07, 2021

Monique and Michelle discuss some common perceptual and processing differences, including synaesthesia, prosopagnosia, Central Auditory Processing Disorder, and Sensory Processing Disorder, and how these differences can manifest in various forms for different people.

Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com

We are on Patreon! Check out our Patreon page for exclusive additional content: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod

To find out more about Michelle’s upcoming online webinars, visit www.redlandspsychologists.com.au/groups

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The learning disorders Jul 30, 2021

In this episode Monique and Michelle discuss the learning disorders – dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, and dyspraxia. What are they, what’s going on neurologically in these conditions, and how does our culture and environment impact the expression of these conditions.

Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com

We are on Patreon! Check out our Patreon page for exclusive additional content: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod

To find out more about Michelle’s upcoming online webinars, visit www.redlandspsychologists.com.au/groups

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ADHD with Debbie Jeffries Jul 24, 2021

Monique and Michelle welcome their first guest onto the podcast, clinical psychologist and neuropsychologist Debbie Jeffries. Debbie is an ADHDer and business owner, and in this episode she shares her experiences of ADHD and her personal and professional insights into making ADHD work for you.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Getting a diagnosis Jul 17, 2021

In this episode Monique and Michelle discuss the diagnostic process for Autism and ADHD in adults.

Find us on Facebook and Instagram!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is neurodiversity? Jul 10, 2021

In this inaugural episode of The Neurodivergent Woman, Monique and Michelle explore what distinguishes the neurodivergent and neurotypical brain, what this looks like for women, and how we can understand and lean into our strengths.

Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com

We are on Patreon! Check out our Patreon page for exclusive additional content: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod

To find out more about Michelle’s upcoming online webinars, visit www.redlandspsychologists.com.au/groups

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The Neurodivergent Woman Season One Trailer Jul 03, 2021

Episode 1 of The Neurodivergent Woman coming July 10th!
Join us, clinical psychologist Monique Mitchelson and clinical neuropsychologist Michelle Livock, for the inaugural season of The Neurodivergent Woman – a podcast showcasing neurodivergent women from all walks of life. Covering Autism to ADHD and everything in between, we aim to educate and inspire women who think differently.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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