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 episode in pdf article format? Grab them here. We currently have listener favourite episodes from seasons 1-3 available for download, with more being added!

We are on Patreon! 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.

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. We currently have listener favourite episodes from seasons 1-3 available for download, with more being added!

We are on Patreon! 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.

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. We currently have listener favourite episodes from seasons 1-3 available for download, with more being added!

We are on Patreon! Patreon subscribers receive basic episode transcripts for Season 4, access to a monthly live zoom lang 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.

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. We currently have listener favourite episodes from seasons 1-3 available for download, with more being added!

We are on Patreon! Patreon subscribers receive basic episode transcripts for Season 4, access to a monthly live zoom lang 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.

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. We currently have listener favourite episodes from seasons 1-3 available for download, with more being added!

We are on Patreon! Patreon subscribers receive basic episode transcripts for Season 4, access to a monthly live zoom lang 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.

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. We currently have listener favourite episodes from seasons 1-3 available for download, with more being added!

We are on Patreon! Patreon subscribers receive basic episode transcripts for Season 4, access to a monthly live zoom lang 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.

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.

We are on Patreon! Patreon subscribers receive basic episode transcripts, 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.

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.

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.

We are on Patreon! Patreon subscribers receive basic episode transcripts, 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.

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.

We are on Patreon! Patreon subscribers receive basic episode transcripts, 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.

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.

We are on Patreon! Patreon subscribers receive basic episode transcripts, 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.

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.

We are on Patreon! Patreon subscribers receive basic episode transcripts, 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

A special announcement! Be part of the wave of change as we aim to make quality mental health care information accessible to everyone and create systemic change in the way mental health information is distributed and accessed.

Visit our websites to see a complete list of upcoming trainings and webinars.

For Michelle’s client webinars visit:

https://www.michellelivock.com/webinars

For Michelle’s professional development trainings visit:

https://www.michellelivock.com/professionaldevelopment

For Monique’s training series visit:

https://moniquemitchelson.com.au/373-2/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.