Embracing Intensity 237: Passionate about Equality for Neurodiverse People
I’m excited to introduce you to today’s guest. She’s a highly esteemed expert in the area of neuroscience and twice-exceptionality. Join us to learn more!
Dr. Nicole Tetreault is a compassionate author, meditation teacher, and international speaker on neurodiversity, neurodevelopment, creativity, mental health, and wellness. Her book, Insight into a Bright Mind, explores groundbreaking research examining the experiences of unique, creative, and intense brains while advocating for new directions of human diversity and neurodiversity. Nicole is the founder of Awesome Neuroscience and translates the most promising neuroscience and positive psychology for people to live their best life. She is on the faculty at Bridges Graduate School of Cognitive Diversity and Education, and she leads a new generation of meditation practices by fusing novel discoveries in neuroscience with the ancient art of meditation. As the recipient of the Milton Career Exploration Prize from CalTech, she founded the novel nonprofit, Beyond the Cell, a transformative program to rehabilitate incarcerated women through guided meditation, neuroscience, literature, and expressive writing. Nicole believes we have the ability to wire our minds for positive plasticity through compassion and wisdom to live the life we dream.
Show Highlights:
- Why Nicole is intensely passionate about neuroscience, positive psychology, and understanding diversity with compassion
- How Nicole knew from a very young age that she was different than others and greatly affected by social injustices
- How Nicole struggled when her intelligence didn’t match up for her in the classroom
- How Nicole spent her adult years rewiring her brain with new patterns, thoughts, stories, and ideas
- What Nicole would tell her former teachers about how they were “missing” each other
- How Nicole experienced stereotyping and white privilege growing up as a blond Caucasian girl in a private school in a part of Los Angeles with a large Latino and Chinese population
- How Nicole had to tone herself down in phases in her life, mostly by learning to hide in middle school and again in grad school
- How Nicole’s intensity got out of control in grad school when she felt pressure and anxiety to be perfect
- Nicole’s transformational meditation practice to regulate her intensity and emotional intelligence
- The challenge in balancing a good mindfulness practice with what goes on in today’s world
- Nicole’s take on spiritual bypassing and toxic positivity
- How Nicole uses her fire for good in connecting and partnering with others who are passionate about equality for neurodiverse people
- Nicole’s habits that help harness the power of her intensity: giving herself breaks for investigation, creativity, and curiosity; meditation; writing every day in a journal; and partnering with other creatives in the community
- How Nicole helps others use their fire by helping students see their magic and helping other people see their individual gifts
- How Nicole’s book: how it came about when she listened to her gut, how it inspires others, and how she wants to change the language about being twice-exceptional
Resources:
Find Awesome Neuro on Instagram and Twitter
Connect with me: 2E Connection