The Christina Crowe Podcast: Making the invisible VISIBLE

In today’s episode, I am talking to Tom Ebeyer, founder of the Aphantasia Network. We love making invisible things visible, and this might truly be the most invisible thing we have ever discussed on the show! Today, we are making invisible things visible for people who don’t see visual images when they are asked to imagine things. I am talking to Tom Ebeyer, founder of the Aphantasia Network. I had LOTS of questions for him, because over the past 2 years, I have quite the cohort of clients who have aphantasia, now that I have been asking the questions no one has ever asked them before. And I have Tom and the good ole CBC for that. We talk about: What the heck is ‘Aphantasia’ and how do I know if I have it? How does aphantasia affect the way we make sense of our experiences in life? Aphantasia, grief and PTSD Why traditional therapy might not work for aphantasics, How can an invisible thing like aphantasia can make anxiety worse? How can I tell my therapist or doctor what they need to do differently to work with my brain? Resources mentioned in the show: The Aphantasia Network The Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire The Imagination Spectrum test Use the discount code ‘CCPODCAST’ at checkout, for 15% off on DIY*ADHD. About our Guest: Tom Ebeyer is the founder of the Aphantasia Network, a social purpose organization dedicated to improving the lives of people with aphantasia through research, advocacy and support to unleash the power of image-free thinking. Find Tom & the Aphantasia Network: Instagram | Email | Twitter | Youtube  | Facebook Find Christina (CRPO #003908): Website | Meet the Team | DIY*ADHD course | Instagram | TikTok A gentle reminder that this is not therapy, and Christina is not your therapist. If you need more one on one support or treatment, please check out the links posted in the Show info and episode notes on the main podcast webpage. LISTEN OR SUBSCRIBE for free in your favourite podcast app: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Overcast | Stitcher | RSS

It’s a solo short today friends! This has been on my mind quite a lot lately, and it's something I don’t think we talk enough about - the adult bullies in our lives.  Today, I'm coming to you with some straight talk about: The different types of adult bullies we encounter in our lives, The psychological and physical impacts of adult bullying,  ADHD & 'conflict-seeking' behaviour,  The critical role bystanders play in stopping bullying, and What parents and teachers need to do. Check out the accompanying blog, When the bullies are the grown-ups, on The Dig Deeper Blog if you prefer a written version of the information presented here.  Resource mentioned: Bullying Canada - Giving Bullied Kids a Brighter Future Want to know what's illegal in Canada? Check the RCMP's Impacts and Consequences of Bullying and Cyberbullying.  Get support right now through Kids Help Phone by texting CONNECT to 686868. If you identify as Indigenous, you can ask to be connected with a First Nations, Inuk or Métis crisis responder (if one’s available) by messaging FIRST NATIONS, INUIT or METIS to 686868 or through Facebook Messenger. Resources if you are experiencing Family Violence, from the Government of Ontario.  Find Christina (CRPO #003908): Website | Meet the Team | DIY*ADHD course | Instagram | TikTok A gentle reminder that this is not therapy, and Christina is not your therapist. If you need more one on one support or treatment, please check out the links posted in the Show info and episode notes on the main podcast webpage. LISTEN OR SUBSCRIBE for free in your favourite podcast app: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Overcast | Stitcher | RSS

Trigger Warning: This episode discusses non-suicidal self-harm and childhood sexual abuse. This is intended to be an educational and supportive episode. In today’s episode, I am talking to multi-platform entertainer, storyteller, and the hardest working broadcaster in Canada, Roz Weston. Roz’s memoir, bestseller A Little Bit Broken, is a beautiful tribute to the relationship both with himself, and with his dad. We talk about: The intertwined experience of grief and guilt, Roz’s experience of living with Tourette Syndrome, and leads Christina through an experience of what it feels like, Roz’s experience of non-suicidal self harm, childhood sexual assault, The importance of supportive, anchoring relationships for boys and men. Resources mentioned in the show: A Little Bit Broken by Roz Weston Use the discount code ‘CCPODCAST’ at checkout, for 15% off on DIY*ADHD. About our Guest:  Roz Weston is a multi-platform entertainer and storyteller who hosts three shows a day and sleeps five hours a night. In 2013 Hello! magazine named him one of the 50 Most Beautiful Canadians. He has not made the list since. Growing up in a small town with above-average confidence but low self-esteem, Roz knew he wanted an audience, but didn’t want to be noticed. On TV and radio, as host of The Roz & Mocha Show, ET Canada Live and Entertainment Tonight Canada, Roz now entertains millions without ever having to see a single one of them. Roz, a college dropout, is a Canadian Music and Broadcast Awards winner, New York Festival of Radio winner, and Canadian Screen Awards winner. He is a former factory-line worker, Howard Stern intern and late-night TV talk-host. Roz lives in Toronto with his girlfriend, their kid and four cats. He still misses his dad. Find Roz: Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | A Little Bit Broken by Roz Weston Find Christina (CRPO #003908): Website | Meet the Team | DIY*ADHD course | Instagram | TikTok A gentle reminder that this is not therapy, and Christina is not your therapist. If you need more one on one support or treatment, please check out the links posted in the Show info and episode notes on the main podcast webpage. LISTEN OR SUBSCRIBE for free in your favourite podcast app: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Overcast | Stitcher | RSS

In today’s episode, I am talking to certified ADHD Coach, Dusty Chipura, from Vancouver, British Columbia. We are talking about neurodivergent pregnancy and how it's a bit of a different experience from the neurotypical story we grow up with.  We talk about:  How the emotional experience of pregnancy can be very different if you have ADHD,  Practical tips for pregnancy & your postpartum days,  Why neurodivergent parents need neurodivergent parent friends,  New data to inform the discussion around ADHD medication and pregnancy.  Resources mentioned in the show:  Dusty’s ADHD and Pregnancy Journal, Changing Estrogen Levels Affect Women’s ADHD Symptoms, Essential Reads: Breastfeeding and ADHD Medications, The Course of ADHD during Pregnancy (the A. Baker paper, Journal of Attention Disorders), A new consensus statement updates what is known about ADHD in girls and women. For interest in Dusty’s ADHD certification program: ADDCA. About our Guest: Dusty Chipura, she/her, AACC MCAC ADHD Coach Dusty Chipura (she/her) is the Henry Rollins of ADHD Coaching. She is a master certified ADHD Coach who coaches people of many backgrounds, but most often finds herself coaching artists, people in tech, queer people, and pregnant people. Dusty is the co-author of the ADHD and Pregnancy Journal, and currently offers the only ADHD coaching program specifically aimed at pregnant ADHDers, combining prenatal class with survival skills for this very tumultuous time of life. When not supporting very cool ADHDers, Dusty likes to play banjo, and guitar, spend time with her daughter and her pets, or engage in one of her various other hobbies.  Find Dusty:  Twitter | TikTok | The ADHD Studio |Website  Find Christina (CRPO #003908): Website | Meet the Team | DIY*ADHD course | Instagram | TikTok A gentle reminder that this is not therapy, and Christina is not your therapist. If you need more one on one support or treatment, please check out the links posted in the Show info and episode notes on the main podcast webpage.  LISTEN OR SUBSCRIBE for free in your favourite podcast app: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | TuneIn | iHeart Radio| AmazonMusic |RSS

In today’s episode, I am talking to my friend and colleague, psychotherapist Renee Mayotte.  Renee and I talk about why it can be so hard to parenting with ADHD, and why perfectionism and rejection sensitivity can be so present for moms with ADHD.  Renee also shares work/life balance tips helpful for neurodivergent parents. We talk about: Why can being a neurodivergent parent be harder than being a neurotypical parent? How does perfectionism creep into parenting? How can this be detrimental? How does learned helplessness show up in our parenting? Why self-compassion breaks down barriers for adults with ADHD. Resources mentioned in the show: Beaton, D. M., Sirois, F., & Milne, E. (2022). The role of self-compassion in the mental health of adults with ADHD. Journal of clinical psychology. Use the discount code ‘CCPODCAST’ at checkout, for 15% off on DIY*ADHD. Renee Mayotte is a Registered Psychotherapist at Dig a Little Deeper, serving the Northern Ontario community, and all of Ontario virtually. Renee offers services, and has experience, in children’s mental health, complex child and custody cases in Ontario, and working with the neurodivergent population through coaching and therapy within the last 2 years.  Renee herself was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult, while completing her Masters’ degree, and found a passion in helping other adults through the discovery journey of ADHD through self-compassion and finding their work/life balance. Renee is a mother of two young, active children, and has been learning to navigate through parenthood, work, and education, while continuing to have fun and connect with her large extended family and friends. Find Renee: Full bio and booking links Find host, Christina Crowe (CRPO #003908): Website | Meet the Team | DIY*ADHD course | Instagram | TikTok A gentle reminder that this is not therapy, and Christina is not your therapist. If you need more one on one support or treatment, please check out the links posted in the Show info and episode notes on the main podcast webpage. LISTEN OR SUBSCRIBE for free in your favourite podcast app: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Overcast | Stitcher | RSS

Today, we are making invisible things visible for neurodivergent people at WORK, part II. In today’s episode, I am talking to André Brisson, an engineer and entrepreneur about our reflections on our workplace experiences as employee's v. entrepreneurs, with neurodivergent brains.We cover: What the resume of many adults with ADHD might look like (especially if they don’t know they might have it!) How having an ADHD-brain is like being a firefighter without a team. What is the difference between our personality and our strengths? ADHD and the thrill of crisis management.Resources mentioned in the show: The ADHD Transformation journey – program for the successful high-achieving ADHD entrepreneur who just can’t get that last piece of the puzzle. Kolbe A Index: Know your instinctive problem-solving strengths Use the discount code ‘CCPODCAST’ at checkout, for 15% off on DIY*ADHD.About our Guest: André Brisson is an engineer and entrepreneur, owner of Tactical Breakthroughs where he has developed his ADHD Transformation Journey program.  Diagnosed late in life with severe ADHD, the mechanisms and systems he created to overcome his undiagnosed ADHD have helped him succeed.  Like most entrepreneurs, André has started multiple companies, the first two of which failed for various reasons. Learning from those failures, André now operates three very successful companies, including a self-managing entrepreneurial engineering firm specializing in niche markets that require unique training, experience, and an impulsive instinct to try new things. While his undiagnosed ADHD created challenges, it was also the key to his success.Find André: Facebook | LinkedIN |  André’s Blog | The Impulsive Thinker Podcast | Tactical Breakthroughs

Today, we are making invisible things visible for people on the path to deep personal transformation - a messy and often painful process, but full of joy, freedom and connection to oneself.  Our guest Catherine Robertson is a Wellbeing and Mindfulness Coach, Meditation Facilitator and dear friend from Australia. Catherine is passionate about supporting individuals - and companies - to increase their wellbeing and assist them on the path of transformation. We talk about: How Catherine knew she’d been compromising too much of herself, The benefit of centered-ness with oneself, How a personal consciousness shift can affect us in the workplace, Working through the layers of transformation. Resources: Check out Catherine’s "Healthy and High Functioning Leader" program - a 6 week training and coaching program starting on the 26th October. Use the discount code ‘CCPODCAST’ at checkout, for 15% off on DIY*ADHD. Our guest: Catherine Robertson is a Wellbeing and Mindfulness Coach, Meditation Facilitator and iEQ9 Enneagram Coach. With a 20-year career in the pharmaceutical industry, she has an acute awareness and understanding of the challenges employees, healthcare professionals and patients face in the modern world and has extensive experience in designing and facilitating corporate Wellbeing strategy and programs. Catherine established her private practice in 2015 and is a trained Positive Neuroplasticity Teacher, Inner Child Journey Practitioner, Reiki Master and has over five years’ experience co-facilitating Family Constellation Workshops and Wilderness Retreats through her work with Essential Wholeness Psychology. Find Catherine: LinkedIn | Instagram | Find Christina (CRPO #003908): Website | Meet the Team | DIY*ADHD course | Instagram | TikTok A gentle reminder that this is not therapy, and Christina is not your therapist. If you need more one on one support or treatment, please check out the links posted in the Show info and episode notes on the main podcast webpage. LISTEN OR SUBSCRIBE for free in your favourite podcast app: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Overcast | Stitcher | RSS

Today, we are making invisible things visible for first responders who have experienced traumatic injury on the job. We are talking to two guests. First we have Mark Baxter, the president of the Police Association of Ontario here representing the voice of over 28,000 sworn and civilian police personnel from 45 police associations across Ontario.  We are also joined by Dig a Little Deeper therapist Sandra Richardson, who before she became a Registered Psychotherapist, was a police officer in Toronto, and now specializes in the treatment of trauma in first responders.We cover: Why police officers are at great risk for moral injury and occupational stress injury or post traumatic stress disorder, How both police and civilian colleagues can help officers make sustainable returns to work, What is being done to shift the culture of policing? Details about the first of its kind in Ontario, trauma treatment centre for first responders in Caledon, ON.Resources mentioned in the show: Boots on the Ground: Peer support for First Responders Toronto Beyond the Blue PAO Mental Health and Wellness Resource page. Check out the ADHD Resource Hub for more info for all parts of the journey. Use the discount code ‘CCPODCAST’ at checkout, for 15% off on DIY*ADHD.Guest Bios: Mark Baxter is President of the Police Association of Ontario (PAO). Mark was first elected to the PAO Board of Directors in 2014 as a Uniform Director. Since that time, Mark has been actively engaged in provincial matters related to policing, including holding the position of Board Chair for five of the last seven years. Find Mark: PAO Website | PAO Twitter | PAO FacebookSandra Richardson’s primary focus of practice is supporting First Responders and their families. Prior to receiving her Masters Degree, Sandra served 30 years as a municipal police officer in a variety of fields within policing. Sandra offers trauma therapy to first responders and their families with Dig a Little Deeper, in Ontario, and also works with Toronto Beyond the Blue and Boots on the Ground: Peer Support for First Responders.Find Sandy: Sandy’s Bio page

Today, we are making invisible things visible for people searching for the courage to both be vulnerable at work, and to influence their work culture toward something that feels more psychologically safe. In today’s episode, I am talking to Michael DeVenney, a trailblazing Canadian leader, who talks about the intersections of his own mental health journey and his experiences as an entrepreneur. We cover: What are the 2 things employees want from their leaders? Why are entrepreneurs at higher risk for mental health problems? How can you have both a high performing team and a supportive mental health culture? Resources mentioned in the show: From WorkInsights: A Letter to Leaders, by Michael DeVenney Scars, by Michael DeVenney Michael DeVenney created, implemented, and completed the largest survey in the world focused on the intersection of entrepreneurs and mental health with focus on decision making and wellbeing with eight published reports on the findings, The Mindset Project. Michael also founded and developed WorkInsights, a company focused on measuring and understanding the employee experience to enable healthier working environments. A recent project also included using analytics to develop the mental health strategy for a provincial organization. Find Michael: LinkedIn | Twitter | WorkInsights | The Mindset Project Find Christina (CRPO #003908): Website | Meet the Team | DIY*ADHD course | Instagram | A gentle reminder that this is not therapy, and Christina is not your therapist. If you need more one on one support or treatment, please check out the links posted in the Show info and episode notes on the main podcast webpage. LISTEN OR SUBSCRIBE for free in your favourite podcast app: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Overcast | Stitcher | RSS

Today, we are making invisible things visible for people interested in exploring the unique ways we all relate to each other as richly neurodiverse humans. Our guest Jacquie Martin, is a pediatric occupational therapist from Toronto, who shares her beautifully compassionate perspective on the really important shifts in the OT and psychotherapy fields, when it comes to truly being a neurodivergent-affirming clinician.We talk about: What’s the deal with the disruption going on in the occupational therapy and psychotherapy professions? What does it mean to be a neurodivergent-affirming clinician? What is the “double empathy” problem for Autistic people?Resources: Neurodiversity and neurodiversity-affirming therapy: what does this mean? Autism and the double empathy problem: Implications for development and mental health Use the discount code ‘CCPODCAST’ at checkout, for 15% off on DIY*ADHD.Our guest:  Jacquie Martin is a registered Occupational Therapist who works in private practice in West Toronto and Etobicoke providing in-home services for children aged 0 - 18 years and their families in the community. Jacquie has a passion for the power of play for both children and families and believes strongly in the importance of family-centred services. Jacquie received her Master’s of Science in Occupational Therapy from McMaster University in 2004,  is associated with the University of Toronto’s Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy program as a sessional instructor, tutorial facilitator and clinical supervisor.Find Jacquie: LinkedIn | Toronto Children’s Therapy Centre |Find Christina (CRPO #003908): Website | Meet the Team | DIY*ADHD course | Instagram | TikTokA gentle reminder that this is not therapy, and Christina is not your therapist. If you need more one on one support or treatment, please check out the links posted in the Show info and episode notes on the main podcast webpage.