Embodied

Many autistic people assigned female at birth remain undiagnosed at 18, so what's it like to get an autism diagnosis in your adulthood? Anita meets two women whose paths to a diagnosis started on the internet. Plus a non-binary photographer shares how their late autism diagnosis has informed their marriage and sense of self.Meet the guests:- Irene Chon, neurodivergent creator and self-empowerment coach, talks about the challenge of getting assessed for autism as an adult and why working in customer service was kind of the perfect job for her as an autistic person- Kofi Robinson, a lawyer and TikTok creator, shares how her autistic traits coincide with the expectations for a good lawyer and how she makes solid friendships- Jenni Chapman, a queer and nonbinary photographer, draws parallels between coming out as queer and coming out as autistic, and how she's preparing to handle noise sensitivity as a parentDig Deeper:A 2022 study on autism and people assigned female at birthThe TikTok account that made Irene realize she was autisticJenni's podcast, The Queer Soul SpotlightRead the transcript | Review the podcast

Anita hasn't always loved getting her photo taken, but seeing herself through the artistic eye of a close friend and photographer has changed her perspective. She meets two intimate photographers who take her behind the scenes of their shoots and share their philosophies on capturing the erotic in an image. Plus, she talks with a model about her intimate work that explores disability and sexuality. Meet the guests: - LaQuann Dawson, an artist and community organizer, shares his passion for documenting the Black, queer community through intimate photography and what it's been like to turn the lens on himself - Shoog McDaniel, a queer, fat photographer and artist, describes the process of guiding others through intimate, mostly-nude shoots in nature and what it's like to witness them discover new ways of being in their bodies - Trista Marie McGovern, a writer, photographer, speaker and model, talks about using intimate photography as a tool to explore the intersections of disability and sexuality Read the transcript | Review the podcast Follow Embodied on X and Instagram Leave us a message for an upcoming episode here! Dive deeper: - LaQuann’s on Instagram - Shoog on Instagram - Trista on Instagram - Trista’s essays on disability and sexuality

Meet the guests: - Esmé Weijun Wang, a writer, speaker and the author of "The Collected Schizophrenias," talks about navigating medical stigma and the ways that writing and performance have contributed to her understanding of schizophrenia - Christopher Grant, an artist and animator based in Canada, talks about how he uses drawing to process his moments of psychosis and what it's been like to share his story on TikTok and Instagram - Ashley Smith, an author and writer who runs the blog "Overcoming Schizophrenia," talks about being a parent with schizophrenia, and what conversations about mental health look like with her 11-year-old son Read the transcript | Review the podcast Follow Embodied on X and Instagram Leave us a message for an upcoming episode here! Show Extras: A sampling of Esmé's essays: - “Perdition Days” - https://the-toast.net/2014/06/25/perdition-days-experiencing-psychosis/ - “On the Ward” - https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/esmewwang/psychiatric-hospital-inpatient-collected-schizophrenias Ashley’s books: - https://overcomingschizophrenia.blogspot.com/p/book.html

Anita first learned about surrogate partner therapy from the 2012 movie "The Sessions," and her curiosity was piqued. It's a widely misunderstood and stigmatized type of therapy work in which touch is a mechanism for healing. Two surrogate partners take her inside the day-to-day of their jobs, and a certified sex therapist shares why she hopes others in her industry will be more welcoming to the practice.Meet the guests:- Brian Gibney, a surrogate partner, educator and advocate, explains what makes surrogate partner therapy distinct and shares his experience in this work- Arianna Fernandez, surrogate partner and member of the International Professional Surrogates Association, talks about how her genderqueer identity impacts how they show up in the work- Deva Segal, a licensed marriage and family therapist and certified sex therapist, breaks down her role in surrogate partner therapy and why she recently started incorporating this work into her practiceRead the transcript | Review the podcastFollow Embodied on X and Instagram Leave us a message for an upcoming episode here!

Anita agrees to a suggestion posed by a listener: Explore why the hair-pulling disorder trichotillomania is so taboo. She talks with an artist who started pulling their hair more than two decades ago but only recently told her parents…after publishing part of their story in a national news outlet. A psychologist on the front lines of studying trich treatment talks about the importance of acceptance; and a hairstylist with trich takes us into why her salon is a safe haven for other folks with hair loss. Meet the guests: - Haruka Aoki, a poet and illustrator who published a comic about their trichotillomania journey in The Washington Post, shares what it was like to learn a term for the disorder later in life - Dr. Suzanne Mouton-Odum, a licensed psychologist and board member for the TLC Foundation for Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors, describes her counseling work with folks who experience trich - Dorin Azérad, a hair loss hairstylist, shares how her ongoing journey with trich shapes the services she offers to other folks with hair loss at her salon Read the transcript | Review the podcast Follow Embodied on X and Instagram Leave us a message for an upcoming episode here! Dive deeper: - Self-Care Provider Directory for folks with BFRB - The TLC Foundation on Trich - Haruka’s children’s book “Fitting In”

Anita has no tattoos but plenty of admiration for the art form that gives us new ways to experience our bodies. She talks with a heavily-tattooed scholar who's interrogated how society treats tattooed women; a queer, Jewish tattoo artist reclaiming body art; and an artist who's pushing back on the misconceptions of tattooing melanated skin. Meet the guests: - Beverly Thompson, professor in the sociology department at Siena College in New York, talk about how gender impacts the perception of tattooed bodies - Joey Ramona, a queer tattoo artist, shares how their Jewish heritage has influenced their tattoo journey - Oba Moori, owner of PUSH Tattoo Studio in Delaware, talks about tattooing melanated skin and the power of a great tattoo Read the transcript | Review the podcast Follow Embodied on Twitter and Instagram Leave us a message for an upcoming episode here! Dig deeper… …into tattoo history: https://theconversation.com/tattoos-have-a-long-history-going-back-to-the-ancient-world-and-also-to-colonialism-165584 …into tattoos as body reclamation: https://www.yesmagazine.org/opinion/2023/06/01/for-the-colonized-body-tattoos-are-reclamation

In this engaging discussion, Dia Dynasty, a New York City-based dominatrix focused on trauma-informed domination, shares valuable insights about BDSM. She debunks the myths from 'Fifty Shades of Grey' and highlights how the BDSM community fosters healing and empowerment. Alongside Smoky, co-founder of Obsidian, they explore the transformative power of submission and the significance of consent. Amber Jamilla Musser provides a historical glimpse into masochism, challenging feminist perspectives and revealing how race and power dynamics shape the conversation.

Anita has heard one resounding truth from her friends who lost a parent in early adulthood: That death was the biggest thing that has ever happened to them. She meets two people who've built specific communities around their grief on the internet and a writer who experienced losing his dad twice. Meet the guests: - Liz Zorn, photographer and model, talks about the sudden loss of her father and how it's changed her views on the afterlife - Naomi Edmondson, grief educator and space holder, shares how the experience of losing two mother figures in her 20s inspired her to create a community group for Black folks who are grieving - Jeff Dingler, author and journalist, explains how he lost his father twice: first to mental illness when he was 14 and then to death when he was in his 20s Read the transcript | Review the podcast Follow Embodied on Twitter and Instagram Leave us a message for an upcoming episode here! Dig deeper: Tough Times Guide Naomi’s grief resources Liz’s YouTube video, “What no one tells you about losing a parent” Jeff’s Insider piece Jeff’s piece about his mom

Fifteen years ago Anita took Women's Studies 101 on a whim … and to this day, she still doesn't have an answer to the question: what is masculinity? In further pursuit of some clarity, she talks with a trans man and a non-binary person about what's possible when we take a more gender-fluid approach to manhood. The two share where their own beliefs about gender come from and how they're building a more expansive definition of masculinity in their own lives. Meet the guests: - Ocean Wei, a rising senior at Kenyon College and a trans writer, explains the roots of his views on masculinity and how they've evolved over time, as he's moved from Beijing to rural Missouri and come out as trans - Anjan Alavandar, creator of Masq, talks about how they create safe spaces for folks to examine and dissect their own relationships with masculinity Read the transcript | Review the podcast Follow Embodied on Twitter and Instagram Leave us a message for an upcoming episode here! Dig deeper: Life Kit’s masculinity episode

Anita got friend dumped for the first time in 6th grade, and she's still not over it. She talks to folks about the distinct pain of a platonic breakup and gets some tools for building strong friendships, setting boundaries and figuring out when it's time to let go. Meet the guests: - Michelle Elman is an author and life coach best known for her activism campaign Scarred Not Scared. She tells Anita about "the mass exodus" — a period of time in which she went through multiple friend breakups - Tony Liu is a medical student and former radio and podcast producer for NPR and "On Being." He shares how tenderness informs how he makes and breaks up with friends - KB Newton is the founder and creator of HEART Convos. She talks about being a recovering "trash friend" Read the transcript | Review the podcast Follow Embodied on Twitter and Instagram Leave us a message for an upcoming episode here!