The Neurodivergent Woman

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.comSee 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.   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.comSee 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.   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.comSee 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.   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.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Genevieve Hall, writer and marketing consultant, shares her experiences with Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD), discussing its symptoms, diagnosis, and overlap with ADHD. The podcast explores the significance of discussing periods in mental health, the stigma surrounding menstruation, and strategies for managing PMDD symptoms.

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.comSee 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.   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.comSee 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/ndwomanpodSee 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/ndwomanpodSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.