ADHD Her Way

In this episode of ADHD Her Way, clinical psychologist Johanna joined by Dr Emma-Leigh Senyard to explore the complex relationship between trauma, neurodivergence and the nervous system.

We unpack why trauma doesn’t always look the way we expect it to, how chronic dysregulation can show up in the body, and why recognising our patterns and early warning signs can be so important, particularly for neurodivergent people who may not notice what their body needs until they’re already running on empty.

One of the biggest takeaways from this conversation is that nervous system regulation isn’t about being calm all the time.

It’s about becoming more aware of what your nervous system is communicating, recognising your patterns earlier, and building a toolkit that helps you respond to what you actually need.

If you’ve ever wondered “Is this my ADHD? Is this trauma? Am I burnt out? Or is my nervous system just completely cooked?” this conversation is for you.

You can find Dr Emma-Senyard here

You can find Johanna and her podcast ADHD Her Way here:

In this solo episode of ADHD Her Way, Johanna Badenhorst, Clinical Psychologist and neurodivergent mum, explores why interruptions can trigger such intense irritation, overwhelm and even rage, particularly during the school holidays.

Johanna covers the role of ADHD and autistic traits, including task switching, working memory, sensory overload, cognitive load, autistic inertia and the added challenge of losing the predictability of your usual routine.

She also shares what this has looked like in her own school holidays, from juggling work and parenting to noticing when her own patience is wearing thin, plus practical strategies that have helped.

In this episode:
• Why interruptions can feel disproportionately hard for neurodivergent parents
• The link between cognitive load, sensory overload and rage
• ADHD task switching and autistic inertia
• Why school holidays can amplify overwhelm
• Creating predictability without needing a perfect routine
• Activities that can help regulate both you and your kids
• Recognising the build-up before you reach breaking point
• Repairing after you lose your cool without getting stuck in guilt and shame
• When additional support from a psychologist or ADHD coach may be helpful

A relatable reminder that you can love being with your kids and still find the constant interruptions, noise and demands incredibly hard.

Want more practical strategies to use in those moments? 💛

If you liked the regulation strategies in the episode, my Nervous System Reset Guide for ADHDers has even more practical tools for those moments when you’re overstimulated, snappy or everyone in the house needs a reset.

It’s an inexpensive 20-page downloadable guide you can access instantly, with grounding exercises, DBT-inspired tools, check-ins and gentle strategies designed with ADHD/AuDHD brains in mind.

👉 Download the Nervous System Reset Guide for ADHDers here

Have you ever wondered why you can thrive when life has structure… but completely unravel when you suddenly have too much freedom?

In this episode of ADHD Her Way, I’m joined by TV presenter, Women’s Health Coach and founder of My Daily Ritual, Liv Phyland.

Liv has spent more than 15 years working across television and media, alongside studying Psychology and Health Coaching and creating Girls Who Glow, Liv Your Life and, most recently, My Daily Ritual.

We chat about Liv’s own experience of questioning ADHD and beginning to understand the way her brain works, including hyperfocus, time blindness, procrastination, perfectionism, rejection sensitivity and that familiar feeling of having a LOT going on internally, even when you might look like you’re coping pretty well from the outside.

We also talk about the interesting relationship ADHDers can have with structure. Liv reflects on thriving in environments like television where there were clear expectations and deadlines, compared with the overwhelm that could come with freelance work and having complete freedom over her time.

And then we get into purpose.

Liv shares how her career has moved through television, working with teenage girls, coaching, wellness, building an app and now motherhood, but how there has actually been a common thread running through all of it.

You can find Liv and My Daily Ritual via this link.

You can find Johanna and her podcast ADHD Her Way on: https://www.holisticwellnesspsychology.com.au/adhdherwaypodcast

Johanna shares her personal journey with ADHD, motherhood, and managing capacity during pregnancy and postpartum, emphasizing self-awareness, boundaries, and seasonal self-care. As well as a pregnancy announcement!

keywords

ADHD, motherhood, capacity, self-care, pregnancy, neurodiversity, mental health, self-acceptance

key topics

The difference between motivation and capacity in ADHD

The impact of pregnancy and postpartum on mental health

The importance of self-compassion and boundaries

Adjusting business and personal goals seasonally

The role of self-awareness in managing neurodiversity

takeaways

Capacity, not motivation, often limits us during challenging seasons.

Self-acceptance and boundaries are crucial for mental health.

Slowing down and honoring your current season can enhance well-being.

Digital detox and social media breaks are vital for self-care.

Seasonal adjustments in work and life can prevent burnout.

In this solo episode, Johanna explores the often-overlooked experience of AuDHD burnout, including why so many neurodivergent women find themselves feeling "tired but wired."

Drawing on both her professional experience as a psychologist and her own lived experience, Johanna shares how burnout can develop gradually through years of overcompensating, pushing through exhaustion, ignoring capacity, and relying on motivation to carry us further than our nervous systems can comfortably sustain.

Using the metaphor of energy debt, she explores how many ADHD and AuDHD women unknowingly borrow energy from their future selves, only to find the bill eventually arrives in the form of exhaustion, overwhelm, sensory sensitivity, emotional reactivity, and reduced capacity.

In this episode, you'll learn:

✨ What AuDHD burnout can look like in everyday life.

✨ Why burnout often develops even when you're doing things you genuinely love.

✨ The difference between feeling energised and overextending yourself.

✨ How ADHD impulsivity and novelty-seeking can contribute to energy debt.

✨ Common signs your nervous system may be carrying more than it can sustainably manage.

✨ Simple ways to support recovery, including rest, capacity planning, gentle movement, accommodation, connection, and rediscovering joy.

Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@johanna_badenhorst⁠⁠ ⁠⁠and ⁠⁠⁠⁠@adhdherway⁠⁠⁠⁠

Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.johannabadenhorst.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for ways to work with Johanna, her resources, programs, and upcoming events.

In this episode of ADHD Her Way, Johanna sits down with sexologist and therapist Hilary Lindberg for a nuanced and honest conversation about sexuality, intimacy, ADHD, Autism, desire, and relationships.

Together, they unpack the myths many neurodivergent individuals grow up believing about sex and intimacy, and explore how sensory needs, communication styles, emotional safety, and nervous system regulation can deeply shape sexual wellbeing.

This episode also explores the impact of shame, perfectionism, masking, religious trauma, low desire, vaginismus, infidelity recovery, and the pressure many people feel to fit into rigid “sexual scripts.”

If you’ve ever felt “different” in the way you experience intimacy, desire, stimulation, or connection, this conversation is a deeply validating listen. 💛

• ADHD, Autism, and sexual stimulation
• The difference between desire and arousal
• Sensory sensitivities and intimacy
• Why planning intimacy can actually help ADHD relationships
• Asexuality and low desire
• Religious trauma and shame around sex
• Communication and flexibility in relationships
• Rebuilding intimacy after betrayal or burnout
• “Good enough sex” and removing perfectionism from intimacy
• Supporting neurodivergent relationships with compassion and curiosity

Sexual wellbeing is not one-size-fits-all.
Understanding your nervous system, sensory profile, communication needs, and relationship dynamics can help create more fulfilling and connected experiences, especially for neurodivergent individuals.

Psychologist, ADHD Coach & Host of ADHD Her Way Podcast

🌐 Johanna Badenhorst Website
📸 Instagram @johanna_psychologist
🎙️ ADHD Her Way Podcast

You can learn more about Hilary’s work and approach to sexual wellbeing and relationships via her socials and professional platforms here

In this episode, Johanna dives into the behind-the-scenes realities of building offers as a neurodivergent therapist, and the real reasons so many brilliant professionals struggle with follow through.

Drawing from her own experiences launching webinars, courses, podcasting programs and online groups, she shares the biggest mistakes she made early on, especially trying to do too much at once.

Johanna explores the tension many therapists feel between wanting to create meaningful work beyond the therapy room… while also feeling overwhelmed, overextended and unsure where to start.

Inside the episode, she covers:

• The biggest mistakes therapists make when launching courses or offersWhy trying to market on every platform can dilute your message
• The pressure neurodivergent therapists often place on themselves to “perfect” things before launching
• How overcomplicating offers can overwhelm both you and your audience
• The ADHD tendency to either overcommit or stay stuck refining ideas forever
• Why body doubling, accountability and support can make such a difference
• The importance of building around your actual capacity, not your idealised capacity
• Why small, simple and sustainable often works better than building a giant business ecosystem overnight

Johanna also reflects on what she would do differently if she was starting again, including focusing on one clear offer, one clear message and a more sustainable way of contributing.

This episode is for psychologists, therapists and neurodivergent professionals who know they have more to offer… but want to do it in a way that actually works for their brain.

✨ Johanna also shares more about her upcoming 4 week intensive designed to help neurodivergent therapists shape one idea into a clear, aligned offer with support, accountability and ADHD-friendly follow through.

Complete the quiz here: https://thecontributioncodequiz.netlify.app/

Join the minimind: https://www.johannabadenhorst.com/minimind

Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@johanna_badenhorst⁠⁠ ⁠⁠and ⁠⁠⁠⁠@adhdherway⁠⁠⁠⁠

Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.johannabadenhorst.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for ways to work with Johanna, her resources, programs, and upcoming events.

In this episode, clinical psychologist Johanna Badenhorst shares a shift that came after stepping back and rethinking how she wanted to work, and how she could better support neurodivergent clients, and neurodivergent therapists too.

She speaks to four key lessons, including why it’s so important to build a way of working that actually respects your energy, rather than slowly draining it.

Moving beyond a traditional therapy-only model created more space for creativity, flexibility, and ultimately more impact, without relying on a full diary.

This episode explores what it looks like to expand your work, not replace it, and how to start thinking differently about the ways you can contribute beyond 1:1.

Complete the quiz here: ⁠https://thecontributioncodequiz.netlify.app/ ⁠

Join the minimind: ⁠https://www.johannabadenhorst.com/minimind ⁠

Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@johanna_badenhorst⁠⁠ ⁠⁠and ⁠⁠⁠⁠@adhdherway⁠⁠⁠⁠

Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.johannabadenhorst.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for ways to work with Johanna, her resources, programs, and upcoming events.

in this episode, Johanna is joined by Ewa to explore interoception, the ability to notice and understand your body’s internal signals, and how this underpins emotional regulation, especially in work and business.

When this awareness is low, it becomes much harder to recognise stress, overwhelm, or fatigue early, often leading to the ADHD push–crash cycle, overcommitting, and eventual burnout.

Together, they unpack how this shows up for neurodivergent individuals in professional settings, where demands are high and expectations often don’t align with how their brain works. What can look like procrastination or inconsistency is often a nervous system that hasn’t been supported or understood.

The conversation also highlights the difference between avoidance and intentional pauses, and why learning to regulate before pushing through can improve both performance and wellbeing. For many ADHDers, recovery may not look like switching off, but instead engaging in something different, creative, or energising.

Ultimately, this episode brings it back to building self-awareness, setting better boundaries, and learning how to work with your brain so you can show up more sustainably in your work, business, and life.

🔗 Confident Me Academy: https://confidentmeacademy.com

Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@johanna_badenhorst⁠⁠ ⁠⁠and ⁠⁠⁠⁠@adhdherway⁠⁠⁠⁠
Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.johannabadenhorst.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for ways to work with Johanna, her resources, programs, and upcoming events.

Please leave a comment and a rating. Thank you for listening 🤍

Where to find EwaGet in touch with Johanna and the podcast

In this episode, Johanna shares why so many people crash when things finally slow down.

Drawing on both personal experience and her work as a psychologist, she explores why rest can feel uncomfortable, especially for high-achieving, neurodivergent women, and how the way we structure our work can make recovery feel unsafe.

If this resonates, you’re welcome to reach out to Johanna to share what you’ve been navigating or to learn more about the support she’s currently developing.