This week on Embracing Intensity, I'm thrilled to finally sit down with the powerful and passionate Inger Shaye Colzie, a therapist and coach working at the intersection of ADHD, identity, and cultural experience. Inger shares her journey of being diagnosed with ADHD later in life, after decades of navigating systems and expectations that didn't see her neurodivergence—or the unique challenges that come with being a Black woman with ADHD.

Together, we dive into her experiences growing up gifted but overlooked, her path to founding the ADHD Black Professionals Alliance, and how she helps others own their fire and intensity without apology. Inger's insight, humor, and realness make this an episode you won't want to miss.

P.S. We're planning to bring Inger back for a guest call in the Embracing Intensity Community during the 2026 speaker season—I'd love your feedback on upcoming topics and guests!

Inger is a therapist, ADHD coach, and the founder of the ADHD Black Professionals Alliance. Diagnosed later in life, she now uses her lived experience, clinical knowledge, and coaching tools to support other Black women navigating life, work, and relationships with ADHD. Through her practice and community, she creates spaces for healing, advocacy, and unapologetic self-discovery.

• The experience of being undiagnosed with ADHD well into adulthood—and what finally led her to seek answers

• Growing up as an intense, passionate child whose energy was often misunderstood

• Why culturally relevant care is essential for Black women with ADHD

• The emotional impact of living with ADHD in a world not built for neurodivergent minds

• How diagnosis and coaching helped her reframe her identity and harness her gifts

• Creating the ADHD Black Professionals Alliance as a safe and empowering space

• Turning down the dial—or turning it up with intention

• The importance of coaching, community, and embracing your whole self

• Inger Shaye Colzie's Website & Coaching Info (link to be added)

• ADHD Black Professionals Alliance: [Website or community link]

• Join the Embracing Intensity Community

Whether you're navigating ADHD yourself or supporting others who are, this episode offers compassion, clarity, and community. Inger's story is a reminder that it's never too late to rewrite the narrative—and that when we embrace our fire, we light the way for others.

🎧 Listen now and share with someone who needs to hear they are not broken—just unseen.

In this powerful episode of Embracing Intensity, I'm joined by the insightful and compassionate Fizzah Zaidi, a psychotherapist who specializes in working with neurodivergent individuals. We explore the complexities of executive functioning, and how understanding our brain's unique operating system can transform how we show up for ourselves and others.

Fizzah brings deep experience from her work with high-achieving neurodivergent clients in the tech, medical, and legal fields. Together, we discuss how neurodivergent brains often struggle not because they're broken, but because they're functioning differently—and those differences can also be sources of strength.

Fizzah Zaidi is a Chicago-based psychotherapist with a passion for working with neurodivergent adults. Her practice supports many twice-exceptional individuals in high-demand professions, and her work includes educating organizations on how to better support neurodiverse teams. Diagnosed with ADHD just before entering graduate school, she dove deep into understanding the brain and executive functioning through continuing education and real-world application.

• Why rest isn't always about being still—and how energizing activities can also be restorative.

• The link between executive dysfunction and rejection sensitivity.

• How big-picture thinkers can better support task initiation and follow-through.

• Understanding the role of the prefrontal cortex and limbic system in executive functioning.

• Why complex tasks might be easier than basic ones for some neurodivergent folks.

• The importance of personalized strategies over one-size-fits-all "fixes."

• Using self-regulation instead of self-control to support executive function.

• Shifting the mindset from "fixing" to understanding your operating system.

• Fizzah Zaidi's Website

• Join the Embracing Intensity Community

• Find Workbooks

• Embracing Intensity Guest Call Library

In this week's episode, Aurora sits down with Portland-based multidisciplinary artist and filmmaker Ilima Considine to explore how neurodivergence, art, music, and personal experience intersect to spark powerful creative expression. Ilima shares her journey through long COVID, chronic illness, and how she channels her intensity into film, empowering others in the process.

As Ilima prepares to premiere her second feature-length film, Drug Holiday, she talks about the themes of trauma, addiction, and radicalization—and how they resonate with creative and neurodivergent communities. This conversation dives deep into how one artist transforms challenges into bold storytelling.

Ilima Considine is best known as the frontwoman for the Sexbots and a multidisciplinary artist whose work spans music, visual art, and now film. After a severe bout of long COVID altered her career trajectory, Ilima dove headfirst into filmmaking, combining sound, visuals, and narrative to explore themes that are often hard to talk about—like grooming, neurodivergence, and societal trauma.

• How chronic illness and neurodivergence have shaped Ilima's creative process

• The story behind Drug Holiday, and how it reflects real-life struggles with trauma and radicalization

• The overlap between neurodivergent traits and the arts—and how Ilima fosters a safe space for collaborators

• Embracing intensity as a strength in both personal and professional life

• Why Portland became a haven for embracing eccentricity and creativity

• The value of harnessing hyperfocus and obsessive attention to detail

• Using film to bring light to dark topics in accessible, artistic ways

• Ilima's philosophy on directing: accommodating individual needs to help artists thrive

• Her own experiences with burnout, energy management, and the use of stimulants during film production

• Ilima's Website

• Check out her band: The Sexbots

• Watch Drug Holiday (Premiering Nov. 14th at Mission Theater, Portland)

• Join the Embracing Intensity Community

🎬 Whether you're an artist, a neurodivergent creative, or someone navigating chronic health challenges, Ilima's story is a powerful reminder that you can channel your fire into something deeply meaningful—and bring others along with you.

In this deeply insightful guest call, we welcome Kaitlin Smith, a PhD candidate in the history of science at Harvard with a secondary focus in African American Studies. Kaitlin brings a powerful lens to the conversation around giftedness, drawing from her academic research, clinical background, and personal experience as a former support provider for gifted and intense Black adults.

This episode explores the intersections of giftedness, race, history, science, and social narratives—inviting us to reexamine what we consider "normal" and how systemic forces shape our understanding of intelligence and identity.

A Scholarly Look at Diverse Expressions of Giftedness with Kaitlin Smith

Join us for an enlightening session with Kaitlin Smith, MSW -- founder of Our Wild Minds -- in which we will explore diverse lived experiences of giftedness that people have in light of differences in social identity (e.g., race, gender, class, and spirituality). Kaitlin will share insights derived from scholarly research and personal experience, shedding light on how social forces and historical developments influence the recognition and experience of gifted traits. Attendees will engage with ideas that illuminate often-overlooked aspects of your intensities and learn strategies that will help you celebrate your (and others') multitudes.

About Kaitlin:

Kaitlin Smith, MSW is a writer, facilitator, and Ph.D Candidate at Harvard in the Department of History of Science where she is developing a dissertation on the history of the field of Black Psychology. Kaitlin is also the former founder of Our Wild Minds which offers online community and in-person experiences for highly creative, intellectually intense, and/or gifted Black adults from all over the world. Kaitlin's research and work with Our Wild Minds is informed by past training and work as a psychotherapist.

• The history of psychological science and its impact on marginalized identities

• Kaitlin's personal experience with racism and bias in clinical training

• How the field of Black psychology emerged in resistance to biased systems

• Case studies including Oscar Moore and the Larry P v. Riles court case

• How Donna Haraway's concept of situated knowledges can inform gifted advocacy

• The danger of universalizing objectivity in science and education

• Using historical context to reframe personal experiences of giftedness

• Opportunities for collective solidarity and support in gifted communities

• Questions for self-reflection around situated knowledge and identity

• Join the Embracing Intensity Community

• Kaitlin Smith's gifted resources

• Kaitlin's Substack

• A rich Q&A on the intersection of giftedness, race, and gender, and how these identities interact in systemic settings

• Reflections on how trauma and neurodivergence shape each other across personal and collective histories

• Insightful audience comments on the importance of reclaiming educational and psychological language

• Exploration of "the gifted rainbow" as a metaphor for the complexity and beauty of diverse gifted identities

• Practical examples of how to create supportive spaces for gifted and twice-exceptional Black individuals

• Honest conversation about grief, joy, and the non-linear journey of self-discovery as a neurodivergent person

• Kaitlin's take on integrating history, embodiment, and radical curiosity into both academic and personal healing

Is work-life balance real—or just another unrealistic expectation? In this solo episode of Embracing Intensity, I unpack the myth of work-life balance and share my journey toward something more meaningful: harmony. Drawing from my personal life, this episode dives deep into how neurodivergent people navigate work hours, personal time, and the demands of life in a way that feels aligned, not forced.

After a summer of restoration and reflection, I'm back working full-time in the school system—and instead of chasing "balance," I'm creating sustainable rhythms that honor my energy, creativity, and mental health.

I'm Aurora Remember Holtzman, host of Embracing Intensity and creator of the Embracing Intensity Community. With years of experience working with gifted, twice-exceptional, and neurodivergent folks, I help people stop beating themselves up for not meeting arbitrary standards and start living in alignment with their core values. My goal? To help you use your intensity as a tool for transformation—without burning out.

• Why the concept of work-life balance might be doing more harm than good

• Reframing productivity, especially for different people with unique brain wiring

• How long hours and unrealistic expectations lead to burnout

• The power of aligning with your core values instead of external goals

• How "contaminated time" steals joy from our personal lives

• Tools like energy audits to help create real work-life harmony

• Letting go of hustle culture and embracing meaningful work

• Tips for reclaiming quality time and rest—even with full work hours

• Why the opposite of life isn't work—but disconnection

• 🔥 Join the Embracing Intensity Community

• 📘 Energy Balance Workbook (Print & Kindle)

• ✨ Balancing Time & Energy Digital Guide

✨ Balance is a myth. Harmony is the goal. Tap into your own rhythm and reclaim your time, energy, and creativity—on your terms.

🎧 Listen now on EmbracingIntensity.com

In this powerful episode of Embracing Intensity, we welcome Caroline J. Sumlin—author of We'll All Be Free—for a deep, vulnerable, and inspiring conversation about collective liberation, the impact of white supremacy culture, and how we can begin to reclaim our worth. Caroline shares her perspective as a neurodivergent mother, speaker, and educator, and we explore the intersection of self-worth, systemic oppression, and sustainable social justice work.

Caroline is an author, speaker, and homeschool parent living in the Washington D.C. area. Her work centers on liberation from white supremacy culture, with a focus on how systemic oppression impacts self-worth. Her book, We'll All Be Free, is a guide to deprogramming the internalized messages of white supremacy and reclaiming your true self. Caroline's mission is to help others recognize the worth that oppressive systems have tried to erase.

• The importance of understanding how white supremacy culture harms everyone—not just the most marginalized.

• Why urgency, productivity, and perfectionism are tools of white supremacy—and how to break free.

• Navigating motivation and urgency as a neurodivergent person.

• Creating a life of joy and balance while staying engaged in liberation work.

• The importance of connecting with our shared humanity in social justice conversations.

• Understanding collective harm and our responsibility in collective healing.

• Caroline's perspective on using privilege for good and deconditioning colonial thinking.

• Caroline J. Sumlin's Website

• We'll All Be Free – Caroline's Book

• Follow Caroline on Instagram

• Join the Embracing Intensity Community

In this thought-provoking episode of Embracing Intensity, Aurora sits down with Sheldon Gay, host of the I Must Be BUG'N podcast, which amplifies the stories and voices of Black, unidentified, underrepresented, gifted, and otherwise neurodivergent people. Sheldon is deeply insightful, warm, and grounded in his advocacy to humanize the neurodivergent experience. Together, they dive into the power of mirroring—that magical moment when we see ourselves reflected in others—and how it plays a crucial role in identity, belonging, and connection.

Sheldon shares his personal journey discovering his giftedness later in life and how joining neurodivergent spaces offered a profound sense of home and validation. He speaks candidly about emotional giftedness, navigating systems that often don't recognize or affirm difference, and the importance of compassion, boundaries, and self-trust.

✨ In this episode:

• What mirroring means and why it's vital for neurodivergent people

• How Sheldon discovered his giftedness and launched I Must Be BUG'N

• Why IQ tests don't tell the whole story of intelligence or giftedness

• Emotional giftedness, self-doubt, and how we process emotions

• Compassion and boundaries in spaces where we feel misunderstood

• Recognizing our gifts even when others don't

• The power of community connection and storytelling

• Insights into upcoming collaborative projects with Sheldon, including neurodivergent-friendly apps

• Reflections on Aurora's recent blog post on neurodivergent relationships

🔗 Resources & Links:

• I Must Be BUG'N Podcast

• Embracing Intensity Community

• Aurora's Blog Post on Neurodivergent Relationships

• Intuitive Flow Podcast Episode

Whether you're just beginning your journey or deep into exploring your neurodivergent identity, this conversation is a reminder that you are not alone—and that your experiences, brilliance, and emotions are valid and worthy of being seen.

🎧 Listen now and feel seen.

This week on the Embracing Intensity podcast, I'm thrilled to welcome back the always thoughtful and illuminating Brendan Mahan, founder of ADHD Essentials and creator of the Wall of Awful. In this free-flowing and deeply relatable conversation, we dive into the realities of ADHD burnout, navigating screen time, and what it really means to rest. Brendan and I both share personally about our own experiences with burnout and recovery, and how we're learning to work with our neurodivergent brains instead of against them.

Brendan Mahan is a speaker, coach, and host of the ADHD Essentials Podcast. He specializes in helping families, educators, and individuals better understand ADHD through metaphor, structure, and compassion. Brendan is known for his "Wall of Awful" model—a powerful visual metaphor that helps people identify and move through the emotional blocks that make motivation so hard for those with ADHD. He's currently working on a book titled Overcoming the Wall of Awful, expected to release in 2026.

• The difference between hard fascination and soft fascination, and why the latter is key for real rest

• What the Default Mode Network is and how it affects neurodivergent minds

• How screen time mimics rest but often leads to hard fascination and further mental exhaustion

• The origins of the Wall of Awful and how it helps people understand motivation challenges

• Tools Brendan uses to access soft fascination, from walks in the woods to weighted pressure

• The idea of contaminated time and how it sabotages meaningful rest

• Navigating professional transitions and creative burnout

• Letting go of transactional relationships and leaning into transformational connection

• Using Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs to intentionally rebuild from burnout

• How embracing your values and regulating sensory input can be powerful tools for recovery

• Reframing burnout as a "season" and holding onto hope that things can and do change

🎧 Tune in to hear a heartfelt, relatable conversation on burnout, ADHD, and the power of slowing down with intention. Whether you're deep in burnout or on the road to recovery, this episode offers compassionate insights and practical tools to help you find your way back to balance.

• Brendan Mahan – ADHD Essentials

• The Wall of Awful on How to ADHD (YouTube)

• Embracing Intensity Community

In this inspiring episode of Embracing Intensity, I'm joined by the vibrant and insightful Fizzah Zaidi, a psychotherapist based in Chicago who works with adults with ADHD, especially those navigating high-pressure environments like tech and finance. We originally connected at an ADHD conference over boots and breakfast, and I'm so excited to bring her energy and wisdom to the podcast!

Fizzah shares her journey from a creative career in animation to becoming a mental health professional, her passion for social justice, and how she uses her intensity to empower her clients. Together, we explore what it means to navigate neurodivergence with curiosity, creativity, and self-compassion.

Fizzah is a psychotherapist and former animator who brings her creative flair and social justice focus into her therapeutic practice. Working primarily with high-achieving adults in the finance and tech sectors, she specializes in supporting ADHD and twice-exceptional individuals as they navigate complex challenges in both personal and professional settings. Her approach is multimodal, trauma-informed, and deeply rooted in empathy, humor, and the belief that everyone deserves someone who truly believes in them.

• How Fizzah uses creativity and multimodal therapy to connect with clients

• The role of social justice in her personal and professional intensity

• Navigating cultural stigma around mental health and emotional expression

• Toning down to survive: childhood masking and fear of judgment

• Channeling intensity into advocacy: challenging grad school policies while pregnant

• Why "being kind to yourself" means embracing your human moments

• The power of curiosity and education in making sense of your neurodivergent brain

• Executive function myths: the difference between lacking skills vs. activation

• Building community care, challenging black-and-white thinking, and supporting clients in discovering their fire

Fizzah reminds us that intensity can be a powerful force for justice, healing, and growth when it's supported and expressed authentically. Her story highlights the importance of giving ourselves permission to feel, question, and grow in our own unique ways—and supporting others as they do the same. Whether you're navigating neurodivergence, embracing your emotional depth, or looking for ways to channel your fire, this episode will leave you feeling seen and inspired.

🎧 Tune in now and discover how you, too, can embrace your intensity and turn it into your greatest strength.

• Fizzah Zaidi Psychotherapy Website: fzpsychotherapy.com

• Connect with Fizzah via Email: Available through her website

• Located in Chicago? Reach out and grab coffee with Fizzah!

• PowerZone Toolkit Challenge (Free & Evergreen): embracingintensity.com/toolkit

• Join the Embracing Intensity Community: community.embracingintensity.com

After a bit of a break from long-form content, I'm so excited to be back with a solo episode that's deeply personal and incredibly timely. I've missed connecting with you more intimately through the podcast and am looking forward to bringing you more episodes like this in the coming months.

Lately, I've been diving into the topic of neurodivergent burnout, something I've experienced firsthand and that I know many of you can relate to. I've written two blog posts on the topic and shared a companion video on YouTube—and even tested out long-form content on TikTok for the first time!

This episode is a heartfelt exploration of what burnout can look like for those of us who are gifted, ADHD, autistic, or otherwise neurodivergent, and how we can begin to recover and reconnect with our energy and purpose.

Over the last three years, I've been working through the most intense burnout of my life. It started during the pandemic and lingered far beyond, as I struggled to return to the rhythms of daily life in a world that never truly went "back to normal." Like many neurodivergent individuals, I found myself caught in a cycle of urgency, executive dysfunction, emotional exhaustion, and identity loss—especially as a twice-exceptional adult who spent years masking and pushing through.

Throughout this episode, I share how I began healing by shifting my energy focus, consuming more uplifting media, and building out my self-regulation toolkit. These small but impactful steps helped me start to climb out of burnout and reconnect with my values and purpose.

• What neurodivergent burnout really is and how it differs from general burnout
• The impact of executive dysfunction, sensory overload, and masking
• The "gifted kid burnout" problem and how identity gets tangled in achievement
• How urgency culture creates cycles of burnout and crash
• Using the "circle of influence" vs. "circle of concern" to refocus energy
• Shifting media consumption and moving from doomscrolling to hope scrolling
• The importance of community care and authentic connection
• Building a personalized self-regulation toolkit for long-term energy balance
• Learning to ask for help and receive support without guilt
• A reminder: burnout is not a personal failure—it's a survival response

Burnout is an all-too-common challenge for neurodivergent people, and it often looks very different from what the general population might expect. For autistic people, ADHD burnout, and other forms of neurodivergent burnout, it's not just about long hours or hard work—it's about the constant effort of navigating a neurotypical world without adequate support. The neurodivergent mind processes sensory input, social interaction, and executive function tasks in different ways, often leading to sensory processing issues and emotional exhaustion. Many autistic adults and neurodivergent individuals experience a greater risk of burnout due to the compounding effects of chronic stress, loss of skills, and a deep lack of motivation when support systems are not in place.

While neurotypical people may recover from burnout with rest alone, a neurodivergent adult often needs more nuanced strategies to heal—ones that take into account their unique neurodivergent traits, sensory experiences, and cognitive abilities. Burnout can also exacerbate mood disorders like anxiety disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Unfortunately, many family members, employers, and even mental health professionals may overlook these common causes, failing to provide the school accommodations, social support, or safe place needed for recovery. Whether it's through personal experience, insights from advocates or participation in online communities, it's clear that understanding the term neurodivergent and how it manifests is crucial. Supporting autistic children, ADHD individuals, and all neurodivergent people in reaching their full potential means meeting human needs, addressing sensory processing issues, and creating an ideal world where burnout is not the norm—but a sign that something deeper must be healed.

If you've been feeling like you're constantly pushing through exhaustion, struggling to find balance, or wondering why everything feels so hard—you are not alone. Neurodivergent burnout is real, and it's not a reflection of your worth or capability. It's a signal that your needs deserve more care, compassion, and community support.

Let this episode be a gentle reminder that your intensity is not too much, your rest is valid, and your healing matters. I'd love to hear from you—what topics would you like me to explore further on the podcast? And if you're ready to start building your own toolkit for energy balance and self-regulation, check out the PowerZone Toolkit Challenge, now available anytime you need it.

🎧 Listen now and take your next step toward recovery and reclaiming your energy.

• PowerZone Toolkit Challenge (now evergreen & free!)
• Join the Embracing Intensity Community
• Watch the video on YouTube
• Follow on TikTok & Instagram: @embracingintensity