Matt, Erin, and returning guest Dr. Kade Sharp tackle the messy intersections of self-knowledge, love, and trauma. We break down why RuPaul’s “If you can’t love yourself, how in the hell [are] you gonna love somebody else?” isn’t the full story, how neglect can be invisible until you see what other people had, and why kids aren’t “too sensitive”—they’re exactly as sensitive as they are.

We dig into:

• Love vs. limerence vs. appeasement
• How developmental trauma warps our sense of safety and connection
• The difference between guilt (“I did bad”) and shame (“I am bad”)
• Why kindness can feel scarier than chaos if you grew up expecting bombs—literal or metaphorical
• Vulnerability, English’s terrible one-word problem, and redefining love as accessibility, responsiveness, and engagement

Also: Frozen’s autistic coding, sewing your pockets shut, Superman’s team dynamics, and what to do when someone hands you a muffin basket and you’re not sure if it’s a trap.

Links Mentioned:

• Autistic Clinical Insights: ⁠www.autisticclinicalinsights.com⁠
• Aces Up Your Sleeve podcast: ⁠www.neurokink.org/auys⁠
• Spectrum Counseling: ⁠www.kadesharp.com⁠
• Neurokink: ⁠www.neurokink.org