Following her recent Daily Mail feature, Dr Olivia Kessel opens up about one of the most misunderstood and most common aspects of ADHD: emotional dysregulation and flash anger.

In this honest and practical episode, Olivia explores why emotional dysregulation isn't in the ADHD diagnostic criteria and why that matters. She unpacks the neuroscience behind flash anger and why reasoning in the moment makes things worse. She also goes into the hidden triggers behind explosions at home, including sleep deprivation, masking at school, hormonal cycles, hunger, transitions, and the "school angel, home devil" pattern so many parents recognise. And she shares the practical tools that transformed daily life in their household.

Plus, messages from the community, including parents who felt, for the first time, that their experience was finally being reflected back to them.

If you have ever felt trapped, ashamed, or utterly alone in what is happening behind your closed front door, this episode is for you.

🎉 Join Me in Henley — Book Launch, May 7 @ 6:30 PM  👉 RSVP
An intimate evening in conversation, connection, and celebration.
📚 New Book — Out May 7  👉 Order your copy
Beyond the Label: Empowering Parents of ADHD Girls
A powerful blend of science and lived experience to help you truly understand and support your daughter.

💬 Connect with Us

🌱 Join our SEND Parenting Private WhatsApp Community — a free, safe, welcoming space to share, learn, and feel supported by parents who truly understand the realities of neurodiverse family life.

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Can I be honest with you for a moment?

For so many parents, the hardest part of the SEND journey is not the diagnosis…

 It is the paperwork.

The forms. The reports. The endless documents.
 The fear of getting it wrong.

And for many, that fear becomes so big that they never even make it to tribunal, despite the fact that 95% of cases that get there are decided in favour of families.

In this episode, I am joined by Stevie Hayes, founder of Bundle Creator—a tool designed to simplify one of the most overwhelming parts of the EHCP journey.

We talk about:

•  Why the EHCP and tribunal process feels so complex (and why that is not your fault) 
•  The hidden “gatekeeping” role of paperwork that stops families in their tracks 
•  How to break the process down into manageable, bite-sized steps 
•  The shocking statistic that fewer than 10% of families reach tribunal 
•  Practical ways to organise evidence, meet deadlines, and feel more in control 
•  How technology can support neurodivergent parents to navigate a non-neuroaffirming system 

This is not about pretending the system is easy.
 It is about giving you the tools to face it with clarity, confidence, and support.

Because you are not failing the system.
 The system has not been built for you.

And when we change how we approach it, everything begins to shift.

 If you have ever felt overwhelmed, stuck, or unsure where to start, this episode is for you.

Stevie Hayes: [email protected]

Click here for SEND Bundle

The NeuroDiverse toolbox - YouTube

**The local authority is responsible for submitting any bundle to a SEND Tribunal. Parents are best prepared when they understand the constraints and can submit their evidence as a partially completed bundle to the local authority. 

🎉 Join Me in Henley — Book Launch, May 7 @ 6:30 PM  👉 RSVP
An intimate evening in conversation, connection, and celebration.
📚 New Book — Out May 7  👉 Order your copy
Beyond the Label: Empowering Parents of ADHD Girls
A powerful blend of science and lived experience to help you truly understand and support your daughter.

💬 Connect with Us

🌱 Join our SEND Parenting Private WhatsApp Community — a free, safe, welcoming space to share, learn, and feel supported by parents who truly understand the realities of neurodiverse family life.

⚡ Ready to go deeper?
Become part of the ...

Easter holidays can feel like a breaking point for many ADHD mums.

Less structure. More demands. And that quiet, heavy loneliness that no one else seems to understand.

In this deeply honest solo episode, Dr. Olivia shares what came up again and again in her group coaching this week:
 👉 the invisible load
 👉 the emotional exhaustion
 👉 and the feeling of doing it all alone

If you are heading into the holidays feeling overwhelmed, stretched, or already running on empty… this episode is for you.

This is not about perfect routines or getting it “right.”
 This is about something far more important:

Not losing yourself in the process.

Inside this episode, you will find:

•  Why parenting a neurodiverse child can feel so relentless (and why it is not your fault) 
•  The hidden “invisible load” so many mums are carrying 
•  A powerful mindset shift to take the pressure off this holiday period 
•  One simple daily anchor to help you reconnect with yourself 
•  A short guided meditation to calm your nervous system and give you space to breathe 

Because you are not just the organiser, the advocate, or the regulator.

You are a person within this, too.

And you matter.

If this episode resonates, please share it with another mum who might need to hear this today.

 🧘‍♀️ Meditation Link 

🎉 Join Me in Henley — Book Launch, May 7 @ 6:30 PM  👉 RSVP
An intimate evening in conversation, connection, and celebration.
📚 New Book — Out May 7  👉 Order your copy
Beyond the Label: Empowering Parents of ADHD Girls
A powerful blend of science and lived experience to help you truly understand and support your daughter.

💬 Connect with Us

🌱 Join our SEND Parenting Private WhatsApp Community — a free, safe, welcoming space to share, learn, and feel supported by parents who truly understand the realities of neurodiverse family life.

⚡ Ready to go deeper?
Become part of the ...

Have you ever watched your child fall apart over something that seems small — a correction at school, a cancelled plan, a simple “not now”… and wondered what is really going on?

In this powerful solo episode, Dr Olivia explores Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria (RSD) — a term you may have seen everywhere on social media, but one that is often misunderstood.

Blending medical insight, real-life parenting experience, and practical tools, this episode unpacks:

• What RSD actually is (and why it is not in the DSM)
 • The science behind emotional dysregulation in ADHD
 • Why some experts support the term — and others challenge it
 • What RSD really looks like in children and teenagers (especially girls)
 • Why your child is not “overreacting” — and what their brain is doing instead
 • The link between ADHD, rejection, and lived experience over time

Most importantly, Dr Olivia shares practical, compassionate strategies to help you support your child:

• How to respond in the moment (what helps — and what makes it worse)
 • How to build emotional awareness before meltdown
 • Why validation matters more than logic
 • How to gently reduce avoidance and build resilience
 • The role of therapy and when to consider medication

If you have ever felt confused, exhausted, or alone trying to support a child who feels everything so deeply, this episode will help you understand what is really happening — and how to move forward with confidence.

You are not alone in this. And neither is your child. 

🎉 Join Me in Henley — Book Launch, May 7 @ 6:30 PM  👉 RSVP
An intimate evening in conversation, connection, and celebration.
📚 New Book — Out May 7  👉 Order your copy
Beyond the Label: Empowering Parents of ADHD Girls
A powerful blend of science and lived experience to help you truly understand and support your daughter.

💬 Connect with Us

🌱 Join our SEND Parenting Private WhatsApp Community — a free, safe, welcoming space to share, learn, and feel supported by parents who truly understand the realities of neurodiverse family life.

⚡ Ready to go deeper?
Become part of the ...

The teenage years can feel particularly intense when you are parenting a child with ADHD.

Many parents expect things to get easier as children grow older — yet for many families, adolescence brings new challenges: emotional outbursts, school struggles, growing independence, and the feeling that your once-connected child is suddenly pushing you away.

In this episode of the SEND Parenting Podcast, I am joined by therapist and ADHD specialist Jheri South, who works closely with teenagers and their families. Together we explore what is really happening in the ADHD teenage brain and why this stage can be so complex — not just for teenagers, but for parents too. 

Jerry shares both professional insight and personal experience as a neurodivergent parent raising seven neurodivergent children. Her work focuses on helping families understand behaviour through the lens of brain development, emotional regulation, and the unique wiring of the ADHD brain.

In this conversation, we explore:

• Why ADHD teenagers often seem three years behind in executive functioning
• The impact of constant criticism on self-esteem in ADHD children
• Why traditional parenting approaches based on punishment often backfire
• How rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD) drives emotional reactions and meltdowns
• Why connection matters more than control during the teenage years
• Practical strategies parents can use to support independence without losing connection

We also talk honestly about the emotional side of parenting ADHD teens — the fear that your child may struggle in life and the worry that you are somehow getting it wrong.

Jheri reminds us of something many parents need to hear:

ADHD teenagers are not broken. They are developing differently — and with the right understanding and support, they can thrive.

If you are navigating the teenage years with an ADHD child and wondering whether things will ever get easier, this episode offers reassurance, insight, and practical tools to help you support your child through this stage.

 Learn more about Jheri South and her work

🎉 Join Me in Henley — Book Launch, May 7 @ 6:30 PM  👉 RSVP
An intimate evening in conversation, connection, and celebration.
📚 New Book — Out May 7  👉 Order your copy
Beyond the Label: Empowering Parents of ADHD Girls
A powerful blend of science and lived experience to help you truly understand and support your daughter.

💬 Connect with Us

🌱 Join our SEND Parenting Private WhatsApp Community — a free, safe, welcoming space to share, learn, and feel supported by parents who truly understand the realities of neurodiverse family life.

⚡ Ready to go deeper?
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Deciding whether to try ADHD medication can feel overwhelming for many parents.
 There is a huge amount of misinformation online, and the decision can feel heavy, emotional, and confusing.

In this episode, I sit down with Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist Dr Giovanni Giaroli to break down what ADHD medication actually does in the brain — in clear, parent-friendly language.

We explore:

• How ADHD medication works in the prefrontal cortex and executive brain
• The difference between stimulant and non-stimulant medications
• Why finding the right medication is often a journey of careful titration
• Common side effects and what parents should realistically expect
• How medication interacts with autism, anxiety, OCD and PDA profiles
• Why medication alone is not the whole picture — and how sleep, exercise, nutrition and support work alongside it

Dr Giaroli also explains why ADHD medication has one of the strongest evidence bases in child psychiatry, while still requiring a personalised approach for every child.

If you are navigating this decision for your child, this conversation will help bring clarity, reassurance, and science to the discussion.

Giaroli Clinic

🎉 Join Me in Henley — Book Launch, May 7 @ 6:30 PM  👉 RSVP
An intimate evening in conversation, connection, and celebration.
📚 New Book — Out May 7  👉 Order your copy
Beyond the Label: Empowering Parents of ADHD Girls
A powerful blend of science and lived experience to help you truly understand and support your daughter.

💬 Connect with Us

🌱 Join our SEND Parenting Private WhatsApp Community — a free, safe, welcoming space to share, learn, and feel supported by parents who truly understand the realities of neurodiverse family life.

⚡ Ready to go deeper?
Become part of the ...

Why does everything suddenly feel harder when puberty begins?

In this powerful and honest conversation, I am joined by Dr Jess Morgan — former NHS paediatrician and now educator — to unpack what is really happening in the brain and body when puberty meets neurodivergence.

We explore:

• Why emotional outbursts are developmental, not defiance
• How hormonal changes amplify ADHD and sensory sensitivities
• The brain science behind mood swings and impulsivity
• Why masking becomes more exhausting in adolescence
• The hidden mental health toll of “trying to fit in”
• Practical ways to support regulation without escalating conflict
• What happens when puberty collides with parental menopause

If you have felt blindsided by the intensity of adolescence — particularly with a neurodivergent child — this episode will help you understand the why behind the behaviour, and offer compassionate, practical ways to respond.

Because this is not about bad parenting.
 It is about brain development, hormones, and learning to tread gently — with our children and ourselves.

The survive and thrive collective

Dr Jess Morgan TedX on reconnecting with your inner child

🎉 Join Me in Henley — Book Launch, May 7 @ 6:30 PM  👉 RSVP
An intimate evening in conversation, connection, and celebration.
📚 New Book — Out May 7  👉 Order your copy
Beyond the Label: Empowering Parents of ADHD Girls
A powerful blend of science and lived experience to help you truly understand and support your daughter.

💬 Connect with Us

🌱 Join our SEND Parenting Private WhatsApp Community — a free, safe, welcoming space to share, learn, and feel supported by parents who truly understand the realities of neurodiverse family life.

⚡ Ready to go deeper?
Become part of the ...

In this powerful and honest conversation, Dr Olivia Kessel is joined by parenting coach Alison Solomon to explore one uncomfortable truth: what if the biggest shift in our child’s behaviour has nothing to do with them and everything to do with us?

Alison shares the moment she calls the “arrow through the heart,” when she realised her child was not the problem, her reaction was. From that moment, everything changed.

In this episode, we explore:

• What actually happens in the brain when a child is dysregulated
 • Why adding logic to an emotional brain makes things worse
 • The power of silence and when to stop talking
 • How to create emotional safety at home
 • Why oppositional traits may be future strengths
 • The “golden apology” and how modelling accountability builds resilience

This is not about blame. It is about empowerment.

Because when we regulate first, everything else begins to shift.

If you have ever found yourself talking more and getting nowhere, this episode will land.

🎉 Join Me in Henley — Book Launch, May 7 @ 6:30 PM  👉 RSVP
An intimate evening in conversation, connection, and celebration.
📚 New Book — Out May 7  👉 Order your copy
Beyond the Label: Empowering Parents of ADHD Girls
A powerful blend of science and lived experience to help you truly understand and support your daughter.

💬 Connect with Us

🌱 Join our SEND Parenting Private WhatsApp Community — a free, safe, welcoming space to share, learn, and feel supported by parents who truly understand the realities of neurodiverse family life.

⚡ Ready to go deeper?
Become part of the ...

This week is a short solo half-term check-in.

It is GCSE options time in our house, and I know many of you are feeling the same fear.

In this episode, I talk about:

• The 30% executive function delay in ADHD and what that really means
 • Why GCSE choices can feel overwhelming for neurodivergent teens
 • How to choose subjects based on interest, not pressure
 • The bigger life picture beyond exams
 • Successful neurodivergent entrepreneurs including Jo Malone, Richard Branson and Ingvar Kamprad

GCSEs matter — but they are not destiny.

If you are sitting at the kitchen table staring at options forms, this episode is for you.

A calm reset for half term. 💛

Register for the ADHD Medications Unmasked Masterclass with Dr Giovani on Tuesday, February 17th @ 8 PM

🎉 Join Me in Henley — Book Launch, May 7 @ 6:30 PM  👉 RSVP
An intimate evening in conversation, connection, and celebration.
📚 New Book — Out May 7  👉 Order your copy
Beyond the Label: Empowering Parents of ADHD Girls
A powerful blend of science and lived experience to help you truly understand and support your daughter.

💬 Connect with Us

🌱 Join our SEND Parenting Private WhatsApp Community — a free, safe, welcoming space to share, learn, and feel supported by parents who truly understand the realities of neurodiverse family life.

⚡ Ready to go deeper?
Become part of the ...

Choosing how to get an ADHD or autism diagnosis can feel overwhelming — and confusing. But the pathway you choose does not just affect how long you wait. It affects your child's support, medication access, and long-term outcomes.

In this episode, Dr Olivia Kessel is joined by Reemz — a member of the SEND Parenting community with direct experience working inside NHS CAMHS and supporting a family member through Right to Choose.

Together, they break down:

• The NHS CAMHS diagnostic pathway
• The Right to Choose pathway — what it really offers and where families get stuck
• Private assessments — benefits, risks, and hidden costs
• Why diagnosis is not a “label,” but a tool for understanding and support
• What parents need to know before starting any pathway

This episode is for parents who are:

• Unsure which route to take
• Already on a waiting list
• Worried about making the “wrong” decision
• Seeking clarity, not opinions

You are not failing.
 You are navigating a complex system — and knowledge changes everything.

🔗 Helpful Resources & Guidelines

As mentioned on Podcast Reemz has kindly shared two worksheets that you can print and use at home:

ASD Diagnostic criteria worksheet

ADHD Diagnostic criteria worksheet

Right to Choose (England)

Clear explanations of the process, providers, and current waiting times:
 👉 ADHD UK – Right to Choose Guide

📘 DSM Diagnostic Criteria

Understanding what clinicians are actually assessing can help you advocate more effectively.

• 👉ADHD Diagnostic Criteria (DSM-5-TR)
   
  
  
• 👉Autism Diagnostic Criteria (DSM-5-TR)
   

(These criteria explain why traits must be present across settings and over time.)

If this episode helped you, please

🎉 Join Me in Henley — Book Launch, May 7 @ 6:30 PM  👉 RSVP
An intimate evening in conversation, connection, and celebration.
📚 New Book — Out May 7  👉 Order your copy
Beyond the Label: Empowering Parents of ADHD Girls
A powerful blend of science and lived experience to help you truly understand and support your daughter.

💬 Connect with Us

🌱 Join our SEND Parenting Private WhatsApp Community — a free, safe, welcoming space to share, learn, and feel supported by parents who truly understand the realities of neurodiverse family life.

⚡ Ready to go deeper?
Become part of the ...