Long before we had language for it, the signs were there. My cousin Monica babysat me when I was just four or five years old, and even then, she noticed something different about how my brain worked.

This was decades before we understood that girls could have ADHD, before executive functioning challenges were recognized as something treatable and trainable, before we knew these weren't character flaws but neurological differences that show up early and persist throughout life.

In this deeply personal conversation, Monica Figueiredo, a registered nurse with over 30 years of experience in pediatrics, neonatal intensive care, and psychiatry joins me to explore what she saw in me as a child and what it means through the lens of what we know now.

As a mental health nurse educator who has worked in acute child, adolescent, and adult mental health settings in Toronto, Monica brings a uniquely practical perspective on executive functioning that bridges the gap between clinical understanding and real-world application.

We talk about the early signs that often go unnoticed, particularly in girls, and how these challenges compound over time when left unaddressed. Monica has seen firsthand how executive functioning deficits layer into more complex mental health disorders as people age, when you can't regulate your emotions, when you can't shift priorities, when basic planning feels impossible, these struggles don't just disappear. They evolve, creating cascading effects on mental health and daily functioning.

But here's the hopeful part: these skills are trainable at any age and stage of life. Monica shares stories from her current work as a primary care nurse in a community clinic, where she's helping everyone from four-year-olds to clients in their sixties develop these foundational cognitive skills. Whether you're 4 or 60, your brain can learn new patterns, build new pathways, and strengthen executive functioning capabilities.

This conversation matters because executive functioning isn't just about productivity or organization, it's about mental health, quality of life, and our ability to show up as our whole selves. Monica's three decades in Canadian mental health care have given her a perspective that's both clinically informed and deeply human. She understands that these aren't abstract neurological concepts but daily realities that affect how we parent, work, maintain relationships, and navigate the world.

Join us for a conversation about recognition, compassion, and possibility and why talking openly about executive functioning challenges is one of the most valuable things we can do for ourselves and future generations.

Monica is a registered nurse with over 30 years experience in pediatrics, neonatal intensive care and psychiatry. Her psychiatric experience is in acute child and adolescent as well as adult mental health. Monica is currently working as a primary care nurse in a community clinic providing mental health and physical health care. She can be reached via email at [email protected].