The Christina Crowe Podcast: Making the invisible VISIBLE

By Christina Crowe, RPHealth & Fitness Mental Health

The Christina Crowe Podcast: Making the invisible VISIBLE episodes

November 18, 2024E75: AuDHD and Stimulant Use: Latest Research Insights with Psychotherapist Christina Crowe
Today I have a brief solo episode for you on some emerging data about the experience of folks with both ADHD and Autism (AuDHD) on stimulant medication. This episode is meant to share a snapshot of this new data, and you can read more by referencing the resources linked below!

I’m highlighting:
Specific side effects of stimulant medications that are more common in individuals with both ADHD and Autism,

The impact of stimulant meds on our interpersonal relationships in folks with ADHD and Autism,

Unmasking, hyperfocus, sensory sensitivities and anxiety.

Resources for After the Show:
The effect of stimulants on irritability in autism comorbid with ADHD: a systematic review

Ahuja, V. (2024, June 11). Q: “Can adhd meds unmask autism?” ADDitude. https://www.additudemag.com/audhd-medication-side-effects

Pharmacotherapy of ADHD in Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Effectiveness and Side Effects

Psychostimulants for ADHD-like symptoms in individuals with autism spectrum disorders

The OG: The ADHD Resource Hub, and our ADHD & Treatment resource page.

Find Christina (CRPO #3908): Website |Find a Therapist |Get Assessed by an NP in Ontario | Instagram | TikTok | X
A gentle reminder that this is not therapy, and Christina is not your therapist. If you need more one on one support or treatment, please check out the links posted above or our resources page on our website.

LISTEN OR SUBSCRIBE for free in your favourite podcast app:
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12 min
November 04, 2024E74: Understanding Aphantasia: Navigating Invisible Barriers in Therapy with Carley Richards, RP
Today your hosts psychotherapists Christina Crowe and Katie Richardson, love making invisible things visible and are talking about a lesser known condition called Aphantasia, and how it shows up in the therapy session room. We are joined by our friend and colleague, psychotherapist Carley Richards from Ottawa, who shares our interest in talking about all these neat things that crop up as we learn more and more about neurodivergent brains.

Katie, Carls and I talk about:
Their own personal experiences at opposite ends of the visualization spectrum as therapists, and as clients themselves.

The predominance of visual techniques in psychotherapy interventions and the implications for someone with hypophantasia or aphantasia.

How therapists can notice whether a client might not be able to visualize and how to adjust their approach accordingly.
Resources for After the Show:
Five things I’ve learned about aphantasia as a therapist by Christina Crowe

The Aphantasia Network

The Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire

The Imagination Spectrum test
The OG: The ADHD Resource Hub.

Find our guest, Carley Richards, RP: Website | Instagram | Tiktok

Find Katie (CRPO #11244): Website | Instagram
Find Christina (CRPO #3908): Website | Find a Therapist | Get Assessed by an NP in Ontario | Instagram | TikTok | X
A gentle reminder that this is not therapy, and Christina nor Katie are not your therapist. If you need more one on one support or treatment, please check out the links posted above or our Resources page on our website.

LISTEN OR SUBSCRIBE for free in your favourite podcast app:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | TuneIn | iHeart Radio | AmazonMusic | RSS
50 min
October 28, 2024E73: ADHD and Generational Trauma: Pathways to Healing with Christina and Katie
Today your hosts psychotherapists Christina Crowe and Katie Richardson, love making invisible things visible. Today we are talking about intergenerational trauma and ADHD. We talk through various things related to intergenerational trauma, emotional disconnect, and intergenerational relationships. We explore the definition and impact of intergenerational trauma, highlighting difficulties faced by older generations in acknowledging and addressing mental health. We explore the benefit of empathy, patience, and the ongoing efforts it might take to bridge the communication gap in these relationships.

Katie and I talk about:
How does intergenerational trauma impact subsequent generations?

What is the correlation between trauma and ADHD?

How can we bridge the communication gap between different generations?

What are effective strategies for setting boundaries and managing expectations in generational relationships?
Resources for After the Show:
Read: The Dig Deeper Blog, especially: ADHD & Polyvagal Theory: Making sense of the link between ADHD and trauma.

The OG: The ADHD Resource Hub, esp. Family life, parenting & solutions that work.

Find Katie (CRPO #11244): Website | Instagram
Find Christina (CRPO #3908): Website | Find a Therapist | Get Assessed by an NP in Ontario | Instagram | TikTok | X

A gentle reminder that this is not therapy, and Christina nor Katie are not your therapist. If you need more one on one support or treatment, please check out the links posted above or our Resources page on our website..
LISTEN OR SUBSCRIBE for free in your favourite podcast app: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | TuneIn | iHeart Radio | AmazonMusic RSS
47 min
October 21, 2024E72: Beyond Academic Performance: Addressing ADHD Assessment Blind Spots with Tim Crowe
Today your hosts psychotherapists Christina Crowe and Katie Richardson, love making invisible things visible. Today we are talking about our own report cards as late diagnosed ADHDers. And we have an extra special guest with us today - Mr. Tim Crowe, whose report cards, as you will hear, have rightfully earned him the mic.

Katie, Tim and I talk about:
Societal pressures related to academic performance and the challenges faced by individuals with ADHD, particularly in the context of their high school experiences

What did all of our teachers and parents miss?

How our experiences with report cards shape our self-perception?

The factors that ultimately contributed to being late-diagnosed adults.
Resources for After the Show:
Read: The Dig Deeper Blog, especially: Family life, parenting & solutions that work and ADHD: More than a Buzzword

Neurodivergent-affirming classroom management: 3 perspective shifts for teachers

The OG: The ADHD Resource Hub, and for Ontario, our Integrated Mental Health Nurse Practitioner-led Assessment and Treatment Clinic.

CADDAC: Types of classroom accommodations (Ages 7-17)

CADDAC: Post secondary classroom accommodations

CADDAC: Understanding ADHD as a Disability in the Post-Secondary Environment

How to be an Effective Advocate for your Child

Find Katie (CRPO #11244): Website | Instagram
Find Christina (CRPO #3908): Website | Find a Therapist | Get Assessed by an NP in Ontario | Instagram |TikTok | X

A gentle reminder that this is not therapy, and Christina nor Katie are not your therapist. If you need more one on one support or treatment, please check out the links posted above or our Resources page on our website..

LISTEN OR SUBSCRIBE for free in your favourite podcast app:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | TuneIn | iHeart Radio| AmazonMusic RSS
55 min
October 14, 2024E71: ADHD Medication’s Impact on Coaching, Therapy, and Stigma: A Discussion with Gina Pera
Today your host, is psychotherapist Christina Crowe; I love making invisible things visible. Today I’m talking to Gina Pera, an internationally recognized author, speaker, and educator on Adult ADHD.

Gina and I talk about:
The influence of ADHD medication efficacy in therapy or coaching outcomes,

The challenges of generic psychostimulants and what folks should know,

The challenge of sorting through what we should be really focusing on in coaching or therapy for adults with ADHD,

A peek behind the scenes of the ADHD advocacy world.
Guest Bio: For 25 years, Gina Pera has empowered adults with ADHD and their loved ones, raising the standard of care through her books, blog, conference presentations, and online education. A veteran award-winning journalist, Gina discovered her husband's ADHD in 1997 through a chance reading of a neurobiology book, not through their repeated couple therapy attempts. This revelation improved their lives and marriage, sparking her passion for public education on ADHD. In 2008, she published "Is It You, Me, or Adult A.D.D.?" and launched her award-winning blog, ADHD Roller Coaster. Gina was invited to contribute the first-ever chapter on couple therapy for ADHD to Russell Barkley's clinical guide. Find Gina: Website | LinkedIn

Resources for After the Show:
The Dig Deeper School: ADHD Medication and psychoeducation for therapists (or other non-medical clinicians)

Read: The Dig Deeper Blog

The OG: The ADHD Resource Hub, and learn more about the gold standards for ADHD Treatment.

Find Christina (CRPO #3908): Website |Find a Therapist |Get Assessed by an NP in Ontario | Instagram |TikTok | X

A gentle reminder that this is not therapy, and Christina nor Katie are not your therapist. If you need more one on one support or treatment, please check out the links posted above or our Resources page on our website.
LISTEN OR SUBSCRIBE for free in your favourite podcast app: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | TuneIn | iHeart Radio| AmazonMusic RSS
56 min
October 07, 2024E70: Exploring Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) and Neurodivergent Life
Today your hosts psychotherapists Christina Crowe and Katie Richardson, love making invisible things visible. Today your hosts psychotherapists Christina Crowe and Katie Richardson, are talking about PDA - Pathological Demand Avoidance or more affirmingly known as Persistent Drive for Autonomy.

Katie and I explore:
What exactly might the role of internal sensory overwhelm be for folks with PDA and ADHD?

What is the perception of social hierarchy and how does it impact neurodivergent people?

What are the three A's of neurodivergent life, and how should we talk about this when we self-advocate, or advocate for our kids?

Resources for After the Show:
Parenting Tips for Emotion and Behaviour Regulation

PDA vs Demand Avoidance (neurodivergentinsights.com)

https://www.pdasociety.org.uk/| https://www.kristyforbes.com.au/

Cherish Graff (@audhd_therapist)

Low-Demand Parenting: Dropping Demands, Restoring Calm, and Finding Connection with your Uniquely Wired Child

Oppositional Defiance or Faulty Neuroception? - Mona Delahooke, Ph.D. - Pediatric Psychologist - California

Pathological demand avoidance: What and who are being pathologised and in whose interests? - Allison Moore, 2020 (sagepub.com)

Pathological demand avoidance syndrome: a necessary distinction within the pervasive developmental disorders - PubMed (nih.gov)
The PANDA Approach from the PDA Society summarizes helpful approaches for PDA children and further explains many of these strategies.

PDA-informed Psychologists in Ontario: WonderTree Child, Adolescent, and Family Practice

Find Katie (CRPO #11244): Website | Instagram
Find Christina (CRPO #3908): Website |Find a Therapist |Get Assessed by an NP in Ontario | Instagram |TikTok | X

A gentle reminder that this is not therapy, and Christina nor Katie are not your therapist. If you need more one on one support or treatment, please check out the links posted above or our Resources page on our website..
LISTEN OR SUBSCRIBE for free in your favourite podcast app: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | TuneIn | iHeart Radio| AmazonMusic| RSS
50 min
September 30, 2024E69: High Achievers with Hidden Struggles: Navigating the Challenges of 2E Life
Today your hosts psychotherapists Christina Crowe and Katie Richardson, love making invisible things visible. Today we are talking about the complications of 2E life - such as having ADHD and being ‘gifted’. The relationship between giftedness and ADHD, the impact of ableism and learned helplessness, and the experiences of adults with ADHD and Autism.

Katie and I talk about:
The importance of deep listening and acceptance in relationships with Autistic folks, and shifting away from trying to change them,

Understanding the overlap between giftedness and ADHD,

How can we support kids with ADHD and giftedness in the school system? The impact of school systems on mental health,

What is internalized ableism and how does it affect neurodivergent individuals?

What are the implications of ‘potential’ and thriving vs. struggling in individuals with neurodiversity?
Resources for After the Show:
Read: The Dig Deeper Blog, especially: Neurodivergent-Affirming Clinical Practices and Psychological Safety.

The OG: The ADHD Resource Hub,

Cognitive characteristics of intellectually gifted children with a diagnosis of ADHD

Permission to Feel: Unlocking the Power of Emotions to Help Our Kids, Ourselves, and Our Society Thrive, by Marc Brackett,Ph.D
Find Katie (CRPO #11244): Website | Instagram
Find Christina (CRPO #3908): Website | Find a Therapist | Get Assessed by an NP in Ontario | Instagram |TikTok | X

A gentle reminder that this is not therapy, and Christina nor Katie are not your therapist. If you need more one on one support or treatment, please check out the links posted above or our Resources page on our website..
LISTEN OR SUBSCRIBE for free in your favourite podcast app:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | TuneIn | iHeart Radio| AmazonMusic RSS
47 min
September 23, 2024E68 : The Truth Serum: Exposing Pseudoscience in Mental Health, with Dr. Jonathan Stea
I’m your host, Psychotherapist Christina Crowe, and I love making invisible things visible. Today I have the pleasure of speaking with Clinical Psychologist Dr. Jonathan Stea from Calgary, Alberta, and we’re talking about his newly published book, Mind the Science: Saving your Mental Health from the Wellness Industry.

Dr. Stea and I cover:
What makes certain wellness practices "sticky" and why do people become rigid proponents of them?

How can clinicians navigate the tension between cultural competency and evidence-based care in the wellness industry?

How can clinicians balance patient preferences and values with scientific evidence and clinical judgment in their practice?

What resources are important for psychotherapists to follow up on?
About our Guest: Jonathan N. Stea, Ph.D., R. Psych., is a full-time practicing clinical psychologist and adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Calgary. Clinically, he specializes in the assessment and treatment of concurrent addiction and mental disorders. He's a two-time winner of the University of Calgary's Award for Excellence in Clinical Supervision and co-editor of the book Investigating Clinical Psychology: Pseudoscience, Fringe Science, and Controversies. He was the 2022 recipient of the John G. Paterson Award from the Psychologists’ Association of Alberta (PAA), which is an annual award presented for the exceptional contribution to portraying psychological knowledge to the public. Find Dr. Stea: Website | X

Resources for After the Show:
Mind the Science: Saving your Mental Health from the Wellness Industry, by Jonathan Stea, PhD.

Check out: The Dig Deeper Blog, especially: A therapists rebuttal: Fighting medication stigma

The OG: The ADHD Resource Hub.

Find Christina (CRPO #3908): Website |Find a Therapist |Get Assessed by an NP in Ontario | Instagram |TikTok | X
A gentle reminder that this is not therapy, and Christina nor Katie are not your therapist. If you need more one on one support or treatment, please check out the links posted above or our Resources page on our website..
LISTEN OR SUBSCRIBE for free in your favourite podcast app:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | TuneIn | iHeart Radio| AmazonMusic RSS
59 min
September 16, 2024E67: Internalized Ableism to AuDHD: The Role of Validation in Seeking Diagnosis
Today your hosts psychotherapists Christina Crowe and Katie Richardson, love making invisible things visible. Today we are talking about all things AuDHD, the acronym that is meant to indicate someone who is both Autistic and also has ADHD.

Katie and I talk about:
Ableism, and internalized ableism,

The Squirrel Club in University,

Should adults seek a formal Autism diagnosis?

Myriad presentations of AuDHD (ADHD + Autism),

The power of validation.

Resources for After the Show:
Read: The Dig Deeper Blog, especially:
The Second Reckoning, by Katie Richardson

Neurodivergent-Affirming Clinical Practices and Psychological Safety, by Christina Crowe

AuDHD & camouflaging, by Eden Arefaine
The OG: The ADHD Resource Hub, to learn more about accessing appropriate screening, assessment, diagnosis and treatment in Ontario.

Find Katie (CRPO #11244): Website | Instagram
Find Christina (CRPO #3908): Website |Find a Therapist |Get Assessed by an NP in Ontario | Instagram |TikTok | X

A gentle reminder that this is not therapy, and Christina nor Katie are not your therapist. If you need more one on one support or treatment, please check out the links posted above or our Resources page on our website..
LISTEN OR SUBSCRIBE for free in your favourite podcast app: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | TuneIn | iHeart Radio | AmazonMusic | RSS
33 min
September 09, 2024E66: Confronting Ableism, Stoicism, and Perfectionism in the therapy room, with Christina & Katie
Christina and Katie are two Canadian psychotherapists, who met online, became colleagues IRL and now, great friends. Come hang out in the sometimes quirky and mostly nerdy therapy world of Christina Crowe and Katie Richardson, both Registered Psychotherapists in Ontario, Canada.
Today’s chat covered topics such as the pervasive effects of ableism and internalized ableism within the medical system and education, the impact of stoicism on emotional isolation, and the need for open conversations about mental health and existential topics. The conversation was reflective and insightful, touching on personal and professional aspects of their lives, including their complementary work styles and the impact of perfectionism and ableism.
Highlights:
Ethical communication in podcasting for therapists,

Navigating ableism and internalized ableism, particularly in the context of the medical system and education,

Being unafraid to engage in discussions with people in positions of power,

Psychological Safety and social media - the good side (how we met)

Reflections on Youthful Joy and Self-Expression,

The intersection of perfectionism, ableism and self-awareness.
Find Katie (CRPO #11244): Website | Instagram
Find Christina (CRPO #3908): Website |Find a Therapist |Get Assessed by an NP in Ontario | Instagram |TikTok | X
A gentle reminder that this is not therapy, and Christina nor Katie are not your therapist. If you need more one on one support or treatment, please check out the links posted above or our Resources page on our website..
LISTEN OR SUBSCRIBE for free in your favourite podcast app:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | TuneIn | iHeart Radio| AmazonMusic RSS
41 min

About The Christina Crowe Podcast: Making the invisible VISIBLE

From the publisher's feed

Christina Crowe (CRPO#003908) is a Registered Psychotherapist and RELENTLESS mental health advocate from Ontario, Canada. Christina believes mental health education should be available to everyone, and loves creating content that makes all of the invisible things VISIBLE.