Episode 216 with Elizabeth Ahmann & Micah Saviet

Elizabeth Ahmann, ScD, RN, PCC, NBC-HWC is an ADHD and health and wellness coach, professor, researcher, and Micah Saviet, LCSW-C, NBC-HWC is a trauma-informed, neurodiversity-affirming clinician.

Their book, Flourishing with Adult ADHD, offers a research-informed, strengths-based, and trauma-informed framework for supporting adults with ADHD beyond symptom management. Grounded in neuroscience, psychology, public health, and wellness research, the book challenges deficit-based models and provides practical, affirming guidance for professionals supporting adults with ADHD.

Rather than focusing solely on coping strategies, this book centers flourishing — supporting adults with ADHD in developing self-trust, self-compassion, emotional regulation, clarity, and lives aligned with their values.

We talk about how coaching and therapy can work together, why Liz and Micah originally wrote the book for clinicians but found it resonated with adults with ADHD, and their hopes for the future of ADHD care, from better training to broader acceptance.

Key topics:

• Micah shares that he was diagnosed with ADHD at age 11 and describes how his hyperactivity was noticeable early on.
• Liz explains that she has not been diagnosed with ADHD, but family experience, especially with her husband, led her into ADHD coaching.
• The conversation reframes ADHD as a difference in attention and regulation, not simply a deficit.
• Micah and Liz explain that their book grew out of research on ADHD coaching and focus groups with experienced coaches.
• Shame comes up repeatedly as one of the biggest barriers to growth, self-understanding, and flourishing for adults with ADHD.
• They emphasize that many therapists and coaches still lack meaningful training in ADHD, especially adult ADHD, masking, and neurodivergence.
• The episode draws a clear distinction between a deficit-based medical model and a client-centered, strengths-based approach.
• They discuss how coaching and therapy can complement each other rather than compete, especially when grief, trauma, and executive functioning challenges overlap.
• Validation, self-compassion, psychoeducation, and mindfulness are presented as foundational tools for helping clients move away from self-criticism.
• The conversation also addresses diagnosis, stigma, trauma, education trauma, and the social conditions that can make ADHD feel more impairing than it is in isolation.

Website: https://www.pathways-ahead.com/ ;  https://www.adulttraumaandadhdsolutions.com

Instagram: @adulttrauma_adhdsolutions

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/micah-saviet/ ; https://www.linkedin.com/in/lizahmann/

Links & Resources:

• Flourishing with Adult ADHD: The Evidence-Based Guide to Well-Being for Therapists, Coaches & Clients
• Kristin Neff’s self-compassion resources

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Episode edited by E Podcast Productions

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Women & ADHD coaching: www.womenandadhd.com/coaching

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Work 1-on-1 with Katy: www.womenandadhd.com/katy

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Order the “Hey, it’s ADHD!” course: www.womenandadhd.com/adhdcourse

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Did you love this episode? Click here to pledge a one-time donation to the podcast!

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If you are a woman who was diagnosed with ADHD and you’d like to apply to be a guest on this podcast, visit womenandadhd.com/podcastguest.

Instagram: @womenandadhdpodcast

Tiktok: @womenandadhdpodcast

Twitter: @womenandadhd

Facebook: @womenandadhd

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Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Episode 215 with Katy Weber & Kalin Johnson

Welcome back to our new series, “Unmasking Our Health,” in which host Katy Weber teams up with medical expert Dr. Kalin Johnson, PharmD, to look beyond the neurodivergent brain and explore what it means to live in a neurodivergent body. 

After years of interviewing late‑diagnosed women and seeing the same patterns — chronic pain, fatigue, autoimmune issues, hormonal chaos, gut problems, “mystery” symptoms — Katy created the Unmasking Our Health series to explore the bigger questions behind neurodivergence: What if ADHD isn’t just about our brains, but about our whole bodies — and how and why is the medical system missing the full picture?

In part one of a 2-part series, we unpack hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS) and hypermobility, and why these connective tissue conditions so often show up alongside ADHD and autism. This episode focuses on the lived experience, the diagnostic gray areas, and the body-wide symptoms that can look unrelated until you understand the connective tissue thread running through them.

We discuss how hypermobility is different from flexibility, why the Beighton score can miss real cases, and why symptoms like bruising, pain, dizziness, brain fog, and poor stamina often get mislabeled as “just clumsiness” or “just anxiety.”

In this episode, we cover:

• The difference between hypermobility spectrum disorder and hypermobile EDS, including the extra diagnostic criteria for hEDS beyond joint laxity
• Kalin explains the difference between flexibility and hypermobility using the rope-versus-bolts analogy
• The Beighton score is helpful as a screening tool, but it only checks five joints and can miss people whose hypermobility shows up elsewhere, especially with age
• Kalin shares her diagnosis story, including years of worsening symptoms, specialist dead ends, and being told it was mental health before the physical pattern was recognized
• We discuss why ADHD and autism appear more often in hypermobile people, with possible shared genetics, connective tissue differences in the brain, autonomic nervous system dysregulation, and altered sensory processing
• The connections between hEDS and POTS, orthostatic intolerance, fatigue, GI symptoms, interoception differences, mast cell issues, and inflammation
• Common real-life clues like “party tricks,” joint pain in yoga, easy bruising, weak grip, poor stamina, and the feeling of being “a creaky old lady” after sitting too long
• Why car rides, standing still, and long periods of upright posture can be especially hard because of blood flow, proprioception, and joint instability
• Why some people with hEDS need more numbing medication at the dentist, and why urinary leakage, pelvic floor fatigue, and foot pain can all be part of the same connective tissue story
• Practical next steps: track symptoms, document family history, protect joints and autonomic function, and look for a provider or physical therapist familiar with hEDS

Note: Nothing in this episode constitutes medical advice. Always consult with your physician and pharmacist before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.

Kalin’s website: kalinjohnson.com

Instagram: @kalinpharmd

Links & Resources:

• NYT Magazine article: Inflammation Keeps Us Alive. It's Also Making Us Sick.
• ADDitude Magazine: Bendy Bodies, ADHD Brains: Connecting the Dots
• The Beighton Scoring System
• Hypermobility Screening Tool
• Growing Up with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome: 27 Telltale Signs
• Have a topic you want Katy and Kalin to cover? Contact us

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Episode edited by E Podcast Productions

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Women & ADHD coaching: www.womenandadhd.com/coaching

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Work 1-on-1 with Katy: www.womenandadhd.com/katy

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Order the “Hey, it’s ADHD!” course: www.womenandadhd.com/adhdcourse

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Did you love this episode? Click here to pledge a one-time donation to the podcast!

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If you are a woman who was diagnosed with ADHD and you’d like to apply to be a guest on this podcast, visit womenandadhd.com/podcastguest.

Instagram: @womenandadhdpodcast

Tiktok: @womenandadhdpodcast

Twitter: @womenandadhd

Facebook: @womenandadhd

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Episode 214 with Dr. Brady Bradshaw

In this special interview episode, guest host and ADHD Life Coach Lindsey Buchanan sits down with her sister, psychiatrist Dr. Brady Bradshaw, MD, for an honest, evidence-based conversation about ADHD and autism in girls and women. 

Drawing on both medical expertise and deeply personal experience — Lindsey has her own ADHD diagnosis and is the mother of a daughter with Level 1 autism — this episode covers the symptoms, the overlap, the myths, and the path forward for families navigating neurodivergence.

In this episode, we cover:

Autism in Girls & Women:

• Why ADHD in females is so frequently missed or misdiagnosed
• The difference between how ADHD presents in boys vs. girls (external vs. internal symptoms)
• Key signs to look for: busy brain, daydreaming, excessive talking, forgetfulness, losing things, sleep disturbances
• The role of hormonal shifts (puberty, postpartum, perimenopause) in unmasking ADHD symptoms
• How high intelligence and anxiety can "protect" ADHD girls from detection — but at a serious cost
• What happens when smart girls hit the ceiling — the college transition and why it's a high-risk time
• The connection between undiagnosed ADHD and unhealthy coping mechanisms (vaping, caffeine, energy drinks)
• Why seeking a diagnosis doesn't automatically mean starting medication

Autism in Girls & Women:

• The neurodivergence umbrella: understanding where ADHD and autism both fit
• The important statistic: the majority of people with autism also have ADHD — but not vice versa
• Understanding Autism Spectrum Disorder Levels 1, 2, and 3 — and why Level 1 (formerly Asperger's) is so easy to miss
• Core diagnostic criteria: deficits in social communication AND insistence on sameness/repetitive behaviors
• How masking works in autistic girls with high intelligence
• Why puberty is another "watershed moment" for autism diagnoses in girls
• How insistence on sameness and rigidity is anxiety-driven — and what it actually feels like for the child
• The difference between ADHD rigidity and autism rigidity (and why it matters)

Debunking Myths:

• The science is clear: vaccines do NOT cause autism
• Why dietary changes (gluten-free, dairy-free) will not "fix" or cure autism
• The role of food sensitivities in autism — and when to actually see a GI doctor
• Why the desire to find a "cause" can lead families toward misinformation

After the Diagnosis — What's Next:

• Why parent education and parent coaching is the highest-yield first step
• How ABA therapy may not be right for every Level 1 autism child (and what PDA — Pathological Demand Avoidance — means for treatment)
• The importance of speech therapy, OT, and physical therapy — when applicable
• Why understanding a diagnosis is therapeutic in itself
• Lindsay's personal recommendation: the Mothers Together support group on Marco Polo

Websites: bradybradshawmd.com ; womenandadhd.com/lindsey

Links & Resources:

• Is This Autism? by Donna Henderson — recommended for understanding autism in girls and Level 1 autism
• ADHD 2.0 by Ned Hallowell & John Ratey — Dr. Bradshaw's top ADHD book recommendation

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Episode edited by E Podcast Productions

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Women & ADHD coaching: www.womenandadhd.com/coaching

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Work 1-on-1 with Katy: www.womenandadhd.com/katy

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Order the “Hey, it’s ADHD!” course: www.womenandadhd.com/adhdcourse

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Did you love this episode? Click here to pledge a one-time donation to the podcast!

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If you are a woman who was diagnosed with ADHD and you’d like to apply to be a guest on this podcast, visit womenandadhd.com/podcastguest.

Instagram: @womenandadhdpodcast

Tiktok: @womenandadhdpodcast

Twitter: @womenandadhd

Facebook: @womenandadhd

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Episode 213 with Katy Weber & Kalin Johnson

In this first episode of our new series “Unmasking Our Health,” host Katy Weber teams up with cohost Kalin Johnson, PharmD, to explore a side of ADHD in women that isn’t talked about enough: What it’s like to live in a neurodivergent body. 

After years of interviewing late‑diagnosed women and seeing the same patterns — chronic pain, fatigue, autoimmune issues, hormonal chaos, gut problems, “mystery” symptoms — Katy created the Unmasking Our Health series to explore the bigger questions behind neurodivergence: What if ADHD isn’t just about our brains, but about our whole bodies — and how and why is the medical system missing the full picture?

Our first topic for discussion: the explosion of GLP-1 medications (think Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro) and what their surprising, wide-reaching effects are revealing about the deeply intertwined relationship between metabolic health, inflammation, hormones, and ADHD.

In this episode, we cover:

• What is metabolic psychiatry? And why it's expanding how we understand ADHD beyond just dopamine and norepinephrine
• GLP-1 medications and ADHD — what patients are actually reporting (quieter brain, less emotional reactivity, reduced compulsive behaviors, improved executive functioning)
• The inflammation connection — how chronic neuroinflammation creates "cognitive drag" and why reducing it may give the ADHD brain more bandwidth
• The vagus nerve and GLP-1 receptors — a fascinating look at how the gut communicates with the brain (and why 80% of vagal fibers run from the body to the brain, not the other way around!)
• Estrogen, perimenopause, and metabolic decline — why women over 50 are going on GLP-1s faster than any other population
• Drug interactions (and physiologic interactions) — what to watch for if you're on stimulants, SSRIs, or HRT while starting a GLP-1
• Food noise, reward-seeking, and binge eating — what GLP-1s are actually doing in the brain's dopamine reward circuits, and what that means for neurodivergent women with disordered eating histories
• Where is all of this going? Kalin shares her genuinely optimistic vision for how GLP-1 research is opening the door to a more holistic, systemic understanding of neurodivergent women's health

Note: Nothing in this episode constitutes medical advice. Always consult with your physician and pharmacist before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.

Kalin’s website: kalinjohnson.com

Instagram: @kalinpharmd

Links & Resources:

• Listen to Kalin's first episode: Episode 97 (August 2022)
• Have a topic you want Katy and Kalin to cover? Contact us

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Episode edited by E Podcast Productions

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Women & ADHD coaching: www.womenandadhd.com/coaching

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Work 1-on-1 with Katy: www.womenandadhd.com/katy

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Order the “Hey, it’s ADHD!” course: www.womenandadhd.com/adhdcourse

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Did you love this episode? Click here to pledge a one-time donation to the podcast!

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If you are a woman who was diagnosed with ADHD and you’d like to apply to be a guest on this podcast, visit womenandadhd.com/podcastguest.

Instagram: @womenandadhdpodcast

Tiktok: @womenandadhdpodcast

Twitter: @womenandadhd

Facebook: @womenandadhd

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Episode 212 with Caroline Maguire

“All the kids I worked with were like, 'I would love to have a friend.' All the adults were like, 'Something's wrong with me, I don't have friends.' And I was like — no, no, no. Nothing's wrong with you.”

Caroline Maguire is an ADHD coach, friendship expert, and author of the new book, “Friendship Skills for Neurodivergent Adults: A Guide for the Anxious, Uniquely Wired, and Easily Distracted.” If you’ve ever felt like you missed the “how to be a friend” manual — or that you can do intense one‑on‑one connection but still don’t feel like you truly belong anywhere — this conversation is for you.

We dig into why neurodivergent wiring affects the way we show up in friendships, and what it actually looks like to build connection on our own terms. Caroline offers a deeply neuroaffirming roadmap to adult friendship, with language for patterns many of us have felt but never named, plus practical tools that don’t ask you to mask or be “less” of yourself.

Key topics discussed:

• Caroline’s journey into ADHD coaching and why friendship became her niche
• The difference between connection vs. belonging for neurodivergent adults
• Key friendship mindsets: scarcity thinking, all‑or‑nothing, anxious over‑correcting, and the impulsive friendship cycle
• Fortressing: what it is, why we do it, and how it protects and isolates us
• The five levels of friendship and how mismatched expectations create pain
• Communirelating: explaining how your brain works without apologizing for it
• Practical strategies for structured socializing and automating check‑ins

Website: carolinemaguireauthor.com

Instagram: @authorcarolinem

Links & Resources:

• Friendship Skills for Neurodivergent Adults by Caroline Maguire
• Caroline’s Youtube channel

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Episode edited by E Podcast Productions

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Women & ADHD coaching: www.womenandadhd.com/coaching

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Work 1-on-1 with Katy: www.womenandadhd.com/katy

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Order the “Hey, it’s ADHD!” course: www.womenandadhd.com/adhdcourse

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Did you love this episode? Click here to pledge a one-time donation to the podcast!

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If you are a woman who was diagnosed with ADHD and you’d like to apply to be a guest on this podcast, visit womenandadhd.com/podcastguest.

Instagram: @womenandadhdpodcast

Tiktok: @womenandadhdpodcast

Twitter: @womenandadhd

Facebook: @womenandadhd

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Episode 211 with Tory Berry & Chele Morony

“People say DBT is for borderline personality disorder. I’m like, what are you talking about? DBT is for everyone. One of the most common refrains that we hear in the group is ‘Where has this been? I needed this in high school!’”

This episode combines two of my favorite topics: ADHD coaching and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)!

Tory and Chele are a mother-daughter duo from Southern California who have created something really special in the neurodivergent support space. 

Tory is the founder of ADHD Works Now, and she is also one of our amazing ADHD coaches at Women & ADHD.

Tory was diagnosed with both ADHD and autism in adulthood, and she’s channeled her own lived experience into helping other neurodivergent adults through 1-on-1 coaching and specially adapted DBT groups.

Chele is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 35 years of experience. She is also Tory’s business partner, bringing a clinical perspective to their work together.

We talk about Tory’s adult diagnosis and how Chele missed her ADHD and autism in childhood, despite her own clinical training.

We also talk about the fundamentals of DBT, and how the focus on validation, acceptance, and practical skill development makes it particularly powerful for neurodivergent clients who've spent years asking, “What’s wrong with me?” And Tory & Chele share about their collaborative group approach and how they’re making DBT skills applicable to the neurodivergent experience.

Tory & Chele’s DBT groups fill up quickly. The June cohort is already full, but you can sign up at the link below for the next cohort waitlist.

Key topics discussed:

• Tori's journey from adult ADHD/autism diagnosis to becoming an ADHD coach
• The missed signs of ADHD in girls and women
• How DBT skills can be adapted for neurodivergent brains
• The importance of validation vs. invalidating environments
• Masking vs. authenticity — when and how to be "legible”
• The intersection of coaching and therapy
• Running neurodivergent-friendly DBT groups

Website: adhdworksnow.com

Links & Resources:

• womenandadhd.com/tory
• DBT skills group waitlist

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Episode edited by E Podcast Productions

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Women & ADHD coaching: www.womenandadhd.com/coaching

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Work 1-on-1 with Katy: www.womenandadhd.com/katy

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Order the “Hey, it’s ADHD!” course: www.womenandadhd.com/adhdcourse

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Did you love this episode? Click here to pledge a one-time donation to the podcast!

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If you are a woman who was diagnosed with ADHD and you’d like to apply to be a guest on this podcast, visit womenandadhd.com/podcastguest.

Instagram: @womenandadhdpodcast

Tiktok: @womenandadhdpodcast

Twitter: @womenandadhd

Facebook: @womenandadhd

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Episode 210 with Dani Donovan

“I either get 30 minutes worth of work done in 8 hours or 8 hours worth of work done in 30 minutes — those are the only two options.”

Dani is an ADHD content creator, speaker, and the celebrated author of “The Anti-Planner: How to Get Sh*t Done When You Don't Feel Like It.”

Dani became an overnight sensation when a flowchart she drew mapping out her winding, ADHD storytelling style went viral on Twitter. Since then, she has built a massive community by bringing radical vulnerability, humor, and data visualization to the neurodivergent experience. She’s spoken at major companies like Microsoft, Amazon, and Adobe, and she is the founder of The Anti-Boring Project.

We dive deep into misconceptions about ADHD, including being told you are “too smart to have ADHD.” Dani shares her story of growing up with teachers who dismissed her mother's ADHD inquiries because she was getting good grades. 

We also explore the magic behind visual storytelling for ADHD brains, why traditional productivity systems tend to fail us, and how the “Anti-Planner” organizes strategies based on your current emotional resistance — such as feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or unmotivated.

Plus, Dani shares some exclusive details about an exciting new app she is prototyping! 

Key topics discussed:

• How teachers dismissed her ADHD symptoms because she was "too smart"
• The therapist who recognized Dani’s ADHD through her communication style
• Growing up questioning authority and fighting unfairness
• Why ADHD brains connect with infographics and memes
• How a workplace joke became a career-defining moment
• Finding people with matching scars and shared experiences
• The Anti-Planner origins: From business field guide to revolutionary productivity system
• The five categories of executive dysfunction (stuck, overwhelmed, unmotivated, disorganized, discouraged)
• Perfectionism vs. Experimentation: Permission to keep quitting and trying new approaches
• Exclusive preview of Dani’s upcoming ADHD productivity app

Website: anti-planner.com

Instagram: @danidonovan

Tiktok: @danidonovan

Links & Resources:

The Anti-Planner: How to Get Sh*t Done When You Don't Feel Like It

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Episode edited by E Podcast Productions

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Women & ADHD coaching: www.womenandadhd.com/coaching

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Work 1-on-1 with Katy: www.womenandadhd.com/katy

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Order the “Hey, it’s ADHD!” course: www.womenandadhd.com/adhdcourse

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Did you love this episode? Click here to pledge a one-time donation to the podcast!

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If you are a woman who was diagnosed with ADHD and you’d like to apply to be a guest on this podcast, visit womenandadhd.com/podcastguest.

Instagram: @womenandadhdpodcast

Tiktok: @womenandadhdpodcast

Twitter: @womenandadhd

Facebook: @womenandadhd

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Episode 209 with Jenna Free

“I think the biggest issue is with the current ADHD narrative. People are confusing ‘fight or flight’ and ADHD; they're putting it in a bundle and calling it ADHD. Then people believe, ‘Well, this is how hard it needs to be.’”

Jenna is a therapist living in Calgary, Alberta, who not only specializes in ADHD but also has ADHD herself. 

Jenna was diagnosed with ADHD at 32 while in grad school with two young children – so yes, she gets the overwhelm. But instead of accepting the standard narrative that ADHD women are just destined to live in a constant state of frantic energy followed by crashes, she started asking a different question: What if the struggle isn't actually inevitable? What if what we're calling "ADHD symptoms" are actually signs of a nervous system stuck in chronic fight-or-flight?

In this episode, we'll dive into Jenna's journey, her insights on ADHD regulation, and how she helps others through her ADHD regulation groups and certification program. We also chat about her brand new book, “The Simple Guide to ADHD Regulation: The Secret to Finding Balance, Getting Things Done, and Enjoying Your Life.”

Key topics discussed:

• The difference between ADHD traits and fight-or-flight responses
• Internal vs. external regulation strategies
• Why overwhelm is actually a cognitive distortion and sign of dysregulation
• The role of belief work in nervous system regulation
• How regulation can actually increase productivity and capacity
• The power of group work for ADHD healing
• Challenging the narrative that ADHD struggle is inevitable

Website: jennafree.com

Instagram: @adhdwithjennafree

Links & Resources:

Jenna’s book: The Simple Guide to ADHD Regulation: The Secret to Finding Balance, Getting Things Done, and Enjoying Your Life

Jenna’s podcast: ADHD with Jenna Free

Dr. Anita Johnston's The Log

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Episode edited by E Podcast Productions

Find the transcript of this episode at www.womenandadhd.com/transcripts

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Women & ADHD coaching: www.womenandadhd.com/coaching

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Work 1-on-1 with Katy: www.womenandadhd.com/katy

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Order the “Hey, it’s ADHD!” course: www.womenandadhd.com/adhdcourse

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Did you love this episode? Click here to pledge a one-time donation to the podcast!

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If you are a woman who was diagnosed with ADHD and you’d like to apply to be a guest on this podcast, visit womenandadhd.com/podcastguest.

Instagram: @womenandadhdpodcast

Tiktok: @womenandadhdpodcast

Twitter: @womenandadhd

Facebook: @womenandadhd

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Episode 208 with Alex Bellitter

“People can feel like, ‘I don’t think this is an internal thing I’m trying to work through. I feel like I’m trying to navigate my environment, and I don’t have the tools, education, and resources to do it.’”

Alex is the Senior Manager of Coaching at Shimmer, an ADHD community and coaching platform that’s redefining what support can look like for ADHD brains.

Alex does not have ADHD herself, but she’s spent years working with neurodivergent kids, adults, and now leading a team of over 50 ADHD coaches at Shimmer. She brings a background in coaching psychology, clinical psychology, and health and wellness to her work, and she’s passionate about delivering strengths‑based, evidence‑informed support that actually feels good to ADHDers.

In this conversation, we talk about:

• What coaching psychology is and why it’s such a powerful fit for ADHD
• The difference between therapy, coaching, and “healing” work, and how they can complement each other
• Why so many of us are misdiagnosed with depression first and how overwhelm, executive dysfunction, and chronic frustration can get mislabeled
• The ebb and flow of ADHD symptoms across the lifespan, hormones, menopause, grief, and “temporary neurodivergence”
• How Shimmer structures its coaching, body doubling, community, and AI tools to be genuinely ADHD‑friendly and shame‑free
• The promises and risks of AI for neurodivergent people — and what “good guardrails” actually look like

If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re “struggling enough” to count, questioned what’s “normal,” or felt confused about where ADHD ends, and environment, hormones, and capitalism begin … this episode is for you.

Website: linkedin.com/in/abellitter

Instagram: @shimmer.care

Links & Resources:

Shimmer.care

Episode 191 with Christal Wang

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Episode edited by E Podcast Productions

Find the transcript of this episode at www.womenandadhd.com/transcripts

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Women & ADHD coaching: www.womenandadhd.com/coaching

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Work 1-on-1 with Katy: www.womenandadhd.com/katy

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Order the “Hey, it’s ADHD!” course: www.womenandadhd.com/adhdcourse

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Did you love this episode? Click here to pledge a one-time donation to the podcast!

- - - - -

If you are a woman who was diagnosed with ADHD and you’d like to apply to be a guest on this podcast, visit womenandadhd.com/podcastguest.

Instagram: @womenandadhdpodcast

Tiktok: @womenandadhdpodcast

Twitter: @womenandadhd

Facebook: @womenandadhd

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Episode 207 with Roberta Dombrowski

“Work is one of the only socially acceptable forms of addiction. We get rewarded for not having boundaries and for always taking on more and more things.”

Roberta is an executive coach and founder of Learn Mindfully, where she helps leaders and teams thrive from the inside out.

After rising quickly through leadership roles to become a VP in the tech world at age 29, Roberta realized her success was coming at a cost — she found herself burned out, anxious, and physically affected by the pressure to prove herself constantly. On the outside, she was the high‑performing executive. On the inside, she was white‑knuckling her way through burnout, complex trauma, and the isolation of often being the only woman or person of color in the room.

In this conversation, Roberta and I discuss:

• How her late ADHD diagnosis helped her finally make sense of her childhood and school experience
• The overlap between ADHD, trauma, and burnout, especially for high‑achieving women, mothers, and entrepreneurs
• What trauma‑informed leadership actually looks like day‑to‑day (hint: it’s not just more bubble baths)
• Why work is “one of the only socially acceptable forms of addiction” — and how to step out of that cycle
• How to start loosening your grip on control, micromanagement, and over‑functioning without letting everything fall apart

If you’ve ever felt like your “success” is built on overfunctioning, perfectionism, and people-pleasing — and you’re desperate to break up with burnout but not sure how — this episode is definitely for you.

Website: learnmindfully.co

Instagram: @learn_mindfully

Links & Resources:

In Her Words (Roberta’s podcast)

Free resource: Leadership Energy Audit

Free resource: Reclamation Journal

Strong Ground: The Lessons of Daring Leadership, the Tenacity of Paradox, and the Wisdom of the Human Spirit by Brené Brown

Trauma Stewardship: An Everyday Guide to Caring for Self While Caring for Others by Laura van Dernoot Lipsky with Connie Burk

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Episode edited by E Podcast Productions

Find the transcript of this episode at www.womenandadhd.com/transcripts

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Women & ADHD coaching: www.womenandadhd.com/coaching

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Work 1-on-1 with Katy: www.womenandadhd.com/katy

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