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    Episode #1: An Adult Autism Diagnosis, Communication Challenges, and Solutions

    enOctober 03, 2019

    About this Episode

    In our first episode of the Autism and Intimacy podcast, Candice shares the diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum including what symptoms are often expressed but not in the DSM V. She and her husband Chris also talk about a recent communication issue they had and how they have learned to effectively tackle her issues with both sensory overload and communication mishaps. Enjoy!  

    Recent Episodes from "Fabulously Candice": The Sexiest Podcast About Neurodivergence

    Season 3 | Episode #9: Meg Martinez

    Season 3 | Episode #9: Meg Martinez

    We are wrapping up the final episode of Fabulously Candice with a very special guest… Meg Martinez! Meg has worked alongside Candice for nearly a decade and is the Chief Program Officer at Namaste Center for Healing. This episode gives a look into their neuroinclusive approach to the internal family systems model and their co-authored chapter in the book Altogether Us by Jenna Riemersma. We also get a look into the current happenings at Namaste Center for Healing and get excited for what is next to come. Thank you to the fabulous global community for three seasons of love and support! Until the next something…

    Connect with Meg

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    Closed Captions

    Closed Captions for Season 3 | Episode #9: Meg Martinez

    Closed Captions for Season 3 | Episode #9: Meg Martinez

    WEBVTT

     

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    Hi, everybody! Welcome to season 3.

     

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    This is our final episode episode. 9 of fabulous academic.

     

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    We're moving into some other things. So it's been quite a while.

     

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    Ride, and so I'm just gonna have the raspy voice, Mag, so kind of go out, walk out into the sunset.

     

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    I have my divine daughter from another life, my protege, my sister Meg Martinezetta Monte, here with me.

     

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    Hi!

     

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    Hi professionally, professionally. People know you, Meg, as our chief program officer here at Namaste Center for healing, and I thought, this is probably the perfect way to end facilities to Candace because we get to talk about what we do that is so specific to our

     

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    neuroinclusive approach to internal family systems, to sexual recovery, to wellness.

     

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    And then also the chapter we wrote for the upcoming book.

     

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    Yeah.

     

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    But I need to brag a little bit about you so Meg Martinez Denamonte again, our chief program officer at Namaste.

     

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    However, she's also a licensed clinician, a certified sex addiction therapist, and ifs trained therapist in Emdr train therapist.

     

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    Yeah.

     

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    And my work like it may not be. PC, but I'm saying at workwife for close to a decade, like literally, we have worked so closely together for nearly a decade.

     

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    So, for all of the listeners. Here I am, the founder of Namaste, Center for healing, and without Meeg, our Namas State Center for Hilly would not be what it is to.

     

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    Hmm!

     

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    That's how important you are to me.

     

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    So!

     

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    I'm doing so much. Yeah.

     

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    So welcome!

     

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    Hi! I'm so happy to be here.

     

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    I love that you're here. I love that you're here, and I love that because you're in.

     

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    I mean, people know you in our like internationally, people know our center.

     

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    They know you. You're a consultant and trainer of the the Itap.

     

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    I mean the International Institute of Trauma and Addictions, professionals, and so so people in our professional community know you?

     

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    And but first those listing on the podcast. They may not really know, like the significance of you, and how you have been there.

     

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    Right by my side as we've developed programs. So I want us to talk about that, including you and I co-created our neuro-inclusive approach to ifs.

     

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    Right? Yes.

     

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    Then we wrote. Then we wrote a chapter about it.

     

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    We we lived it with men. We think about it.

     

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    Yeah, yeah.

     

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    Yeah. So should we start, let's start with our maybe our unless you want to start with anything. But I was thinking, maybe we start with talking about our neuro-inclusive approach to ifs.

     

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    Hey!

     

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    Yeah, I'd love to. Yeah.

     

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    Yeah, I was thinking about as we were getting started.

     

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    And one of the things I don't know if this is jumping in too much.

     

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    But one of the things II love so much about the neuro inclusive approach to ifs is the distinction and differentiating between our hardware and our software that we just immediately do.

     

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    And I was thinking about it even as I was getting ready for this, I was like, Okay, what parts of me are anxious?

     

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    What parts of me might be nervous about being on a podcast and then, girl, this is also your hardware, like of course, you're a little bit nervous.

     

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    So to be recorded and that kind of a thing, you know.

     

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    So, even using that on myself, I do it every day.

     

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    Oh, my God! I love that you just said that. So for those listing we've broken down.

     

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    Alright!

     

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    Understanding, our neurotypes and internal family systems by saying, we have hardware which would be autism under oath of autism and neurosype of Ad.

     

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    Ad Adhd also are autonomic, nervous system, which you're a polypept expert for those that are listening, and so hardware.

     

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    Yeah.

     

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    We know that I was anxious just the same, we were laughing with our fabulous podcast.

     

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    Producer, Taylor, like like I've never seen you nervous like this.

     

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    Yeah.

     

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    Okay. Yeah. And I just can be aware that my autonomic nervous system was having a response.

     

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    Right.

     

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    Right.

     

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    And then parts came forward, my software to say, Oh, my gosh, I just you know, Megan, I have such a close relationship offline.

     

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    Now we're gonna get online, you know, part are going.

     

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    Yeah, this is gonna be really scary. Oh, my God, what are we?

     

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    Yeah.

     

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    Gonna say, you know, whereas other parts, and perhaps this is more me and the self-energy that shows up to say in a more calm way, right yeah.

     

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    But it's Meg. It's Mac. We're gonna be okay. Right?

     

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    Bye!

     

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    Those parts that worry about what other people think, or, oh, my God!

     

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    Are we? Gonna you know, sound good. And all this stuff right?

     

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    Hey! Right!

     

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    Maybe some fear of rejection, parts that are fearing rejection, and then my autonomic nervous system filling the anxiety about it.

     

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    Right? Right? Yeah. And you know, I think we talk about this in terms of the neuro-inclusive approach to ifs.

     

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    Because understanding the distinction between different narrow types is important, but really it does apply to everyone, and it is so non shaming, because so often to when I love that you just broke it down that way, because when we can also let our parts know this is also our hardware like I get that you're

     

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    nervous right, but our bodies doing this too, right.

     

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    Yeah.

     

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    This is just us by a logically, there can be some relief to just like, Oh, yeah, and I'm just me.

     

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    And I'm just gonna trust that hardware right? Like, cause it's my hardware.

     

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    Right, yeah.

     

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    I love that. Yeah, oh, I love that. Do you want to share any?

     

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    I mean thoughts about our inspiration for creating this neuro-inclusive approach.

     

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    I mean I could say it, but I'm interviewing you so.

     

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    Yeah, I, mean, yeah, yeah, I mean, and please ask, obviously, because we're in this together.

     

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    Yeah.

     

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    But II think I touched on it a little bit, because the non shaming aspect of any type of therapeutic intervention is kind of what underlines our passion and my opinion.

     

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    Everything we do at normal stay, whether we're working with a neuro, different person or somebody struggling with an addictive process, or someone with a completely different presenting issue.

     

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    Our passion is to come at it from a very trauma, informed non shaming, holistic approach.

     

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    Yeah.

     

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    So it just made sense to us, right? It just made sense to us to look at ifs, which is a thing therapeutic modality.

     

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    I know is near and dear to both of our hearts, but also see to both of our hearts, but also see right like even this really really compassionate, beautiful model.

     

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    Unintentionally my in induce shame, or there are microaggressions that exist like that's a massive part of our our awareness in our chapter is like, do we have parts that are implicitly biased that are committing micro aggressions? Against neuro different folks you know.

     

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    and so, yeah, yeah.

     

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    Yeah. Beautiful segue to our chapter. So let's talk about our chapter.

     

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    I can. I've got it right here, printed out everybody I know, I know. Thank you.

     

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    II love the part of you that did that.

     

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    Part. So it. This is a book called Altogether us Jenna Romerzma, our dear friend, Certified.

     

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    Hmm!

     

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    Ifs therapist wrote altogether you a couple years ago.

     

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    It was amazing, and then reached out to the leaders in the specialized populations.

     

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    Working with specialized populations to say, Would you please be part of this book that I'm editing right, and reached out to me about.

     

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    You know, how can we really be more neuro-inclusive?

     

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    Yeah.

     

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    Right? Or can you write a chapter under a divergent individuals which I like to say, neuro difference?

     

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    So I was honored to do that, and.

     

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    At some point I'll just be completely transparent.

     

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    This was, Gosh! You're a year and a half ago that this process started, and I was found.

     

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    Myself, my autistic brain right? I noticed that my 80 88% of the autistic brain, right?

     

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    I noticed that my and Jenna suggested that you know we have a couple of reviewers.

     

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    I want to give credit to Kimballing, who's a Id.

     

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    And then for being our reviewers, and Jenna had suggested, gosh, maybe we have someone co-author with you.

     

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    And I thought Well, if we're gonna have someone Co author with me, it's gonna be Meg, because you are me.

     

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    Hmm!

     

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    Yeah.

     

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    Truly, I mean we are so much alike. You get me inside and out, your absolutely the most neuro-inclusive human being I know, based on your understanding of it with family, and so and have just been such an incredible advocate for me so that's where we came together because what I really my

     

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    strength is in explaining to the world neuro difference, right?

     

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    So part, one is all about that right? Like, let's really help.

     

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    The world understands, you know, being sensitive to. And I'm just.

     

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    I'm literally sifting through it. People can see.

     

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    Alright!

     

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    Oh, part one increasing awareness and sensitivity around neuro divergence where we we do say that word interchangeably with neuro difference.

     

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    But we talk about how autism used to be viewed.

     

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    We talked about the neurodiversity movement and paradigm.

     

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    You know, we talk about how there's oh, we got.

     

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    Yes.

     

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    We talked about getting rid of the D's, which specifically for people, because I've gotten heat about d being disability.

     

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    I'm not talking about the word disability, because to me disability really is a valid term to use with neuro differences.

     

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    What I'm talking about is making autism a disorder and attention deficit, a disorder when there's that when it's a neurotype.

     

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    So that's where we are coming from, for those listeners.

     

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    We're not making disability. A dirty word.

     

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    We're just saying K. Dsm, can you ditch disorder for these neurological differences and put them in a book or a category in your book that makes more sense right?

     

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    Yeah.

     

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    Please. Oh, wait! You're being interviewed.

     

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    Right? Well, because and this was, I think, if you don't mind me like jumping in something that we is the way that the mental health and you know, medical community has been informed and educated about, different neurotypes autism Adhd has been that there's this

     

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    problem. And here are these ways that we can fix the problem or cure the problem right?

     

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    Huh!

     

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    And so that this deficiency or disorder model, even if there's challenges and struggles which we honor right, it really kind of sets this stage of you're the bad one.

     

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    Something's wrong with you, and this is how you should be.

     

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    And again going back to like the shaming, the shaming, that unintentionally really surrounds, looking at something that way.

     

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    Hello!

     

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    So this ditching of the d who has hashtag right ditching of the d's really helps us to like again.

     

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    Bring in a non shaming approach where we can really see and hear, and know and understand someone's challenges and struggles individually without making them feel like less than, or the problem or deficient right all because we're just changing the way we look at this and it's so important for the

     

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    individual for the client, for the you know, the neuro different client.

     

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    Hello!

     

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    And so important for the provider. Right? Whether it's a family care, doctor, whether it's a therapist, whether it's a occupational therapist like anyone working with someone to come at it from this more non shaming difference, not deficient approach is only going to bring good.

     

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    Oh, yeah, I just love it well said, well said, let's jump into a part, too.

     

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    Doing well. Hmm. Parts.

     

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    So part 2 is all about our approach. Right? And so it starts by saying, how ifs can assist with healing and empowering both therapist parts and neuro different clients.

     

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    Systems.

     

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    Yeah.

     

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    Yeah, yeah, yeah, so, so, part 2 is where we really dive into ifs.

     

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    Which again, like I said, is I definitely have an attachment to that model.

     

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    I have an ifs fan girl, part I talk about all the time right?

     

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    Because I do see, and I know we both seen just the transformation that happens with that model with people right?

     

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    But just like anything, you know, it's not perfect. And so in part 2, we really flesh out ways that we can use that model with neuro different clients starting with like their sensory needs.

     

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    And you're gonna laugh because I was like craving and I'm still craving one of your little sensory rings.

     

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    Oh! This! Yeah, I can't reach it. Oh, my gosh!

     

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    I was like. I need to bring those home. Yeah, I'm like, I need a.

     

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    I was like, Why are, yeah, I know.

     

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    Wish I could be like. Add it through the phone.

     

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    Like, why are they around my house right like those little sensory rings?

     

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    But we start with that, we start with like can a therapist from the jump?

     

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    Be curious about what any person, but specifically their neuro different clients need in their sensory environment, in their like.

     

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    What they need to learn and take things in gosh! And I know we mentioned this, but I just can't ever forget the client that we had that like.

     

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    We came into an intensive setting, and that person, just like.

     

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    And we're like, Oh, and I feel like I'm in the principal's office, you know.

     

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    And so for us to be able to like really not only help parts, know, you know, hey?

     

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    You're not in the principal's office, but really help their hardware, help, their nervous system, fill, present, and the ability to relax and be in feel that sense of safety like you need that you need that with any healing mode, right?

     

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    Oh, and what I love about our approach again with talking about!

     

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    That is, it starts there. It's the setting right, the setting.

     

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    Yeah, yeah.

     

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    So soft lighting. Right does. Do you have a weighted blanket for the person?

     

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    Right for this neuro different person that's in with you, you know.

     

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    Maybe they need to drink some hair, some water if you need it.

     

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    Gosh, I've got all these stem toys, and let's just come into the setting right before we dive into.

     

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    Right.

     

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    The work, because I found that so many of so many neuro different folks, myself included, were very body based now, what I mean by that is that the first is, it can be pretty hard to be in our body.

     

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    Okay. But we're feeling things very strongly. So it seems like a contradiction.

     

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    Right like. It might be hard for me to feel in my body, because it's so overwhelming.

     

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    But when I do ifs from that, like sensory, if I can connect the hardware of, can calmer I'm going to be able to tap into my parts easier.

     

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    Right.

     

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    Then, if I just walk in and I'm talking 90 miles an hour that we just jump right in.

     

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    Yeah, right?

     

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    That doesn't support what my autonomic nurse system, my hardware needs for a neuro, different person, because I feel things so strongly and intensely, which is so fascinating because we have interception where we don't always but I can feel your anxiety for instance.

     

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    I feel all the energy around me. So many. Different folks to especially autistic folks, right?

     

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    Right, bye.

     

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    It feels and sounds like a contradiction, but at the same time that's why you have someone that's like we work with a hundred percent neuro different folks, because we've got biological neuro difference.

     

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    Autism. Adhd obsessive, compulsive, bipolar.

     

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    We've got environmental neuro difference. Ptsd, trauma, chronic substance, use or abuse. Right?

     

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    Which changes the brain so. And you know, I know that a lot of people listening might say, Holy cow!

     

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    I didn't realize there's an environmental neuro difference.

     

    00:18:36.000 --> 00:18:50.000

    So I know I'm harping on that. I just think we focus so much on the sensory processing issues and the sensory needs because therapists miss that boat. And that affects so many of us that are neuro difference.

     

    00:18:50.000 --> 00:19:00.000

    Yeah, yeah, well, this is truly where my poly vagal fan girl part comes out right.

     

    00:19:00.000 --> 00:19:13.000

    Because yay, yeah, because again, I do think that the poly vagal theory approach can be something that's supportive for everyone, even noticing what you're feeling in your body.

     

    00:19:13.000 --> 00:19:24.000

    What's state you're in? Right? And so when you were talking about that, I was like, Yeah, so when we can validate, I have some sympathetic energy in the room right now.

     

    00:19:24.000 --> 00:19:28.000

    Well, of course you do like for us. It's like we are literally being recorded right now.

     

    00:19:28.000 --> 00:19:33.000

    I'd wanna check my pulse in your polls if we didn't have some sympathetic energy on board right?

     

    00:19:33.000 --> 00:19:39.000

    So then we validate that. Oh, yeah, our bodies just doing what it's supposed to be doing right.

     

    00:19:39.000 --> 00:19:49.000

    And so it doesn't become something that we shame or something that we feel we're worried about even more.

     

    00:19:49.000 --> 00:19:50.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:19:50.000 --> 00:19:59.000

    You know, it's so validating. And yeah, and I really do get curious of why, really curious about why, that is missed so much because it's really simple.

     

    00:19:59.000 --> 00:20:04.000

    It's really simple to just like help someone checking with their bodies. You know.

     

    00:20:04.000 --> 00:20:05.000

    What do you need right now to start? Is it okay? If you fidget right?

     

    00:20:05.000 --> 00:20:09.000

    Oh, my gosh! I love that! Go ahead! No! Keep going.

     

    00:20:09.000 --> 00:20:20.000

    And here's something I'll say for you. Well, I yeah, I just was gonna say, I'm gonna jump ahead a tiny bit, because the next part or maybe it's a segway.

     

    00:20:20.000 --> 00:20:30.000

    The next part of our chapter is really helping our therapist parts understand, if we have explosives, excuse me.

     

    00:20:30.000 --> 00:20:44.000

    Implicit biases that might produce micro aggressions.

     

    00:20:44.000 --> 00:20:49.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:20:49.000 --> 00:20:50.000

    Huh!

     

    00:20:50.000 --> 00:20:52.000

    Because then for me, that question becomes, what makes you uncomfortable about somebody else stimming right like if somebody else needs to be rocking or assuming, or moving, or flapping, what makes you uncomfortable about that like what does that go back to and wow!

     

    00:20:52.000 --> 00:20:57.000

    Who asks those kinds of questions? Right? We no one asked us that in grad school, right?

     

    00:20:57.000 --> 00:20:58.000

    They didn't ask us that, you know.

     

    00:20:58.000 --> 00:20:59.000

    Uhhuh, yeah. Well, I love that. You're saying that because I had.

     

    00:20:59.000 --> 00:21:05.000

    I didn't have a great experience with an Ifs.

     

    00:21:05.000 --> 00:21:10.000

    Therapist, you know, and this is where I was inspired to.

     

    00:21:10.000 --> 00:21:21.000

    Okay, we've got a, we absolutely need to do in a row inclusive approach to ifs, because we love the model.

     

    00:21:21.000 --> 00:21:22.000

    Hmm!

     

    00:21:22.000 --> 00:21:23.000

    And there's too many therapists out there that are causing unintended unintended harm because of their implicit bias. Right biases.

     

    00:21:23.000 --> 00:21:26.000

    And the other things that we're discussing. So, yeah, so this, this is perfect.

     

    00:21:26.000 --> 00:21:27.000

    Right, yeah.

     

    00:21:27.000 --> 00:21:33.000

    I am gonna just say, go back and start to folks listening.

     

    00:21:33.000 --> 00:21:38.000

    I don't wanna create any like questions about what I'm saying.

     

    00:21:38.000 --> 00:21:51.000

    We're not necessarily in our body in our lives, because it's so overwhelming that it might feel safer for a lot of autistic folks, especially I can speak for myself, maybe folks won't agree with me.

     

    00:21:51.000 --> 00:21:52.000

    It's easier for me to stay upstairs and be a thinker.

     

    00:21:52.000 --> 00:22:05.000

    Have thinker parts, just because I'd feel safer to me in therapy, though what I notice with a lot of my autism clients, and I notice with me, too, and my own ifs therapy is it?

     

    00:22:05.000 --> 00:22:14.000

    We're very body based. So if you put a weighted blanket on me and I can fidget, and I can really tune into what's going on.

     

    00:22:14.000 --> 00:22:15.000

    Aw, so good!

     

    00:22:15.000 --> 00:22:27.000

    That's why semantic, if II love it so much, then I can do the work because I come in, and oftentimes I'm up here anxious, autonomic, nervous system, just low, level anxiety, and then I have parts up here in my jaw my thinker. Parts.

     

    00:22:27.000 --> 00:22:36.000

    My analytical parts. Right? So so, yeah, so I just wanna say that and come back to what we're talking about with bias.

     

    00:22:36.000 --> 00:22:46.000

    Because it all relates right?

     

    00:22:46.000 --> 00:22:47.000

    Huh!

     

    00:22:47.000 --> 00:23:00.000

    Yeah, yeah. And I mean, I thought I just had, as you said, that from like a therapist point of view is, if we miss the boat about a narrow difference or the hardware we might assume as therapists, that someone has like a really stubborn intellectual part that's

     

    00:23:00.000 --> 00:23:08.000

    like not letting you access the rest of the system, or you know, when in reality it's somebody's hardware.

     

    00:23:08.000 --> 00:23:19.000

    That's needs to be attended to, really help the whole system, relax and be more accessible. Right?

     

    00:23:19.000 --> 00:23:20.000

    It does.

     

    00:23:20.000 --> 00:23:35.000

    It's. And sometimes, yeah, that makes sense. So we might go into yeah, we might go into the weeds.

     

    00:23:35.000 --> 00:23:36.000

    Huh!

     

    00:23:36.000 --> 00:23:41.000

    As therapists, and this is, I think, also to where microaggressions or implicit biases can surface like if therapists tell their clients well, here's a resistant part, or you have this like stubborn part that's blocking, and maybe there is maybe there

     

    00:23:41.000 --> 00:23:42.000

    is we could call or yes.

     

    00:23:42.000 --> 00:23:48.000

    Or you're being rigid. You have a rigid, you have a rigid part, or you have an Adhd part, or you have an Adhd part, or you have an autistic part. Folks.

     

    00:23:48.000 --> 00:23:52.000

    Oh, yeah. Yeah.

     

    00:23:52.000 --> 00:23:53.000

    Right.

     

    00:23:53.000 --> 00:23:55.000

    Though. That's hardware. Our diagnosis is our hardware, and rigidity for folks listening.

     

    00:23:55.000 --> 00:24:08.000

    If if so, we know that people can say, Okay, part of the diagnostic treatment diagnostic criteria for autism is rigidity.

     

    00:24:08.000 --> 00:24:16.000

    Right. That is cause I've actually heard other ifs therapists that were talking about autism, and one of the person interviewing said, Well, what is the rigidity about?

     

    00:24:16.000 --> 00:24:18.000

    He said, I don't know. I know they know exactly what it's about.

     

    00:24:18.000 --> 00:24:26.000

    So we wrote about this in our chapter. It's autonomic nervous system distribution.

     

    00:24:26.000 --> 00:24:27.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:24:27.000 --> 00:24:28.000

    So when I feel I feel a low level of anxiety all the time.

     

    00:24:28.000 --> 00:24:37.000

    That's my autistic makeup. There is co-occurring anxiety and my autonomic nervous system is just regulated.

     

    00:24:37.000 --> 00:24:41.000

    We live in a very anxiety, provoking environment.

     

    00:24:41.000 --> 00:24:47.000

    That's too much case. So I know that that's part of my autonomic nervous system.

     

    00:24:47.000 --> 00:24:48.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:24:48.000 --> 00:25:03.000

    Right. And so my rigidity, if I have parts that jump on being rigid, it's because I'm in fear, and I'm probably at the high level of my sympathetic arousal where I'm feeling like I'm really in danger.

     

    00:25:03.000 --> 00:25:04.000

    Right? Yeah, right? Right? Because our parts.

     

    00:25:04.000 --> 00:25:14.000

    That's gotta be instead of me being labeled as it's your autistic part. And and it you're being rigid right?

     

    00:25:14.000 --> 00:25:33.000

    Well and no, you're doing, I think this is the heart of what we're talking about in like that second part of our chapter where we're really asking therapists to go inward, because that's statement of thinking that someone has an autistic part and then wanting to

     

    00:25:33.000 --> 00:25:37.000

    do work on that. Actually, I'm a part actually ends up.

     

    00:25:37.000 --> 00:25:42.000

    Following that deficit model, like we got to do something about this autistic part of yours that's so rigid.

     

    00:25:42.000 --> 00:25:46.000

    And it's like, wait, wait, wait, wait! There's so much wrong with that statement.

     

    00:25:46.000 --> 00:25:52.000

    In my opinion, right? Because autism is hardware, not software.

     

    00:25:52.000 --> 00:25:56.000

    And our parts are always the problem. It's their burdens.

     

    00:25:56.000 --> 00:26:00.000

    And so to expand the analogy we're using here.

     

    00:26:00.000 --> 00:26:10.000

    It's like our hope is to heal the software viruses that our parts can get right, but not to like choose which parts are good and which parts are bad, right? Like no.

     

    00:26:10.000 --> 00:26:14.000

    But parts, you know Dick Schwartz knewest book right?

     

    00:26:14.000 --> 00:26:19.000

    And so it's like all parts are good. They show up for a reason.

     

    00:26:19.000 --> 00:26:35.000

    We want to have awareness of the hardware that they might be responding to right, and not even internally, within that model label parts in a way that they might be responding to right and not even internally within that model label parts in a way that perpetu right so curiosity one of

     

    00:26:35.000 --> 00:26:39.000

    the acs like huh! I'm sensing this right.

     

    00:26:39.000 --> 00:26:44.000

    Your body, just moved this way, or like we said, with that person like, Oh, notice your body!

     

    00:26:44.000 --> 00:26:48.000

    It looks like you're kind of feeling some, is it?

     

    00:26:48.000 --> 00:26:55.000

    Anxiety like, what's happening here. That person might have said, no, this is how I like to sit, and we're like, all right, you know.

     

    00:26:55.000 --> 00:26:57.000

    But when he went inward he was like, Yeah, I'm feeling like I'm in the principal's office. You know what I mean.

     

    00:26:57.000 --> 00:26:59.000

    So, yeah, curiosity, so far.

     

    00:26:59.000 --> 00:27:10.000

    Well, yeah, we're going to say that we recently did a ketamine assisted psychotherapy, intensive because we do. Those and folks will come.

     

    00:27:10.000 --> 00:27:11.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:27:11.000 --> 00:27:15.000

    They'll fly in from literally all over out of the country in, you know the Us.

     

    00:27:15.000 --> 00:27:26.000

    With a gentleman who's neuro different. And it was what what's beautiful that we see with cap is that self-energy is more present.

     

    00:27:26.000 --> 00:27:34.000

    So self-energy was definitely in the room with him after his 45 min journey, and I was in there with Chris doing the psychoanalytic therapy.

     

    00:27:34.000 --> 00:27:48.000

    What, and it's just fascinating. I could tell when I mean he was actually navigating the parts himself by just being having enough of energy to say, like, Oh, yeah, I can hear that part come up.

     

    00:27:48.000 --> 00:27:52.000

    And I'm just noticing it, and they coming back where I noticed this hardware came in.

     

    00:27:52.000 --> 00:27:59.000

    Was. We asked a couple questions were asked, and he just said, It feels like overwhelming right?

     

    00:27:59.000 --> 00:28:04.000

    Like, just it's like, there's just too much like right now.

     

    00:28:04.000 --> 00:28:06.000

    I'm having a hard time processing the information. Boom!

     

    00:28:06.000 --> 00:28:22.000

    Right, right.

     

    00:28:22.000 --> 00:28:23.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:28:23.000 --> 00:28:24.000

    That's hardware. Right? So then, so it's like, really, so important for therapy to start to understand the differences instead of saying everything is apart because our neurological hardware is not a part.

     

    00:28:24.000 --> 00:28:36.000

    And so I found that I you know I learned so much of the Ifs structure, including how much education they need around neuro inclusivity.

     

    00:28:36.000 --> 00:28:37.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:28:37.000 --> 00:28:46.000

    And that was one of the things I heard. Other clinicians, ifs, you know.

     

    00:28:46.000 --> 00:28:47.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:28:47.000 --> 00:28:59.000

    PA, saying, and I had so much capacity, which was my Adhd part, for instance, right and so, and I get people listening.

     

    00:28:59.000 --> 00:29:00.000

    Hmm!

     

    00:29:00.000 --> 00:29:07.000

    Might say, Well, what if they feel like it is? Again we talk about this, too, really honoring the language of the client that's in front of you in terms, including how they say like, if they if they identify as Oh, my gosh!

     

    00:29:07.000 --> 00:29:10.000

    I forgot the I just completely blanked out, but it's I'm autistic versus.

     

    00:29:10.000 --> 00:29:12.000

    I have autism, right?

     

    00:29:12.000 --> 00:29:14.000

    Person, person, first, or, yeah? Hmm.

     

    00:29:14.000 --> 00:29:20.000

    Yeah, yeah, and so I wanna say that, too, that what's interesting?

     

    00:29:20.000 --> 00:29:21.000

    And part of our model is that we'll we'll be carry about.

     

    00:29:21.000 --> 00:29:30.000

    Hey? Tell me more about that, right? And then, yeah, do you want to speak to that when we're curious about?

     

    00:29:30.000 --> 00:29:31.000

    If someone says I haven't adhd part.

     

    00:29:31.000 --> 00:29:50.000

    Well, I think we're just doing so awesome with transitions, by the way, because, like this, totally, weaves in that like last part of our chapter, which is really creatively mapping people's parts and their narrow different traits, and so like what's coming up for me as you share that is yeah.

     

    00:29:50.000 --> 00:29:57.000

    we can maybe lean in with curiosity around. Okay, can can we learn more about this part of you that you're calling the Adhd part?

     

    00:29:57.000 --> 00:30:07.000

    And then, with some of the more concrete and explicit tools that we use to help people map whether we're using parts cards or art.

     

    00:30:07.000 --> 00:30:08.000

    Music, yeah.

     

    00:30:08.000 --> 00:30:24.000

    Or physiologically helping them feel it. Music, movement, like all of these things as we are moving about that part, we will start to know the answer of whether or not it is a hardware trait, or whether it is really a part.

     

    00:30:24.000 --> 00:30:34.000

    And as we get to know the part, we probably will find out that it's so much more than whatever another part is labeling as the Adhd part right?

     

    00:30:34.000 --> 00:30:35.000

    You know.

     

    00:30:35.000 --> 00:30:55.000

    Yes, yes, I love that, you said that I love it, and I wanna go back just so that because we are, I wanna give a tool just a teaser tool for people, cause I know we're saying, Hey, we're addressing these issues in the chapter.

     

    00:30:55.000 --> 00:30:56.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:30:56.000 --> 00:31:00.000

    First I want to reassure everyone that if you're going to read the chapter if you're ifs therapist or a practitioner, you're not an Ifs therapist, you're just a provider wanting to help people we do we give tips and tools.

     

    00:31:00.000 --> 00:31:08.000

    We give takeaways things you can do things you can practice so we're not just saying these are the issues we do give.

     

    00:31:08.000 --> 00:31:12.000

    You know, tried and true things you can do that, we found, have worked.

     

    00:31:12.000 --> 00:31:13.000

    Right.

     

    00:31:13.000 --> 00:31:18.000

    And so going back to if there's a microaggression, we actually walk people through what to do right?

     

    00:31:18.000 --> 00:31:23.000

    What you can do. I don't know if you want to give a little teaser about that, but.

     

    00:31:23.000 --> 00:31:26.000

    The experience in the chapter that's shared, or oh!

     

    00:31:26.000 --> 00:31:31.000

    Well, no, no, just like, how a clinician could.

     

    00:31:31.000 --> 00:31:32.000

    Yeah, yes. Make it make an amends, right? Or or be proactive.

     

    00:31:32.000 --> 00:31:38.000

    Oh, right well! And this is the beautiful. Oh, totally. Yeah.

     

    00:31:38.000 --> 00:31:47.000

    And this is the beautiful thing that ifs up in the first place, too, is, it's such a humanizing model that, like we all have parts right.

     

    00:31:47.000 --> 00:31:55.000

    And so even on this, even on this interview, you and I have been using parts language because it's just second nature to us, you know.

     

    00:31:55.000 --> 00:32:15.000

    So as clinicians when we can drop into that with our client, it humanizes the experience in such a beautiful way, and then when we own and take accountability for a microaggression, and the definition of a microaggression is often subtle and unintentional right and so

     

    00:32:15.000 --> 00:32:16.000

    we're gonna have to own them right. And there is an example of that.

     

    00:32:16.000 --> 00:32:36.000

    In the chapter, you know, but like when we can say, Oh, I'm recognizing that I just that I just did that, or I'm recognizing that I have parts that may use language or say things that offend you, or are a micro aggression.

     

    00:32:36.000 --> 00:32:44.000

    And I'm going to say that from the gecko, because I want to honor your experience, and I want to be able to make make it right. You know what I mean.

     

    00:32:44.000 --> 00:32:56.000

    I wanna be able to make it right. And what a beautiful modeling like! Just what a beautiful modeling of a relationship kind of, you know, acceptance, compassion.

     

    00:32:56.000 --> 00:33:06.000

    It also creates safety, it creates safety. Sorry to cut you off.

     

    00:33:06.000 --> 00:33:07.000

    Exactly.

     

    00:33:07.000 --> 00:33:18.000

    It also creates safety and a corrective experience for so many clients who are nouro different, that have had trauma from therapists that have had microaggressions that have done a lot of labeling that have used the deficit-based language clients come to us

     

    00:33:18.000 --> 00:33:22.000

    oftentimes and we're unpacking a lot of that trauma from therapy.

     

    00:33:22.000 --> 00:33:34.000

    And so that I mean for clients whoever's whatever therapist is listening, know that if you have a neuro, different client coming into your office, chances are they're showing up a trauma from mental health providers medical providers and other providers.

     

    00:33:34.000 --> 00:33:38.000

    So that's why we're saying, be proactive in saying this, and then we walk you through.

     

    00:33:38.000 --> 00:33:55.000

    Okay, what can you do if this has happened right? And I'm autistic, I have autistic clients, too, that sometimes, you know, I'll say something, and I'll say I'll own it.

     

    00:33:55.000 --> 00:34:01.000

    You know for me it's more around pronouns where I'm like, oh, my God!

     

    00:34:01.000 --> 00:34:10.000

    Sorry I apologize, you know. And first speaking from experience and being in my own autistic body, we're pretty forgiving.

     

    00:34:10.000 --> 00:34:11.000

    Oh, yeah.

     

    00:34:11.000 --> 00:34:20.000

    So, you know so. But we also need to feel safe to know that our therapist can be vulnerable and accountable enough to own a microaggression that was unintended.

     

    00:34:20.000 --> 00:34:28.000

    Or you know that says something, because if a therapist count on it, we don't feel safe, and we I end up quitting treatment.

     

    00:34:28.000 --> 00:34:46.000

    Quitting therapy, and we've and I've heard that from other autistic clients to another neuro, different clients that have said, You know, this was my experience.

     

    00:34:46.000 --> 00:34:47.000

    Right.

     

    00:34:47.000 --> 00:34:48.000

    It was traumatic. And yeah, I ended up not going back, or we and I talked about this in the beginning of the chapter, or I never brought my autism up again because of the microaggression against me.

     

    00:34:48.000 --> 00:35:00.000

    And then just no acknowledgement whatsoever of my experience so.

     

    00:35:00.000 --> 00:35:01.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:35:01.000 --> 00:35:04.000

    Alright. So then I'm not fully staying, and heard unknown and understood, which, in my opinion, is so required for healing like a human.

     

    00:35:04.000 --> 00:35:09.000

    You cannot heal without being witnessed. You cannot heal without being really seen right and you can have choice around what you want.

     

    00:35:09.000 --> 00:35:19.000

    To share. But if you feel like you can't share something that's so integral to who you are.

     

    00:35:19.000 --> 00:35:25.000

    Right, then it's really really hard to move into that healing space right?

     

    00:35:25.000 --> 00:35:26.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:35:26.000 --> 00:35:30.000

    Yeah, yeah, and we are coming in with our hardware we're coming in with trauma based on our hardware meaning.

     

    00:35:30.000 --> 00:35:41.000

    My autism doesn't traumatize me. And I that is so controversial because I know other people that will say my autism does traumatize me.

     

    00:35:41.000 --> 00:35:43.000

    So I have compassion for all of us. Yes, I have challenging days based on my neurological differences.

     

    00:35:43.000 --> 00:35:54.000

    I get, I have parts to get frustrated with my challenging days because of my neurological difference.

     

    00:35:54.000 --> 00:36:03.000

    Personally, I don't feel traumatized by that, but I wanna honor folks that really feel like they're neurot difference is traumatic.

     

    00:36:03.000 --> 00:36:05.000

    So I wanna say that I know right. And then I lost my train.

     

    00:36:05.000 --> 00:36:06.000

    Yeah, yeah, yeah.

     

    00:36:06.000 --> 00:36:10.000

    I thought, what was I going to? What was my point?

     

    00:36:10.000 --> 00:36:17.000

    Well, what I think you were getting at was that the traumatic experiences actually come from how the world responds right.

     

    00:36:17.000 --> 00:36:21.000

    Thank you for. Yeah. Thank you for helping me get on track today. With that.

     

    00:36:21.000 --> 00:36:22.000

    I gotcha.

     

    00:36:22.000 --> 00:36:29.000

    So, I know, girl, you do got me so, and I thank you for saying that the world has been very traumatic to me.

     

    00:36:29.000 --> 00:36:32.000

    And then a lot of the neurotransmitter folks.

     

    00:36:32.000 --> 00:36:37.000

    We see that will say went to therapy, and this was what I was told about me.

     

    00:36:37.000 --> 00:36:38.000

    You know, and my neurotype. And so we're so that's why it's just so important.

     

    00:36:38.000 --> 00:36:54.000

    What we're doing, what we've written about and what yeah, what we're trying to get out into the world, which will be, I think it's out on Kindle, and you can pre order the book that'll be out in August.

     

    00:36:54.000 --> 00:36:56.000

    I think it will be obvious. Yeah, yeah.

     

    00:36:56.000 --> 00:37:06.000

    Yeah, anything. Else. You wanna add, I do want us to kind of talk about what you do here and how people can connect with you.

     

    00:37:06.000 --> 00:37:07.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:37:07.000 --> 00:37:09.000

    But anything else you wanna add about our chapter.

     

    00:37:09.000 --> 00:37:24.000

    Well I loved having the conversation with you about it, and I'm really excited for it to be out and for people to be able to read it and like you, said we, the book actually, Jenna, and all of the editors have done a really amazing job.

     

    00:37:24.000 --> 00:37:27.000

    I think of making it really readable, and giving tools and resources for people.

     

    00:37:27.000 --> 00:37:29.000

    Uhhuh. Uhhuh.

     

    00:37:29.000 --> 00:37:34.000

    And so it's definitely not like something that'll just go over everybody's head.

     

    00:37:34.000 --> 00:37:38.000

    And yeah. So if you're more interested in it, then check it out right?

     

    00:37:38.000 --> 00:37:45.000

    Yeah, and then we're still trying to schedule.

     

    00:37:45.000 --> 00:37:46.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:37:46.000 --> 00:37:50.000

    We've been scheduling and rescheduling and trying to figure out what Tammy Sulenberger, so you and I will be on the one inside podcast with her to talk about our chapter.

     

    00:37:50.000 --> 00:37:51.000

    Yeah, I think in the fall, yeah.

     

    00:37:51.000 --> 00:37:52.000

    And that should be this year sometime. Yeah, she's dedicated her podcast.

     

    00:37:52.000 --> 00:37:59.000

    To share the one inside, to every person that's every author.

     

    00:37:59.000 --> 00:38:03.000

    So I am excited to do that with you, too. I'll definitely get more of a refresher on this before it's been a minute since we were our hit.

     

    00:38:03.000 --> 00:38:12.000

    Our deadline finished it, submitted it so we're both kind of joking.

     

    00:38:12.000 --> 00:38:17.000

    We had to review it, and I was so much more nervous this time with you, which is funny.

     

    00:38:17.000 --> 00:38:22.000

    So I'm coming back to identity first versus first.

     

    00:38:22.000 --> 00:38:24.000

    There you go. Yeah, yeah.

     

    00:38:24.000 --> 00:38:25.000

    Yeah, so I kinda draw blank. That is what happens in my brain when I have anxiety right?

     

    00:38:25.000 --> 00:38:29.000

    That's not a part. It makes so much sense right?

     

    00:38:29.000 --> 00:38:34.000

    Of course, and it makes so much sense right?

     

    00:38:34.000 --> 00:38:40.000

    So just validating that. So I just II just want people to see that this is just how it is right.

     

    00:38:40.000 --> 00:38:41.000

    Right.

     

    00:38:41.000 --> 00:38:51.000

    But let's finish up our combo today with how people can connect with you, because you and I have developed the intensive programs.

     

    00:38:51.000 --> 00:38:55.000

    And that's a big deal. That is a big primary way of connecting with you.

     

    00:38:55.000 --> 00:38:56.000

    So. Do you want to speak to that?

     

    00:38:56.000 --> 00:39:10.000

    Right? Yeah, for sure. So you know the nomasting intensives, I think, are really unique and kind of came about because we noticed like Wow, we're full of like our local clients.

     

    00:39:10.000 --> 00:39:13.000

    But we want to still be able to help and support people.

     

    00:39:13.000 --> 00:39:22.000

    And you know, we we had people just kind of saying like, Hey, if we if we flew out there for 2 weeks, you know, could we work with you?

     

    00:39:22.000 --> 00:39:31.000

    And so, yeah, I love how they've grown and evolved, and the way that they are set up now is, we are definitely not a one.

     

    00:39:31.000 --> 00:39:48.000

    Size fits all right. So if somebody's interested in doing an intensive with us, then it starts out with like a really in-depth call to really get to know you like going back to what we've been talking about, we we want people to feel seen and heard and known and understood and not just

     

    00:39:48.000 --> 00:40:06.000

    like pushed through a schedule or you know, a one size fits all approach, and so there's a variety of different like time, like links of time that people can come be with us, whether you're a local client to where our center is in salt lake or not and we really individualize

     

    00:40:06.000 --> 00:40:18.000

    it, and you do get to work with me and Candace, but we have some awesome other providers on our intensive team, too, with Chris and our Yoga therapist, Debbie, and we have the Ketamine experience.

     

    00:40:18.000 --> 00:40:20.000

    That's now part of our intensive. And and so, yeah.

     

    00:40:20.000 --> 00:40:26.000

    Oh, yeah, I wanna tell people, yeah, cause they can have just a intensive and I don't wanna say, just.

     

    00:40:26.000 --> 00:40:27.000

    Bye!

     

    00:40:27.000 --> 00:40:29.000

    But I wanna say it's separate from the cap. Intensive.

     

    00:40:29.000 --> 00:40:30.000

    Oh, okay, are we still good? I just noticed it. Kind of glitch.

     

    00:40:30.000 --> 00:40:38.000

    So we have our regular intensive. So folks that are like, I'm not into Canadian.

     

    00:40:38.000 --> 00:40:58.000

    I don't want, please know that our intensive program still here, and that really is the way that you can engage with Megan I because we're just full.

     

    00:40:58.000 --> 00:40:59.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:40:59.000 --> 00:41:02.000

    So most of our clients come for 5 days, and there's been a trend of 3 days lately, but there's also been a trend of 10 days, and so individuals' can come.

     

    00:41:02.000 --> 00:41:10.000

    You clearly can have a neuralological brain that is not autistic or Adhd to come.

     

    00:41:10.000 --> 00:41:11.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:41:11.000 --> 00:41:23.000

    We have a lot of environmental trauma. So folks that have the trail trauma that come to our intentives, couples, and intensives where people, you know, my wanna come because they're neuro different and a mixed arrow type couple to work on issues.

     

    00:41:23.000 --> 00:41:25.000

    But we also have folks that come for betrayal trauma, and wanting to heal because of our specialty, too.

     

    00:41:25.000 --> 00:41:35.000

    So, and I do love our intensive, and I really love doing them with you.

     

    00:41:35.000 --> 00:41:40.000

    I love that we have Chris, that does so much of the nursery work with folks coaching and helping people understand what's going on with your brain.

     

    00:41:40.000 --> 00:41:48.000

    And then Debbie is a trauma therapist who has literally known her for almost 25 years.

     

    00:41:48.000 --> 00:41:49.000

    So cool!

     

    00:41:49.000 --> 00:42:01.000

    Who, then, has moved into yeah. She works with us as a trauma therapist here at Namaste, but in the intensive does the Yoga therapy piece, which is very body based.

     

    00:42:01.000 --> 00:42:02.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:42:02.000 --> 00:42:03.000

    So I love that. And then we did have started our cap intensity, which gosh!

     

    00:42:03.000 --> 00:42:08.000

    That has been such a big learning curve. Wouldn't you say?

     

    00:42:08.000 --> 00:42:09.000

    Definitely, yeah.

     

    00:42:09.000 --> 00:42:15.000

    But also for folks that, and you can go to our website to find out more.

     

    00:42:15.000 --> 00:42:21.000

    It's so. It really is beautiful for neuro different folks.

     

    00:42:21.000 --> 00:42:22.000

    Right.

     

    00:42:22.000 --> 00:42:25.000

    And anyone I mean, really anyone. We've noticed the power of.

     

    00:42:25.000 --> 00:42:45.000

    You know this legal medicine, ketamine, and then psycholetic integrative work which 5% of your healing has to do with the actual medicine and journey, and 95% has to do with the therapy and integration of what you learn at that 5% and so our intensive

     

    00:42:45.000 --> 00:42:47.000

    catapult people they really are accelerate recovery.

     

    00:42:47.000 --> 00:42:49.000

    Right, yeah.

     

    00:42:49.000 --> 00:42:56.000

    They accelerate healing. I've noticed that, and then I think Cap is almost like the intensive on steroids.

     

    00:42:56.000 --> 00:42:57.000

    It's just right. So.

     

    00:42:57.000 --> 00:43:07.000

    Right? Yeah, yeah. Well, and I like to say that when you do an intensive with us, you're like our people for life, right?

     

    00:43:07.000 --> 00:43:09.000

    Like I was. I was actually telling Chris the other day.

     

    00:43:09.000 --> 00:43:21.000

    I run a men's group, and almost every member in this men's group has done some sort of intensive with us, and it was really amazing to sit back and let them really share those experiences.

     

    00:43:21.000 --> 00:43:24.000

    And we're late and kind of have that really unique connection with like knowing what it's like.

     

    00:43:24.000 --> 00:43:40.000

    And why say that? Because we are very different from not saying this with judgment, but like the run of the mail kind of center that is like. This is what we do.

     

    00:43:40.000 --> 00:43:49.000

    Day, 1, 2, 3, because everything is so individualized. And what I love about that is that they were able to connect around how individualized it was.

     

    00:43:49.000 --> 00:43:50.000

    Oh, of that!

     

    00:43:50.000 --> 00:44:05.000

    You know what I mean. And you know, as you know, ketamine infusion centers and different ketamine experiences are available all over now, and we still get folks choosing to come to us because we're an honesty.

     

    00:44:05.000 --> 00:44:10.000

    We're no mistake, and it's not just using ketamine and then leaving right.

     

    00:44:10.000 --> 00:44:15.000

    Exactly.

     

    00:44:15.000 --> 00:44:16.000

    Right.

     

    00:44:16.000 --> 00:44:17.000

    It's like people that are drawn to us are coming because they want to heal right?

     

    00:44:17.000 --> 00:44:20.000

    They want to heal on a deeper level and move like accelerate.

     

    00:44:20.000 --> 00:44:22.000

    So I love that you said that. So groups you mentioned groups. So groups you mentioned groups.

     

    00:44:22.000 --> 00:44:24.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:44:24.000 --> 00:44:29.000

    So for folks wanting to connect with you through groups. Can you just share what groups you're doing at Namaste?

     

    00:44:29.000 --> 00:44:30.000

    Yeah, I actually really love running groups. And right now, I do 2 men's groups.

     

    00:44:30.000 --> 00:44:42.000

    One's more of a maintenance group with guys I've had my goodness for 5 plus years kind of just maintaining.

     

    00:44:42.000 --> 00:44:45.000

    And that's a really beautifully intimate group.

     

    00:44:45.000 --> 00:44:50.000

    And then I have another advanced recovery group that does is a mixed, narrow type group.

     

    00:44:50.000 --> 00:44:53.000

    So we definitely leave in our neuro-inclusive approach.

     

    00:44:53.000 --> 00:44:56.000

    And we speak about hardware and software. Often we we leave an Ifs and poly vagl theory.

     

    00:44:56.000 --> 00:45:06.000

    It's. It's a really beautiful group I had a client share just yesterday, like, that's such a unique group.

     

    00:45:06.000 --> 00:45:07.000

    I can't put my finger on it, but like I love it like it's so unique.

     

    00:45:07.000 --> 00:45:08.000

    Oh, my love!

     

    00:45:08.000 --> 00:45:21.000

    And it's yeah. It's beautiful. And they create that like, it's so unique. And it's yeah, it's beautiful. And they create that like, we like you said, we create the setting and allow the place for our clients to be safe enough to be them.

     

    00:45:21.000 --> 00:45:25.000

    And they create such a unique and beautiful intimacy together.

     

    00:45:25.000 --> 00:45:35.000

    I also run a partner empowerment group for women that are dealing with betrayal, trauma, which is such a lovely honor to support those women.

     

    00:45:35.000 --> 00:45:36.000

    Hmm!

     

    00:45:36.000 --> 00:45:42.000

    And then last, but not least, and it's like kind of one of my favorite things to do, because I've got a passion for couples.

     

    00:45:42.000 --> 00:45:43.000

    Therapy is, I do, a bi-weekly couples class, and that's just so much fun.

     

    00:45:43.000 --> 00:45:48.000

    And we've got some really fun. Couples in there, too.

     

    00:45:48.000 --> 00:45:49.000

    So!

     

    00:45:49.000 --> 00:45:57.000

    I love it. And Meg talks all about as you've all heard her, she's so artist articulate, so incredibly.

     

    00:45:57.000 --> 00:46:07.000

    Hmm!

     

    00:46:07.000 --> 00:46:08.000

    Hmm!

     

    00:46:08.000 --> 00:46:09.000

    Articulate and broke, and if you love how she talked! This is how she is in group, just a wealth of knowledge, so compassionate, just so beautiful, with with so much self energy.

     

    00:46:09.000 --> 00:46:17.000

    So what an honor to have you wrap up a fabulously Candace podcast?

     

    00:46:17.000 --> 00:46:28.000

    Oh, thank you, you are such a gift! I appreciate so much, being able to to be in this space with you, and so much love.

     

    00:46:28.000 --> 00:46:30.000

    Well, thank you, and you are such a gift. We are one.

     

    00:46:30.000 --> 00:46:31.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:46:31.000 --> 00:46:35.000

    We are a mirror, and so, yeah, I just love you, sweet one.

     

    00:46:35.000 --> 00:46:41.000

    So what an honor! No mistake! Oh, my gosh! I'm kind of emotional about this.

     

    00:46:41.000 --> 00:46:42.000

    I know.

     

    00:46:42.000 --> 00:46:51.000

    We are. We're wrapping up, and Megan, I have been together for so long that it's like there's just chapters that we close.

     

    00:46:51.000 --> 00:46:52.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:46:52.000 --> 00:47:00.000

    And we close these chapters because there are new things on the horizon for enormous day.

     

    00:47:00.000 --> 00:47:01.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:47:01.000 --> 00:47:04.000

    And so you might actually hear us again on other podcasts.

     

    00:47:04.000 --> 00:47:08.000

    This is gonna be on our Youtube channel. I wanna say, stays.

     

    00:47:08.000 --> 00:47:17.000

    But I think I'm promoting it as me, which creates a lot of interesting nervous system, which, of course, it would so.

     

    00:47:17.000 --> 00:47:34.000

    But I have some ideas that I'm rolling around that Megan, Chris and I will be in discussion about with the Youtube Channel, because, as we move more into different modalities of healing and ways of hearing, I am guess what girl you're going to be on that Youtube, channel

     

    00:47:34.000 --> 00:47:44.000

    Chris and Chris. We're gonna probably do some Youtube videos where we can talk more about all the beautiful things that we're doing at our center.

     

    00:47:44.000 --> 00:47:45.000

    Hmm, yeah.

     

    00:47:45.000 --> 00:47:59.000

    And just each of our expertise. So the world can really get a beautiful sense of Namaste, and just each of our expertise. So the world can really get a beautiful sense of Namaste and all that we offer. So I just want to say to those that have listened. And reached out.

     

    00:47:59.000 --> 00:48:04.000

    To me with so I just wanna say to those that have listened and reached out to me with so much loving and kindness and support of the podcast thank you.

     

    00:48:04.000 --> 00:48:08.000

    So so much for listening, and this your watching. Thank you so so much for your support.

     

    00:48:08.000 --> 00:48:27.000

    Of Namaste, and what we do here, and of just the neurotransmitter populations.

     

    00:48:27.000 --> 00:48:28.000

    Hmm!

     

    00:48:28.000 --> 00:48:39.000

    And please everyone. Go out there and first be tender with your sweet cells and your sweet parts, and then I'm just setting you so much, so much love and compassion at peace and joy and bliss, and I hope for everyone out there that we can spread more love and joy, and less hate so please be

     

    00:48:39.000 --> 00:48:40.000

    Hmm!

     

    00:48:40.000 --> 00:48:46.000

    fabulous, and I can't say until next time, because there won't be.

     

    00:48:46.000 --> 00:48:47.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:48:47.000 --> 00:48:49.000

    But you know what, until next something until the next something, because that's coming.

     

    00:48:49.000 --> 00:48:50.000

    Right.

     

    00:48:50.000 --> 00:48:52.000

    I just need some space. My brain needs some space now to create.

     

    00:48:52.000 --> 00:48:59.000

    So until the next something sending everyone so much love. You are love.

     

    00:48:59.000 --> 00:49:06.000

    Love is medicine. I love everyone out there. Thank you so much for being a support to fabulous Candice.

     

    00:49:06.000 --> 00:49:13.000

    Until something next. Bye!

     

    00:49:13.000 --> 00:49:14.000

    Oh, my gosh! I love you! I know I know!

     

    00:49:14.000 --> 00:49:16.000

    I love you. I love you so much.

    Season 3 | Episode #8: Renee Rosales

    Season 3 | Episode #8: Renee Rosales

    Welcome back Renee Rosales, founder of Theara! We start the episode with a beautiful story honoring Renee’s maternal grandfather and the divine gifts we receive from past generations. Next, Candice and Renee address some current challenges within the neurodiversity movement (infighting, “meltdown”, etc.) and offer examples of what neuroinclusion can look like within loving relationships. They also take a deep dive into the concept of bridging (another one of Renee’s fabulous acronyms!), energy contagion, mindfulness, and more.

    Connect with Renee

    YouTube Video

    Closed Captions

    Closed Captions for Season 3 | Episode #8: Renee Rosales

    Closed Captions for Season 3 | Episode #8: Renee Rosales

    WEBVTT

     

    00:00:04.000 --> 00:00:10.000

    Hi everybody. Welcome to Fabuli Candice, season 3, episode 8.

     

    00:00:10.000 --> 00:00:23.000

    We have Renee Ralis back. To talk about All good things. All good things are distinct.

     

    00:00:23.000 --> 00:00:27.000

    I absolutely.

     

    00:00:27.000 --> 00:00:28.000

    Yes.

     

    00:00:28.000 --> 00:00:34.000

    So gosh, I talked to you. It was like what, 2, 3 weeks ago? Yeah, and we just hit it off and then I set you somebody because I thought Oh my gosh, this parent.

     

    00:00:34.000 --> 00:00:36.000

    And we've connected and it's wonderful. So yes, thank you.

     

    00:00:36.000 --> 00:00:40.000

    Oh good. Oh my gosh. Yeah, I was like, hey, what they did already. So let me just, let me just give an update.

     

    00:00:40.000 --> 00:00:41.000

    Yes.

     

    00:00:41.000 --> 00:00:45.000

    Just brag about you again for those that maybe didn't hear the first podcast with Renee go back and listen to it though.

     

    00:00:45.000 --> 00:01:02.000

    So as a mother, educator, advocate and transformational leader truly Renee Trulias. Renea sought out or set out, excuse me, to build a better way for the neuro-distinct.

     

    00:01:02.000 --> 00:01:12.000

    As an innovator, she is co-founder of 2 of the first virtual schools in Arizona.

     

    00:01:12.000 --> 00:01:13.000

    Yes, you are. You've got it perfectly.

     

    00:01:13.000 --> 00:01:21.000

    And founder of theiara. Am I saying that right? Okay, good. A business design to support the neuro-distinct from cradle to grace.

     

    00:01:21.000 --> 00:01:35.000

    As a visionary, Rene has always sought to make the intangible tangible. Creating connections and building bridges in relationships that positively transform all aspects of love.

     

    00:01:35.000 --> 00:01:45.000

    How cool is this? Rene is dedicated her life's work to helping the neuro-distinct establish belonging and connection every time I read your bio I'm emotional.

     

    00:01:45.000 --> 00:02:00.000

    Yep. I was emotional in creating this. I think, you know, the is just the culmination of everything I've learned and gathered as a neuro-distinct is just the culmination of everything I've learned and gathered as a neuro-distinct person as the mother of no distinct children married to somebody who's

     

    00:02:00.000 --> 00:02:11.000

    neuro-distinct and We really haven't talked about those issues for many, many years for generations in terms of how it.

     

    00:02:11.000 --> 00:02:28.000

    It expresses itself in our relationships with one another and it's so exciting that The neurodiversity movement is changing that because it's empowering so many people all around the world and I am so excited to be here with you today because that's exactly what we talk about, right?

     

    00:02:28.000 --> 00:02:44.000

    Right, yeah. And right before we recorded, I said to Titan, oh my gosh, we gotta record this because You and I were talking about our ancestors and where we come from and you know, just generational.

     

    00:02:44.000 --> 00:02:53.000

    I would say the gifts that we get from our from the generations that came before us. So do you do you mind sharing about your grandfather what you were saying?

     

    00:02:53.000 --> 00:02:54.000

    Hi.

     

    00:02:54.000 --> 00:03:02.000

    No, that's fine. So, years ago, actually the year I was born, my grandfather started a counseling center called Emerge.

     

    00:03:02.000 --> 00:03:22.000

    And you know, it was just a thing in our family. I had no idea that Emerge was an acronym because I was a little girl when it was all designed and When I after I started Thiara and everything I do at TR, it's an acronym based system that includes Each acronym has executive functioning

     

    00:03:22.000 --> 00:03:40.000

    and sensory processing strategies and activities included in the acronym and I had and I developed Emerge D which is a class about emerging as neuro diverse and empowering people to embrace the neurodiversity and better manage it.

     

    00:03:40.000 --> 00:03:50.000

    And in that process after the classes were all completed. I was going through old newspaper clippings that my family had saved.

     

    00:03:50.000 --> 00:03:57.000

    And found an article about my grandfather when he started Emerge. And it was an acronym.

     

    00:03:57.000 --> 00:04:04.000

    I had no idea and I lined up. My acronym for Emerge with his and they read as a sentence.

     

    00:04:04.000 --> 00:04:05.000

    Oh my gosh.

     

    00:04:05.000 --> 00:04:12.000

    So I mean, I sat there and I was overwhelmed. I started like tears were in my eyes because I'm like this is what I was literally born to do.

     

    00:04:12.000 --> 00:04:31.000

    This is what I think our family was intended to do. For all of time really and it's so interesting and powerful how all of those things happen and when people are trying to expand the good and when you carry that forward it really truly manifests and we have no idea what's gonna manifest.

     

    00:04:31.000 --> 00:04:33.000

    In generations to come. So. Yeah.

     

    00:04:33.000 --> 00:04:52.000

    Isn't that just so beautiful? I that's just so beautiful. I mean my partner Chris and I are all about it just honoring our ancestors and you know, just connecting with our wise and well ancestors and those that came before us and just really filling that love and nurturing and then like you said passing it down and

     

    00:04:52.000 --> 00:04:57.000

    here you weren't even aware of it.

     

    00:04:57.000 --> 00:04:58.000

    But just the alignment.

     

    00:04:58.000 --> 00:05:00.000

    Right. Yeah, I have no idea. My family members didn't even really know. I mean, they were called when I found the article.

     

    00:05:00.000 --> 00:05:08.000

    Clipping and they're like, oh yeah, I. We didn't even mention it to you.

     

    00:05:08.000 --> 00:05:14.000

    I was like, this is huge. So.

     

    00:05:14.000 --> 00:05:15.000

    Yes, but very exciting.

     

    00:05:15.000 --> 00:05:23.000

    It's huge to not be mentioned! So shout out to your grandfather. Is it your father's father's like your father father?

     

    00:05:23.000 --> 00:05:24.000

    Okay, so.

     

    00:05:24.000 --> 00:05:37.000

    It's actually my mother's my mother's father and my whole family. I mean that was why it was kind of so crazy to me that I didn't know because we all spent time investing and working in some capacity at the counseling center all while I was growing up.

     

    00:05:37.000 --> 00:05:43.000

    So.

     

    00:05:43.000 --> 00:05:44.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:05:44.000 --> 00:05:48.000

    Hmm. Yeah. So just an honoring of your maternal, your maternal grandfather, right? Really and how beautiful that you are doing this.

     

    00:05:48.000 --> 00:05:49.000

    Your yeah you're continuing it

     

    00:05:49.000 --> 00:06:00.000

    It's very exciting. I, you know, and it was so empowering to me because I think when we realize, I think I was I was listening to a podcast a while ago.

     

    00:06:00.000 --> 00:06:26.000

    And it was talking about I think it was something like over 470 generations that have come before us to get to us and now and we are called for a profound purpose and connecting with that I think is huge and understanding that all of that went into creating us and bringing us here and we were born for Now for this time.

     

    00:06:26.000 --> 00:06:33.000

    Yeah, what we're talking about is so huge. It's so huge. It's so beautiful.

     

    00:06:33.000 --> 00:06:48.000

    I really believe that that those of us that are here were called to be here on earth at this time and it's a challenging time.

     

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    Yes.

     

    00:06:49.000 --> 00:06:56.000

    I especially in the neurodiversity movement. It is challenging time. There's a lot of infighting going on right now among Have you noticed that like II actually have been avoiding social media, doing kind of a social media detox, doing kind of a social media detox.

     

    00:06:56.000 --> 00:07:00.000

    I think we part of that for me is because I hyper focus on it. And I just get, I check too much.

     

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    And then also it pains me. It pains me to see, you know, for those of us that are neuro-distinct, it's like we're navigating enough.

     

    00:07:12.000 --> 00:07:16.000

    To then have it just fighting inside the movement.

     

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    Yes, and I completely relate. In fact, I was developing some content in the last few days. And I was tackling some of those issues.

     

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    I think some of the biggest terms we talked about last time are removing some of the negative language that and it's not that the the language has empowered many of us.

     

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    So like using words, the identity or the label of being disabled has equipped many to access the services that they've needed traditionally like in the education system and the work environment and we've needed that but when all of those words have a negative connotation attached to them I mean when we think about the word disabled, we're not

     

    00:08:01.000 --> 00:08:14.000

    thinking about the abilities the person has. And that's really at the heart of I think. What many are trying to do with the neuro-diversity movement is highlight the strengths and lead people strengths first.

     

    00:08:14.000 --> 00:08:31.000

    Rather than according to their lack, but we're not trying to throw out the labels. The labels are important to acquire the services and yeah I've I read through a lot of the posts and it and people going back and forth and that and it's It is difficult not to hyper focus on you know one

     

    00:08:31.000 --> 00:08:41.000

    person's understanding or grasp of it versus another. And so we just have to work to focus on the positive things and I think really highlight.

     

    00:08:41.000 --> 00:08:49.000

    What good we can bring out of even the disagreements like what are we really trying to get at? Where do we truly agree?

     

    00:08:49.000 --> 00:09:00.000

    And I think we truly agree that all narrow distinct people need to be empowered and we need to be advocating for neuro inclusion in every way we possibly can.

     

    00:09:00.000 --> 00:09:17.000

    Yeah, I agree. So let's talk about that too. I agree. 100% disability is not a dirty word and I took some heat from some folks in the autism community when I posted on LinkedIn and talked about let's ditch the Ds, but what I was talking about actually wasn't just

     

    00:09:17.000 --> 00:09:34.000

    disability. I was talking about putting autism in the diagnostic manual as a disorder. To where people think it's a mental illness.

     

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    Right.

     

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    And what happens when that late we get Basically that's attached to us. Our services we get are not accurate.

     

    00:09:39.000 --> 00:09:40.000

    Correct.

     

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    And so then harm is done. And so, you know, I agree about the word disability in terms of getting the services that folks need.

     

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    And I also believe that we've got to look at what are our strengths in the school system.

     

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    In relationships in the work environment. And it's a difference. Our neurotype has differences, but it's not a deficiency.

     

    00:10:05.000 --> 00:10:18.000

    You know, if I'm comparing myself to my partner who has post-traumatic stress for instance that sometimes I do wonder if he has narrow difference but you know again There could be, I mean it really can look very similar.

     

    00:10:18.000 --> 00:10:19.000

    Right.

     

    00:10:19.000 --> 00:10:28.000

    So we have to really tease that out, but his brain is different from my brain. And so how can we look at it as a difference together? Our brains are different.

     

    00:10:28.000 --> 00:10:42.000

    It's not that I'm deficient to his brain or I'm not deficient. Compared to my husband my partner right

     

    00:10:42.000 --> 00:10:54.000

    Yes!

     

    00:10:54.000 --> 00:10:55.000

    Hmm.

     

    00:10:55.000 --> 00:10:57.000

    Right. And there's nothing necessarily wrong. I mean, with you and that was one of the big things that You know, my husband and I were in a counseling session actually last week and we were talking and our therapist had had his own breakthrough and was like you know at the core of my traumatic triggers when

     

    00:10:57.000 --> 00:11:11.000

    I'm triggered. At the core of it underneath all the layers is this idea that something is wrong with me.

     

    00:11:11.000 --> 00:11:12.000

    Yes.

     

    00:11:12.000 --> 00:11:16.000

    And we just sat and practiced really embracing the fact that nothing is wrong with you inherently that we were designed differently for a reason and it's supposed to help us Expand ourselves, integrate ourselves.

     

    00:11:16.000 --> 00:11:18.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:11:18.000 --> 00:11:39.000

    Become more whole and I think that's the constant work. How do we find the bridge? And that's a lot of the work that I do with ER is helping people bridge to one another regardless of their neuro differences, whether they're in a distinct or more neurotypical wherever they're at on the

     

    00:11:39.000 --> 00:12:01.000

    map. My husband like yours has experienced PTSD as well and it's difficult to ferret that out. And it's difficult to ferret that out. But the bridge can be the same.

     

    00:12:01.000 --> 00:12:06.000

    It doesn't necessarily need to be need to

     

    00:12:06.000 --> 00:12:22.000

    Okay, well we're definitely gonna talk about we're gonna kinda deep dive into bridge bridging right a bridging 2 people and bridging the gap if you will like, hey, what I want to also say because it's important with what you just said.

     

    00:12:22.000 --> 00:12:34.000

    So often I get emails and I don't know if you experienced this too from Search well intended partners of a neuro different person.

     

    00:12:34.000 --> 00:12:42.000

    And it's just microaggression, microaggression, micro pathologizing, offensive language, offensive language.

     

    00:12:42.000 --> 00:12:53.000

    And then when I sometimes I'll try and redirect, right? Blaming partner partners this there so this and that they're autistic and it's then it's just an email that's downhill from there.

     

    00:12:53.000 --> 00:12:54.000

    Yes.

     

    00:12:54.000 --> 00:13:03.000

    And I'll gently do my best to. Try and give up my point of view around that and then Sometimes what comes back is even more offensive.

     

    00:13:03.000 --> 00:13:18.000

    It's just like. Unintentionally, right? So I want those folks that are listening that really believe that your partner is deficient, The autism diagnosis.

     

    00:13:18.000 --> 00:13:31.000

    Is a problem. I really want you to listen please just with an open mind be curious about where we're going to talk about with Okay, you might have a different brain than your partner does, but you can bridge.

     

    00:13:31.000 --> 00:13:35.000

    There can be a bridge and we're gonna talk about what that looks like.

     

    00:13:35.000 --> 00:13:51.000

    Yeah. And to me, you know, I that's the big interpersonal acronym that I focus on at at the ARA and we talk about you know the B stands for Build for bounty.

     

    00:13:51.000 --> 00:13:58.000

    How are we going to move forward together? How can we put some put some bricks down in our relationship.

     

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    How can we lay some foundational elements to help us move forward positively, regardless of our difference. Relate with recognition.

     

    00:14:08.000 --> 00:14:17.000

    We have to understand that we bring different things to the table and I think many of us kind of look in our love relationships.

     

    00:14:17.000 --> 00:14:29.000

    To you know there's the whole Jerry Maguire saving they he completes me you know that whole concept and we and we think the other person is going to do that but we come in with our own with our own understanding of, you know, our upbringing.

     

    00:14:29.000 --> 00:14:43.000

    What a marriage might look like, what a relationship supposed to be and Those things sometimes just need to fall away so that we can establish new things together to move forward.

     

    00:14:43.000 --> 00:14:55.000

    And the I is integrate for impact. How can we utilize your strengths and my strengths to positively benefit our relationship?

     

    00:14:55.000 --> 00:15:04.000

    And that's the G is gather for gain and that just moves us forward into, you know, how can we pick up little habits?

     

    00:15:04.000 --> 00:15:34.000

    Maybe it's a micro habit maybe it's a strategy maybe it's like last time we talked about you know putting something physical on a wall so that you can like see this is what we're doing for each other and it sounds so simple and I've had so many people kind of laugh at me about that when I talk like what are you

     

    00:15:36.000 --> 00:15:39.000

    Yes.

     

    00:15:39.000 --> 00:15:40.000

    Yes.

     

    00:15:40.000 --> 00:15:41.000

    saying I need a behavior chart with my spouse. No, I'm not saying that. I'm saying it's important for us to have that check in and kind of say, okay, this is it's a way to validate what you're doing and also what the other individual is doing and also what the other individual is

     

    00:15:41.000 --> 00:15:43.000

    doing and also what the other individual is doing and when you see your partner validate you. Through something very visual because we're all different types of learners, right?

     

    00:15:43.000 --> 00:16:00.000

    Some of us can take a statement or a word from of kindness, a compliment and and it really sits with us.

     

    00:16:00.000 --> 00:16:01.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:16:01.000 --> 00:16:11.000

    But for someone else, they need to see it or there needs to be some kind of physical, you know, act showing it a display of tenderness or emotion and then the the is educate to empower so that's all about how we can educate each other to move forward.

     

    00:16:11.000 --> 00:16:19.000

    And that's exactly what we're doing now with listening to a podcast, you know, following different people on social media to try to gather more information.

     

    00:16:19.000 --> 00:16:30.000

    About who you are and then who your partner is so that you can more productively move forward.

     

    00:16:30.000 --> 00:16:31.000

    Thank you.

     

    00:16:31.000 --> 00:16:36.000

    So I just love your acronyms. Seriously, I love your acronyms. They are brilliant.

     

    00:16:36.000 --> 00:16:45.000

    And I want to talk about, I mean, really. Like, you know, it's like you're getting your foundation down with building for bounty, then relate with recognition.

     

    00:16:45.000 --> 00:16:53.000

    What I got is sometimes we have to change the way that we look at things. So that we can see the other person's perspective.

     

    00:16:53.000 --> 00:16:54.000

    Yes.

     

    00:16:54.000 --> 00:17:01.000

    How can I, how can I, you know, relate to what you're saying or find connection or even have empathy or compassion.

     

    00:17:01.000 --> 00:17:09.000

    For your experience instead of getting so locked in to my viewpoint. And that's not just me as an autistic person, Chris can get locked in his viewpoint too sometimes.

     

    00:17:09.000 --> 00:17:14.000

    Exactly. We all do. I mean, we're looking at the world through our own lens, right?

     

    00:17:14.000 --> 00:17:15.000

    Yeah!

     

    00:17:15.000 --> 00:17:23.000

    It's almost like we're all creating our own little movie for ourselves and what we and so it's stepping outside and trying to look through somebody else's lens.

     

    00:17:23.000 --> 00:17:29.000

    And that's really hard. So for me, the acronyms were a mental. They give me a mental script to follow.

     

    00:17:29.000 --> 00:17:30.000

    Yes.

     

    00:17:30.000 --> 00:17:35.000

    That's pretty broad and that way like when I'm in a difficult encounter, okay, I need the bridge.

     

    00:17:35.000 --> 00:17:40.000

    Maybe I'm not recognizing the other person's differences. Maybe I'm not truly seeing them.

     

    00:17:40.000 --> 00:17:41.000

    Mmm.

     

    00:17:41.000 --> 00:17:48.000

    You know and that's it's just that mental check to go back and grab hold of my thoughts so I don't go down the rabbit hole of this person.

     

    00:17:48.000 --> 00:17:50.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:17:50.000 --> 00:17:54.000

    I can't believe how awful they are. I can't believe they just said that to me.

     

    00:17:54.000 --> 00:17:55.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:17:55.000 --> 00:18:03.000

    You know, like, and that's not, that's not accepting any kind of abuse, but recognizing that most of the time when we are involved in any kind of abusive behavior, there's no intention associated with it.

     

    00:18:03.000 --> 00:18:15.000

    It doesn't mean it's not impactful in a negative way to the other person, but we have to stop, you know, the way we're thinking.

     

    00:18:15.000 --> 00:18:21.000

    So giving ourselves those scripts to move forward, I think is really powerful. It has been for me.

     

    00:18:21.000 --> 00:18:22.000

    It's changed my relationships profoundly.

     

    00:18:22.000 --> 00:18:27.000

    Well, the scripts. Oh, well, 100%. I mean, since our first call, you know, it's like.

     

    00:18:27.000 --> 00:18:33.000

    For Chris and I just noticing and let's I'm gonna jump down here to gather for gain.

     

    00:18:33.000 --> 00:18:50.000

    Rooting each other on, you know, you talked about how you put this little whiteboard in your bathroom so you and your partner could note the good that's happening because it's easy to forget when we get in our day to day and it's like, oh, he for, you know, he didn't take the trash

     

    00:18:50.000 --> 00:18:51.000

    Right.

     

    00:18:51.000 --> 00:18:58.000

    out, right? Or, you know, and you just like check on the negative. It's so easy to focus on the negative sadly.

     

    00:18:58.000 --> 00:19:14.000

    And so how beautiful. So we don't have our whiteboard, but I'll tell you what, since our last podcast I shared with Chris, you know, about you and how Misi are and said, I want us to start doing this at the end of the day where we just do a review.

     

    00:19:14.000 --> 00:19:21.000

    And then what I've noticed is we're starting to do it throughout the day. Just like, you rock, way to go, good job, you know, just focusing on those positives.

     

    00:19:21.000 --> 00:19:24.000

    Right.

     

    00:19:24.000 --> 00:19:30.000

    So that we build up that emotional like bank account, the positive nugget bucket if you will.

     

    00:19:30.000 --> 00:19:39.000

    Yes, yes, and that's what we so badly need to do and you know I've been doing it for a while and it was interesting because the other day.

     

    00:19:39.000 --> 00:19:46.000

    I looked at the board, it's higher than, you know, and I had no idea like because I had not.

     

    00:19:46.000 --> 00:19:47.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:19:47.000 --> 00:19:53.000

    I had not redone the board in a while and my husband had literally filled all these hearts in like all he was putting in in places.

     

    00:19:53.000 --> 00:19:54.000

    That's adorable.

     

    00:19:54.000 --> 00:19:58.000

    That I couldn't and I didn't even recognize he was seeing me like that. Like he was recognizing and so it was like.

     

    00:19:58.000 --> 00:20:04.000

    Oh

     

    00:20:04.000 --> 00:20:05.000

    Yes!

     

    00:20:05.000 --> 00:20:12.000

    Oh, so like it made it so much easier when we do have like a negative shuffle in the morning getting kids out of the house or whatever it is where I was like He's seeing me.

     

    00:20:12.000 --> 00:20:13.000

    Yes.

     

    00:20:13.000 --> 00:20:20.000

    So, and then it makes me desire to go back and give more more positive input to him but not only that.

     

    00:20:20.000 --> 00:20:23.000

    He noticed that I wasn't doing it. He's and it made him check in with me more.

     

    00:20:23.000 --> 00:20:29.000

    Wow.

     

    00:20:29.000 --> 00:20:35.000

    Yes.

     

    00:20:35.000 --> 00:20:36.000

    Yep.

     

    00:20:36.000 --> 00:20:39.000

    And I think, you know, I heard it's so funny because I heard Renee Brown on a message and she was talking about calibrating your energy level and doing that check-in with your partner and saying, okay, I'm coming home right now.

     

    00:20:39.000 --> 00:20:50.000

    I'm at a 10%. I don't have a lot of extra to give and it reminded me of my little boy because we were at Disney and he was like.

     

    00:20:50.000 --> 00:20:59.000

    A mom, he was like, I met, he was telling us we were with friends and we were not.

     

    00:20:59.000 --> 00:21:00.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:21:00.000 --> 00:21:02.000

    It was a bad maybe parenting moment, but he was at like a like he kept telling us I'm at 30%.

     

    00:21:02.000 --> 00:21:16.000

    I'm at 20% and he was only like 5 or 6 you know and he he got down to 0 he's like 0 and you just laid down on on the pavement and are the friend that was with us picked him up.

     

    00:21:16.000 --> 00:21:23.000

    And carried him back to the hotel with us because he's like he was telling us the whole time and we were just all caught up.

     

    00:21:23.000 --> 00:21:42.000

    You know, and I think, you know, all of those things that we can do, even if it's just a little thing to say, hey, you know, I'm I've had a rough day because sometimes we just come home and we're reactive and we take that out on the people we love the

     

    00:21:42.000 --> 00:21:43.000

    Yes.

     

    00:21:43.000 --> 00:21:46.000

    most. And we are not letting them know it's not really about you. You know, it and they're receiving it as it's about them.

     

    00:21:46.000 --> 00:21:47.000

    Yes!

     

    00:21:47.000 --> 00:21:52.000

    You know, they're taking you in as though they've done something wrong, especially for me.

     

    00:21:52.000 --> 00:22:02.000

    I tend to do that a lot with my family members. And so having that, we started doing it before I even heard it from Renee Brown because of my neuro-diverchant little one.

     

    00:22:02.000 --> 00:22:03.000

    He was already calibrating. Yeah, which was pretty amazing.

     

    00:22:03.000 --> 00:22:15.000

    Yes, which is so beautiful. Well, I let's talk about that too because meltdowns the term meltdowns right now is controversial within the neurodiversity movement.

     

    00:22:15.000 --> 00:22:27.000

    But I wanna say is that work that term works for me and I really feel like each autistic person.

     

    00:22:27.000 --> 00:22:28.000

    Yes.

     

    00:22:28.000 --> 00:22:34.000

    We really get to use the language that works for each of us. Last night, same thing happened. I'm driving home and I'm at 30%.

     

    00:22:34.000 --> 00:22:41.000

    And we just got a little bit of a bigger camper. And so I had, you know, I wasn't feeling well in the morning.

     

    00:22:41.000 --> 00:22:50.000

    I saw a few clients. I got home and we still had to put all this stuff from our other camper into the new camper and it's like 80'clock at night.

     

    00:22:50.000 --> 00:22:54.000

    And I got home and I just said I'm peopled out. You know, I am peopleed out.

     

    00:22:54.000 --> 00:22:56.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:22:56.000 --> 00:23:06.000

    I and then finally like after dinner we started talking and I realized like -oh. Like I'm on the, I'm at 0% now.

     

    00:23:06.000 --> 00:23:07.000

    Right.

     

    00:23:07.000 --> 00:23:10.000

    I'm on the verge to, you know, have a meltdown and so. I said I'm gonna actually go lay down so kind of like your son.

     

    00:23:10.000 --> 00:23:11.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:23:11.000 --> 00:23:19.000

    I didn't just lay down in the backyard, but I went into our bedroom and what I what Chris does that's really beautiful.

     

    00:23:19.000 --> 00:23:32.000

    Is he just gets real neutral like his energy gets real neutral because he said you know I know I don't wanna be in the line of fire and I know if I say anything.

     

    00:23:32.000 --> 00:23:38.000

    You know, if I say anything that there could be kind of this and he's right, that is my personal experience.

     

    00:23:38.000 --> 00:23:49.000

    Like you said, we love our family members and sometimes without intending to there can be a huge impact when we do get upset and our batteries at 0.

     

    00:23:49.000 --> 00:23:57.000

    So that was just beautiful for us. To be able to let me recalibrate and just build up enough energy to go.

     

    00:23:57.000 --> 00:24:06.000

    You know, get into the camper and do what we needed to do with moving stuff. But I wanna say that it does take 2 people and we've had a good week.

     

    00:24:06.000 --> 00:24:09.000

    Yes.

     

    00:24:09.000 --> 00:24:20.000

    If we had a bad weekend struggled every single day, last night he probably also would have been like.

     

    00:24:20.000 --> 00:24:21.000

    Yes, yes.

     

    00:24:21.000 --> 00:24:26.000

    Right. Right. Because everybody gets to that point. It's everyone gets to their end space.

     

    00:24:26.000 --> 00:24:27.000

    Yes.

     

    00:24:27.000 --> 00:24:42.000

    It's not just The neuro-distage person that we may and that's something that you know I was reading an article from Forbes and it was on the sharp end of neural inclusion and it was talking about how when someone gets into a dysregulated state it even used the term meltdowns

     

    00:24:42.000 --> 00:24:53.000

    I believe and it was talking about when that happens in the workplace. That people don't understand and they negatively meet that other person.

     

    00:24:53.000 --> 00:24:54.000

    Yes.

     

    00:24:54.000 --> 00:25:01.000

    In that dysregulated state. And so understanding and to me, I don't think of it's interesting.

     

    00:25:01.000 --> 00:25:14.000

    I don't think of like executive functioning or sensory. Processing differences between the narrow distinct and more neurotypical people as necessarily a negative thing.

     

    00:25:14.000 --> 00:25:22.000

    We just have a much more dynamic approach to those concepts. So there may be an area where we're really great at at executive functioning skills, but our disparity between those areas is more significant.

     

    00:25:22.000 --> 00:25:43.000

    So we are more likely to have more more frequent issues with dysregulation. It just happens, you know, and it's part of who we are and when our partners understand that if you're in a mixed you know, neuro divergent relationship.

     

    00:25:43.000 --> 00:25:51.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:25:51.000 --> 00:25:52.000

    Yes.

     

    00:25:52.000 --> 00:25:57.000

    It's a huge It's a huge block brick to lay in the foundation of your relationship because then they know it's not about them.

     

    00:25:57.000 --> 00:26:07.000

    Crazy. There's not something wrong with you. This is how you're wired and you need more time or maybe you need more frequent pauses in your interaction or engagement and that's totally okay.

     

    00:26:07.000 --> 00:26:19.000

    It doesn't mean that there's there's something that the other person isn't doing right or you're it's owning that embracing that about yourself.

     

    00:26:19.000 --> 00:26:26.000

    And then saying, okay, what do I need to nest myself in this moment? So that I don't negatively impact my relationship.

     

    00:26:26.000 --> 00:26:32.000

    Yeah. Oh my gosh, you said so many things. So. Holy cow, where do I go?

     

    00:26:32.000 --> 00:26:38.000

    So let me just throw out there. Well, for those listening, especially partners that are not autistic.

     

    00:26:38.000 --> 00:26:49.000

    What I want you to hear is we're not saying A meltdown is a license to be excused to be like it started like excusable in terms of oh it's a license to be mean.

     

    00:26:49.000 --> 00:26:50.000

    Right, exactly. It is absolutely not that.

     

    00:26:50.000 --> 00:27:00.000

    We're not saying that. Yeah, we're not saying that. What we are saying is it's an explanation of what's going on with our system.

     

    00:27:00.000 --> 00:27:20.000

    When we get on overload and some partners might shut down where they withdraw without saying anything and some might be more outward where it looks like like my compute my internal my brain computer my systems computer is just going, but it's literally melting down.

     

    00:27:20.000 --> 00:27:21.000

    Right.

     

    00:27:21.000 --> 00:27:28.000

    And so I wanna say that too. I also wanna say that can come from And I don't know if this is your experience.

     

    00:27:28.000 --> 00:27:39.000

    Maybe maybe we've talked about this before, but not just we're just sensitive to the environment around us site sounds.

     

    00:27:39.000 --> 00:27:40.000

    Yes.

     

    00:27:40.000 --> 00:27:50.000

    Smells too many people. But also energy. We are picking up energy. So as a clinician, what I'm noticing Who, especially as I continue to kind of do my own healing work on my own.

     

    00:27:50.000 --> 00:28:00.000

    Is that I am becoming really sensitive to energy. Now I've always been sensitive to energy. But now as I'm getting more attuned to how sensitive it's like.

     

    00:28:00.000 --> 00:28:02.000

    That can wipe me out.

     

    00:28:02.000 --> 00:28:10.000

    Right, a hundred percent relate to you in that. And you know, the concept of energy contagion is very, very real.

     

    00:28:10.000 --> 00:28:30.000

    And so for somebody who is hyper aware, like you know you and I are then backing up and figuring out I'm always thinking, okay.

     

    00:28:30.000 --> 00:28:31.000

    Hmm.

     

    00:28:31.000 --> 00:28:40.000

    What do I need to do to nest myself in this in right now? Like how can I do that if I can't go to a room that I feel is sensory safe if the energy contagion is Too much, can I distance myself from, you know, people physically?

     

    00:28:40.000 --> 00:28:41.000

    Yes. Yes, oh my gosh, me too.

     

    00:28:41.000 --> 00:28:49.000

    Can I have a fidget ring that I'm like, you know, I love conquering rings because I can just sit there and and fidget while while I'm talking to somebody and it's really, you know, discrete and not that it needs to be.

     

    00:28:49.000 --> 00:28:56.000

    No, no.

     

    00:28:56.000 --> 00:28:57.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:28:57.000 --> 00:28:58.000

    I'm not saying that we need to hide that. But for me, that's that works, you know, because I don't wanna take away necessarily from a conversation or social engagement.

     

    00:28:58.000 --> 00:29:07.000

    But what can I do? Can I move to a room that's even more physically like?

     

    00:29:07.000 --> 00:29:18.000

    Visually appealing to me like if we're in a larger space. There's different things and you need to figure out what works for you.

     

    00:29:18.000 --> 00:29:19.000

    Yes.

     

    00:29:19.000 --> 00:29:25.000

    But I always reach for that sensory bucket to get that those needs met because you the energy contagion can be really toxic for individuals that do have those sensitivities.

     

    00:29:25.000 --> 00:29:27.000

    Oh my gosh. Let's talk about, let's just define that energy contagion for folks that are listening.

     

    00:29:27.000 --> 00:29:34.000

    That perhaps have never heard that because that's a that's an important term.

     

    00:29:34.000 --> 00:29:47.000

    Yeah, for me energy contagion is just when someone comes in with that's bringing any maybe it's Someone is very angry and they're bringing that into the room.

     

    00:29:47.000 --> 00:30:02.000

    Maybe it's pure exhaustion. For someone like me, I literally, it's like my satellite dishes huge, so I'm absorbing all of that like a sponge.

     

    00:30:02.000 --> 00:30:07.000

    And I have learned to let it move through me, but that's a practice and a discipline. It's not something that happens overnight.

     

    00:30:07.000 --> 00:30:08.000

    It is. No.

     

    00:30:08.000 --> 00:30:22.000

    So that can initially for someone that's not more aware be a real trigger and cause real strong really strong reactions from the other individual.

     

    00:30:22.000 --> 00:30:46.000

    And so recognizing, okay, this is about what I'm experiencing and in the energy, maybe that person has Little control over the energy that they're bringing into the room because they're at 0 because they just got them bombarded with a bunch of negative things.

     

    00:30:46.000 --> 00:30:47.000

    Oh. Yes. Yes.

     

    00:30:47.000 --> 00:30:59.000

    And so what do I need to do to control myself? How can I get in my body and that's where that real the sensory input I think Our sensory satiating activity is it may be removing yourself from some things is huge like you know my son had to get, I don't know if they're

     

    00:30:59.000 --> 00:31:06.000

    Yeah!

     

    00:31:06.000 --> 00:31:07.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:31:07.000 --> 00:31:09.000

    called. They're not ear rings. They're ear loops. Because when he's at when we're at the dinner table, he just has a hard time hearing other people eat, you know, and so then he can control the sound.

     

    00:31:09.000 --> 00:31:26.000

    So bringing that into larger groups settings, I think. And those kind of safety nets for particularly people struggling with autism and other associated neuro-divergent issues is really powerful tool to move you forward.

     

    00:31:26.000 --> 00:31:36.000

    Oh my gosh, yeah, so we're gonna stay on energy contagion for a minute because some things that I'll do is and Chris just because he's.

     

    00:31:36.000 --> 00:31:45.000

    We're in we just honor the indigenous so we do polo santo or sage so I will pause on to my office stage my office.

     

    00:31:45.000 --> 00:31:53.000

    Clearing the energy. I have a rattle in my office sometimes just to move the energy.

     

    00:31:53.000 --> 00:31:54.000

    Yes.

     

    00:31:54.000 --> 00:32:04.000

    Going outside like brushing it off. I do that, right? I wash, I'll just go into the bathroom and I will put cold water, you know, just let it run on my hands until I could feel kind of washing drumming.

     

    00:32:04.000 --> 00:32:10.000

    Like there's so many things we can do. Like you said, it's definitely a practice.

     

    00:32:10.000 --> 00:32:16.000

    Those of us that are working with people all day long. I know I used to not do it and I would just be exhausted.

     

    00:32:16.000 --> 00:32:26.000

    I thought I had mono, you know, it was like.

     

    00:32:26.000 --> 00:32:27.000

    Yes.

     

    00:32:27.000 --> 00:32:37.000

    Yes, no, that's what it feels like. It can come over like you like a huge wave and for me, I carry a rock around a little smooth stone in my purse and I will go to the bathroom and wash my hands and let the water run over and imagine that energy being going into the stone, letting the water move it

     

    00:32:37.000 --> 00:32:43.000

    Yep.

     

    00:32:43.000 --> 00:32:49.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:32:49.000 --> 00:32:50.000

    Yeah. Oh yeah.

     

    00:32:50.000 --> 00:32:55.000

    away. And so whatever if it's a visualization practice sometimes I imagine you know myself. Standing in a globe with things swirling all around me and stepping back outside of it until I can see this is something that's not me.

     

    00:32:55.000 --> 00:33:01.000

    This is not something I have control or power to change in any kind of way. I need to let that float away from me.

     

    00:33:01.000 --> 00:33:07.000

    Love it. Yes, I love it. I did a meditation this morning. I could feel some heaviness.

     

    00:33:07.000 --> 00:33:18.000

    So I just kind of use my breath as well. I just thought blowing like out just letting it just dissipate and this might sound woo-woo but what I want to say to folks is in indigenous populations.

     

    00:33:18.000 --> 00:33:32.000

    This is this is the norm you know and so so what I love also about the neuro-distinct community is we are we do think outside the box and we're very open minded.

     

    00:33:32.000 --> 00:33:33.000

    Alright.

     

    00:33:33.000 --> 00:33:42.000

    I'm not saying that indigenous traditions are outside the box by any means. Oftentimes though again, anything that is considered different from the norm as we've learned, right?

     

    00:33:42.000 --> 00:33:56.000

    Even culturally is considered, oh it's woo woo, but in reality For those of us that are helping, whether we are in an education position or teaching, we're coaching, we're counseling, we're healing.

     

    00:33:56.000 --> 00:34:11.000

    We have to use the tools that you and I are talking about and it can be, I mean for some people it's just gardening or you know getting outside going on a hike being putting your feet into the grass right

     

    00:34:11.000 --> 00:34:14.000

    It is. It is.

     

    00:34:14.000 --> 00:34:15.000

    Yes, yes.

     

    00:34:15.000 --> 00:34:18.000

    Right. Yes, grounding us. I mean, it's really mindfulness to take, I mean, I know we talk that's the more maybe palatable term for some people, but I agree.

     

    00:34:18.000 --> 00:34:30.000

    I mean, these are absolutely imperative things to employ in your life because there we and it's really about getting back into our bodies because our bodies do I mean I love the book body the body cape score and they do keep score.

     

    00:34:30.000 --> 00:34:43.000

    Keeps the score, yeah.

     

    00:34:43.000 --> 00:34:44.000

    Oh my gosh.

     

    00:34:44.000 --> 00:34:49.000

    I've worked with so many people who have struggled with chronic illness and many of the roots of it go back and to trauma, microaggressions, all of it being in a trauma bond being, you know, having been in a betrayal situation.

     

    00:34:49.000 --> 00:34:50.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:34:50.000 --> 00:34:57.000

    So there's All of those things, these are important tools that we have to basically focus our mind in a positive way.

     

    00:34:57.000 --> 00:34:58.000

    That's You have to think about the positive, cause Colin thinking constantly about the negative and that's a battle.

     

    00:34:58.000 --> 00:35:13.000

    It's not going to feed you. It's not going to nourish your soul. And our society is kind of throwing negative things at us all the time.

     

    00:35:13.000 --> 00:35:15.000

    So.

     

    00:35:15.000 --> 00:35:16.000

    Yes.

     

    00:35:16.000 --> 00:35:28.000

    All day long. I mean social media. It's all day long and it's Very, it's very, it's very, negative and so getting back to this energy contagion I've got to take a drink.

     

    00:35:28.000 --> 00:35:35.000

    Talking so much. For those listening. In relationship.

     

    00:35:35.000 --> 00:35:43.000

    Whether you're in relationship with partner children, co workers, colleagues, be aware of the energy contagion.

     

    00:35:43.000 --> 00:35:55.000

    Be aware that you might Wake up and you're not feeling great. Well, other people can feel that and that might kind of you know, set the tone, be aware that you might be picking up other people's energy.

     

    00:35:55.000 --> 00:36:10.000

    Negative emotion. You know a motion is energy and motion that's not yours and what we're talking about is how can you really self care so that relationally It's not creating.

     

    00:36:10.000 --> 00:36:19.000

    More issues. There's enough issues. My gosh.

     

    00:36:19.000 --> 00:36:20.000

    Yes.

     

    00:36:20.000 --> 00:36:35.000

    Hi. Yes, and setting positive boundaries for yourself, I think is very much a part of the conversation, particularly like in our relationships and love relationships because you're usually integrating families, you're going to be, you know, there are going to be the occasions where you're at a big family gathering and that energy can come from someone

     

    00:36:35.000 --> 00:36:44.000

    the other individual really, really loves and wants you to be around and be a part of. So I think, I mean, that's been helpful in my relationship with my husband.

     

    00:36:44.000 --> 00:36:56.000

    Is saying like, look, I have a hard time with this person because of the energy contagion situation that person's maybe chronically there you know negative and it's difficult for me.

     

    00:36:56.000 --> 00:36:58.000

    Negative.

     

    00:36:58.000 --> 00:37:15.000

    And so we have kind of this on this understood thing that if I'm in the corner because some those people will corner you or put you know that we watch each other in those gatherings and kind of go and in and do a little swoop and say, hey, come over here.

     

    00:37:15.000 --> 00:37:16.000

    I love that.

     

    00:37:16.000 --> 00:37:21.000

    You know, and so being aware of those things are really huge and being sensitive to one another in that space.

     

    00:37:21.000 --> 00:37:24.000

    I think is. Really powerful.

     

    00:37:24.000 --> 00:37:32.000

    Hi, I do too. Well, this has been amazing.

     

    00:37:32.000 --> 00:37:33.000

    Really?

     

    00:37:33.000 --> 00:37:37.000

    I love talking to you again this weekend. I think talk for hours and hours, but we can't keep everybody on the podcast that long.

     

    00:37:37.000 --> 00:37:45.000

    But I love how we were able to really Deep dive into bridge your acronym for couples.

     

    00:37:45.000 --> 00:38:01.000

    And then also I love that you were able to talk at length about energy contagion. Because again we have a lot of couples that listen to our podcast that there's so much frustration so it's like Renee, you're a huge resource.

     

    00:38:01.000 --> 00:38:09.000

    You know, for both people in this couple ship to feel empowered to go. Instead of pointing the finger, you know, can I do a U-turn?

     

    00:38:09.000 --> 00:38:12.000

    How can we work together so that we're happier.

     

    00:38:12.000 --> 00:38:20.000

    Yes. Yes. I mean, that's what I think so many people and a lot of times we don't give people the tools.

     

    00:38:20.000 --> 00:38:26.000

    My my goal with the ARA was really because I come in as a cognitive coach. You know, not officially as a therapist.

     

    00:38:26.000 --> 00:38:28.000

    Yeah, yeah.

     

    00:38:28.000 --> 00:38:40.000

    And so I'm coaching people on how to find those bridges, giving people some tools and strategies that they can utilize day one, even if it's just one tool that they take away from it.

     

    00:38:40.000 --> 00:38:48.000

    And I'm sharing those out as much as I can on social media because we those things aren't necessarily, I mean, they're not provided to us.

     

    00:38:48.000 --> 00:38:49.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:38:49.000 --> 00:39:07.000

    We have to learn those things. And I've learned many of them through really, really difficult, challenging times in my own relationships.

     

    00:39:07.000 --> 00:39:08.000

    Yes.

     

    00:39:08.000 --> 00:39:24.000

    And so how do we move forward and not let the relationship be destroy us. I mean, sometimes relationships can if we're unaware and we take ourselves away even if the relationship ends and you're gonna bring yourself into something new.

     

    00:39:24.000 --> 00:39:25.000

    Oh yeah, it's a life best.

     

    00:39:25.000 --> 00:39:30.000

    And so in that case, having those strategies is I think essential to us. Feeling good, being okay, being well.

     

    00:39:30.000 --> 00:39:31.000

    Yes. Yes.

     

    00:39:31.000 --> 00:39:35.000

    Yeah, it's a life best. For so many of us, literally a life best.

     

    00:39:35.000 --> 00:39:38.000

    Hi, that's what I'm trying to do. Throw in the life preserver.

     

    00:39:38.000 --> 00:39:39.000

    Yes, in the storm.

     

    00:39:39.000 --> 00:39:47.000

    You're doing it! Doing. You're doing it. So Renee, tell the world how people can reach you.

     

    00:39:47.000 --> 00:39:55.000

    So the best way to reach me is, via theiara.com or you can email me at theiara.

     

    00:39:55.000 --> 00:40:01.000

    Dot com, which is TH EARA. And I'm on social media as CRA.

     

    00:40:01.000 --> 00:40:02.000

    Yes.

     

    00:40:02.000 --> 00:40:09.000

    And I'm on social media as CR away because I'm our tagline is lighting the way.

     

    00:40:09.000 --> 00:40:10.000

    Yes, this was wonderful. Thank you so much for having me and I hope you have an incredible summer.

     

    00:40:10.000 --> 00:40:15.000

    Which is so beautiful. Thank you so much for coming on again. This was so Right?

     

    00:40:15.000 --> 00:40:22.000

    Everyone out there that's listening. Yeah, we're right in the middle of it. And so we get to keep enjoying the warmer weather.

     

    00:40:22.000 --> 00:40:28.000

    Some of us live in places where it's warm all the time but I don't and I had a really hard winter so I'm excited about this summer.

     

    00:40:28.000 --> 00:40:29.000

    Where do you live? Where do you live?

     

    00:40:29.000 --> 00:40:36.000

    We are in flag staff and we got one of I think it was the second snowiest winter. On record in the city.

     

    00:40:36.000 --> 00:40:41.000

    So it was just like a foot and a half every week. So I'm so happy to be outside.

     

    00:40:41.000 --> 00:40:50.000

    Yeah. Oh my gosh, me too. So we're in Utah and in the valley and we got more snow for like 9 months.

     

    00:40:50.000 --> 00:40:51.000

    . With

     

    00:40:51.000 --> 00:41:04.000

    I mean it was the longest. Winter for all of us. So I'm with you. I am just soaking up the sun.

     

    00:41:04.000 --> 00:41:05.000

    I hear you. I know. I feel the same. It's the same up here.

     

    00:41:05.000 --> 00:41:08.000

    It feels here. It feels like it's getting shorter like the warmer weather which makes me feel nervous because I just as I get

     

    00:41:08.000 --> 00:41:16.000

    We haven't broken 90 and we usually do by now. So yeah.

     

    00:41:16.000 --> 00:41:17.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:41:17.000 --> 00:41:28.000

    Yeah, well yeah, cause you're in Arizona. So that's wild. So yes, wishing you a beautiful summer and everyone out there and what's funny as you were saying that I was thinking gosh.

     

    00:41:28.000 --> 00:41:29.000

    That would be interesting, right? Yeah.

     

    00:41:29.000 --> 00:41:38.000

    Well, our podcast be out there in the ether is like 30 years from now and people will listen and you know what I mean and it's like only we're talking about summer anyway I just think it's so fascinating just well we one day we'll be the ancestors for someone Who's lighting the way?

     

    00:41:38.000 --> 00:41:52.000

    Yes, yes, and that's the most powerful thing. That's what drives me forward every day knowing that My life can have multi generational impact and doing everything I can.

     

    00:41:52.000 --> 00:41:55.000

    To make that as positive as it can possibly be.

     

    00:41:55.000 --> 00:42:12.000

    Beautiful way to end it. Thank you so much. I'm right there with you. All right, listeners, thank you so much for coming on watching us today since we've been recording and just wishing everyone so much love.

     

    00:42:12.000 --> 00:42:18.000

    So much compassion just asking all of us to be tender with our sweet selves as we go out into the world.

     

    00:42:18.000 --> 00:42:19.000

    Yes.

     

    00:42:19.000 --> 00:42:26.000

    It's It's not easy. So let's start by being tender with ourselves and love each other and love ourselves more.

     

    00:42:26.000 --> 00:42:29.000

    And until next time, bye!

    Closed Captions for Season 3 | Episode #7: Nel & Bex

    Closed Captions for Season 3 | Episode #7: Nel & Bex

    WEBVTT

     

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    Hi everybody, welcome to season 3, episode 7 of Fabulously Candice.

     

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    We are slowly coming to the end. Of the fabulously Canada's podcast. Wild. And I'm in a different room today.

     

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    I we've had a transformer blowout where I live and at our office and so I improvise so it's kind of a beautiful space and the lights coming in and The perfect time to have Nell and Beck's back on the podcast.

     

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    How long has it been by the way? Has it been? Feels like it's been a year about.

     

    00:01:17.000 --> 00:01:18.000

    Maybe not.

     

    00:01:18.000 --> 00:01:21.000

    It's been more than a year because I remember we were in our bedroom in Wellington and we have actually left what New Zealand just about.

     

    00:01:21.000 --> 00:01:31.000

    Wow. Yes. Okay. Okay, so let me just give everybody an update and that we're gonna dive in, but yeah, I remember when we did that we loved it so much we said let's just do it again.

     

    00:01:31.000 --> 00:01:38.000

    We loved it so much. We said, let's just do it again. So I'm so happy we're doing it again.

     

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    It's perfect. When we last met Nell and Beck, they were living in New Zealand, Bex was a doctor and Nell was a communications professional.

     

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    Last year in July, 2,022 the couple moved to the US to be near Texas teenager whom they hadn't seen for 2 and a half years due to the COVID pandemic.

     

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    Bex pronouns, they them now works for a nonprofit agency supporting people seeking affordable housing while now they them is a bus driver.

     

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    Yeah.

     

    00:02:11.000 --> 00:02:27.000

    I'm so curious about that job by the way. Backs and now have been together for 5 and a half years and married for 4 about 3 years ago Bex found out they were autistic and since that time now and backs have been on a journey of discovery learning how their different neurotypes interact and affect their communication intimacy

     

    00:02:27.000 --> 00:02:33.000

    with each other. Welcome back.

     

    00:02:33.000 --> 00:02:37.000

    Going you 2.

     

    00:02:37.000 --> 00:02:38.000

    Oh.

     

    00:02:38.000 --> 00:02:43.000

    It's such a good job with that bio. Okay, yeah, sorry. What?

     

    00:02:43.000 --> 00:02:45.000

    That's that on the video. Yeah.

     

    00:02:45.000 --> 00:02:54.000

    Yeah, we're on video. We're all on video right now. Yeah, well this is just how, this is just how it is.

     

    00:02:54.000 --> 00:02:58.000

    Something in my teeth. Just tell me now. I think you have a little seed in your teeth.

     

    00:02:58.000 --> 00:02:59.000

    Oh

     

    00:02:59.000 --> 00:03:06.000

    Is it gone?

     

    00:03:06.000 --> 00:03:07.000

    People won't be able to see, I couldn't see it.

     

    00:03:07.000 --> 00:03:13.000

    No, it's fine. Oh, embarrassing. Yeah.

     

    00:03:13.000 --> 00:03:14.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:03:14.000 --> 00:03:19.000

    Oh, okay. So here we are, right? How are you 2 doing?

     

    00:03:19.000 --> 00:03:20.000

    That's loaded. That's a loaded question. Isn't it?

     

    00:03:20.000 --> 00:03:27.000

    Well. I've just made a, I made a pledge after the last session that I would try not to talk.

     

    00:03:27.000 --> 00:03:28.000

    Oh.

     

    00:03:28.000 --> 00:03:34.000

    So I'm just gonna let try and let Bex answer everything. I think when we listen to the podcast now thought they had talked too much.

     

    00:03:34.000 --> 00:03:35.000

    Okay. I didn't feel that way.

     

    00:03:35.000 --> 00:03:44.000

    It is. Oh, thank you. I, yeah, I can't really remember. But today we're doing really well.

     

    00:03:44.000 --> 00:03:45.000

    Okay.

     

    00:03:45.000 --> 00:03:53.000

    We'll have a day off together, which is great. But it's been a really hard sort of slog coming here.

     

    00:03:53.000 --> 00:04:05.000

    Testing and it's been very hard. I think you know like our relationship is really It's been really good for our relationship because it's been really hard on us.

     

    00:04:05.000 --> 00:04:06.000

    That's.

     

    00:04:06.000 --> 00:04:15.000

    Yeah, yeah, and so that's well, I think this is that's dissect that a little bit okay because for Folks listening, that's such a great.

     

    00:04:15.000 --> 00:04:30.000

    Just something I think it would be really great for us to dive into. I guess where I go is I would think it would be really hard on the relationship to have that significant of a move and then both career changes or job changes.

     

    00:04:30.000 --> 00:04:38.000

    And then just acclimating to life back in the states. So, but what I'm hearing is that perhaps it's Not been that.

     

    00:04:38.000 --> 00:04:44.000

    It's brought you, it's been good for you. So let's go there. What's been good about this?

     

    00:04:44.000 --> 00:04:48.000

    All the transitions.

     

    00:04:48.000 --> 00:04:58.000

    Well. So let's see. I had I had really wanted to leave clinical medicine.

     

    00:04:58.000 --> 00:04:59.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:04:59.000 --> 00:05:11.000

    So it's an opportunity to do that. The hard thing, I mean, we saved a lot of money and then we came here and it's It was unbelievably hard to find housing and super expensive and hard to find.

     

    00:05:11.000 --> 00:05:24.000

    Work that. Had commensurate income and I applied for all sorts of online jobs never really got anywhere and

     

    00:05:24.000 --> 00:05:32.000

    You know, that either they just didn't want me or they didn't, weren't, you know, some remote jobs.

     

    00:05:32.000 --> 00:05:41.000

    I wanted to do something like medical writing or consulting or you know, but it's really hard like even before we left New Zealand to try and get a remote job and like.

     

    00:05:41.000 --> 00:05:44.000

    Put so much energy into these cover letters. In tailoring the CV for all the different positions that they applied for.

     

    00:05:44.000 --> 00:06:02.000

    I mean, you reckon there must have been over 50 jobs. You know, all the things they tell you on LinkedIn to do and, and then probably places that were either requiring people to go back to the office and but they were like in Washington DC or New York or whatever.

     

    00:06:02.000 --> 00:06:12.000

    Or you know you can't you can work remotely from lots of places but not Montana. I mean, and then we were in, we were in this place.

     

    00:06:12.000 --> 00:06:14.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:06:14.000 --> 00:06:24.000

    So. I mean, there's a lot of layers like we were in this. Town that I where I moved from when I went to New Zealand.

     

    00:06:24.000 --> 00:06:43.000

    My ex and my kid. And. No, it's really small.

     

    00:06:43.000 --> 00:06:44.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:06:44.000 --> 00:06:50.000

    It's very conservative. The cost of living has skyrocketed I think with COVID people went in like bought all these houses to live and work remotely and you know whatever at all Airbnb and and it was it's incredibly hard to find.

     

    00:06:50.000 --> 00:07:03.000

    How's housing and you know and I ended up my first job was working at Starbucks and then I was at this paper this printing factory putting

     

    00:07:03.000 --> 00:07:04.000

    Hmm.

     

    00:07:04.000 --> 00:07:08.000

    Swag and boxes for and corporate swag. Yeah, and, it was a great job for me.

     

    00:07:08.000 --> 00:07:12.000

    I mean, I could go in. I mean, I could go in, I could, they let me wear my noise canceling headphones as a like.

     

    00:07:12.000 --> 00:07:13.000

    Good, good. Yeah.

     

    00:07:13.000 --> 00:07:21.000

    I mean, I could go in. I could, they let me wear my noise canceling headphones as a like a nationally they wouldn't because they are you can get run over by a forklift but when I proved to get run over by a forklift but when I proved to them that I could hear the

     

    00:07:21.000 --> 00:07:22.000

    Oh good.

     

    00:07:22.000 --> 00:07:32.000

    forklift with my headphones. Then they were okay. Like you make your own schedule, you go in and you do your thing and you leave like it was perfect for an autistic person but not good for a person in their fifties who's starting to have like orthopedic issues and sore hand.

     

    00:07:32.000 --> 00:07:34.000

    Oh yeah, yep.

     

    00:07:34.000 --> 00:07:35.000

    Oh yeah, but anyway, because hands got all cut up, you know, sore and everything.

     

    00:07:35.000 --> 00:07:48.000

    It was winter as well. So very cold and no health insurance and that was another thing like coming back here and trying to navigate that.

     

    00:07:48.000 --> 00:07:56.000

    And your other job. Yeah, 3 jobs. And then I and then I also worked at the warming center in Livingston.

     

    00:07:56.000 --> 00:07:57.000

    Wow.

     

    00:07:57.000 --> 00:08:06.000

    And so this Yeah, that which was an overnight shelter for homeless people which closed halfway through the season because of lack of funding.

     

    00:08:06.000 --> 00:08:15.000

    So I was doing and that was evening night time work. It was and then now got a job in the school cafeteria.

     

    00:08:15.000 --> 00:08:22.000

    So I was the first to get a job. I got a job. Basically 2 days after we arrived because I just didn't feel confident.

     

    00:08:22.000 --> 00:08:30.000

    I didn't I couldn't sit still and just try and apply for remote work. And hope that I would get it.

     

    00:08:30.000 --> 00:08:31.000

    Sure.

     

    00:08:31.000 --> 00:08:33.000

    Like I just thought I have to get started on work and II didn't really want to do remote work.

     

    00:08:33.000 --> 00:08:43.000

    I wanted to work with Americans. So yeah, I started work in the high school kitchen. Doing, managing the cellar bar.

     

    00:08:43.000 --> 00:08:53.000

    Which you know the last time I worked in a kitchen was in my early twenties when I was at university.

     

    00:08:53.000 --> 00:08:54.000

    Okay.

     

    00:08:54.000 --> 00:09:03.000

    And. It was a shock. I mean, I was standing up for 8 plus hours a day having been previously like a sedentary worker.

     

    00:09:03.000 --> 00:09:17.000

    I remember getting home from work and my They felt like they were just on fire. I'd lie down in the shower and put them under the water because They, they, I think I described it to myself as like they.

     

    00:09:17.000 --> 00:09:26.000

    They throbbed, they hummed with pain. And so I felt like I was outputting like actual kind of sensory waves from my feet.

     

    00:09:26.000 --> 00:09:35.000

    Wow. That's a lot. It's a lot for the 2 of you.

     

    00:09:35.000 --> 00:09:36.000

    Wow.

     

    00:09:36.000 --> 00:09:39.000

    Yeah, anyway. No, that. And, and I cleaned houses on the side because I was only getting paid $15 82 an hour.

     

    00:09:39.000 --> 00:09:55.000

    So there was but the trauma part so there was My ex, I mean, I didn't realize, but being, I mean, I should have realized because I actually tried to go back in 2,016 for part of the time and it was just terrible for my mental health.

     

    00:09:55.000 --> 00:10:09.000

    That was before I met. You know, just almost like this PTSD kind of thing. I mean, the relationship is, it's sort of at a distance civil, but we aren't friends in any way.

     

    00:10:09.000 --> 00:10:31.000

    Like we don't and I can't get hooked into the stuff even just being there and then and One of the first like community things we went to was a school board meeting where they were discussing the fate of a librarian who back in May of 2,022.

     

    00:10:31.000 --> 00:10:42.000

    Had taught a lesson to third graders on pride and this was now in September so all summer so it was older than that.

     

    00:10:42.000 --> 00:10:43.000

    Wow.

     

    00:10:43.000 --> 00:10:45.000

    Was it only third grade? But it was just about prize. You know, it wasn't like.

     

    00:10:45.000 --> 00:10:46.000

    Oh yeah, yeah.

     

    00:10:46.000 --> 00:10:51.000

    Yeah, and but apparently the parents were up and on because she hadn't given requisite notice that this was gonna be.

     

    00:10:51.000 --> 00:10:59.000

    Hmm. Oh.

     

    00:10:59.000 --> 00:11:02.000

    Yeah, what, yep.

     

    00:11:02.000 --> 00:11:03.000

    Hmm. Oh my.

     

    00:11:03.000 --> 00:11:06.000

    I mean, basically if you wanna do sex education, whatever. I mean, So we were at this like, like, like, all they were like, fire or fire her, you know.

     

    00:11:06.000 --> 00:11:07.000

    That sounds traumatic.

     

    00:11:07.000 --> 00:11:18.000

    Terrible and I mean like if this That was that was the start of a whole a series of I think traumatic.

     

    00:11:18.000 --> 00:11:19.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:11:19.000 --> 00:11:28.000

    Events, basically. Oh, it's not it's not just coming from another country. It's we were We were being non-binary in a small Montana town.

     

    00:11:28.000 --> 00:11:44.000

    Small conservative right it's like Yeah.

     

    00:11:44.000 --> 00:11:45.000

    Wow.

     

    00:11:45.000 --> 00:11:49.000

    Yeah. And it's, yeah, and also a town where Bex's ex-wife sort of loomed quite large and has a has a picture framing shop on a corner of Green Street and so it's just kind of felt like You couldn't get away.

     

    00:11:49.000 --> 00:11:51.000

    Yeah, so we can move from there now. We've moved to a neighboring bigger town and it's much better.

     

    00:11:51.000 --> 00:11:57.000

    We've moved to Bozeman which is you know, a very short light from Salt Lake City.

     

    00:11:57.000 --> 00:12:00.000

    Better. Oh good! Hey hey!

     

    00:12:00.000 --> 00:12:05.000

    And it is better. It's, I mean, it's kind of suburban.

     

    00:12:05.000 --> 00:12:06.000

    Oh.

     

    00:12:06.000 --> 00:12:16.000

    Actually, I've never lived in a place like this and at first I was like, oh my gosh, but we can see the mountains and at first I was like, oh my gosh, but we can see the mountains and it feels, but we can see the mountains and it feels more anonymous and but it's not super crowded like

     

    00:12:16.000 --> 00:12:20.000

    a big city so it's it's kind of good. Like a big city. So it's kind of good.

     

    00:12:20.000 --> 00:12:23.000

    And you know, it's super expensive. So it's, it's kind of good. And you know, it's super expensive.

     

    00:12:23.000 --> 00:12:26.000

    It's probably, but it's actually not a lot. I mean, it used to be like.

     

    00:12:26.000 --> 00:12:32.000

    You were pay 3 times more for the same place here than in Livingston, but now it's just like maybe a few $100 more but not.

     

    00:12:32.000 --> 00:12:33.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:12:33.000 --> 00:12:46.000

    Many times more. And, yeah, so I have a I have a better job now that they the organization that ran the warming center I really like the organization and I really want to keep working for them.

     

    00:12:46.000 --> 00:12:47.000

    No.

     

    00:12:47.000 --> 00:12:54.000

    So I took a job doing property management because that was the only thing sort of going available that was full time, had had benefits.

     

    00:12:54.000 --> 00:13:10.000

    And then, and that was in Livingston and then when we decided to move over here, I just magically out of the blue was approached to apply for this other job in Bozeman.

     

    00:13:10.000 --> 00:13:11.000

    Hmm.

     

    00:13:11.000 --> 00:13:12.000

    Doing, case management for section 8 voucher. Recipients and that hasn't started yet.

     

    00:13:12.000 --> 00:13:34.000

    They have a with the same organization which also has a transport I mean they they do housing they do senior assistance they do senior assistance they do senior assistance they do early childhood education assistance they do early childhood education assistance they do early childhood education they do senior assistance they do early childhood education they they run a free public bus system

     

    00:13:34.000 --> 00:13:35.000

    Oh.

     

    00:13:35.000 --> 00:13:38.000

    which now can explain how that you know, early childhood education. They, they run a free public bus system, which no, no, can explain how that, you know, And.

     

    00:13:38.000 --> 00:13:48.000

    Yeah, so they have it's quite and it's quite a good organization and you know, they do a lot of good stuff.

     

    00:13:48.000 --> 00:13:58.000

    But helping people get housing in this community i mean it's a real need and it's

     

    00:13:58.000 --> 00:13:59.000

    Yeah

     

    00:13:59.000 --> 00:14:11.000

    Probably hugely frustrating. I am. I've read, Usually frustrating for well for the perspective tenants for the case managers for everyone who's involved trying to get people housing.

     

    00:14:11.000 --> 00:14:18.000

    And for the prospective tenants. With

     

    00:14:18.000 --> 00:14:23.000

    Yeah. Well, I love, I love, I'll just kind of break it down because Just even in that moment.

     

    00:14:23.000 --> 00:14:34.000

    Right. He is a mixed arrow type couple as Bex shared and now just ask for clarification. So I wanna start.

     

    00:14:34.000 --> 00:14:35.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:14:35.000 --> 00:14:41.000

    Yeah, that's for that. That is something that I've really been learning to do. Like that's, I feel that's real progress that I've made.

     

    00:14:41.000 --> 00:14:51.000

    Well, that BX has helped me to make. Since we last spoke. Because I

     

    00:14:51.000 --> 00:14:57.000

    I mean II make immediate meaning out of stuff that Beck says. I mean, I do that with everyone.

     

    00:14:57.000 --> 00:14:58.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:14:58.000 --> 00:15:06.000

    You know, just that's just my neurotransmitter brain works as someone says something, I make a meeting out of it and I decide that is what it means.

     

    00:15:06.000 --> 00:15:15.000

    But with a fix I'm learning will know it doesn't mean that and we we had an example today like a a text message.

     

    00:15:15.000 --> 00:15:26.000

    See, yeah, that's right. So Bix took the, their teenager to get a tattoo which end up panning out because the tattoo shop doesn't tattoo miners anymore.

     

    00:15:26.000 --> 00:15:27.000

    Oh.

     

    00:15:27.000 --> 00:15:37.000

    So they had to go to this other place. And the first thing Bex said in the text about it to me was The other tattoo place is between to dispensaries and smells of weed.

     

    00:15:37.000 --> 00:15:38.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:15:38.000 --> 00:15:49.000

    So I was the first thing I noticed when I walked in. I guess I guess I relate information kind of like reported chronologically yeah chronologically walked into the place and the first thing I noticed was it smelled like wheat.

     

    00:15:49.000 --> 00:15:58.000

    So that's the first thing I told Nell about it because because the kids wanted to go to so we didn't end up getting the tattoo because we had to make an appointment and it's a long story.

     

    00:15:58.000 --> 00:15:59.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:15:59.000 --> 00:16:06.000

    We had to have more documents. To get to for a 17 year old then we probably did to get green cards for them but and but the meaning I made of that I was I was like oh that doesn't sound like a good place to go.

     

    00:16:06.000 --> 00:16:16.000

    I was like, oh, that doesn't sound like a good place to go. So I texted back immediately and said, I texted back immediately and said, I don't think you should go to that place.

     

    00:16:16.000 --> 00:16:18.000

    And then Bex was like, why question Mark? I don't think you should go to that place.

     

    00:16:18.000 --> 00:16:20.000

    And then Bex was like, why question Mark? And I was like, What do you mean? Why?

     

    00:16:20.000 --> 00:16:22.000

    Because you've just told me it smells of feed and it's between dispensaries. I thought, oh hang on a minute.

     

    00:16:22.000 --> 00:16:27.000

    Yes. Yes.

     

    00:16:27.000 --> 00:16:35.000

    Fix isn't telling me that they think that they shouldn't go there. They're just telling me what they observe.

     

    00:16:35.000 --> 00:16:45.000

    Cause actually the place looked quite, I mean, I the second thing I noticed was it was roomy, it looked really inviting.

     

    00:16:45.000 --> 00:16:55.000

    It looked really clean. I did. I know because that's the thing I said, in big stuff, telling me. Oh, but, but why?

     

    00:16:55.000 --> 00:16:59.000

    It seems it seems nicer. It seems clean. Oh, but it but why? It seems it seems nicer. It seems clean. It's it's better than the other place.

     

    00:16:59.000 --> 00:17:09.000

    And I was like, oh, okay. I, so actually the responsibility is on me to see. Seek more information before I make an assessment.

     

    00:17:09.000 --> 00:17:10.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:17:10.000 --> 00:17:18.000

    I just thought it was interesting that it smelled like weed because at first if it hadn't been for the dispensaries next door or the fact that weed is legal, I would have been like.

     

    00:17:18.000 --> 00:17:19.000

    And I'm, whoa, that's.

     

    00:17:19.000 --> 00:17:29.000

    Yeah. Yeah. Well, and I wanna say what I wanna say is if you look at it is the 2 of you in relationship, then it really is on both of you.

     

    00:17:29.000 --> 00:17:35.000

    And so No, I like how you're saying, okay, I can be. Aware of this.

     

    00:17:35.000 --> 00:17:45.000

    So maybe if I need to ask for Clarification with through the text I can do that and then Bex also You know, I do what you do, similar brain.

     

    00:17:45.000 --> 00:17:54.000

    I will literally just say something mid-sentence. I will leave out the front end and so Chris is like what are you okay wait where What are we even talking about, right?

     

    00:17:54.000 --> 00:17:55.000

    So.

     

    00:17:55.000 --> 00:18:08.000

    Yeah, because So that that sentence you could have been saying that like 3 min earlier and for you you've been able to remember the first part of it and then you've just picked up where you left off.

     

    00:18:08.000 --> 00:18:09.000

    Yes. Yes. Yeah.

     

    00:18:09.000 --> 00:18:16.000

    And then because yeah, there's and so maybe Chris, I'm just like. Okay, I have to think back.

     

    00:18:16.000 --> 00:18:17.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:18:17.000 --> 00:18:28.000

    What would it like those, like but you like those toys that you can put together with like you don't wanna put legs together or 2 arms.

     

    00:18:28.000 --> 00:18:33.000

    Yeah, that's all right.

     

    00:18:33.000 --> 00:18:34.000

    Okay.

     

    00:18:34.000 --> 00:18:40.000

    Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah, when they have the magnets it's like they yeah And so I just love that awareness of, okay, I can ask clarifying questions and then vex also being aware of.

     

    00:18:40.000 --> 00:18:46.000

    You know, and that there's like this pause that comes in like oh I said that okay maybe I could add this pause that comes in like oh I said that okay maybe I could add this in right so it's like

     

    00:18:46.000 --> 00:18:54.000

    Have you open? Where have I? Well like what Candice does. I just want to know if you are aware of that and if you do try and do it.

     

    00:18:54.000 --> 00:18:57.000

    I'm not really sure what it is. I'm sorry.

     

    00:18:57.000 --> 00:19:11.000

    I love that. I love that you're asking for Clarification because again, this is where this is where I'm such an advocate for we're humans we all have different neurotypes and so it's not up to one or the other to to fix how we communicate.

     

    00:19:11.000 --> 00:19:20.000

    It's up to all of us. So the 3 of us are having a conversation how beautiful that you're wanting me to clarify.

     

    00:19:20.000 --> 00:19:21.000

    Just make something up.

     

    00:19:21.000 --> 00:19:23.000

    Which is really that awareness of and really I'm not. I'm not saying that you're doing this.

     

    00:19:23.000 --> 00:19:34.000

    I'm just giving a suggestion. This is like a free therapy session on a podcast, which is you know, if Nell says, oh my, you know, it's between 2 dispensaries.

     

    00:19:34.000 --> 00:19:42.000

    Well, don't go there, then it's just pausing and reading what you said. He was like, oh, I left out.

     

    00:19:42.000 --> 00:19:43.000

    You know, I, perhaps I left out, right?

     

    00:19:43.000 --> 00:19:50.000

    Well, that's what I did. I mean, I Yeah, like a Y and, and then, oh, okay, yes, I should explain that actually.

     

    00:19:50.000 --> 00:19:51.000

    Yeah!

     

    00:19:51.000 --> 00:19:55.000

    And we wasn't really bothers. It was just, but you didn't put on that that prefix off.

     

    00:19:55.000 --> 00:20:05.000

    Oh, right. I should explain. You just put. Well, it seems nice and it seems this and it seems that and I have to What I'm saying?

     

    00:20:05.000 --> 00:20:08.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:20:08.000 --> 00:20:17.000

    Yeah, I guess so. I mean, I guess, see, yeah, cause I look at Canada says that because sometimes I feel like it's the way as the neurotypical person.

     

    00:20:17.000 --> 00:20:26.000

    I feel like I have Yep. I feel like I've got privilege, so I have to do more work than you.

     

    00:20:26.000 --> 00:20:31.000

    Good awareness, okay.

     

    00:20:31.000 --> 00:20:34.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:20:34.000 --> 00:20:35.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:20:35.000 --> 00:20:48.000

    Oh. And sometimes I feel really sort of. Off by that you know like I don't want to but except that you know autistic people get a really tough time in the world and so most of the time I'm happy to do it but just sometimes I think Oh, I can't like what Ken has just said, you know, Candice does this with her own

     

    00:20:48.000 --> 00:20:56.000

    partner so you could do that too.

     

    00:20:56.000 --> 00:20:57.000

    Yes.

     

    00:20:57.000 --> 00:21:02.000

    Well, and I'm not perfect. I will tell you. I mean, Chris and I, the thing that saves Chris and I is humor because he'll He'll repeat back what I say and then I'm like Did I really just say that?

     

    00:21:02.000 --> 00:21:05.000

    Well, I think I think that's, I think that's, yeah, humor and, humor is great.

     

    00:21:05.000 --> 00:21:14.000

    So, because it's awareness because like if II mean, I guess I could look back at the text.

     

    00:21:14.000 --> 00:21:20.000

    I don't know. I was in the bathroom. I was actually sitting on the target. Jeez, I had no idea.

     

    00:21:20.000 --> 00:21:23.000

    I thought you were in an aisle. No. And,

     

    00:21:23.000 --> 00:21:30.000

    Let's, I just love that the whole world knows that Bax was on the can, the toilet.

     

    00:21:30.000 --> 00:21:31.000

    Okay.

     

    00:21:31.000 --> 00:21:35.000

    That's why I get you on your phone. That seems quite grubby. But I don't know.

     

    00:21:35.000 --> 00:21:42.000

    I'm, I'm not always aware. I mean, II mean, I just.

     

    00:21:42.000 --> 00:21:51.000

    I'm not always aware that my communication isn't. Well, then it isn't clear because I think I'm being very direct, like, but it is always clear.

     

    00:21:51.000 --> 00:21:52.000

    So.

     

    00:21:52.000 --> 00:22:02.000

    Oh, let's pause with that. Let's pause because that's such an important statement that I want everyone to hear.

     

    00:22:02.000 --> 00:22:10.000

    Because that I agree with you with me where I am direct to like tell me just tell me just tell me tell it like it is, right?

     

    00:22:10.000 --> 00:22:20.000

    I'll say that or I'll tell it like it is. And that awareness of Okay, I might be direct, but it's not necessarily clear all the time.

     

    00:22:20.000 --> 00:22:28.000

    And that's just beautiful awareness. What I what I love too is We're taking out that.

     

    00:22:28.000 --> 00:22:36.000

    The responsibility of the responsibilities on Nell, you know, is the non autistic person or the responsibilities on backs as the autistic person.

     

    00:22:36.000 --> 00:22:45.000

    It's like, no. It's on all parties. It's all of our responsibility and.

     

    00:22:45.000 --> 00:22:57.000

    Does that take a lot of work? Yeah, because I think it's easy sometimes to either stuff our feelings and not say anything and just walk around resentful, right?

     

    00:22:57.000 --> 00:23:11.000

    Or project onto the other person that frustration. So I love that now just said. You know, I feel like I have privilege and so I do feel and at my words kind of burdened time at times like, okay, I've got to be the one.

     

    00:23:11.000 --> 00:23:19.000

    That's being, you know, patient and aware. And, but what about Becks too, right?

     

    00:23:19.000 --> 00:23:20.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:23:20.000 --> 00:23:25.000

    Yeah. Try hard. I mean, I, yeah, when you point it out, I don't always.

     

    00:23:25.000 --> 00:23:37.000

    I guess notice. No, but you really do take on board. Feedback. I mean, I think Probably that's to our advantage that we both take on feedback quite well, don't you think?

     

    00:23:37.000 --> 00:23:38.000

    I mean.

     

    00:23:38.000 --> 00:23:42.000

    Well, let's pot let's pause there too because this is what I love about having the 2 of you on a podcast.

     

    00:23:42.000 --> 00:23:53.000

    It really ends up being like a therapy session and the 2 of you really demonstrate beautifully for a mixed neurotype couple and those that are listening that are mixed neurotype couples.

     

    00:23:53.000 --> 00:24:02.000

    Just how validation of the other person and acknowledgement of what the other person is doing well. Feeds the relationship.

     

    00:24:02.000 --> 00:24:07.000

    What I saw with Bex as I was observing was some kind of like a little bit my words.

     

    00:24:07.000 --> 00:24:17.000

    So maybe there was an energy I saw just I don't want you to feel shame at all or bad at all because it's like, oh my gosh, You know, I'm not doing this, you know, all the time.

     

    00:24:17.000 --> 00:24:29.000

    And so I love how Nell just naturally said but I feel like we do and I feel like you know just naturally said but I feel like we do and I feel like you you know just so such a That those little nuggets of complements.

     

    00:24:29.000 --> 00:24:40.000

    Those are what build and strengthen a relationship. Right? Yeah.

     

    00:24:40.000 --> 00:24:41.000

    Oh.

     

    00:24:41.000 --> 00:24:47.000

    Yeah. I mean, you know, Nice and partner. But apparently it has to be generally irritating.

     

    00:24:47.000 --> 00:24:48.000

    We all are.

     

    00:24:48.000 --> 00:25:07.000

    Well yeah, I mean you I can feel. Yeah, no, I mean, I think you. Yeah, you You're pretty, you're pretty special, I think.

     

    00:25:07.000 --> 00:25:08.000

    Oh.

     

    00:25:08.000 --> 00:25:17.000

    I really, I mean, I really feel like. No has gone the extra mile and See me and You know, I mean, I just think about like, but honestly, we've had like we've had our most testing of times since we came to Montana.

     

    00:25:17.000 --> 00:25:18.000

    Oh, I'm sure. I'm sure.

     

    00:25:18.000 --> 00:25:28.000

    That you know like with I'm just so glad that we've managed to grow from it because we've had time where we've behaved very badly.

     

    00:25:28.000 --> 00:25:35.000

    I've behaved really badly. And. It's been terrible, you know?

     

    00:25:35.000 --> 00:25:42.000

    Yeah, yeah. Well, and I'll just say as also a human that there are times where I behave really badly too and Chris behaves really badly.

     

    00:25:42.000 --> 00:25:48.000

    You know where we say things or we might end up yelling at each other and it's like.

     

    00:25:48.000 --> 00:25:57.000

    We throw out all the things we know that we could use to make it better because we're just having a strong reaction to something and that's part of being human right.

     

    00:25:57.000 --> 00:26:12.000

    Hi, yeah. I think that's the other thing is like we, you know, we have such a strong bond and it's been it's often felt like you know I mean I feel like If this doesn't work, nothing will.

     

    00:26:12.000 --> 00:26:18.000

    You know, I mean, I go to I go there, you know, and II think another thing that's been really hard.

     

    00:26:18.000 --> 00:26:27.000

    Let's, that's amplified the difficulty is. That we hear with You know, we came here for Bics as good and that whole situation.

     

    00:26:27.000 --> 00:26:37.000

    Really has not worked out the way we had hoped or envisaged. You know, we've become this beautiful family and we'd have half the time with them and it would all be sweet.

     

    00:26:37.000 --> 00:26:50.000

    And hasn't worked out like that at all. But we've also got my daughter.

     

    00:26:50.000 --> 00:26:51.000

    Hmm.

     

    00:26:51.000 --> 00:26:54.000

    And she, so, so we're managing. A blended family situation with her and we have her all the time whereas before She went to her dad's half the time and so we would get time alone.

     

    00:26:54.000 --> 00:27:08.000

    But now we don't have that and she's been She has her own response to to I mean she's her own type of neuro divergence we believe she might have ADHD and we're getting her assist for that.

     

    00:27:08.000 --> 00:27:27.000

    And so she and Bex interact in a like ADHD whatever I mean over stimulates me I mean I hats off to people who are both because God I can't even imagine what my brain would be like because I was diagnosed with ADHD years ago, but I actually don't think that

     

    00:27:27.000 --> 00:27:28.000

    Yeah, yeah.

     

    00:27:28.000 --> 00:27:34.000

    that's. I think it was autism the whole time and I. Actually, I mean, there might be a little bit, but I can't.

     

    00:27:34.000 --> 00:27:46.000

    I yeah, so and my Autistic brain drives a lot of nuts and we yeah, so there's been there have been significant crises.

     

    00:27:46.000 --> 00:27:54.000

    Dynamic crises and Lola has been said things to me like, oh I just don't know how you can be with Bex.

     

    00:27:54.000 --> 00:28:11.000

    I mean, I, you know, you should, you should leave them. You know you should. Big, you know, of Bex has like a meltdown about something that's happened with Lola or I mean, It really has been.

     

    00:28:11.000 --> 00:28:18.000

    I mean those things happened in New Zealand but they've been so much Excuse me more pronounced here and

     

    00:28:18.000 --> 00:28:24.000

    Yeah, they're compounded. So let me, now I'm taking notes. So we're really in a free.

     

    00:28:24.000 --> 00:28:33.000

    Live session. So I'm gonna actually just respond to everything that you're saying. Okay, first I wanna say back because I've also had that.

     

    00:28:33.000 --> 00:28:44.000

    If I can't get it right in this relationship. So I'm with you. I get it, right?

     

    00:28:44.000 --> 00:28:45.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:28:45.000 --> 00:28:47.000

    I think that I just, I just want you to know I get it. Okay, and then when Nell said, hey, we're gonna move here and things are gonna be great, right?

     

    00:28:47.000 --> 00:29:03.000

    Bex will be closer to child and things will just be great and then they're not. Chris and I had a very similar situation where We said, you know, the first of last year, oh my gosh, let's get a house in the state, this other state to be closer to our daughter.

     

    00:29:03.000 --> 00:29:07.000

    So his daughters, my stepdaughters, I like to say our daughters. And it just backfired.

     

    00:29:07.000 --> 00:29:10.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:29:10.000 --> 00:29:18.000

    Okay, shit hit the fan. It backfired in the relationship actually diminished so that so what we realized but it brought Chris and I closer together.

     

    00:29:18.000 --> 00:29:26.000

    And what we realized was it, you know what, it's like the relation, us being here in a different state.

     

    00:29:26.000 --> 00:29:36.000

    A lot and that space actually gives us an opportunity to have a relationship. Whereas when we're right there, it just is too challenging because of the X and so on.

     

    00:29:36.000 --> 00:29:40.000

    And doesn't matter if they're 32. Doesn't matter if they're adults.

     

    00:29:40.000 --> 00:29:45.000

    There's always a parent, you know, and so for us, We got closer, so I wanna say that.

     

    00:29:45.000 --> 00:29:48.000

    Right. Yeah.

     

    00:29:48.000 --> 00:29:58.000

    Well, yeah, right. The other thing I wanna say about, so really just to validate now when you're talking about

     

    00:29:58.000 --> 00:30:20.000

    The crises and the challenges how normal it is when you are you are sharing a child with someone and it goes from that to having the child full-time again it doesn't matter how old you know if your daughter is 7 it just doesn't matter it's going to create a lot of stress on the dynamic with that your child

     

    00:30:20.000 --> 00:30:38.000

    and also with your relationship because they're there all the time. And so I really want to normalize that and just validate it and It's also just a test because I don't know that I've met a step child that's liked the step parent.

     

    00:30:38.000 --> 00:30:55.000

    My stepdaughter's, you know. If they listen to this, they listen to it. I love my stepdaughters and I also know that my stepdaughter's love they love me and they hate me and it just depends on the day and I'm not surprised when they're mad at me.

     

    00:30:55.000 --> 00:31:02.000

    I'm not surprised anymore if they're throwing me under the bus. I don't care that this is live because I've actually said that before to them.

     

    00:31:02.000 --> 00:31:13.000

    It's like. If so, and so is upset, I'm not surprised. Like I'm just because really as a step parent we can't win and we're never going to win.

     

    00:31:13.000 --> 00:31:14.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:31:14.000 --> 00:31:22.000

    But it but the opportunity now And I'm probably preaching to the choir here with what I'm gonna say next is that.

     

    00:31:22.000 --> 00:31:27.000

    You just show your daughter we're a unified front and Bex isn't going anywhere.

     

    00:31:27.000 --> 00:31:43.000

    That's right. That's right. Yeah. Yeah, and that's that's so that's pretty much I mean to talk about something quite sort of personal like I mean obviously We want to have sex.

     

    00:31:43.000 --> 00:31:44.000

    That'd be hard.

     

    00:31:44.000 --> 00:31:46.000

    Like. We met. We both for the 6 is a healthy part of an intimate relationship. Okay.

     

    00:31:46.000 --> 00:31:53.000

    It is.

     

    00:31:53.000 --> 00:32:03.000

    And, and our committed relationship and we, you know, we declared that to each other up front when we, like, we really did this big talk and we both agreed that 6 was very important to both of us.

     

    00:32:03.000 --> 00:32:26.000

    We've both been in situations where the sexual side of the relationship was very problematic and we didn't want that.

     

    00:32:26.000 --> 00:32:27.000

    Oh.

     

    00:32:27.000 --> 00:32:36.000

    So coming here, not having Lola go away half the time, we still wanna have 6. And so, It's become, it's coming to the family.

     

    00:32:36.000 --> 00:32:37.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:32:37.000 --> 00:32:40.000

    Conversation of like, oh, Nell and Bex have sex and you know, oh god I heard them having sex and the 2 the 2 kids have talked about it but because we haven't seen Kai very Well, before we moved over here from the small town, we weren't we weren't seeing her very much because she was in

     

    00:32:40.000 --> 00:32:58.000

    a play and just it made sense for her to be with her mom. But basically Lola started commenting on our 6 life like you know that I mean and honestly you could like we're living in this house where it's completely unsound proof.

     

    00:32:58.000 --> 00:33:08.000

    And we are so quiet. Like, we have got our 6 life. At the audio from our 6 life.

     

    00:33:08.000 --> 00:33:16.000

    We have decreased it to almost 0 0 disables I believe And yet, Lola. We'll still say.

     

    00:33:16.000 --> 00:33:22.000

    I can't believe you had to do that this morning. I mean, trust me, it's not like we're doing it as much as we could or would like to.

     

    00:33:22.000 --> 00:33:29.000

    We just like do it when we you know feel like we've got the opportunity and we do it.

     

    00:33:29.000 --> 00:33:38.000

    And like so this morning she was like. I can't believe you. Yeah, I mean, did you really have to start my day off by doing that?

     

    00:33:38.000 --> 00:33:53.000

    Like start her day off? 7 6 and I said, okay, we live in an apartment complex. There are a lot of other activities available to you like there's a swimming pool, there's a sparkle, there's a gym, you can do something else rather than be tortured and your room.

     

    00:33:53.000 --> 00:34:08.000

    Bearing witness to something that you don't wanna Be a witness too. You know, I mean, honestly, I feel like she must have had her ear pressed up to a glass against the door because I just don't know how to even heard anything.

     

    00:34:08.000 --> 00:34:09.000

    Yeah. Sure.

     

    00:34:09.000 --> 00:34:13.000

    Yeah, yes, yeah, there's a couple things I think about. Number one, number one is like I would just purchase a sound machine.

     

    00:34:13.000 --> 00:34:17.000

    I had purchased a sound machine on Amazon. So we have sound machines. I'm gonna show you.

     

    00:34:17.000 --> 00:34:19.000

    Know what's going on. Yeah.

     

    00:34:19.000 --> 00:34:24.000

    I'm gonna show you what they are. It's just, yeah, it's the therapy.

     

    00:34:24.000 --> 00:34:27.000

    So we have, can you see it? So I'm gonna turn it on.

     

    00:34:27.000 --> 00:34:29.000

    Oh, it looks like a toilet. Well, we could probably just turn on the fan.

     

    00:34:29.000 --> 00:34:32.000

    Can you hear it?

     

    00:34:32.000 --> 00:34:34.000

    I can't hear it.

     

    00:34:34.000 --> 00:34:39.000

    Okay, it's a sound machine. You can get it on Amazon. And.

     

    00:34:39.000 --> 00:34:44.000

    It works great. You could also turn the fan on. I yeah, I mean if

     

    00:34:44.000 --> 00:34:48.000

    Play noise as you know so

     

    00:34:48.000 --> 00:34:54.000

    And the reality is that, yep, we are, you know, we are going to be having sex that's part of a relationship.

     

    00:34:54.000 --> 00:35:00.000

    Do you want to talk about? Do you need any information just in general about sex? Lola, okay.

     

    00:35:00.000 --> 00:35:01.000

    Yeah, I mean, it should be like, no. Yeah.

     

    00:35:01.000 --> 00:35:09.000

    You know, okay, do you know, cause this is Yeah, no. And the second thing is Lola, what are you concerned about?

     

    00:35:09.000 --> 00:35:15.000

    What's the concern for you? Like what's the deeper issue here?

     

    00:35:15.000 --> 00:35:23.000

    Yeah, so cause what happens with the so this is an example of a situation where things can go horribly wrong for us as a family unit.

     

    00:35:23.000 --> 00:35:24.000

    Okay.

     

    00:35:24.000 --> 00:35:35.000

    So because I try and respond from a place of like II didn't think to ask you what your concern is because yeah, I try and get this.

     

    00:35:35.000 --> 00:35:36.000

    Now you have it. Now you have a tip.

     

    00:35:36.000 --> 00:35:51.000

    I do. I have a tip. I try and go into my therapist self but obviously I'm not a therapist so I don't do very well at that but we're but I try and like come from a place of sexes and as a healthy part of a relationship.

     

    00:35:51.000 --> 00:36:01.000

    This is something you'll discover when you have your own relationship. And. But Bix gets really angry.

     

    00:36:01.000 --> 00:36:02.000

    Is it anchor backs? What is it anger? Is it anger?

     

    00:36:02.000 --> 00:36:14.000

    Well, I perceive it as it may not be, but I think you just anger it. I mean, the like there's Anger hurt.

     

    00:36:14.000 --> 00:36:23.000

    I don't know like Like you find it rude. I find it rude. I find it like I find it really an objectionable attitude.

     

    00:36:23.000 --> 00:36:29.000

    Like I can't even, I can't even tell them where it's like okay for a teenager to comment on their parents sex life I mean I wouldn't have dreamed of such a thing.

     

    00:36:29.000 --> 00:36:33.000

    Oh Okay.

     

    00:36:33.000 --> 00:36:42.000

    If I had if I were living with roommates. Unless they were like keeping me awake. I mean, I'd be too embarrassed to.

     

    00:36:42.000 --> 00:36:43.000

    How many other sex life you know like And.

     

    00:36:43.000 --> 00:36:56.000

    Sure, sure. Yeah, I can hear that. So I wanna I wanna say I absolutely hear that back and it's actually quite common.

     

    00:36:56.000 --> 00:36:57.000

    Okay.

     

    00:36:57.000 --> 00:37:08.000

    For teenagers especially nowadays to let everyone know how they feel about everything. Okay. So, but I also want to validate the parts of you using a little bit of internal family systems language that are angry, right, that are like shocked and hurt.

     

    00:37:08.000 --> 00:37:20.000

    Really valid. Really valid parts of you that are experiencing that because you know, if you think about it, why are those feelings come up coming up for you?

     

    00:37:20.000 --> 00:37:26.000

    The hurt. Let's, I mean, are you open to just seeing like why is the hurt coming up?

     

    00:37:26.000 --> 00:37:39.000

    Well, cause like the first I mean the there's It's almost like there is a bit of rivalry between Lola and I, and I am trying to be very mindful of that because I know that's very stressful for now.

     

    00:37:39.000 --> 00:37:47.000

    So I, you know, try to take a step back from that because I know that's very stressful for now.

     

    00:37:47.000 --> 00:37:48.000

    So I, you know, that's very stressful for now. So I, you know, try to take a step back and look at that.

     

    00:37:48.000 --> 00:37:54.000

    But then I think But this is. I mean, this is an important relationship.

     

    00:37:54.000 --> 00:37:55.000

    Yes. Yes.

     

    00:37:55.000 --> 00:38:05.000

    I mean, I, I feel I that's a good question because I

     

    00:38:05.000 --> 00:38:13.000

    I just say something just while you think you can collect your thoughts. I just wanna say like the last time we had sex was over 2 weeks ago.

     

    00:38:13.000 --> 00:38:14.000

    Long time ago.

     

    00:38:14.000 --> 00:38:17.000

    So it's not like we're subjecting Lola to. You know.

     

    00:38:17.000 --> 00:38:22.000

    Yeah. No. Oh no. Well, and here, let's just kind of even reframe that.

     

    00:38:22.000 --> 00:38:23.000

    Okay. Okay.

     

    00:38:23.000 --> 00:38:28.000

    You know, let's reframe that too because you're not subject to Lola to anything.

     

    00:38:28.000 --> 00:38:36.000

    Right? The reality is, is you're both being incredibly conscientious like overboard to where it's like, okay, there's no sound whatsoever.

     

    00:38:36.000 --> 00:38:40.000

    That's why I was like, turn a fan on so that like literally, I mean, I would just.

     

    00:38:40.000 --> 00:38:43.000

    Very my head and a pillow. Yeah.

     

    00:38:43.000 --> 00:38:52.000

    Yeah, it's like you're doing everything. I also wanna validate Bex for you that and just kind of that curiosity for you that you're like, wow, why am I hurt?

     

    00:38:52.000 --> 00:39:03.000

    And I think you said something that may perhaps as a trial head to explore, on maybe on your own work, which is This relationship is really important to me.

     

    00:39:03.000 --> 00:39:19.000

    With Nell. And so what we said earlier, you know, I think Nell said it, which is Lola has really struggled with you and has said at times get rid of Becks basically and so You know, it's just.

     

    00:39:19.000 --> 00:39:34.000

    Already it's like you have this history. You know, in your life of adult diagnostic, there's intersectionality with like gender and sexuality and and and now you have someone in your house that's a bully now teenagers can be bullies.

     

    00:39:34.000 --> 00:39:49.000

    I just want to say for all of everybody on the planet that has a teenager, holy cow. Really awful bullies and even no matter how old we are It hurts.

     

    00:39:49.000 --> 00:39:52.000

    Sometimes what they say is so cruel.

     

    00:39:52.000 --> 00:39:59.000

    Lola can be really cruel to me. That's the other thing. We can.

     

    00:39:59.000 --> 00:40:02.000

    So, I mean, I, in this case, I mean, I, did a good thing, I think.

     

    00:40:02.000 --> 00:40:07.000

    I mean, this is things that I do these things that I'm like, okay, I'm gonna commit myself.

     

    00:40:07.000 --> 00:40:13.000

    To behaving better. When I do it, I expect to pat on the back, but I don't get it.

     

    00:40:13.000 --> 00:40:14.000

    Oh

     

    00:40:14.000 --> 00:40:17.000

    But anyway, I'm sorry. II shut the bathroom door. I mean the bedroom door.

     

    00:40:17.000 --> 00:40:18.000

    I mean the bedroom door. I mean we have an en suite bathroom. It's great. I shut the bathroom door. I mean, we have an en suite bathroom. It's great.

     

    00:40:18.000 --> 00:40:25.000

    I mean, we have an en suite bathroom. It's great. I mean, we live in a in our master bedroom is probably big enough for actually us to live in.

     

    00:40:25.000 --> 00:40:29.000

    Wow, okay, that's cool.

     

    00:40:29.000 --> 00:40:30.000

    That's nice.

     

    00:40:30.000 --> 00:40:32.000

    It's a time. It's like a tiny house. Yeah, but, I shut the door.

     

    00:40:32.000 --> 00:40:41.000

    Now it's slammed because of the wind coming in and it sounded like I slammed the door so granted. But anyway, I didn't mean to sign the door. It slammed.

     

    00:40:41.000 --> 00:40:49.000

    I shut the door. I, you know, had my and I sat and sat there and I sort of started thinking like what is going on here.

     

    00:40:49.000 --> 00:40:58.000

    And I actually thought, you know, I actually do like you said like teenagers will say everything that's on their minds like the they actually have too much power.

     

    00:40:58.000 --> 00:41:05.000

    I mean, I don't know. Like I feel like I'm really old-fashioned and then I start feeling like I'm channeling my parents and I don't want to do that.

     

    00:41:05.000 --> 00:41:06.000

    Good awareness.

     

    00:41:06.000 --> 00:41:16.000

    But. Fine for Lola to have her feelings. That's okay. But it's not fine for her to take her feelings and make them our problem or to put them on us.

     

    00:41:16.000 --> 00:41:20.000

    Yes, yes.

     

    00:41:20.000 --> 00:41:31.000

    Yes, we sing it all the time.

     

    00:41:31.000 --> 00:41:32.000

    Yes!

     

    00:41:32.000 --> 00:41:38.000

    And then I started thinking about some stuff that happens on social media where people say really Like, you know, I mean, I'm, I'm just flabbergasted at like some of the stuff with autistic people being transphobic and I've run into a couple of those things today or recently.

     

    00:41:38.000 --> 00:41:39.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:41:39.000 --> 00:41:43.000

    I mean, that's maybe one of the things is like. First thing this morning, one of my friends on LinkedIn posts a Message said have you.

     

    00:41:43.000 --> 00:41:45.000

    Really?

     

    00:41:45.000 --> 00:41:52.000

    Have you seen this? This is what basically 2 different mutual connections, not not somebody I know personally, but people I follow because Good stuff.

     

    00:41:52.000 --> 00:41:56.000

    Sure. Yeah, yeah.

     

    00:41:56.000 --> 00:42:02.000

    And I'm like, okay, I, I in my head compared Lola to that.

     

    00:42:02.000 --> 00:42:09.000

    In in the sense of like Lola has opinions. It's perfectly valid to have opinions, but I don't really need to engage with them.

     

    00:42:09.000 --> 00:42:19.000

    And in my in my opinion, a 16 year old commenting on my sex life when I'm not trying very hard to be respectful or you know telling us that we shouldn't have it.

     

    00:42:19.000 --> 00:42:34.000

    Telling us, telling us a lot of things like that we shouldn't be. Visible from the open window from the street that we shouldn't that we shouldn't talk with the door open because people can hear us and we had Lola go out to the street and stand there.

     

    00:42:34.000 --> 00:42:35.000

    Nell talked about specifically about the street and stand there. And we had Lola go out to the street and stand there.

     

    00:42:35.000 --> 00:42:41.000

    The street and stand there. Well, and now talked about specifically about geraniums just to see if we'll and well, it's like I heard you talking I said what did we talk about?

     

    00:42:41.000 --> 00:42:42.000

    Yeah, right.

     

    00:42:42.000 --> 00:42:46.000

    Well, I don't know about specifically about geraniums just to see if we'll and well it's like I heard you talking I said what what did we talk about? Well I don't know. You know what kind of what kind of flower did we mention?

     

    00:42:46.000 --> 00:42:51.000

    No, you know And.

     

    00:42:51.000 --> 00:42:52.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:42:52.000 --> 00:43:02.000

    Yes, yes. So, Bex, what you're saying. Is boundaries. And boundaries are so healthy because children no matter how they how old they are need boundaries and consistency and structure and safety.

     

    00:43:02.000 --> 00:43:12.000

    So it is okay to say. You're entitled to your opinion. You don't. I love how Nell said there are many activities that you can go do at the first sign.

     

    00:43:12.000 --> 00:43:17.000

    That you sense. You just sense. Oh, I heard a little noise. They must be having sex.

     

    00:43:17.000 --> 00:43:19.000

    Yeah. Yeah. That's right.

     

    00:43:19.000 --> 00:43:31.000

    Leave the house then. You're 16. You're 16 leave the house and I also and I also like and think it's okay to say you're entitled to your opinion and your feelings.

     

    00:43:31.000 --> 00:43:36.000

    And you don't get to be hurtful about it. Right.

     

    00:43:36.000 --> 00:43:42.000

    That's that's such a good way of putting it. Yeah, cause I yeah, that's

     

    00:43:42.000 --> 00:43:49.000

    I think I see it this morning. You are, what did II wish you'd heard what I see.

     

    00:43:49.000 --> 00:44:01.000

    I felt I'd said some really good things like you're entitled to. Have, I know it looks a lot of us being very, I found she was being very rich.

     

    00:44:01.000 --> 00:44:02.000

    Yeah, block it out.

     

    00:44:02.000 --> 00:44:12.000

    I don't sit by the door with a glass. Actually, Yeah, the way she was speaking to me was very, was very unkind and rude and I said Sh, that's right.

     

    00:44:12.000 --> 00:44:17.000

    And I said, you don't need to speak to me and that's sarcastic way.

     

    00:44:17.000 --> 00:44:21.000

    And she said, oh, I'm allowed to speak to you however I like. And I said, Okay.

     

    00:44:21.000 --> 00:44:25.000

    Well, I'm also at Liverpool, not to engage with you when you speak to me like that.

     

    00:44:25.000 --> 00:44:38.000

    No, so good. See, I'm not I don't have the I don't have the mental capacity to think of those things as while you were the communications professional but also you're just a better parent.

     

    00:44:38.000 --> 00:44:41.000

    Well, I, but I like that saying of, what did you say, Candice?

     

    00:44:41.000 --> 00:44:42.000

    You said.

     

    00:44:42.000 --> 00:44:46.000

    Well, it's, oh, you're entitled to have your feelings and you know, you don't get to be hurtful about it.

     

    00:44:46.000 --> 00:44:50.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:44:50.000 --> 00:44:51.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:44:51.000 --> 00:44:55.000

    It's like you don't get to hurt others with right. It's like how you That's the thing and I liked how you said it too.

     

    00:44:55.000 --> 00:44:56.000

    Okay.

     

    00:44:56.000 --> 00:45:04.000

    Right? It's like. But what I wanna acknowledge and I hopefully maybe perhaps your daughter will never ever hear this.

     

    00:45:04.000 --> 00:45:05.000

    But, okay.

     

    00:45:05.000 --> 00:45:14.000

    She won't. Makes it's about lame old people. That's right. Cause we told her that we were doing the podcast and she was and we described to the podcast and she I think she looked you up and she said She has one listener.

     

    00:45:14.000 --> 00:45:20.000

    No, 10 listeners. That's on Spotify. So I'm sure you have. That's right.

     

    00:45:20.000 --> 00:45:25.000

    She looks you up on Spotify and and so she just thinks that we do the same stuff. And so she just thinks that we do this lame stuff.

     

    00:45:25.000 --> 00:45:26.000

    I mean, even you know.

     

    00:45:26.000 --> 00:45:35.000

    That's so funny. Well, what's funny is the follower thing that everyone's obsessed with having, you know, which is so funny.

     

    00:45:35.000 --> 00:45:50.000

    I'm sure more than people listen to this podcast.

     

    00:45:50.000 --> 00:45:51.000

    He doesn't.

     

    00:45:51.000 --> 00:45:57.000

    The world is such a matrix. And. Oh, I'm positive of that. I really have compassion for the 2 of you because what I wanna say is Lola is being incredibly cruel and disrespectful and you know when a teenager when a teenager says something like Because Lola's not actually, I've heard it

     

    00:45:57.000 --> 00:46:02.000

    from so many teenagers. I mean, just where I can, I could talk to you the way I want to.

     

    00:46:02.000 --> 00:46:06.000

    And that's where it just gets a neutral, you know, as neutral as you can be boundary.

     

    00:46:06.000 --> 00:46:23.000

    Well, I don't have to engage with you. You know, or well, there's the door or, you know, okay, whatever the boundary is so that they understand that that is not okay.

     

    00:46:23.000 --> 00:46:24.000

    Yeah

     

    00:46:24.000 --> 00:46:28.000

    You know, that is absolutely not okay. And the deeper issue that might be going on is this transition, right?

     

    00:46:28.000 --> 00:46:29.000

    I think so.

     

    00:46:29.000 --> 00:46:48.000

    It's a new place. A news, if Lola was in New Zealand and now is in Montana and it's They'll change your friend groups and change of schools and so might have some some deeper issues of anger that's unresolved at this all these transitions and

     

    00:46:48.000 --> 00:46:49.000

    Oh.

     

    00:46:49.000 --> 00:46:51.000

    Well, which she wanted to make. She wanted to, she was, I mean, she was the first person I spoke to.

     

    00:46:51.000 --> 00:47:04.000

    About coming here. I actually asked her before I spoke to Bex I said how would you feel if we went tried to go and live in America for a. That was my kid. It was Nell's idea.

     

    00:47:04.000 --> 00:47:05.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:47:05.000 --> 00:47:14.000

    I never, it was my idea to come. In Lola was so totally keen on it but I think what you're saying is very valid because we have moved towns so Lola's left she went to that small town school for a year.

     

    00:47:14.000 --> 00:47:18.000

    Yes, yes.

     

    00:47:18.000 --> 00:47:27.000

    Yes. Yes.

     

    00:47:27.000 --> 00:47:28.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:47:28.000 --> 00:47:35.000

    Now she's gonna go to a different high school with a with it so she's gonna have screens, a much she's very conscious that we we chose this apartment complex because she can walk to school like it's only mile away so she can easily all through the winter.

     

    00:47:35.000 --> 00:47:36.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:47:36.000 --> 00:47:42.000

    And the footpaths are plowed you know it's very it's very easy So she's conscious that we are actually on display to her potential friend group.

     

    00:47:42.000 --> 00:47:51.000

    And that, you know, a big standing in the hallway and the towel. Well, God, what if people like see Lola, remember Lola when she gets to school?

     

    00:47:51.000 --> 00:48:07.000

    Remember that she came out of that house with the person in the towel. 6.

     

    00:48:07.000 --> 00:48:08.000

    Oh.

     

    00:48:08.000 --> 00:48:13.000

    Yes, well and if so the fear yeah the fear of being judged or bullying Lola's at an age where you know, she's also just potentially insecure or just you know exploring like what does it mean to for me to be sexual.

     

    00:48:13.000 --> 00:48:18.000

    I mean, there's 16 as a hard age, right? And like you said, that's starting a new school.

     

    00:48:18.000 --> 00:48:21.000

    I mean, there's 16 as a hard age, right? And like you said, that's starting a hard age, right?

     

    00:48:21.000 --> 00:48:32.000

    And like you said, that starting a new school and what will people think and wanting to fit in? Which we know in the trauma when we look at trauma we know that when folks and autistic folks actually autistic ADHD folks actually do this quite often where we try and fit in.

     

    00:48:32.000 --> 00:48:38.000

    We're trying to figure out the setting. We're fawning to try be liked, all 3 of those.

     

    00:48:38.000 --> 00:48:46.000

    Fit in the category of a sympathetic response in our autonomic nervous system, which is Trauma, it's a trauma response.

     

    00:48:46.000 --> 00:48:55.000

    So what's happening is these deeper wounds that are probably been activated inside Lola. Hi, I could be wrong, but I'm gonna go over here.

     

    00:48:55.000 --> 00:49:10.000

    Are showing up as anger. Because anger feels safer. It's just it's just safer than feeling really vulnerable and in reality there probably needs to be a good cry with Nell.

     

    00:49:10.000 --> 00:49:24.000

    He does and I saw that this morning and you know see so what happens is Lola's comes out Lola says these things out of these things that reflect the wounds but they come out angrily and then Bex responds also angrily.

     

    00:49:24.000 --> 00:49:32.000

    So there's a big, but where if I can just have time alone with Lola. I mean this morning when she was talking to me she actually had tears.

     

    00:49:32.000 --> 00:49:39.000

    I could tell she had tears in her eyes that she was saying. How come? You get to.

     

    00:49:39.000 --> 00:49:44.000

    Basically it was about I want more time with you like because I work so much in my with my driving.

     

    00:49:44.000 --> 00:49:47.000

    Yeah, yeah.

     

    00:49:47.000 --> 00:49:53.000

    I've been doing like over 50 HA week. So that time together that we used to have, we no longer have.

     

    00:49:53.000 --> 00:49:59.000

    And when I am at home I'm incredibly tired and I basically just need to like have dinner and go to bed.

     

    00:49:59.000 --> 00:50:06.000

    So she's Yeah, she's really feeling that and that's where it's coming from.

     

    00:50:06.000 --> 00:50:18.000

    There you go. So beautiful awareness and I think it's okay for you and Bex to have Perhaps an agreement between each other where it's like, I love you, you know, we're good.

     

    00:50:18.000 --> 00:50:30.000

    Can you just give me some time to talk with Lola? I can see the tears. So some sort of like whether it's a little code statement or you know, just something where it's like.

     

    00:50:30.000 --> 00:50:31.000

    Like something where you both know

     

    00:50:31.000 --> 00:50:42.000

    That's something that I am aware of and I try to get that space partly because I know it's important and partly because I know it's important.

     

    00:50:42.000 --> 00:50:43.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:50:43.000 --> 00:50:44.000

    Be present for that. I mean, I don't think it's appropriate for me to be present for that really.

     

    00:50:44.000 --> 00:51:02.000

    And I don't want to hear it because I don't know. It just I mean, it just magnifies to me that like, I mean, I guess I'll struggle with feeling like I'm a complete outsider in this dyad of Nell and Lola.

     

    00:51:02.000 --> 00:51:17.000

    And what I wanna reassure you with is again, this is such a common dynamic. When there goes when you have a child that you're sharing time with another parent that moves in full time.

     

    00:51:17.000 --> 00:51:18.000

    Yes.

     

    00:51:18.000 --> 00:51:25.000

    So Bex, I really want to validate that for you that of course right now with this transition and the bat like getting kind of attacked.

     

    00:51:25.000 --> 00:51:40.000

    That you would feel like an outsider and what you're physically seeing in the world seeing because it's on video is that now is comforting you.

     

    00:51:40.000 --> 00:51:41.000

    Yeah, I mean.

     

    00:51:41.000 --> 00:51:45.000

    So just. See if you can embody that knowing, yeah. Nails here for you and you are you're unified you're just both trying to navigate a new situation that's challenging.

     

    00:51:45.000 --> 00:51:53.000

    Oh, I mean, and this is one of the things I find the most hard is when Bex says things like Well, I'm just going to leave.

     

    00:51:53.000 --> 00:52:03.000

    I'm not, I don't have a place in this family and I just feel like it's so devastated by that because Just family is nothing without Becks.

     

    00:52:03.000 --> 00:52:07.000

    Yeah, yeah.

     

    00:52:07.000 --> 00:52:08.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:52:08.000 --> 00:52:12.000

    I mean, where Like my life would be just. I mean I just can't even bear to think of my life if Bex was suddenly no longer in it, you know?

     

    00:52:12.000 --> 00:52:13.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:52:13.000 --> 00:52:30.000

    And I also Feel free for 6 days and then go. Oh, well, I feel that Lola actually Love, I know that Lola loves Bex and Lola values Bex and her life and in Lola's life And I mean, I see the 2 of them.

     

    00:52:30.000 --> 00:52:46.000

    They cook together. They talk together. They talk like really intensely about issues and stuff that I'm just like, I couldn't even give a fuck, I just want to zone out and go and like a Facebook marketplace, you know.

     

    00:52:46.000 --> 00:52:47.000

    Okay.

     

    00:52:47.000 --> 00:52:52.000

    Yeah. Yeah, I get it. And what I wanna say to that is that, well, it's really important for all of us.

     

    00:52:52.000 --> 00:53:06.000

    No matter how old or young our children are to remember we're the adults in the room. And when their teenage or their child, you know, they come out, it activates our teenage parts.

     

    00:53:06.000 --> 00:53:13.000

    And it activates our child parts. And so sometimes we can respond as teenagers and be little shits back.

     

    00:53:13.000 --> 00:53:19.000

    And that's really something to be mindful of in terms of, oh, wow, I'm noticing that I'm activated.

     

    00:53:19.000 --> 00:53:31.000

    Okay, what did that bring up in me? Well, Nell says, hey, I'm just gonna take some time with Lola backs that's an opportunity for you to go D escalate, take some time to kind of say, what was that?

     

    00:53:31.000 --> 00:53:38.000

    About you know who does Lola remind me of is that there's something because a lot of times that's what it is.

     

    00:53:38.000 --> 00:53:45.000

    Where there's this reminder of something said and if you can kind of be curious about it, Curiosity is such a gift.

     

    00:53:45.000 --> 00:53:46.000

    Hmm.

     

    00:53:46.000 --> 00:53:53.000

    You know, when I was now, when I was Lola's age, Was there someone that treated me this way?

     

    00:53:53.000 --> 00:53:59.000

    Was there someone that talked to me this way or around that same age? Well, maybe gosh, I wasn't 16, but I was 12.

     

    00:53:59.000 --> 00:54:12.000

    And I remember this mean, you know. Get on the playground or whatever. That can start a beautiful process of Love that Bex at 12.

     

    00:54:12.000 --> 00:54:22.000

    Whether you rock yourself. This is what I love about stemming. We soothe ourselves and just imagining holding that younger Bex.

     

    00:54:22.000 --> 00:54:30.000

    Just say, hey, we're okay now. I'm this age now. This is, giving that, part of you data.

     

    00:54:30.000 --> 00:54:38.000

    This is my partner Nell's teenage daughter. I'm not back in this situation. We're okay.

     

    00:54:38.000 --> 00:54:53.000

    So that you can calm your system down. And feel that clarity that comes. When we do tend and befriend those parts of us that are young and wounded that need us to show up.

     

    00:54:53.000 --> 00:55:05.000

    Hmm. Yeah, cause I feel like I feel like sometimes like, you know, and I guess it's, I guess it's the autism, the very, the sensory overload.

     

    00:55:05.000 --> 00:55:15.000

    And, I mean, cause I'm, cause I've been working on like unmasking I guess and then of course I mean that's hard.

     

    00:55:15.000 --> 00:55:16.000

    Yeah, and masking is hard.

     

    00:55:16.000 --> 00:55:22.000

    I mean, it's hard. One is like, what is what is the mask? What you know.

     

    00:55:22.000 --> 00:55:28.000

    Communication wise like.

     

    00:55:28.000 --> 00:55:47.000

    Going through my realizing that people have been speaking in subtext for decades to me, you know, and then and thinking that everything's everything's loaded with subtext because that's what I've learned, you know, all of those things, but also just giving space for my own sensory.

     

    00:55:47.000 --> 00:55:48.000

    You know, too much too much sound too much. You know.

     

    00:55:48.000 --> 00:56:00.000

    Yes. Yes, yes. And also that. Historically, we know that it's our experience to have been bullied.

     

    00:56:00.000 --> 00:56:20.000

    And Lola is activating potentially those parts of you that are younger that have been bullied. And so our hardware is that sensory overload when it's loud or hardware, our software, those parts of ourselves that are wounded.

     

    00:56:20.000 --> 00:56:21.000

    I wonder.

     

    00:56:21.000 --> 00:56:27.000

    That perhaps just need us to show up and comfort and reassure I got you. This is not the this is not the bully at school.

     

    00:56:27.000 --> 00:56:28.000

    Yes, yes.

     

    00:56:28.000 --> 00:56:36.000

    Well, your ex-wife. You know who was that's the thing I think that's going circling back as the corporate people say.

     

    00:56:36.000 --> 00:56:37.000

    Okay, okay. Okay.

     

    00:56:37.000 --> 00:56:49.000

    Rounding bad. Circling back to an early part of this conversation about about the trauma of being back in Livingston and being in closer communication with my ex.

     

    00:56:49.000 --> 00:56:59.000

    Who I spent with whom I spent 15 years. Not knowing why I was having meltdowns, not knowing.

     

    00:56:59.000 --> 00:57:18.000

    I mean, I knew I had trauma, you know, and there was but, but also, you know, I had periods of depression.

     

    00:57:18.000 --> 00:57:19.000

    Yes, yes. Yes.

     

    00:57:19.000 --> 00:57:32.000

    But also was being gaslit and you know. You're crazy and you're this and you're that you know and it was on me it was all on me and I mean even all the while this person was and probably shouldn't.

     

    00:57:32.000 --> 00:57:47.000

    Don't think she'll ever listen to this either, but. And. Not only not knowing that I was autistic, but she had an incredible lack of curiosity about what was actually wrong with me.

     

    00:57:47.000 --> 00:57:49.000

    Oh, yeah, are going on.

     

    00:57:49.000 --> 00:58:01.000

    And that's the thing about now is like Well, when my this psychologist that I was seeing because I kept having these meltdowns and I was just, you know, brought it up.

     

    00:58:01.000 --> 00:58:09.000

    And now I think the first thing was, well, what is to be, you know, just, what is to be gained from exploring this?

     

    00:58:09.000 --> 00:58:10.000

    Yes. Yeah.

     

    00:58:10.000 --> 00:58:21.000

    Or whatever. And I had to think about that. Well, what is to begin? And II wanna know, I wanna know what's wrong with me, you know, what's, you know, making me do that.

     

    00:58:21.000 --> 00:58:29.000

    You know, I wanna know and this is really interesting because I spent years like diagnosing other people in my family.

     

    00:58:29.000 --> 00:58:30.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:58:30.000 --> 00:58:51.000

    And this is really interesting because I spent years like diagnosing other people in my family. I mean, informally, obviously, but My father to start with and thinking.

     

    00:58:51.000 --> 00:58:52.000

    Yep. Yes.

     

    00:58:52.000 --> 00:59:04.000

    And having sort of relating to movie characters or you know other or other people who We're autistic, but not really thinking that that applied to me because Perhaps too social or you know whatever some or too talkative or whatever I'm talkative I realize because I'm always trying to be really precise I have to talk and it drives

     

    00:59:04.000 --> 00:59:14.000

    Lola crazy like where you just shut up like I got up the first sentence just it's too much you know and I think you know there is a clash with our neurotypes as well but.

     

    00:59:14.000 --> 00:59:20.000

    And so compassion for both of you, if there's a way. That the 2 of you could.

     

    00:59:20.000 --> 00:59:27.000

    You know, find a way to communicate if it's too much for her instead of saying shut up because again that's disrespectful.

     

    00:59:27.000 --> 00:59:30.000

    Kayla that's disrespectful even if Lola just did this. Right.

     

    00:59:30.000 --> 00:59:40.000

    Yeah, well we've talked about going to family therapy because we've thought that we something needs to change and our cause Lola's take on it.

     

    00:59:40.000 --> 00:59:48.000

    Oh well I just have to get through 2 more years and then I can leave home and I'll just leave you and Bex to it.

     

    00:59:48.000 --> 00:59:59.000

    And obviously There's another way, like we can find new ways of directing that mean that we can have.

     

    00:59:59.000 --> 01:00:00.000

    Yeah.

     

    01:00:00.000 --> 01:00:08.000

    A really lovely 2 years together. Before you go off and do it. But the interesting thing about I'm so glad that we haven't got this conversation and what you said Candice about.

     

    01:00:08.000 --> 01:00:15.000

    The entertaining age are getting activated. I'm so glad that you've heard that from Candice because I've tried to say this.

     

    01:00:15.000 --> 01:00:29.000

    My own therapist has seen this to me and said this to me years ago. About my own relationship with my then teenager who's now 24 but I think is still interacting with me from that teenage wounded place.

     

    01:00:29.000 --> 01:00:42.000

    But so my therapist has said, you know, when you when you're dealing with your daughter, this, your teenage self is getting activated and I see it now in relation to not Lola, who's 16.

     

    01:00:42.000 --> 01:00:48.000

    But in relation to Kai, who's Bix's kid. Who's 16?

     

    01:00:48.000 --> 01:00:58.000

    I've recognized that very strongly about myself that I get my teenage self gets activations and I respond from a place that isn't centered and grounded and the grown up in the room.

     

    01:00:58.000 --> 01:01:00.000

    Yes, yes.

     

    01:01:00.000 --> 01:01:08.000

    But I've said that to Bex and I feel like Bex. Has a not necessarily I don't feel like you've necessarily taken it on board.

     

    01:01:08.000 --> 01:01:10.000

    Well, it's not I don't think it's that I haven't taken it on board.

     

    01:01:10.000 --> 01:01:15.000

    I think it's true. I'm not really sure what to do with it. I'm not really sure sort of.

     

    01:01:15.000 --> 01:01:25.000

    Well, I think that's where we've heard some really good guidance from. I mean, I mean, what it sounds like is you're talking about like nurturing that inner teenager who's you know.

     

    01:01:25.000 --> 01:01:27.000

    Been wounded, been wounded.

     

    01:01:27.000 --> 01:01:32.000

    Rather than just to stop it shut up and be an adult not I mean I'm selling my stuff.

     

    01:01:32.000 --> 01:01:37.000

    Oh yeah, no. Yeah. Yeah.

     

    01:01:37.000 --> 01:01:40.000

    Just stop it and be a good job. Which is what I have set very unhelpfully at times.

     

    01:01:40.000 --> 01:01:43.000

    I need, I want to be in a relationship with a person who can be a grown up.

     

    01:01:43.000 --> 01:01:48.000

    Yeah, and the reality is so if we can be tender with ourselves because we're all human, we say things we regret.

     

    01:01:48.000 --> 01:02:02.000

    Okay, so please be tender with yourselves. This is where if you're both curious and any of our listeners are curious about internal family systems, this is what we've been talking about today.

     

    01:02:02.000 --> 01:02:15.000

    Because what I love as an IFS therapist. Is that instead of saying, well, you know, like, Shut up and throwing the, you know, getting the naughty room to my little child parts, right?

     

    01:02:15.000 --> 01:02:22.000

    It is being curious, you know, I'm just gonna be curious and Wow, you know when.

     

    01:02:22.000 --> 01:02:30.000

    You know when gosh when someone says something that hurts me well I noticed my chest hurts okay I'm just gonna get kind of curious what's going on there.

     

    01:02:30.000 --> 01:02:33.000

    Wow, okay, you know that feels what you know. I just kind of tune in. What is that?

     

    01:02:33.000 --> 01:02:44.000

    Well, that's bringing up a memory of, right? Like I'm saying when I was younger and this happened, okay, can I just tend to and befriend that?

     

    01:02:44.000 --> 01:02:50.000

    Sensation or that part of me and get to know it. There's lots of books on internal family systems.

     

    01:02:50.000 --> 01:02:55.000

    One of my favorites is by Tammy Saulenberger called the one inside.

     

    01:02:55.000 --> 01:03:01.000

    Tammy also has a podcast called The One Inside. And it's just a real.

     

    01:03:01.000 --> 01:03:08.000

    Tammy's book is written the way Tammy Talks, which is if you listen to her, she's hilarious, but I love how simple it is.

     

    01:03:08.000 --> 01:03:25.000

    That's how my brain works for concrete I just need scripts and things spelled out. And it is just this real beautiful way of saying like, oh, there's that part of you and that what I like to do after I befriend is Gosh, what do you need from me?

     

    01:03:25.000 --> 01:03:29.000

    Because for you backstop part and it's not what do you need? What do you need from now?

     

    01:03:29.000 --> 01:03:41.000

    What do you need from Lola? I know those parts need need us and oftentimes those parts don't actually know one who we are and 2 that we actually grow up and survived what we came from.

     

    01:03:41.000 --> 01:03:46.000

    So if we start with, it's like some nice parts will just say I just needed to say that.

     

    01:03:46.000 --> 01:03:53.000

    I just need to just say that I'm hurt and then you go. Oh, I don't feel that anymore.

     

    01:03:53.000 --> 01:04:03.000

    So it's like just it can be so simple. Right? Or it might be like I just need you like you might hear inside or get a sensation of like.

     

    01:04:03.000 --> 01:04:14.000

    Wow, I just need to actually take some alone time right now. You know, and it again, parts work I think can get kind of abstract for a lot of folks.

     

    01:04:14.000 --> 01:04:23.000

    I actually just wrote a chapter with my colleague Meg. Martinez did a Monte for the book, Meg, Martinez Dedamante for the book Altogether Us.

     

    01:04:23.000 --> 01:04:31.000

    It's a neuro-inclusive approach to to help people understand like there are ways that we can be curious about our parts.

     

    01:04:31.000 --> 01:04:42.000

    Even if it's just like drawing it out. Or listening to music and going like I'm a very tuned in music and I will have parts like Madonna, I was 12.

     

    01:04:42.000 --> 01:04:54.000

    I mean, I just think I was cleaning the bathroom at my parents house. I was 12 and borderline Madonna's song borderline came on and I remember it's like I just you know that connects me to those parts of me.

     

    01:04:54.000 --> 01:04:55.000

    Yeah, right. Not totally.

     

    01:04:55.000 --> 01:05:04.000

    Do you know what I mean? Or right? It's like, so I just wanna put that out there.

     

    01:05:04.000 --> 01:05:05.000

    Like.

     

    01:05:05.000 --> 01:05:09.000

    I mean, clearly we've talked for almost like an hour and a half today, which has just been so beautiful.

     

    01:05:09.000 --> 01:05:10.000

    Yeah, Yeah.

     

    01:05:10.000 --> 01:05:17.000

    Yeah, no, thank you. No need to make a face. But just some tips and tools that you know, if you listen to this again.

     

    01:05:17.000 --> 01:05:25.000

    Just some tips and tools for navigating what so many mixed neurotype couples, so many same neurotype couples.

     

    01:05:25.000 --> 01:05:37.000

    Are working through which is a change in an environment moving all these life stresses and you know, even like blended family, you know, an angry step kid.

     

    01:05:37.000 --> 01:05:47.000

    It's like. Thank you both. For being so vulnerable and candid with me and with our audience and also just allowing me to give you some tips and tools.

     

    01:05:47.000 --> 01:06:01.000

    We jokingly said this is gonna be a free therapy session. But what I love about the 2 of you is we can go here and I actually get a lot of positive feedback because of the the specific, this specific podcast.

     

    01:06:01.000 --> 01:06:10.000

    That the 3 of us do where it is just this. Conversation where it's like. People are gonna listen and go, wow, okay, this is normal.

     

    01:06:10.000 --> 01:06:26.000

    Oh my gosh, okay, I love what Nell said. I love how Beck said this. I love what Candice said and I also want to say give you to a shout out because I did a presentation last year and the podcast I took clips of your podcast to show clinicians.

     

    01:06:26.000 --> 01:06:32.000

    Did?

     

    01:06:32.000 --> 01:06:33.000

    Oh.

     

    01:06:33.000 --> 01:06:40.000

    I want you to listen to this mixed neurotype couple and really how badass they are communicating and really I mean so thank you truly for being such a beautiful example of relationships that work.

     

    01:06:40.000 --> 01:06:43.000

    Oh, thank you, Candice.

     

    01:06:43.000 --> 01:06:44.000

    My gosh

     

    01:06:44.000 --> 01:06:48.000

    And that can work. Thank you.

     

    01:06:48.000 --> 01:06:49.000

    Yeah, you're yeah. Yeah.

     

    01:06:49.000 --> 01:07:05.000

    You're doing great. Thank you so much. Well, thanks so much for giving us this opportunity because this is the thing like I feel seen because like now, a little bit to Seattle last week and then now, but.

     

    01:07:05.000 --> 01:07:06.000

    I've heard of it.

     

    01:07:06.000 --> 01:07:12.000

    No brought me back this book called spectrum and it was it was edited by do you know it it's essays by Sure.

     

    01:07:12.000 --> 01:07:18.000

    Oh, I love it.

     

    01:07:18.000 --> 01:07:19.000

    Love it.

     

    01:07:19.000 --> 01:07:30.000

    People, in their own words. And, And of course, then, you know, the first thing is I get sidetracked because the editor looks like our PA or doc, you know, provider.

     

    01:07:30.000 --> 01:07:37.000

    And I started talking about her because she's queer and whatever. Yeah. And I started talking about her because she's queer and whatever. And I don't know.

     

    01:07:37.000 --> 01:07:41.000

    Like, and, and I don't know. Like, everybody's like, oh, and Rebecca's got this big truck and blower and then I was like.

     

    01:07:41.000 --> 01:07:48.000

    Sweetheart, please seeking from you some acknowledgement of me that I got you this book. And the thing is, I actually feel really seen and really touched by this present.

     

    01:07:48.000 --> 01:07:56.000

    But then somehow I went off on this rabbit trail.

     

    01:07:56.000 --> 01:08:03.000

    So I do that too. I do that too. And I want you to know that. I do that too because that's how our brains work.

     

    01:08:03.000 --> 01:08:18.000

    And so my gentle, just gentle invitation is, can we not be hard on ourselves? We look at it as, oh wow, my brain went took me over here to this red truck story and wow, oh Nell's bringing me back.

     

    01:08:18.000 --> 01:08:20.000

    And just leave it at that. Just leave it at that. No shame.

     

    01:08:20.000 --> 01:08:28.000

    Yeah, no sign. 4 or 5 years. But again, you know, now be really hard to know. But again, you know, now be really hard to set.

     

    01:08:28.000 --> 01:08:35.000

    But yeah, I would, I would have left the room and gone and like set on the floor and g10 my god.

     

    01:08:35.000 --> 01:08:36.000

    Yes.

     

    01:08:36.000 --> 01:08:40.000

    Yes, yeah. But instead, but instead Nell said sweetheart, sweetheart, can you acknowledge and then my guess is you said, oh.

     

    01:08:40.000 --> 01:08:41.000

    Thank you so much.

     

    01:08:41.000 --> 01:08:46.000

    Yeah, what, no, no, actually said, oh, but this is such a meaningful gift to me.

     

    01:08:46.000 --> 01:08:47.000

    No.

     

    01:08:47.000 --> 01:09:04.000

    And I said, well, what you're doing doesn't express that to me. But also I can recognize in that moment but like I have to I have to know that Bix is always coming from that place is always coming from that place of appreciation of gratitude.

     

    01:09:04.000 --> 01:09:11.000

    Of love for me, you know, like instead of, cause my default sitting I don't know, maybe the way.

     

    01:09:11.000 --> 01:09:18.000

    I evolved in the world. My default setting is always that. Oh, that person doesn't give a shit.

     

    01:09:18.000 --> 01:09:19.000

    Yeah, so great awareness and again that maybe also Well, it's a story from a part of you.

     

    01:09:19.000 --> 01:09:23.000

    Yep. It's gone off for time.

     

    01:09:23.000 --> 01:09:30.000

    Oh, well, if Tatum's okay with it, we'll go for a few more minutes.

     

    01:09:30.000 --> 01:09:31.000

    I'm not hearing it. So yes, thumbs up. Okay, cool. Thumbs up.

     

    01:09:31.000 --> 01:09:35.000

    Yeah, sorry.

     

    01:09:35.000 --> 01:09:42.000

    Yeah, it's like so couple things, you know, even if you say now, you know, wow, it didn't feel that way.

     

    01:09:42.000 --> 01:09:48.000

    That's an opportunity for Bex to say, again, this is just resolution just resolving it.

     

    01:09:48.000 --> 01:09:52.000

    Wow, I'm sorry. Thank you for letting me know. Can we have a do over?

     

    01:09:52.000 --> 01:09:54.000

    We need the scripts. That's what we need. Yeah.

     

    01:09:54.000 --> 01:09:59.000

    That's why that's why this is recorded and you can listen to it a thousand times. Because Chris and I do that all the time.

     

    01:09:59.000 --> 01:10:08.000

    Where it's like. One of us, because it's not just me, right? Sometimes he'll blow it with communication.

     

    01:10:08.000 --> 01:10:20.000

    It's like we're human. Humans, there's no right way to communicate truly.

     

    01:10:20.000 --> 01:10:21.000

    Yeah.

     

    01:10:21.000 --> 01:10:25.000

    So sometimes he'll just you know I'll say wow that was really impactful and he'll say can we have a do over yes let's have a do over let's do it again So we just start over and then it's like we move on from it.

     

    01:10:25.000 --> 01:10:37.000

    Right.

     

    01:10:37.000 --> 01:10:38.000

    Yeah, yeah.

     

    01:10:38.000 --> 01:10:40.000

    Yep. And, and this, and this is the place where I actually do think it was really good that I was you know, went through the evaluation for autism and you know, some answers as to why.

     

    01:10:40.000 --> 01:10:43.000

    Well, no, yeah. Yes.

     

    01:10:43.000 --> 01:10:57.000

    I mean, and you know, I just, I what I love about this journey that we're on is I love seeing Bex evolve into their authentic autistic self.

     

    01:10:57.000 --> 01:11:06.000

    I love seeing Bex evolve into the authentic autistic self. Like they sit in the kitchen now and they'll rock back and forth on the chair, which when they first started doing the rocking, That's quite hard, but now I'm just like.

     

    01:11:06.000 --> 01:11:09.000

    It's like seeing them speak their own language. Like their indigenous language, you know, it's

     

    01:11:09.000 --> 01:11:27.000

    Yes. Oh, I love how you just said that because so my my partner Chris is and Lakota, Hawaiian and Japanese, indigenous and when we do ceremony, what I've noticed lately is he started doing this.

     

    01:11:27.000 --> 01:11:31.000

    And what he's doing when he's doing this is actually channeling. And so I love that you just brought that in.

     

    01:11:31.000 --> 01:11:34.000

    Right.

     

    01:11:34.000 --> 01:11:36.000

    It is a language, right? It is a way that we communicate it's a way that we're tuning in.

     

    01:11:36.000 --> 01:11:55.000

    It's to our bodies it's a way that we're calming ourselves so It's just again you're both evolving and how cool is it that we talked like a year ago over a year ago and look where you're still evolving.

     

    01:11:55.000 --> 01:12:03.000

    This one is just in the books, huge success. This will always be out there. You too are fantastic, fabulous.

     

    01:12:03.000 --> 01:12:14.000

    You're close to us. So we really need to just connect. Offline. Yeah, we just need to, yeah, thank you both really truly.

     

    01:12:14.000 --> 01:12:15.000

    Oh. Dido. Oh, thanks. Yeah.

     

    01:12:15.000 --> 01:12:24.000

    Yeah. Thank you so much. You are amazing. My gosh.

     

    01:12:24.000 --> 01:12:25.000

    Wow.

     

    01:12:25.000 --> 01:12:29.000

    Yeah, thank you both. And yeah, my gosh, this is probably the longest one we've done, which is good.

     

    01:12:29.000 --> 01:12:34.000

    Yeah.

     

    01:12:34.000 --> 01:12:35.000

    Thank you so much.

     

    01:12:35.000 --> 01:12:43.000

    Necessary. Necessary. Yeah, yeah, I have a dear friend that listens to every single one and I guarantee this one they're going to say.

     

    01:12:43.000 --> 01:12:44.000

    Oh.

     

    01:12:44.000 --> 01:12:49.000

    That's amazing! So I'll let you know, but. Thank you both. And yeah.

     

    01:12:49.000 --> 01:12:51.000

    Thank you, Ken. As well.

     

    01:12:51.000 --> 01:12:58.000

    Yeah, yeah, thank you both and I just wanna say to our audience and our listeners, I say this all the time.

     

    01:12:58.000 --> 01:13:06.000

    You are a love. Love is the medicine. And love heals. And so can we have more love?

     

    01:13:06.000 --> 01:13:16.000

    For ourselves and for those around if we can we can heal each other and Gaia and Gaia is in desperate need of that.

     

    01:13:16.000 --> 01:13:22.000

    So, just have a most beautiful day, everyone, until next time. Bye.

     

    Season 3 | Episode #7: Bex & Nel

    Season 3 | Episode #7: Bex & Nel

    Nel and Bex are back to update us on life since their international move to Montana! While there have been a fair number of logistical and familial struggles, they describe how the relationship has actually strengthened throughout the big transition. Candice guides us through what feels like a live therapy session in which they cover blended families, cohabiting with teenagers, sex, clashing neurodifferences, and the beauty in simply getting curious about the different parts of ourselves.

    Bex LinkedIn

    Bex IG: @bexcanner

    YouTube Video

    Closed Captions

    Closed Captions for Season 3 | Episode #6: Renee Rosales

    Closed Captions for Season 3 | Episode #6: Renee Rosales

    WEBVTT

     

    00:00:03.000 --> 00:00:09.000

    Hi everybody, welcome to season 3 episode 60 my gosh, what a morning it's been.

     

    00:00:09.000 --> 00:00:21.000

    I've got my tissue. I have a little bit of a bloody nose. So if we see the blood, we're just gonna roll with it as we're interviewing today, our amazing, beautiful.

     

    00:00:21.000 --> 00:00:29.000

    Guests, I'm so excited to have you on, but it's just Behind the scenes, you know, as being human, I just like to share that it's not always perfect.

     

    00:00:29.000 --> 00:00:38.000

    It's not always like social media, right? So, and I've, I've gotten into this pattern.

     

    00:00:38.000 --> 00:00:44.000

    What am I saying? That's not even true. I have a autistic ADHD break.

     

    00:00:44.000 --> 00:00:56.000

    So my ADHD brain likes to do a hundred things before my appointment, my podcast. So just so everyone knows, I literally was running around like how many things can I squeeze them before I get on?

     

    00:00:56.000 --> 00:01:08.000

    And then bloody nose slowed me down. So here I am. I just want to welcome to our podcast the most beautiful human Renee Renee.

     

    00:01:08.000 --> 00:01:09.000

    Grizzales, Rosales.

     

    00:01:09.000 --> 00:01:10.000

    How do you say your last name? I don't want to. Hey, okay, Renee.

     

    00:01:10.000 --> 00:01:18.000

    And I've got to just touch up the bloody nose everybody. So I'm just gonna brag about you and then we're gonna get rolling.

     

    00:01:18.000 --> 00:01:19.000

    Sounds great.

     

    00:01:19.000 --> 00:01:27.000

    Okay, so Renee as a mother educator advocate and transformational leader. Yes, she is.

     

    00:01:27.000 --> 00:01:42.000

    Has set out to build a better way for the neuro, diversion or neuro different. Humans in the world as as an innovator she is the co-founder of 2 of the first virtual schools in Arizona.

     

    00:01:42.000 --> 00:01:49.000

    So that's where our podcast producer who's amazing. Tatum is located and the founder of Sierra, is that right?

     

    00:01:49.000 --> 00:01:51.000

    How you say it? Tierra, okay! Hey.

     

    00:01:51.000 --> 00:02:00.000

    We call it CR. And there's a story behind the name, but yeah, it's a different kind of I put 2 words Yeah.

     

    00:02:00.000 --> 00:02:04.000

    They are, so I definitely want to hear about that. So it's a business designed to support the neuro different from cradle to grace.

     

    00:02:04.000 --> 00:02:22.000

    How gorgeous is that. As a visionary Renee has always sought to make the intangible, tangible love it, creating connections and building bridges in relationships that positively transform all aspects of love.

     

    00:02:22.000 --> 00:02:33.000

    Renee has dedicated her life's work to helping the neuro distinct established belonging and connection.

     

    00:02:33.000 --> 00:02:34.000

    Hi everybody!

     

    00:02:34.000 --> 00:02:36.000

    So great to be here. Thank you for the wonderful introduction.

     

    00:02:36.000 --> 00:02:46.000

    So great to have you. Well, yeah, I just let's start with the, tell the world about where that beautiful name came from.

     

    00:02:46.000 --> 00:03:05.000

    So, I'm a, I'm a creative writer and I have always kind of written stories on the side and the heroin in the story essentially her name was Ara and I actually didn't name her that it was Arabella but I only called her Ara ever in the story so I looked it

     

    00:03:05.000 --> 00:03:26.000

    up and our means table of offerings. And so, Fiara, I put together the, this is my table of offerings to everything I've learned as an neurodivergent myself as the parent of neurodivergent children's as an educator.

     

    00:03:26.000 --> 00:03:27.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:03:27.000 --> 00:03:30.000

    I wanted to lay it all. You know, out there for parents and help guide them through. Then they're all diverse journey.

     

    00:03:30.000 --> 00:03:31.000

    No, no.

     

    00:03:31.000 --> 00:03:33.000

    It's not an easy one all the time and it's rot with a lot of negative stigma.

     

    00:03:33.000 --> 00:03:51.000

    We struggle with those microaggressions every day. All the time. And I was listening to you talk to to your podcast with Ally Dearborn talking about removing the D's.

     

    00:03:51.000 --> 00:03:52.000

    Oh.

     

    00:03:52.000 --> 00:03:54.000

    And that's been such a big part of why I'm doing what I'm doing. Like we don't need to be calling these things deficits, disorders.

     

    00:03:54.000 --> 00:04:06.000

    I mean, they are neurological differences that should be celebrated because it's the neural divergence of the world that are likely going to solve a lot of the major problems of our future.

     

    00:04:06.000 --> 00:04:17.000

    Because we think differently and the neurotypical brain doesn't have all that insight. It's and it's different perspective that I think everybody should learn to appreciate in a different way.

     

    00:04:17.000 --> 00:04:22.000

    Well, I agree. And I love that it's a table of offerings and this is your table of offerings.

     

    00:04:22.000 --> 00:04:23.000

    Yes.

     

    00:04:23.000 --> 00:04:39.000

    So let's start with a lot of times when adults have neuro different children. They'll take them in for instance to an assessment or and then perhaps the assessor says to the parent, hey.

     

    00:04:39.000 --> 00:04:44.000

    Do you wonder if you are? So I'm curious if that was your journey.

     

    00:04:44.000 --> 00:04:45.000

    Okay.

     

    00:04:45.000 --> 00:04:53.000

    My journey was a little different. So I grew up in a household. My grandfather started accounting center years ago.

     

    00:04:53.000 --> 00:05:08.000

    Our family was very intimately involved at the center for much my upbringing, although not therapists, we were, I mean it was the language that I grew up in.

     

    00:05:08.000 --> 00:05:09.000

    Hmm.

     

    00:05:09.000 --> 00:05:14.000

    And I also started therapy. At the age of 12 because it was like right there available to me. And I, but I wasn't diagnosed.

     

    00:05:14.000 --> 00:05:28.000

    With ADHD and I know now that I also am probably autistic as well. But I was never, I have never been officially a diagnosed autistic.

     

    00:05:28.000 --> 00:05:29.000

    Hmm. Hmm.

     

    00:05:29.000 --> 00:05:38.000

    Although my mother is autistic and I wasn't diagnosed with eighty-HD until 29 and honestly I had masked and I had gotten by.

     

    00:05:38.000 --> 00:05:39.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:05:39.000 --> 00:05:51.000

    And I had done well in school and let my ADHD work for me and really kind of just was dismissive of it.

     

    00:05:51.000 --> 00:05:52.000

    Hmm.

     

    00:05:52.000 --> 00:06:01.000

    Until my son was, we started recognizing differences in him. And my older boy, I have 3, 3 boys, my and a daughter and my older boy he presented with those issues.

     

    00:06:01.000 --> 00:06:04.000

    Hmm.

     

    00:06:04.000 --> 00:06:05.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:06:05.000 --> 00:06:16.000

    With the ADHD issues, but I like we were already dealing with it. When my second son was born, he Didn't talk there were developmental delays and I took him in right away.

     

    00:06:16.000 --> 00:06:17.000

    Hmm.

     

    00:06:17.000 --> 00:06:26.000

    I was an early talker. My other son didn't have any speech issues. And, I was recognizing these issues when he was like 2.

     

    00:06:26.000 --> 00:06:27.000

    Oh.

     

    00:06:27.000 --> 00:06:35.000

    And so the pediatrician was pretty dismissive. I went and took him to the nearby university, had him evaluated there.

     

    00:06:35.000 --> 00:06:42.000

    Hmm.

     

    00:06:42.000 --> 00:06:43.000

    Oh.

     

    00:06:43.000 --> 00:06:48.000

    And it turned out that he had childhood a proxy of speech. And he didn't he didn't talk in an intelligible way until he was almost 4 and we began the journey then and as his neurodiversity began to unfold.

     

    00:06:48.000 --> 00:06:54.000

    You know, he's dyslexic. I, I believe he's also on the spectrum, but that's not his primary diagnosis.

     

    00:06:54.000 --> 00:06:55.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:06:55.000 --> 00:07:02.000

    And, I started to recognize and begin to really more embrace my own neurodiversity.

     

    00:07:02.000 --> 00:07:08.000

    And then I was dealing with it every day academically because I was directing an online school. An online school is a nontraditional environment.

     

    00:07:08.000 --> 00:07:14.000

    Hmm. Hmm.

     

    00:07:14.000 --> 00:07:15.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:07:15.000 --> 00:07:24.000

    So I was seeing a lot of these kids that were that were neuro-diversity and they they wanted that environment because they were having such a difficult time and a larger.

     

    00:07:24.000 --> 00:07:25.000

    Yes.

     

    00:07:25.000 --> 00:07:28.000

    Grop, a more typical individuals. So that let me down this road and I started there and then my relationship, cause this is the sexiest podcast.

     

    00:07:28.000 --> 00:07:33.000

    So I want to talk things to actually with you.

     

    00:07:33.000 --> 00:07:39.000

    Oh my gosh, good. Good. I'm so glad.

     

    00:07:39.000 --> 00:07:40.000

    Oh yeah, now.

     

    00:07:40.000 --> 00:07:47.000

    Yeah, no, I don't wanna just dive into the parenting journey, but it's what got me there because my husband, was also, he's also, dyslexic as well.

     

    00:07:47.000 --> 00:07:54.000

    Okay.

     

    00:07:54.000 --> 00:07:55.000

    Hmm.

     

    00:07:55.000 --> 00:08:01.000

    And we were in this mixed neurodiverse relationship and as things began opening up with my sun, things began shifting in my marriage.

     

    00:08:01.000 --> 00:08:12.000

    Hmm.

     

    00:08:12.000 --> 00:08:13.000

    Awesome.

     

    00:08:13.000 --> 00:08:27.000

    And we began becoming more aware of how much our neurodiversity was impacting. Our relationship and started really embracing it and a whole new way and that's kind of where everything it began to really positively shift and transform although I must say it wasn't always easy.

     

    00:08:27.000 --> 00:08:28.000

    Yes.

     

    00:08:28.000 --> 00:08:35.000

    I mean we hit roadblocks. I listened to another podcast where you were on with Chris and you guys were talking about practicing pause and we had to learn to do that because I think you and I are liking that when he would just walk away and.

     

    00:08:35.000 --> 00:08:36.000

    Hmm.

     

    00:08:36.000 --> 00:08:56.000

    I would panic inside, you know, I'm like, what are you doing? You don't care, you know, and all of that stuff was coming up and now we've learned to communicate it in a loving way.

     

    00:08:56.000 --> 00:08:57.000

    Good.

     

    00:08:57.000 --> 00:09:02.000

    I need, you know, a break. We both do it when I get dysregulated and I'll request the pause too and I always try to think of I use acronyms to guide my brain through things.

     

    00:09:02.000 --> 00:09:03.000

    Oh good.

     

    00:09:03.000 --> 00:09:07.000

    So I use my piece acronym to kind of help me. Move through the process.

     

    00:09:07.000 --> 00:09:14.000

    I love that. Holy cow, there's so much to unpack. Tell everybody what your peace acronym is.

     

    00:09:14.000 --> 00:09:19.000

    It's practice exercising amicable calm engagement.

     

    00:09:19.000 --> 00:09:22.000

    What?

     

    00:09:22.000 --> 00:09:40.000

    I have to write this down.

     

    00:09:40.000 --> 00:09:41.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:09:41.000 --> 00:09:44.000

    So I just go there and like, how can I get to that place of calm, whether I need to go do some mindfulness, some deep breathing, go on a walk, whatever I need to do to get into my body, know that like my body is already telling me because you feel all that stuff and it's much more dramatic

     

    00:09:44.000 --> 00:09:49.000

    with your love relationships. Because they're what matter to you most, you know, and what caused the most pain for us a lot of times.

     

    00:09:49.000 --> 00:09:53.000

    Yes. Yes.

     

    00:09:53.000 --> 00:10:01.000

    And so. You know, you're not gonna get anything accomplished when you're playing that tennis ball back and forth with each other.

     

    00:10:01.000 --> 00:10:02.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:10:02.000 --> 00:10:09.000

    You know, so I, the calm and it's been such a transformational thing for. Anthony and I.

     

    00:10:09.000 --> 00:10:10.000

    So.

     

    00:10:10.000 --> 00:10:23.000

    Yep. Oh my gosh, you've said so much. So first I just wanna acknowledge that. There's so many of us in the neurodiversity movement who are committed to changing the dialogue that is going on in schools.

     

    00:10:23.000 --> 00:10:24.000

    Yes.

     

    00:10:24.000 --> 00:10:42.000

    Teachers and then medical professionals and mental health therapists because The roadblocks are so detrimental to not only our neuro different children.

     

    00:10:42.000 --> 00:10:43.000

    Yes.

     

    00:10:43.000 --> 00:10:44.000

    But also us as adults and especially being females. We go under the radar so for so long and then are constantly misdiagnosed.

     

    00:10:44.000 --> 00:10:57.000

    We are exhausted, right? Like I started early too, completely misdiagnosed, have had the worst most horrific things said to me by clinicians and so yeah that needs to change.

     

    00:10:57.000 --> 00:10:59.000

    Yes. Absolutely.

     

    00:10:59.000 --> 00:11:07.000

    So kudos to you. Goodos to you for being an advocate, not just for your kids, but also for you.

     

    00:11:07.000 --> 00:11:08.000

    Yes.

     

    00:11:08.000 --> 00:11:12.000

    And your relationship, right? Because it just has to change. So I just really want to salute you.

     

    00:11:12.000 --> 00:11:23.000

    I also want to repeat your acronym so that everyone hears that. Because we literally we live in a world that is too loud.

     

    00:11:23.000 --> 00:11:45.000

    Too bright. There's too many people and it's too much. It's too much for human nature and it's too much for those of us that are neuro different.

     

    00:11:45.000 --> 00:11:46.000

    Yes.

     

    00:11:46.000 --> 00:11:50.000

    Who feel everyone's energy. Which medical providers and mental health professionals need to know the number. One thing that is our issue is that we it's too much energetically, then let's add on all the sensory stuff.

     

    00:11:50.000 --> 00:12:02.000

    So piece is this practice. Exercising. Which could mean like what would you say like friendly Kind. I love that.

     

    00:12:02.000 --> 00:12:03.000

    I love, I love it.

     

    00:12:03.000 --> 00:12:06.000

    Just kind, you know, when you look, I'm a word lady, so it essentially means kind.

     

    00:12:06.000 --> 00:12:07.000

    Calm.

     

    00:12:07.000 --> 00:12:14.000

    I love it. I love it. So practice exercising a mickable or kind calm engagement and how we get there.

     

    00:12:14.000 --> 00:12:22.000

    And I love that you talked about this about you and Anthony is we gotta do just kind of let me step back for a minute.

     

    00:12:22.000 --> 00:12:41.000

    Let me pause. I've talked about that so much. Let me just see what's going on inside because there's 4 types of empathy and what you described, which again for so many of us that are neuro different is somatic empathy where we feel physically so strongly.

     

    00:12:41.000 --> 00:12:50.000

    Other people on what's going on, even if we can't acknowledge it, that just that alone can lead us into a meltdown, which is not a tantrum.

     

    00:12:50.000 --> 00:12:55.000

    It's not a tantrum. It's a valid way of just kind of our system going on overdrive.

     

    00:12:55.000 --> 00:12:59.000

    Or shutting down from the world where we withdraw. So this is just beautiful. It's just beautiful.

     

    00:12:59.000 --> 00:13:11.000

    Alright. Hmm. It's been so, I mean, I can't tell you when I, because I left the public school system.

     

    00:13:11.000 --> 00:13:12.000

    Wow.

     

    00:13:12.000 --> 00:13:17.000

    I had had a 25 year career there. I was doing really well. There was absolutely no reason for me to leave.

     

    00:13:17.000 --> 00:13:29.000

    I got us through COVID and I said. I'm done because what happened really My youngest son, we took in after his.

     

    00:13:29.000 --> 00:13:30.000

    Wow.

     

    00:13:30.000 --> 00:13:33.000

    His father got gravely ill. He since passed. And, so I, we have permanent kinship guardianship of our youngest boy.

     

    00:13:33.000 --> 00:13:39.000

    Wow.

     

    00:13:39.000 --> 00:13:40.000

    Hmm.

     

    00:13:40.000 --> 00:14:00.000

    And he had been going through all this trauma and I was taking trauma and formed care parenting classes when we were going through that.

     

    00:14:00.000 --> 00:14:01.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:14:01.000 --> 00:14:08.000

    And I realized as neurodivergence the intersection of that trauma because the trauma that I had experienced as a young person related to my nerd diversity and what my son was experiencing was equally intense as what my other son was experiencing all the very different reasons why we were experiencing in this trauma and And we don't have to live in a world that way.

     

    00:14:08.000 --> 00:14:14.000

    It's, you know, I talk about the ABCs, be aware, be brave, be curious.

     

    00:14:14.000 --> 00:14:15.000

    Hmm. Yeah.

     

    00:14:15.000 --> 00:14:24.000

    That's how we should lead neuro inclusion in my, you know, in. And that's the way I've since I started and I left I that's been my whole focus.

     

    00:14:24.000 --> 00:14:32.000

    Let's. Teach everyone I can the ABCs and create a more inclusive environment we need to lead with curiosity when we're with other people.

     

    00:14:32.000 --> 00:14:48.000

    Oh my gosh. You are speaking my language. So I'm an IFS therapist. I'm also an EMDR certified therapist and we know my expertise is also in section relationships.

     

    00:14:48.000 --> 00:14:56.000

    I love that you just said be aware, be brave, be curious because as far as internal family systems model goes.

     

    00:14:56.000 --> 00:15:01.000

    Those like if I can just be aware in terms of getting clarity. So this is what we talk about in terms of internal family systems.

     

    00:15:01.000 --> 00:15:12.000

    I know I have more self energy on board, meaning I'm more mindful, right? If I have more clarity in this space, bravery is courage.

     

    00:15:12.000 --> 00:15:17.000

    And I can be curious. Right? Take out the judgment. We get so much farther.

     

    00:15:17.000 --> 00:15:26.000

    Yes. Yeah, so much more time, so much more done. Yeah, just lead with the ABCs.

     

    00:15:26.000 --> 00:15:27.000

    I love it.

     

    00:15:27.000 --> 00:15:28.000

    That's, you know, that's everything I'm doing at Thiera is about that and I've tried to integrate because it's about education.

     

    00:15:28.000 --> 00:15:40.000

    It's a different world, but I tried to integrate everything I knew about behavioral science, CBT, family systems, all of that.

     

    00:15:40.000 --> 00:15:48.000

    I love it.

     

    00:15:48.000 --> 00:15:49.000

    Love it.

     

    00:15:49.000 --> 00:16:00.000

    Into the classes so people could have access that maybe can't afford therapy or can't go in so they go through the courses and there's just little tidbits to kind of give them an introduction to guide them through the journey, whether they have kids that are pre K or kids that are in school or they're at work, you know.

     

    00:16:00.000 --> 00:16:09.000

    I have it for the workplace. So it's But it's completely transformed my own personal life.

     

    00:16:09.000 --> 00:16:10.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:16:10.000 --> 00:16:16.000

    So regardless of What all happen with it moving forward, it's moved our whole family forward. My friendships forward, everything about what I do forward.

     

    00:16:16.000 --> 00:16:22.000

    Love it.

     

    00:16:22.000 --> 00:16:23.000

    Yes!

     

    00:16:23.000 --> 00:16:32.000

    And definitely the sexy forward in my life. I will say that because I don't think it's ever been, felt closer, felt like I could more easily, intimately engage with my husband than I do now.

     

    00:16:32.000 --> 00:16:40.000

    And it's. It's And it's not because it's been easy for us because we've gone through some really tough stuff in the last few years, but the work.

     

    00:16:40.000 --> 00:16:49.000

    That was done through that through the ABCs really is what got us there so I mean What happens?

     

    00:16:49.000 --> 00:16:55.000

    I love that. Let's talk about that. So let's talk about some of the struggles in your relationship.

     

    00:16:55.000 --> 00:17:08.000

    And then some of like what you what you found like you said the ABC's and then I also want to if we have time just to talk about sexual sensory experience.

     

    00:17:08.000 --> 00:17:09.000

    Oh,

     

    00:17:09.000 --> 00:17:17.000

    If you're if you're okay with that. But let's talk about some of those struggles, you know, as you 2 are figuring out your brains because mixed neurotype couples, holy cow.

     

    00:17:17.000 --> 00:17:20.000

    You're right. It is, it's not easy. It's not easy.

     

    00:17:20.000 --> 00:17:30.000

    Hmm. No, and I remember I mean I listened it wasn't it's a podcast from forever ago and I don't know who it was.

     

    00:17:30.000 --> 00:17:36.000

    I can't remember who was talking, but it was a mixed neural diverse couple and the one individual was it was a dyslexia related podcast.

     

    00:17:36.000 --> 00:17:53.000

    The one individual was dyslexic and they were talking about it's a processing disorder. So literally they described it as, you know, I the wife was saying I have a speed way, you know, he's still on dial up connection.

     

    00:17:53.000 --> 00:18:04.000

    Hmm.

     

    00:18:04.000 --> 00:18:05.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:18:05.000 --> 00:18:11.000

    If, if you do it in relationship to the internet. Like, and I have always said for me with ADHD, I feel like I'm a satellite dish and he's like a little tiny funnel, you know, like so the information and I didn't realize that My, you know, the way I talked to him a

     

    00:18:11.000 --> 00:18:18.000

    lot of times felt like shot like a shotgun. He described it one time in our own therapy as like, you're like a machine gun to me.

     

    00:18:18.000 --> 00:18:29.000

    I just can't. Handle it and I wasn't not even one where I was talking to him in an unkind way just literally managing the amount of words that come out.

     

    00:18:29.000 --> 00:18:35.000

    So we spent years in therapy talking just about, okay, Rene, you're gonna talk less.

     

    00:18:35.000 --> 00:18:42.000

    Anthony, you're supposed to come up with more words, you know, like, and now we're in a completely different phase.

     

    00:18:42.000 --> 00:19:01.000

    We got through that because I started realizing, okay, I've got it, dial it back and just understanding that I needed to be really more succinct in my language and communication and careful about what I said to be productive.

     

    00:19:01.000 --> 00:19:02.000

    Hmm.

     

    00:19:02.000 --> 00:19:09.000

    And then we started more recently using visuals. And so it sounds kind of silly, but we literally have a behavior chart on the wall in our bathroom because it's we're there every morning.

     

    00:19:09.000 --> 00:19:14.000

    It's a whiteboard and there's 3 things that we choose each month to focus on that the other person needs.

     

    00:19:14.000 --> 00:19:17.000

    Love it.

     

    00:19:17.000 --> 00:19:23.000

    And then for every day that they do it and offer to us, we give each other a heart on the, and it's.

     

    00:19:23.000 --> 00:19:34.000

    Such a visual thing and I kind of I came up the with the idea because we were using it with our youngest son and I'm like, well, this might help us, you know, so and when you see, oh, he's worked that hard for me.

     

    00:19:34.000 --> 00:19:49.000

    I may not like feel like we're connecting all that, but he's been trying all week long and he sees that I've been trying and we added the hearts and we look at them every week and it I mean it's made such a huge difference.

     

    00:19:49.000 --> 00:19:58.000

    And we both felt really juvenile. Starting it, but it's a visual and it's It has huge impact.

     

    00:19:58.000 --> 00:20:11.000

    Well, and let's, I mean, that's the reality is for visual learners, especially because we don't all learn the you know, so you and I are so much alike and I do think that neuro different females Do have different ways of presentation for sure than neuro different males.

     

    00:20:11.000 --> 00:20:27.000

    One of them is what you're describing where for a lot of us, and I'm not going to say all of us because there are some autistic 88 she females who are quieter, right?

     

    00:20:27.000 --> 00:20:51.000

    And there's also a lot of us that are processing at 100 miles an hour. And there is like this shotgun and when we are excited it feels way intense so then it feels traumatic to our non-neuro different partner, especially like for Chris and I Chris has PTSD so it's like if

     

    00:20:51.000 --> 00:20:52.000

    Hmm.

     

    00:20:52.000 --> 00:20:54.000

    I'm with information, he goes into it doesn't matter if it's positive, it's just like you described, right?

     

    00:20:54.000 --> 00:21:02.000

    So I love how you said just you had to kind of dial it back and it doesn't mean you got a change because that's a deficit.

     

    00:21:02.000 --> 00:21:10.000

    No, it's just, yeah, it's just. It's working together. Go ahead.

     

    00:21:10.000 --> 00:21:11.000

    Yeah, yeah.

     

    00:21:11.000 --> 00:21:28.000

    Yes, no, I just you just sparked something in my mind. This is one thing big that I do that because you know we talk a lot about masking and I kept turning it around in my head because there were so many times that masking had worked for me.

     

    00:21:28.000 --> 00:21:29.000

    Yes. Yeah.

     

    00:21:29.000 --> 00:21:38.000

    It was hard for me to see it as something negative that I shouldn't necessarily be doing. And I saw then I something clicked in my head.

     

    00:21:38.000 --> 00:21:46.000

    That editing your behavior is good. And I made up an an acronym for Edit to help lead me.

     

    00:21:46.000 --> 00:21:54.000

    But editing is different from masking. Masking is hiding. Going in the closet, I wear my ADHD like a badge of honor.

     

    00:21:54.000 --> 00:21:59.000

    You know, I, I think it's a great thing that I was wired neurologically different.

     

    00:21:59.000 --> 00:22:11.000

    I value that about myself. It's helped me in many many ways. But I do need to efficiently direct my impulses and temptations.

     

    00:22:11.000 --> 00:22:20.000

    Because if I don't learn to efficiently direct those impulses and temptations, then that can lead me down into a very negative spiral.

     

    00:22:20.000 --> 00:22:27.000

    I mean in the past, I haven't necessarily struggled with addiction, but I have struggled with eating disorder, things that are common for an urgent female.

     

    00:22:27.000 --> 00:22:29.000

    Very common. Yep.

     

    00:22:29.000 --> 00:22:33.000

    And you know, I know you talked about with Allie Dearborn, you know, the, the borderline diagnosis.

     

    00:22:33.000 --> 00:22:36.000

    Hmm.

     

    00:22:36.000 --> 00:22:56.000

    I've You know, I haven't actually experienced that myself, but my daughter has my stepdaughter and I think it was a misdiagnosis because she's also neurodiversity.

     

    00:22:56.000 --> 00:22:57.000

    Yes.

     

    00:22:57.000 --> 00:23:10.000

    Those things can be completely debilitating. And that's when we go into that mask zone, but part of it's because we're not really aware people need to be more aware of the neuro different brain.

     

    00:23:10.000 --> 00:23:11.000

    Yeah. Yeah.

     

    00:23:11.000 --> 00:23:17.000

    What the neurodistinct individual looks like, how we operate, we have to change the, the where we're educating people about these things because There's not I mean I said in therapy from 12 and didn't wasn't diagnosed so I was 29.

     

    00:23:17.000 --> 00:23:20.000

    I I wish I had known if someone had told me oh yeah your your ADHD, you're probably a verbal processor.

     

    00:23:20.000 --> 00:23:27.000

    A huge piece of information I would have loved to know.

     

    00:23:27.000 --> 00:23:36.000

    Yes. No, I love the editing, efficient, direct, efficiently direct impulses and temptations.

     

    00:23:36.000 --> 00:23:37.000

    Yes.

     

    00:23:37.000 --> 00:23:42.000

    Is that right? Okay, so I want to just also get back to the visual learning because I love that.

     

    00:23:42.000 --> 00:23:53.000

    I'm probably gonna go to a craft store this weekend because here's the thing what you're talking about is what the Gottman, so Gottman therapy, I mean they've been around, you know, all the literature, 40 years, will come on.

     

    00:23:53.000 --> 00:23:55.000

    It's been like, it's like 50 plus. But they talk about focusing on the positive.

     

    00:23:55.000 --> 00:24:12.000

    And Chris and I will get into this rut where life gets busy. And so then all we're doing is we're just nit picking at each other and that can be really easy in couple ships.

     

    00:24:12.000 --> 00:24:23.000

    And so what we've started to do is make a conscious effort throughout the day of just getting back into those positive words throughout the day of just getting back into those positive words of affirmation.

     

    00:24:23.000 --> 00:24:24.000

    Hi.

     

    00:24:24.000 --> 00:24:31.000

    And then at the end of the day we do a review but I love that you have this is where my raspy singer voice comes in.

     

    00:24:31.000 --> 00:24:32.000

    I'll have that too, so no worries.

     

    00:24:32.000 --> 00:24:36.000

    So we just roll with it during the podcast. But I know, it just comes in and then I'm a singer.

     

    00:24:36.000 --> 00:24:43.000

    So the visual I think is really key because I know I have rejection sensitivity. And I can easily forget.

     

    00:24:43.000 --> 00:24:50.000

    Hmm. Yeah.

     

    00:24:50.000 --> 00:24:51.000

    Thank you.

     

    00:24:51.000 --> 00:24:55.000

    Yeah, and just focus on like, okay, I get that he did this nice, but right? So I love that you could just see like no look at these beautiful things.

     

    00:24:55.000 --> 00:25:00.000

    Okay, that causes me to pop. So I just really want want to say that because We need more of that in relationship.

     

    00:25:00.000 --> 00:25:11.000

    I get So many people that call that reach out. My partner is neuro divergent or my partner is autistic.

     

    00:25:11.000 --> 00:25:19.000

    My partner is ADHD. Can you help him? Often times it's a female partner with a male, right?

     

    00:25:19.000 --> 00:25:20.000

    Alright.

     

    00:25:20.000 --> 00:25:26.000

    Neuro diversion. We're seeing more females and Can you help him so that he communicates the way I need him to?

     

    00:25:26.000 --> 00:25:33.000

    He can, he shows the empathy that I need. It's very dismissive. It's very deficit based.

     

    00:25:33.000 --> 00:25:47.000

    And so Chris and I and you're doing this too, which is beautiful. It's like, so we do a lot of educating around, hey, first of all, let's take out those Ds.

     

    00:25:47.000 --> 00:25:48.000

    Right, right.

     

    00:25:48.000 --> 00:25:55.000

    Let's take out. Now I'm not saying take out the word diagnosis but I do I do want us to take out disorder it's not a mental illness, it's not.

     

    00:25:55.000 --> 00:25:56.000

    And let's take out deficit. Now that's even controversial, Renee in in our autism community.

     

    00:25:56.000 --> 00:26:01.000

    Yeah. Yes. I know.

     

    00:26:01.000 --> 00:26:13.000

    I mean it is like I get people that get pissed off at me and I respect that I get it who are autistic that will say but I really struggle and struggled growing up I did have deficits.

     

    00:26:13.000 --> 00:26:23.000

    I did have difficulties. So I get it. I respect each person's individual experience. That's not what I am fighting for.

     

    00:26:23.000 --> 00:26:24.000

    Alright.

     

    00:26:24.000 --> 00:26:32.000

    What I am fighting for and it is a fight, it just is because we're up against the not the neural majority that is truly thinks their way is the right way.

     

    00:26:32.000 --> 00:26:44.000

    What I'm fighting for is If we can get people, not just medical and mental health providers, But schools and then the non neuro different partners.

     

    00:26:44.000 --> 00:26:45.000

    Okay.

     

    00:26:45.000 --> 00:26:50.000

    And parents, if we can just get everyone to go, this is just a different way. Yeah, they're struggling.

     

    00:26:50.000 --> 00:26:56.000

    Yes.

     

    00:26:56.000 --> 00:26:57.000

    Okay.

     

    00:26:57.000 --> 00:27:00.000

    They're struggling. But instead of me going And I'm gonna swear here. I, you know, I've heard people literally say they're fucked.

     

    00:27:00.000 --> 00:27:01.000

    Oh, no, I hear you.

     

    00:27:01.000 --> 00:27:09.000

    Whether it's my partner, my kid, they're absolutely fine. Now that is not going to help your partner or your child.

     

    00:27:09.000 --> 00:27:10.000

    No.

     

    00:27:10.000 --> 00:27:14.000

    Believe that it's going to hard that they feel your energy. They know you feel that way about them.

     

    00:27:14.000 --> 00:27:15.000

    Yes.

     

    00:27:15.000 --> 00:27:25.000

    I say that was so much compassion. I if there's blowback to me, I'm sending everyone so much love and compassion because I don't intend to offend anyone.

     

    00:27:25.000 --> 00:27:37.000

    I'm literally saying what I hear and why I'm fighting for a change in the terminology, just like so many of us are is because that causes harm.

     

    00:27:37.000 --> 00:27:41.000

    Yes, and people don't you said it in another podcast The intention doesn't equal impact.

     

    00:27:41.000 --> 00:27:46.000

    I did. Well, impact.

     

    00:27:46.000 --> 00:27:51.000

    And what people don't understand is that a lot of times, and I'm going to say a word that people probably don't want to hear either, but.

     

    00:27:51.000 --> 00:27:54.000

    Okay.

     

    00:27:54.000 --> 00:28:02.000

    Most people that are abusive are not intending to be abusive. I mean, and that's a huge thing you know as a therapist.

     

    00:28:02.000 --> 00:28:03.000

    Yes. Oh.

     

    00:28:03.000 --> 00:28:11.000

    To understand and many of us are led into these count many neurodiverse individuals neurodivergence.

     

    00:28:11.000 --> 00:28:32.000

    Get in to those narcissistic relationships and abusive relationships and it starts off great, but they don't have the right frame of mind going in because they've been labeled and they have experienced all those micro traumas all the way through so they're just looking for that acceptance and belonging and they're

     

    00:28:32.000 --> 00:28:33.000

    100%.

     

    00:28:33.000 --> 00:28:35.000

    more vulnerable. Then the average individual. And, you know, having been through that myself, I, I don't want it for my children.

     

    00:28:35.000 --> 00:28:51.000

    I don't want, you know, I happen to be in a relationship that my husband and I have fought for.

     

    00:28:51.000 --> 00:29:01.000

    I love it.

     

    00:29:01.000 --> 00:29:02.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:29:02.000 --> 00:29:05.000

    You know, and we've done that. We even have a column for extras so we don't just get our hearts like we can write down if they do something extra like you know he we went on a hike the other day and my husband has the horrible like he has the he usually takes us on an excursion and we never get back on

     

    00:29:05.000 --> 00:29:13.000

    time and I wanted to be back. I like a plan. I need a plan. And he made it on time. So that was an extra for him.

     

    00:29:13.000 --> 00:29:18.000

    And then we get to do it again and we see that, you know, like so it's just recognizing what the other person is doing.

     

    00:29:18.000 --> 00:29:25.000

    And being mindful of the fact that He may not intend to harm me or to hurt me in some way.

     

    00:29:25.000 --> 00:29:27.000

    Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

     

    00:29:27.000 --> 00:29:42.000

    I may not intend to do it, but we do it unintentionally. And so let's acknowledge one and both parties and that sometimes My unedited neurodiversity can hurt him.

     

    00:29:42.000 --> 00:29:43.000

    Yes.

     

    00:29:43.000 --> 00:29:52.000

    And that's okay to talk about. And that doesn't mean I need to mask it. It means I need to.

     

    00:29:52.000 --> 00:29:53.000

    I love it.

     

    00:29:53.000 --> 00:29:58.000

    My behavior in a way that's more effective to move us forward. I mean, that's the biggest thing for me, like getting up every day and thinking about how do I move forward.

     

    00:29:58.000 --> 00:30:01.000

    How do we move forward together today?

     

    00:30:01.000 --> 00:30:15.000

    I love what you said. So I wanna back up to. So many I want to say that so many neuro different females especially we tend to get in relationships that end up where we are being abused.

     

    00:30:15.000 --> 00:30:24.000

    I mean, a lot of us have a history of that. And we are so open, we want to be loved, we're seeking safety.

     

    00:30:24.000 --> 00:30:25.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:30:25.000 --> 00:30:30.000

    Ally Dearborn and I talked about this, right? We're seeking soothing, then we're labeled as, oh, you're love addicted.

     

    00:30:30.000 --> 00:30:32.000

    It's like, so I'm not, I'm not really, I'm just not, I just.

     

    00:30:32.000 --> 00:30:33.000

    Right, you're codependent, you're all of those things. Yes.

     

    00:30:33.000 --> 00:30:42.000

    Oh my god. Oh my god, I'm so tired of that word. And in reality, it's like, no, we're seeking soothing and safety.

     

    00:30:42.000 --> 00:30:52.000

    We need somebody to instead of labeling us as borderline or code opinion to show us how to soothe ourselves, which I love that you have all these beautiful acronyms.

     

    00:30:52.000 --> 00:30:57.000

    And I also want to say out of compassion to the non neurodifferent partners who been in betrayal situations because that's our expertise is we do a lot of betrayal trauma.

     

    00:30:57.000 --> 00:31:14.000

    Where there's females who've been betrayed. And they have neuro different partners who absolutely have caused so much harm in their acting out, right?

     

    00:31:14.000 --> 00:31:15.000

    Yes.

     

    00:31:15.000 --> 00:31:34.000

    The challenge though is that all of that gets lumped together. So the acting out the addiction for instance gets lumped together with autism ADHD.

     

    00:31:34.000 --> 00:31:35.000

    Oh, yes.

     

    00:31:35.000 --> 00:31:36.000

    So then the anger of the partner which You know what? I get it. Those angry parts that have been betrayed so valid, so valid, so valid.

     

    00:31:36.000 --> 00:31:40.000

    The challenge though becomes when There are these micro and macro aggressions around your brain doesn't work.

     

    00:31:40.000 --> 00:31:48.000

    You're an idiot. You're dumb. You're, you know, it's because you're autistic.

     

    00:31:48.000 --> 00:31:50.000

    Right.

     

    00:31:50.000 --> 00:31:58.000

    It's and so I gently lovingly want to say that those folks listening, your betrayal trauma is so valid.

     

    00:31:58.000 --> 00:32:09.000

    And what has happened to you is real. And it is absolutely unacceptable and you deserve to heal and your partner and you deserve to heal if you choose to stay together and your partner deserves to heal.

     

    00:32:09.000 --> 00:32:14.000

    Yes.

     

    00:32:14.000 --> 00:32:15.000

    Right.

     

    00:32:15.000 --> 00:32:22.000

    And that's separate from. The neurologically different brain. And that diagnosis and so if you're going to stay together in that relationship.

     

    00:32:22.000 --> 00:32:31.000

    You've got to be open and willing together to understand your mixed neurotype in the day to day.

     

    00:32:31.000 --> 00:32:43.000

    Yes, that's huge. That's so huge because the other person, the other party that's engaged is just as well.

     

    00:32:43.000 --> 00:32:57.000

    My My mother was undiagnosed throughout much of her, wasn't diagnosed. Until much later, you know, she's really embraced her neurodiversity through my journey to be quite honest with you.

     

    00:32:57.000 --> 00:32:59.000

    And so she didn't have any of those. And from the outside looking in, I was growing up.

     

    00:32:59.000 --> 00:33:10.000

    I had a lot of anger towards my mother. My father had anger because there were these outbursts.

     

    00:33:10.000 --> 00:33:29.000

    There were this there was this uncontrollable emotion sometimes. And now that we understand it, understanding it and having that awareness and then letting that lead with the curiosity.

     

    00:33:29.000 --> 00:33:33.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:33:33.000 --> 00:33:34.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:33:34.000 --> 00:33:43.000

    If you're in a situation where you can remain in the relationship because there are some times where the the other person whether and I think many times it's sometimes the neurodiversity individual that says, I don't want to do this when they wake up to things that they don't want to tolerate a more neurotypical

     

    00:33:43.000 --> 00:33:53.000

    person in a marriage or in a partnership. So I definitely think like and I a hundred percent agree with you that we have to be completely sensitive.

     

    00:33:53.000 --> 00:34:02.000

    It's not about like the more neurotypical people are wrong. It's just about recognizing that these are struggles in our relationships.

     

    00:34:02.000 --> 00:34:12.000

    Challenges in our relationships that we need tools and skills to overcome. And they're not necessarily have anything to do with someone's neural distinction.

     

    00:34:12.000 --> 00:34:13.000

    I love it.

     

    00:34:13.000 --> 00:34:21.000

    That that can be totally over here, but understanding how your neural distinction affects your relationship is incredibly empowering.

     

    00:34:21.000 --> 00:34:22.000

    And it

     

    00:34:22.000 --> 00:34:29.000

    I, I agree. I agree and I want to say too Sometimes people will say it's an excuse.

     

    00:34:29.000 --> 00:34:32.000

    The neuro difference is an excuse. We're not saying no. That's I just want to respectfully say.

     

    00:34:32.000 --> 00:34:35.000

    No.

     

    00:34:35.000 --> 00:34:39.000

    Please don't say that. It's not an excuse. It's literally a neurotype.

     

    00:34:39.000 --> 00:34:46.000

    It's almost like me saying your PTSD brain is an excuse for you screaming at your kids.

     

    00:34:46.000 --> 00:34:47.000

    Right.

     

    00:34:47.000 --> 00:34:51.000

    So we're not, no, that's not. So it's not, it's a diagnosis, it's a difference.

     

    00:34:51.000 --> 00:34:58.000

    And as I've promoted over and over. I look at it as a neuro type that's a culture.

     

    00:34:58.000 --> 00:34:59.000

    It's a, it's like if we look at it like a culture where Right? It is.

     

    00:34:59.000 --> 00:35:08.000

    Yes. Yes, I agree with you completely. That's huge. Yes.

     

    00:35:08.000 --> 00:35:09.000

    Yes.

     

    00:35:09.000 --> 00:35:10.000

    I communicate. I communicate differently than Chris. I amote differently than Chris, right? I behave differently than Chris.

     

    00:35:10.000 --> 00:35:18.000

    If my autistic ADHD culture of communication and behaving is different. Can I just as though I'm German and he's indigenous, right?

     

    00:35:18.000 --> 00:35:29.000

    He's Lakota, Hawaiian, and Japanese. Can we be as sensitive to understanding our actual cultures?

     

    00:35:29.000 --> 00:35:42.000

    As much as our Right?

     

    00:35:42.000 --> 00:35:43.000

    Yeah. Yeah.

     

    00:35:43.000 --> 00:35:56.000

    I think that's so beautiful. I love that Candace because my husband and I are my husband's Italian and Hispanic and empowering too. Like that's huge.

     

    00:35:56.000 --> 00:35:57.000

    It is.

     

    00:35:57.000 --> 00:36:02.000

    It's like a light bulb. Like why don't we just Look at it that way.

     

    00:36:02.000 --> 00:36:03.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:36:03.000 --> 00:36:14.000

    Why don't we, right? Okay, maybe I'll do that. My gosh, okay.

     

    00:36:14.000 --> 00:36:15.000

    That sounds great to me.

     

    00:36:15.000 --> 00:36:21.000

    So I'm gonna be connecting with you offline, Renee, cause I just Seriously love what you're saying and we just need to connect so but I want I want to end our podcast by talking about for those I just want to kind of Bring this to life again.

     

    00:36:21.000 --> 00:36:29.000

    I have I created a sexual sensory profile. That's available on our website. Novost. Advice.

     

    00:36:29.000 --> 00:36:40.000

    Dot com. And one of the things that we talk about so much with folks is we all have a sensory profile, right?

     

    00:36:40.000 --> 00:36:41.000

    Right.

     

    00:36:41.000 --> 00:36:45.000

    Where I might be get easily irritated by the clothes I'm wearing. I might be sensitive to fluorescent lights, right?

     

    00:36:45.000 --> 00:36:52.000

    I get sensitive to maybe if people are tickling me, I don't like that like hug me, hold me tight, like don't give me the light tickles.

     

    00:36:52.000 --> 00:36:53.000

    Yes, I hate that too.

     

    00:36:53.000 --> 00:37:01.000

    Oh my god, certain smells, right? And I'm like, it's weird. My sense of smell, I can walk into a place and just be like.

     

    00:37:01.000 --> 00:37:02.000

    There's poop somewhere. Yeah.

     

    00:37:02.000 --> 00:37:05.000

    I'm the same and my visual is huge, which people don't talk about a lot. That's

     

    00:37:05.000 --> 00:37:13.000

    Oh my gosh, save. No, well, no one talks about that and no one talks about how intuitive we are.

     

    00:37:13.000 --> 00:37:14.000

    Yes.

     

    00:37:14.000 --> 00:37:19.000

    Truly, we are so intuitive. We're feeling energy, which is intuition.

     

    00:37:19.000 --> 00:37:28.000

    And then we say what it what we feel and because we live in a culture that doesn't like that, they don't like that.

     

    00:37:28.000 --> 00:37:29.000

    Yes.

     

    00:37:29.000 --> 00:37:34.000

    We have a culture of people that like to mask the truth, we speak truth and then we're gaslighted, then we question ourselves.

     

    00:37:34.000 --> 00:37:35.000

    Okay.

     

    00:37:35.000 --> 00:37:46.000

    Anyway, but the sexual sensory is all about like is it too hot in the room? You know, do I like the way the lube like smells or feels are the sheets the right texture?

     

    00:37:46.000 --> 00:37:52.000

    You know, is the music like, I can't even do this is the fan, the ticking of the fan or the clock driving me crazy.

     

    00:37:52.000 --> 00:37:53.000

    Alright.

     

    00:37:53.000 --> 00:37:58.000

    Do you guys have you noticed that in your

     

    00:37:58.000 --> 00:37:59.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:37:59.000 --> 00:38:00.000

    No, yes, we, we're definitely that. I am definitely that way. Like I am sensory processing.

     

    00:38:00.000 --> 00:38:05.000

    I like to call it because of all the D's alternate sensory reality. I experienced my sensory system a little differently.

     

    00:38:05.000 --> 00:38:16.000

    And you know, my kids have the same issues. And so my bedroom is like a boudoir.

     

    00:38:16.000 --> 00:38:19.000

    Oh, I love it.

     

    00:38:19.000 --> 00:38:20.000

    I love it.

     

    00:38:20.000 --> 00:38:22.000

    Like I make it like super sexy. I, you know, I loved I dream of genie.

     

    00:38:22.000 --> 00:38:23.000

    I know that's like probably not it would not, but I loved it when I was there and I loved her bottle.

     

    00:38:23.000 --> 00:38:32.000

    Oh my god, I did too. I did too. Yes!

     

    00:38:32.000 --> 00:38:33.000

    Okay.

     

    00:38:33.000 --> 00:38:38.000

    So I, it. It's not purple and gold, but it but it's you know teal and gold and I make it very like it's an alternate experience when you come in my bedroom.

     

    00:38:38.000 --> 00:38:39.000

    I love it.

     

    00:38:39.000 --> 00:38:48.000

    I want the best sheets. I, we don't do a lot of electronics. We will have music sometimes.

     

    00:38:48.000 --> 00:38:49.000

    Love it.

     

    00:38:49.000 --> 00:38:57.000

    I like lighting, you know, obviously candles aren't always super safe, but we're very into and also like.

     

    00:38:57.000 --> 00:38:58.000

    Yes!

     

    00:38:58.000 --> 00:39:04.000

    We do a lot of like massage and oils and all of those things are super because oils can be like it's hard to find the right there's It's hard to find the right stuff.

     

    00:39:04.000 --> 00:39:07.000

    It is.

     

    00:39:07.000 --> 00:39:12.000

    I had a melt a candle that would melt the wax of the candle. And it was like the best.

     

    00:39:12.000 --> 00:39:19.000

    And then they stopped making it. And I'm like, what? Yes, no, but I think having that place be like, because I think a lot of people make their bedroom and afterthought.

     

    00:39:19.000 --> 00:39:22.000

    Yes.

     

    00:39:22.000 --> 00:39:38.000

    And for me, it has to be like. You feel like you're going to a resort when we walk in our bedroom and that's so that I can get my sexy on because unless I'm like that if the room is a mess and it's ugly around me and I feel good and clean.

     

    00:39:38.000 --> 00:39:40.000

    I can't. I just can't.

     

    00:39:40.000 --> 00:39:45.000

    Oh, I'm that way too. So what you said is so powerful. It's the setting.

     

    00:39:45.000 --> 00:39:46.000

    Yes.

     

    00:39:46.000 --> 00:40:01.000

    It's the setting and I want everyone to hear that that. You know, when I have couples that will say or I can have clinicians that reach out for consultation that say my cut this couple, you know, they're not connecting sexual, I'll be like, they need to look at their sexual sensory profile, which

     

    00:40:01.000 --> 00:40:11.000

    includes the situation. And that's the environment because if you're not on the same page or your your bedroom like you said is an afterthought.

     

    00:40:11.000 --> 00:40:19.000

    It can be the smallest things that for one person, they're like, I don't even notice, but the other person's like, I'm just turned off.

     

    00:40:19.000 --> 00:40:20.000

    Right.

     

    00:40:20.000 --> 00:40:27.000

    Right? And this is the reality. How many people are having sex? But no one's talking about this.

     

    00:40:27.000 --> 00:40:31.000

    Yes.

     

    00:40:31.000 --> 00:40:32.000

    Yes.

     

    00:40:32.000 --> 00:40:38.000

    And you have to talk about this. This, this is for play. The sexual sensory experience is an integral part of intimacy.

     

    00:40:38.000 --> 00:40:50.000

    So if the setting isn't right, or you are struggling with the way the person smells or whatever the clothing, the sheets like you said if it's the lube.

     

    00:40:50.000 --> 00:40:51.000

    Start there if people are listening and you have to

     

    00:40:51.000 --> 00:41:11.000

    Yes, no, you have to communicate that to each other. It's huge and it's awkward sometimes.

     

    00:41:11.000 --> 00:41:12.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:41:12.000 --> 00:41:16.000

    I get it. You don't necessarily want to hurt someone's one, I mean, they're the person you love the most most of the time.

     

    00:41:16.000 --> 00:41:21.000

    So you don't wanna hurt their feelings or say something that might make them like smell is something that if there's a weird smell coming out of one of you that's hard

     

    00:41:21.000 --> 00:41:22.000

    They are. Yeah, I wanna know.

     

    00:41:22.000 --> 00:41:30.000

    I mean, and they wanna know, nobody, I like, I want my husband go in there with me.

     

    00:41:30.000 --> 00:41:31.000

    Yes.

     

    00:41:31.000 --> 00:41:38.000

    Yeah, if I didn't smell good, you know, and just being mindful of that stuff and then touch is huge and like how, what is touch like?

     

    00:41:38.000 --> 00:41:43.000

    Throughout the day for you. You know, with my husband, he's, you know, we talk about that.

     

    00:41:43.000 --> 00:41:47.000

    There's some places because he's big with like public affection. He's okay with that.

     

    00:41:47.000 --> 00:41:55.000

    And I have a harder time. So we have had conversations like this zone is fine. You know, this zone is not.

     

    00:41:55.000 --> 00:41:57.000

    I love it.

     

    00:41:57.000 --> 00:42:06.000

    And It's also, you know, being mindful of just how your family works because there were some stuff that when we integrated a new member of our family.

     

    00:42:06.000 --> 00:42:18.000

    Things changed a little bit about how Anthony and I related to each other in front of them just being more sensitive to what What my son's experience had been previously before moving.

     

    00:42:18.000 --> 00:42:19.000

    Oh yeah.

     

    00:42:19.000 --> 00:42:27.000

    So I think all of that stuff is so huge and the sensory place such a big. Role for us is neuro divergent individuals.

     

    00:42:27.000 --> 00:42:28.000

    It's huge.

     

    00:42:28.000 --> 00:42:30.000

    So what might seem like nothing to somebody else. Like, yeah, it's huge for us.

     

    00:42:30.000 --> 00:42:40.000

    It's huge and people aren't talking about it enough. So the non-sexual also in relationship the day-to-day will impact what's happening in the bedroom.

     

    00:42:40.000 --> 00:42:52.000

    So I want to just point that out. That you've got a change in the household. You've got a change in the schedule, there's increased tension, there's stuff going on, that there's not, you're not communicating out of the bedroom.

     

    00:42:52.000 --> 00:43:02.000

    There's not a lot of affirmation or connection. That is going to impact how you show up together.

     

    00:43:02.000 --> 00:43:03.000

    Absolutely.

     

    00:43:03.000 --> 00:43:06.000

    So all of this in the bedroom. So all of this is really important. Oh my goodness, Renee, I could go on for hours and hours and hours.

     

    00:43:06.000 --> 00:43:08.000

    No, we're definitely talking lady.

     

    00:43:08.000 --> 00:43:16.000

    Yes, we will talk later. Any final words, any final words for our listeners, Renee?

     

    00:43:16.000 --> 00:43:18.000

    Any words of wisdom that you want to leave? Leave with.

     

    00:43:18.000 --> 00:43:31.000

    I think honestly, like for me, relate any exploration that you do in a podium way into those ABCs being aware.

     

    00:43:31.000 --> 00:43:40.000

    Being courageous and brave and being curious about the other end of. If you're struggling in a relationship with your partner.

     

    00:43:40.000 --> 00:43:46.000

    If you just do one of those 3, if you can do all 3, you're usually on a path.

     

    00:43:46.000 --> 00:43:57.000

    Forward, you know, and that's the greatest thing for me. I think the biggest thing for me has been how do I move forward and sometimes The relationship isn't a healthy one.

     

    00:43:57.000 --> 00:43:58.000

    Yeah. Yeah.

     

    00:43:58.000 --> 00:44:04.000

    You can't move forward with that individual and that's Okay, it's better to have no relationship.

     

    00:44:04.000 --> 00:44:09.000

    It's better to have that than an unhealthy one that's not willing to move forward with the ABCs.

     

    00:44:09.000 --> 00:44:10.000

    Oh.

     

    00:44:10.000 --> 00:44:31.000

    So I think that's my biggest thing and whatever you need to do. To help yourself stay in that positive mindset because we're so drawn to that negative space, our society does that to us all the time and teaches us to escape and the more we go in and the more we reach for each other.

     

    00:44:31.000 --> 00:44:36.000

    The more powerful the more positive our impact and impactful our relationships become.

     

    00:44:36.000 --> 00:44:44.000

    Oh. I agree. We gotta get more positive. Holy cow, we've gotta change the dialogue.

     

    00:44:44.000 --> 00:44:45.000

    Yeah.

     

    00:44:45.000 --> 00:44:53.000

    Yes, and thank you, thank you, thank you Candace. This has been so great talking to you and it's been wonderful to have this time and to be able to share space with you today.

     

    00:44:53.000 --> 00:44:54.000

    Hmm.

     

    00:44:54.000 --> 00:44:56.000

    I love it. Thank you so much, Renee. How can folks get a hold of you?

     

    00:44:56.000 --> 00:44:57.000

    They're interested.

     

    00:44:57.000 --> 00:45:02.000

    You can reach out to me@ther.com and that's t H E A R A.

     

    00:45:02.000 --> 00:45:20.000

    Dot com or you can email me@reneeatcr.com and also and it's our E and E and I'm all over SDR away on socials.

     

    00:45:20.000 --> 00:45:21.000

    Great.

     

    00:45:21.000 --> 00:45:30.000

    I love that. So we will also post that, you know, in the description for you so that people can have access and then I'm actually gonna put a link.

     

    00:45:30.000 --> 00:45:31.000

    Perfect. Thank you so much.

     

    00:45:31.000 --> 00:45:38.000

    I have kind of the funny ABC's of just people that I love and follow on our web page, so that people can find you to there, just people that I love, support and trust. So yeah, okay.

     

    00:45:38.000 --> 00:45:45.000

    Oh my gosh, what a beautiful, beautiful interview today. I just want to say to everyone. Love is the medicine.

     

    00:45:45.000 --> 00:45:53.000

    You are love. So please find it in your heart to be tender with your sweet selves and to love yourselves and everyone a little bit more.

     

    00:45:53.000 --> 00:46:03.000

    We all could use so much more of that. And until next time on Fabulous, the Candace.

    Season 3 | Episode #6: Renee Rosales

    Season 3 | Episode #6: Renee Rosales

    Renee Rosales is a mother, wife, educator, advocate, transformational leader, and founder of Theara: a business designed to support the Neurodiverse from cradle to grace. In this episode, we learn the beautiful origin story behind Theara as well as examples from Renee’s acronym-based system that leads the way to a brighter future with Neurodiversity. Candice and Renee have a fabulous, flowing conversation about their plethora of shared passions, how neurodistinctions can show up in relationships, and the empowerment that comes with recognizing Neurodiversity as its own culture.

    Connect with Renee

    Follow: @thearaway

    YouTube Video

    Closed Captions

    Season 3 | Episode #5: Aly Dearborn

    Season 3 | Episode #5: Aly Dearborn

    Welcome back, Aly Dearborn! In today’s episode, Candice and Aly reflect on their presentation from the 2023 IITAP Symposium: Love Addicted or Seeking Safety: Accurately Screening, Diagnosing, & Treating Autistic Females with Symptoms of Trauma, Sex, & Love Addiction In Both Inpatient and Outpatient Settings. We also get an introduction to their updated assessment tool for diagnosing Autistic females, including how and why they decided to “ditch the D’s” of the DSM!

    Connect with Aly

    YouTube Video

    Closed Captions

    Closed Captions for Season 3 | Episode #5: Aly Dearborn

    Closed Captions for Season 3 | Episode #5: Aly Dearborn

    WEBVTT

     

    1

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    Hi! Everybody. Welcome to season. 3. Episode 5 of fabulously Candice, and before I introduce our fabulous guest today, I just have to say that I bought jelly shoes from melissa.com, and I had jelly shoes in 1986.
     

     

    2

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    I was 12, and I haven't had them since, and they smell so good.
     

     

    3

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    So for those of you autistic folks out there that, like sensory stimulation, I want to.
     

     

    4

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    Well, who doesn't? That's autistic. What am I saying?
     

     

    5

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    What's what I struggle with is, I just want to smell my shoes all the time.
     

     

    6

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    So Ally, after I introduce you, we're gonna probably have to talk about that because I'm wearing them today.
     

     

    7

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    And I just want to smell them. They smell so good.
     

     

    8

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    But I also want to say so, random, but for folks listening, this is just part of my brain, and really my Adhd brain.
     

     

    9

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    5 min before I'm supposed to get on today. I decided it was necessary to clean out my purse, so want to say that this rad this is the story of our life behind the scenes right?
     

     

    10

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    And lastly, lastly, Allie is Ali.
     

     

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    Before I introduce you. People know, Ally, though I will say, because you've been on before, hey?
     

     

    12

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    I just got back on Instagram for a moment's day.
     

     

    13

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    It's a visual stim nightmare. I just want to say it's a visual stem nightmare, and why?
     

     

    14

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    Because I'm obsessed with it. So I've got to figure out how to navigate that.
     

     

    15

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    But I'm sure other people can relate to that struggle with visual stem, and especially on social media.
     

     

    16

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    Holy cow. With that being said, Welcome, Ellie Dearborn!
     

     

    17

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    Welcome back!
     

     

    18

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    Yay so happy to be with you again, Candace.
     

     

    19

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    Yes, I love this. We have become good friends, and so much has happened since you came on the first time.
     

     

    20

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    So let me just give you another shout out you've been licensed for nearly 15 years.
     

     

    21

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    You're an expert in treating women with complex trauma and various addictive behavior.
     

     

    22

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    You've been on a lifelong quest to better understand yourself and to discover your autism earlier, and you discovered your autism earlier this year.
     

     

    23

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    Yeah, last year. Now, yeah.
     

     

    24

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    We talked about that. And it actually, last year. But it actually has really catalyzed.
     

     

    25

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    All you're doing, I mean, I would say it's completely switched.
     

     

    26

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    Your practice and your focus in working with autistic women and really getting the word out.
     

     

    27

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    There 2 clinicians and medical providers, and other professionals.
     

     

    28

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    On what autism in females looks like, and how can we assess accurately, so that we can provide proper and appropriate treatments?
     

     

    29

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    So with that.
     

     

    30

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    Yes.
     

     

    31

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    Yes, and we got to do. I think the incredible work in starting that information flow within the ipac community, for sure.
     

     

    32

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    Yes, so we did. So. Itap is the the International Institute for trauma and addiction professionals.
     

     

    33

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    Itap, and I'm just going to read the title of our presentation.
     

     

    34

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    So ally, and I in April, at the end of April.
     

     

    35

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    Gosh! Time flies presented on love, addicted or seeking safety, accurately assessing and treating autistic females with symptoms of trauma, sex and love addiction in both inpatient and outpatient settings and it was a huge success.
     

     

    36

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    Do you?
     

     

    37

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    It was. Yes, I've had so much anxiety going into it because it had been a while since I had done any sort of formal professional presentation.
     

     

    38

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    But as soon as we started going, Candace, it was like just fine, you know, like it just deeply believe in the information and the importance of it, and was really touched by the cues of safety that, I know.
     

     

    39

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    Ed in the room, just people smiling and nodding along.
     

     

    40

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    And, you know, being just the felt tone in the room to me, felt this very.
     

     

    41

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    Hmm!
     

     

    42

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    Honoring and like. There was genuine curiosity, and I just find that so meaningful.
     

     

    43

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    Well, and I I love that. You just said that for folks that are listing, because here we are professionals again, we have learned to mask for so many decades, both of us autistic coming out in our you know.
     

     

    44

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    I mean they they knew like a the audience members knew, but we had Deborah Kaplan, who's a big name in our field, you know.
     

     

    45

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    Yes.
     

     

    46

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    She's all about financial infidelity. And then we had Jenna Romerzma, who's a dear friend who wrote altogether you, and is the editor of altogether us, which I've been blessed to be an author in one of the chapters in we had
     

     

    47

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    Marty free. Marnie Free is a big name in our field, who?
     

     

    48

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    What kind of really took the lead for autistic or not autistic.
     

     

    49

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    Excuse me, females who came out as love and sex addicted decades ago, right?
     

     

    50

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    Yeah.
     

     

    51

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    So, among other amazing, we had other autistic individuals, both females, males in the room.
     

     

    52

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    It was just so beautiful to have so much support. And really, people from all over.
     

     

    53

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    So I feel like that. Just felt very honoring to me to see the familiar faces.
     

     

    54

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    And I loved how you said that in terms of cues of safety, because both of us were really anxious.
     

     

    55

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    I mean. I sang on the mic before.
     

     

    56

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    Did a little bit of karaoke, because that's also part of who we are.
     

     

    57

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    Just really fine and spontaneous, but I really loved how you and I were able to dispel a lot of myths about autistic females.
     

     

    58

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    So I really want us to start there, Ally, let's just dispel some miss.
     

     

    59

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    Maybe we talk about how we've done this before, but I do think it's worthwhile so many of us are misdiagnosed as borderline.
     

     

    60

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    I know I was. You were given that diagnosis.
     

     

    61

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    I get that there are similarities. But, my God! So let's start there with, what is that about Ally?
     

     

    62

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    Why are so many clinicians, instead of taking time to look at a neurological difference?
     

     

    63

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    I'm so grateful to have witnessed that performance.
     

     

    64

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    Does that go in for the borderline diagnosis?
     

     

    65

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    Oh, goodness, yeah! Such a.
     

     

    66

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    There's so much work to be done here, and I think just.
     

     

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    With what, we were able to accomplish in our kind of presentation.
     

     

    68

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    Yes.
     

     

    69

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    Talk. I mean. This to me was one of the primary things that I people to come away with.
     

     

    70

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    You know which is that because of the lack of understanding about female autism and it's kind of presentation or you know, it's observability by others.
     

     

    71

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    You know, and because I think there's a lot that's assumed about what it means to be autistic, like, maybe that you're like, you know, anti relational like that, you know, kind of like, you're a solitary figure, you love being alone.
     

     

    72

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    And so it's like, there's less consideration around, kind of how the challenges within relationships can emerge.
     

     

    73

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    Yeah.
     

     

    74

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    You know. So it's like, so I think there's a multitude of factors.
     

     

    75

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    But one being that you know the development, maintain a maintenance.
     

     

    76

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    You know, kind of the whole experience of relationships, having differences in the experiences of relationships is part of the diagnostic criteria for being autistic, but because the relationships maybe are colored like in my own past experience.
     

     

    77

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    And we've touched on this together, you know, with like a lot of confusion.
     

     

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    Umhm.
     

     

    79

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    And then with the rejection, sensitive dysphoria that Adhds or autistics also experience, which is essentially from the nervous system, standpoint like a you know, a very quick collapse.
     

     

    80

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    You know where you ride through all layers of your poly, vague ladder.
     

     

    81

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    Yeah.
     

     

    82

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    According to you know, Deb, data is work, and you end up in, you know, dorsal, like total despair, which can be triggering for self harming behaviors such as you know.
     

     

    83

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    Yes. Yeah.
     

     

    84

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    Yeah.
     

     

    85

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    I use hit myself, I would have suicide attempts, you know, multiple especially through my adolescence, and you know, or in sort of the face of some massive relational disruption.
     

     

    86

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    And because the attachment in the primary relationships, I think it's often like our whole can become like almost like the you know, it's like the whole ground beneath us is anchored in sort of our primary support.
     

     

    87

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    Person at times, and when that relationship is disrupted, the significance of the round beneath you being completely earthquake, you know, is a really debastating life experience that was precipit, you know, like those experiences precipitated.
     

     

    88

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    Yes.
     

     

    89

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    My final you know, quote unquote mental health crisis as a 38 year old woman in my early, you know, when I started this recovery mission, and that is something that's also very common.
     

     

    90

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    But because we have so little understanding about autistic people and autistic females.
     

     

    91

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    Specifically, I think, when clinicians see challenging chaotic relationships and then self harming attempts, it just bling blings to they must be borderline while missing.
     

     

    92

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    Yes.
     

     

    93

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    There are so many other kind of components here to assess, and there are ways to really look for and explore for kind of what.
     

     

    94

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    What's the nature you know of, you know. Change in transitions.
     

     

    95

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    What causes the conflict right like? Did someone not do what they said?
     

     

    96

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    They were gonna do right like, you know where you know what?
     

     

    97

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    Right.
     

     

    98

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    Even what's the source of the anger, and is that you know, the emotional dysregulation that is part and parcel.
     

     

    99

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    Yes, yes.
     

     

    100

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    Neuro. Different experience, you know, is considered to be borderline type behavior.
     

     

    101

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    But I'm really curious, honestly, from a research perspective like, is it possible that everything we've ever known about borderline personality?
     

     

    102

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    Which is a historical and pathologizing primary diagnosis for females like akin to the hysteria.
     

     

    103

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    Oh!
     

     

    104

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    Yeah.
     

     

    105

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    You know, earlier versions of the Dsm. But is it really autistic women and people that have missed looking for some of the other criteria, like with negative behaviors or the sensory sensitivity, right the thinking patterns?
     

     

    106

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    Huh!
     

     

    107

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    Anyway, that's some initial thoughts.
     

     

    108

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    Oh, my gosh! Well! And you just explained it so eloquently and articulately, and you just nailed it because the reality is that we do want to be in relationship, and for so many autistic females we get in these relationships.
     

     

    109

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    And we're we are very vulnerable. The autism diagnosis creates vulnerability.
     

     

    110

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    And so we're very trusting, too, trusting, right?
     

     

    111

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    We often are, we fall victim, and pray to gaslighting and narcissistic abuse, not just in our intimate relationships, Ali, but my gosh!
     

     

    112

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    In our peer relationships as adult women, including when we are younger.
     

     

    113

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    Right. So it's like. But clinicians are right.
     

     

    114

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    They look at the emotional dysregulation they look at.
     

     

    115

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    If they're substant, abuse the it.
     

     

    116

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    Oh yes!
     

     

    117

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    The intensity of relationships. They look at self harming behavior and suicidal ideation which you and I know you just said it to is literally a natural response to rejection, sensitivity.
     

     

    118

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    It doesn't mean we're going to do harm.
     

     

    119

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    Necessarily, we you know, add it literally. If if you ask enough questions you're gonna find out.
     

     

    120

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    Yes.
     

     

    121

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    Oh, that's rejection, sensitivity! But those alone cause clinicians to go borderline, and the sad reality.
     

     

    122

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    The reason why I wanted to start here is because borderline is so stigmatized.
     

     

    123

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    It's like, your borderline. It's almost like when autism men are missed out as narcissist. You're a narcissist right?
     

     

    124

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    There's so much stigma that comes with those 2 diagnosis.
     

     

    125

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    Yeah, there's no treatment for you. There's no help for you.
     

     

    126

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    Hmm!
     

     

    127

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    You're the problem right? Instead of this compassionate inquiry, I guess, as I use theaporable taste, language.
     

     

    128

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    But instead of being compassionate, and taking the time to inquire about what's going on, which leads me to our assessment.
     

     

    129

    00:13:59.109 --> 00:14:08.109

    Yeah, yeah, I'm so proud of this piece of work.
     

     

    130

    00:14:08.109 --> 00:14:09.109

    Yes.
     

     

    131

    00:14:09.109 --> 00:14:13.109

    And really just sentence, you know, kind of trying to synthesize some of the.
     

     

    132

    00:14:13.109 --> 00:14:14.109

    What the research that has been conducted shows on the female expression of autism.
     

     

    133

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    You know, and centering those kind of characteristics and traits, and the commonalities that show up through lived experience.
     

     

    134

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    Research and more autistic researcher focused research. You know.
     

     

    135

    00:14:35.109 --> 00:14:45.109

    And then with that comes the whole development of really challenging the entire medical model view of autism.
     

     

    136

    00:14:45.109 --> 00:14:59.109

    As a quote, unquote disorder, and looking through a neural affirmative lens which use autism as a neurotype, not as a disorder.
     

     

    137

    00:14:59.109 --> 00:15:18.109

    And thereby changes the languaging of how we're assessing for autism by presenting it as autistic ways of being as opposed to symptoms of a disorder.
     

     

    138

    00:15:18.109 --> 00:15:19.109

    Yeah, I love that.
     

     

    139

    00:15:19.109 --> 00:15:20.109

    So what I'm loving about.
     

     

    140

    00:15:20.109 --> 00:15:25.109

    Of course you know the the myriad of edits that this document has, and since we shared it at Itap.
     

     

    141

    00:15:25.109 --> 00:15:40.109

    But the more more we kind of work on it, the more excited they get, because they think it's also a teaching tool for clinicians.
     

     

    142

    00:15:40.109 --> 00:15:41.109

    Yes.
     

     

    143

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    You know, or for autistic people themselves. Right like that, you know, there's it's a teaching about how all of the best practice recommendations.
     

     

    144

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    Yup. For us. You know nothing without us. You know nothing about it.
     

     

    145

    00:15:55.109 --> 00:15:56.109

    Yes, about us. Without us. Yeah.
     

     

    146

    00:15:56.109 --> 00:16:09.109

    Yes, right? Exactly like that includes autistic voices. And for me, as you know, feminist as a female like this, it is like working with women, is my area.
     

     

    147

    00:16:09.109 --> 00:16:10.109

    Yeah.
     

     

    148

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    Of interest. You know I have a that's a narrow niche, perhaps, but also why?
     

     

    149

    00:16:11.109 --> 00:16:13.109

    Because there's a lot of women out there, you know.
     

     

    150

    00:16:13.109 --> 00:16:34.109

    But the way that the teaching of how we present what it means to be autistic to people.
     

     

    151

    00:16:34.109 --> 00:16:35.109

    Yes.
     

     

    152

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    To me becomes an access point. For really fostering and embracing that positive identity that can come with the quote unquote diagnosis.
     

     

    153

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    But maybe it's really just coming to a better understanding that there are other people who think experience, you know, process the world like me, you know, feel similar things to me, you know, it's like there's spaces where I am understood.
     

     

    154

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    Yes.
     

     

    155

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    And I think just terms of kind of the trauma of being undiagnosed, autistic, through a lifetime, for those of us that are late in life.
     

     

    156

    00:16:59.109 --> 00:17:05.109

    When we do get the diagnosis, it's.
     

     

    157

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    You know it's.
     

     

    158

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    You know there is a thing called double, but there's a double empathy problem when it gets milted.
     

     

    159

    00:17:18.109 --> 00:17:19.109

    Yes.
     

     

    160

    00:17:19.109 --> 00:17:23.109

    Studied this, and like 12 or something that double empathy research where you know the you know, it's that there's a mute you. There's a dual, and there's a dual challenge and understanding.
     

     

    161

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    One another when you're looking at an autistic framework which might be honesty.
     

     

    162

    00:17:41.109 --> 00:17:42.109

    Yeah.
     

     

    163

    00:17:42.109 --> 00:18:11.109

    You know deep how you kind heart, you know, like compassion direct, you know, zooms the best right like thoughtful, you know, and then maybe a neurotypical person who just has a different way of being and different norms and ways.
     

     

    164

    00:18:11.109 --> 00:18:12.109

    Yeah.
     

     

    165

    00:18:12.109 --> 00:18:18.109

    They approach things, and you know, from the medical model, autistic people have been taught how to adapt to what they kind of more neurotypical expectations are for how you communicate what you're supposed to be interested in how you're supposed to body, how you're supposed to experience world which
     

     

    166

    00:18:18.109 --> 00:18:19.109

    Yeah.
     

     

    167

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    means like, stay still and use your rather than feel touch things you know.
     

     

    168

    00:18:22.109 --> 00:18:23.109

    Yeah.
     

     

    169

    00:18:23.109 --> 00:18:29.109

    Getting well. Yes, exactly. So. There's some thoughts that are rolling out.
     

     

    170

    00:18:29.109 --> 00:18:35.109

    Well, I love it, and you know what we did, which I think is so beautiful is we started out by looking at the assessments that were out there right?
     

     

    171

    00:18:35.109 --> 00:18:55.109

    And so, if you can, you just share kind of what you noticed right in looking at the assessments that were out there, and the difference or the discrepancies, for instance, between what what's out there and then what we've created?
     

     

    172

    00:18:55.109 --> 00:19:10.109

    Hmm, yeah. Well, maybe a kind of a felt sense exercise and I don't have the fullest in front of me, and I often need visual cues or things that I or you can look at.
     

     

    173

    00:19:10.109 --> 00:19:11.109

    Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yes.
     

     

    174

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    It's it grounds me. It's like a ground strategy.
     

     

    175

    00:19:12.109 --> 00:19:22.109

    But they're, you know, if we look at sort of the symptoms set as written in the Dsm.
     

     

    176

    00:19:22.109 --> 00:19:39.109

    5, and you know, kind of just having a felt sense of the words, persistent deficits in abnormal social approach, right failure to.
     

     

    177

    00:19:39.109 --> 00:19:48.109

    Yup difficulty.
     

     

    178

    00:19:48.109 --> 00:19:49.109

    Yeah.
     

     

    179

    00:19:49.109 --> 00:19:50.109

    That's a lot right. Difficulty with, like, you know, total of version of like rigid, you know, is this, didn't you know normal?
     

     

    180

    00:19:50.109 --> 00:19:51.109

    Yeah.
     

     

    181

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    You know, it's like, so it's just a you know.
     

     

    182

    00:19:52.109 --> 00:19:59.109

    We are describing people.
     

     

    183

    00:19:59.109 --> 00:20:08.109

    Yeah, yeah, yeah.
     

     

    184

    00:20:08.109 --> 00:20:09.109

    Yeah, yeah.
     

     

    185

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    Like what you know, like against what you know. Like kind of you know how normal is our normal.
     

     

    186

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    Really people, you know, it's like what is going on here, you know.
     

     

    187

    00:20:18.109 --> 00:20:32.109

    Yeah.
     

     

    188

    00:20:32.109 --> 00:20:33.109

    Yeah.
     

     

    189

    00:20:33.109 --> 00:20:36.109

    And so I think, with the neurural affirmative languaging. What you know primarily what we're doing is saying, you know, instead of deficits in the wording is different in and instead of like, you know.
     

     

    190

    00:20:36.109 --> 00:20:44.109

    What is it called like? Not peculiar? There's another p word like the, you know, like rigid.
     

     

    191

    00:20:44.109 --> 00:20:45.109

    Like like pre-up preoccupation.
     

     

    192

    00:20:45.109 --> 00:20:53.109

    Yeah. Yes. Like, yeah, it's like, it becomes like preferences for right as opposed to like that.
     

     

    193

    00:20:53.109 --> 00:20:54.109

    Yeah, yeah.
     

     

    194

    00:20:54.109 --> 00:21:05.109

    Yeah. Rigid, you know. Yeah, did. I mean, I can't even I don't even wanna talk about how it's language.
     

     

    195

    00:21:05.109 --> 00:21:06.109

    Oh, yeah.
     

     

    196

    00:21:06.109 --> 00:21:12.109

    Honestly. Well, it's like no, so I think what I love about how we continue to work with an adapt the tool, even since the end of April.
     

     

    197

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    Is complete removal of the Dsm. 5. Criteria relanguing all of it.
     

     

    198

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    So that it really?
     

     

    199

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    You know, for instance, differences in social communication and interaction.
     

     

    200

    00:21:28.109 --> 00:21:49.109

    I. So it's like differentnces in social communication and interaction across all 3 of the A domains of which there's kind of the experience relationships, experience of non-spoken communication and experiences with communication.
     

     

    201

    00:21:49.109 --> 00:22:19.109

    And then for B, it's preferences for calming or energizing or balancing movements or activities.
     

     

    202

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    Yes, yes.
     

     

    203

    00:22:25.109 --> 00:22:28.109

    Tasks, special interests and or sensory experiences, and so we're looking at really normalizing the way that an autistic, you know, or kind of, you know, neuro different systems regulates itself is through use of movement use of options, right engaging in the sensory experience to you know, shift in
     

     

    204

    00:22:28.109 --> 00:22:40.109

    Yeah.
     

     

    205

    00:22:40.109 --> 00:22:41.109

    Yeah.
     

     

    206

    00:22:41.109 --> 00:22:42.109

    physical space and needing a lot of, you know, kind of the because of the openness of our systems.
     

     

    207

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    All the data. You know, we look for kind of, you know, routines, schedules, you know, things that are predictable, known to bring the sense of kind of calm.
     

     

    208

    00:22:57.109 --> 00:22:58.109

    Yeah.
     

     

    209

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    And like, you know, like I kind of know where. If this, then this you know, and so I can kind of try to keep.
     

     

    210

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    Yes.
     

     

    211

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    Offensive regulation for myself, which is very different than calling me rigid right?
     

     

    212

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    For another person, so.
     

     

    213

    00:23:11.109 --> 00:23:14.109

    Yes, yes! Oh, my gosh! I just love this!
     

     

    214

    00:23:14.109 --> 00:23:41.109

    Conversation. I we I have the opportunity to educate a medical provider who assessed one of our autistic clients for Academy, assisted therapy because we've started Academy and assisted psychotherapy enormous day, and what I appreciate first about the medical provider is he stayed very
     

     

    215

    00:23:41.109 --> 00:23:42.109

    Oh!
     

     

    216

    00:23:42.109 --> 00:23:47.109

    open and curious to my response response to his micro aggressions against this autistic individual.
     

     

    217

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    There. He did not intend it to be a month aggression.
     

     

    218

    00:23:50.109 --> 00:24:04.109

    I wanna say that. But intention doesn't equal impact and made a comment that I just thought, okay, so you know.
     

     

    219

    00:24:04.109 --> 00:24:06.109

    Oh, you know he is, you know this rigidity, they said.
     

     

    220

    00:24:06.109 --> 00:24:10.109

    So that's actually a part of him. If we talk about internal family systems and software is a part.
     

     

    221

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    This is what Meg and I wrote in our chapter a neuro inclusive approach to ifs, which is our hardware.
     

     

    222

    00:24:19.109 --> 00:24:28.109

    What's going on with our brain is over here, and then the software iss here.
     

     

    223

    00:24:28.109 --> 00:24:34.109

    And so this assumption that you know all autistic people are rigid, right?
     

     

    224

    00:24:34.109 --> 00:24:44.109

    That deficit language. And so I just shared with him because he was talking about the suite individual who had just landed basically come out of the journey.
     

     

    225

    00:24:44.109 --> 00:24:47.109

    And he had a protector part come forward, and so it wasn't that his autistic brain was being rigid.
     

     

    226

    00:24:47.109 --> 00:24:56.109

    It was that he came back into embodiment, and as we know what can happen in the autonomic nervous system is, you know, sympathetic right?
     

     

    227

    00:24:56.109 --> 00:25:07.109

    So there's that hardware. And then a part came forward to protect right.
     

     

    228

    00:25:07.109 --> 00:25:25.109

    So I guess my point in saying that is that just how important it is that we get this education out there because there are so many well intended medical providers and clinicians who are going off the Dsm.
     

     

    229

    00:25:25.109 --> 00:25:37.109

    Which people I will say this neurotype should not neurological differences should not be in a diagnostic manual where the focus is on disorder.
     

     

    230

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    It is not a disorder when I hear people say, this is a mental illness.
     

     

    231

    00:25:39.109 --> 00:25:50.109

    When I hear people say, including providers. You know, autistic people can flip a switch and they're taking time bombing.
     

     

    232

    00:25:50.109 --> 00:25:51.109

    Yeah.
     

     

    233

    00:25:51.109 --> 00:25:55.109

    Okay, we're not psychopaths like, who are you talking about?
     

     

    234

    00:25:55.109 --> 00:26:02.109

    It's so deficit based. So so getting back to our assessment, you and I were really inspired.
     

     

    235

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    By this awareness that we've got to change the language.
     

     

    236

    00:26:06.109 --> 00:26:14.109

    And so we we just made a brave. We just took the brave job last week when we were in edits and said, Let's ditch the D's.
     

     

    237

    00:26:14.109 --> 00:26:18.109

    Let's ditch the disorders let's ditch the Dsl language.
     

     

    238

    00:26:18.109 --> 00:26:25.109

    Let's do it our way and get people in this mindset. That, hey?
     

     

    239

    00:26:25.109 --> 00:26:35.109

    It's a difference in. So if you get a divenosis of autism through this assessment with us, we're looking at it as a difference which I'll be honest.
     

     

    240

    00:26:35.109 --> 00:26:42.109

    When I did that I used our tool earlier this week with an autistic female, as I was doing.
     

     

    241

    00:26:42.109 --> 00:26:54.109

    You know the screening, and I noticed my brain having to switch because I have almost 20 years of being trained on a model that is very disorder and deficit, based.
     

     

    242

    00:26:54.109 --> 00:26:59.109

    And so I had to really look at it as, Hey, she's getting this.
     

     

    243

    00:26:59.109 --> 00:27:16.109

    She fits all the criteria. Holy cow like check the box when I we went into detail of each section which we're going to get into here in a minute, she fit every single one, and I had to look at it as an even my language with her I said the Dsm is gonna
     

     

    244

    00:27:16.109 --> 00:27:19.109

    call these deficits. We're looking at them as differences.
     

     

    245

    00:27:19.109 --> 00:27:20.109

    So I, you know, kind of made that disclaimer up to get her brain also thinking of that.
     

     

    246

    00:27:20.109 --> 00:27:25.109

    In terms of, you know a difference, because what what she and I were thinking well, who cares about?
     

     

    247

    00:27:25.109 --> 00:27:31.109

    It's a difference in how we communicate. What's the issue?
     

     

    248

    00:27:31.109 --> 00:27:34.109

    Yeah.
     

     

    249

    00:27:34.109 --> 00:27:38.109

    But sadly, sadly, for a diagnosis of autism.
     

     

    250

    00:27:38.109 --> 00:27:48.109

    You know, it's like there has to be this. It's a deficit, and there's a failure to. And it's, you know, it's this persistent deficiency in.
     

     

    251

    00:27:48.109 --> 00:27:51.109

    And it's just this rigid like you said.
     

     

    252

    00:27:51.109 --> 00:27:53.109

    It's all this language like you said, it's all this language.
     

     

    253

    00:27:53.109 --> 00:28:11.109

    So I just want to point that out that for folks that are going to be having access to our assessment here in the very you got it really changed the way your brain has been thinking if you're a medical provider, or mental health, provider, because we're not using the language, that the
     

     

    254

    00:28:11.109 --> 00:28:15.109

    Dsm. Has huge. We're just not gonna use it.
     

     

    255

    00:28:15.109 --> 00:28:16.109

    We're ditching the Ds.
     

     

    256

    00:28:16.109 --> 00:28:26.109

    Yes, yes, yeah. And there's some really beautiful guidance from.
     

     

    257

    00:28:26.109 --> 00:28:27.109

    Yeah.
     

     

    258

    00:28:27.109 --> 00:28:50.109

    And her team in the adult autism assessment handbook that I really think it's it's very considerate.
     

     

    259

    00:28:50.109 --> 00:28:51.109

    Yeah.
     

     

    260

    00:28:51.109 --> 00:28:52.109

    It's considerately written in the sense that, just like you're saying here, Candace, that you know, it's internalized ableism. Really, you know, kind of like the you know, since autism have been identified in the forties and studied.
     

     

    261

    00:28:52.109 --> 00:28:54.109

    You know it's been, you know. It's been something that's extraordinary.
     

     

    262

    00:28:54.109 --> 00:29:24.109

    You talk about stigma around borderline personality, you know, like there's like an extraordinary stigma around what it means to be autistic that you know, because the presentation and pop culture media has been so geared towards like really you know, not showing the wide spectrum in which autism
     

     

    263

    00:29:25.109 --> 00:29:34.109

    Yes.
     

     

    264

    00:29:34.109 --> 00:29:35.109

    Yes.
     

     

    265

    00:29:35.109 --> 00:29:36.109

    can present. You know it's there is a very narrow slice lens on, you know, like your mathematical genius, you know, person, you know, and a male body person.
     

     

    266

    00:29:36.109 --> 00:29:41.109

    And then you know what about the rest of us that don't you know, would never have identified, you know, and I think this is interesting.
     

     

    267

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    Even, just clinically speaking.
     

     

    268

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    You know I don't know how I would have responded to a clinician asking if I had thought about you know being on autistic as as opposed to how I you know you know, have I thought about being borderline personality?
     

     

    269

    00:30:02.109 --> 00:30:28.109

    You know, it's like both things come with some degree of stigma, you know, and it's only been through the investigation of what autism actually means in more recent literature.
     

     

    270

    00:30:28.109 --> 00:30:29.109

    Got it?
     

     

    271

    00:30:29.109 --> 00:30:30.109

    That's coming out, you know, by autistic people. And it's like, Oh, I can totally relate to this.
     

     

    272

    00:30:30.109 --> 00:30:37.109

    Yes, this is me, and it's like felt in a very different way than for instance, the borderline personality which felt like a being misunderstood.
     

     

    273

    00:30:37.109 --> 00:30:42.109

    Another way in which I'm being misunderstood, whereas the autism diagnosis, even reading it in the Dsm.
     

     

    274

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    Which took a lot of 150 h of continuing Ed on like, how what does this mean?
     

     

    275

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    You know I'm like, oh, now I can identify with these things because there's other ways that this shows up.
     

     

    276

    00:31:06.109 --> 00:31:07.109

    Yeah.
     

     

    277

    00:31:07.109 --> 00:31:15.109

    And it's really so much more about kind of the inner experience than it is necessarily about what is going on on the outside and I think there's so much that I'm you know, the intersex here with my own other interests around.
     

     

    278

    00:31:15.109 --> 00:31:33.109

    You know, like kind of how we're socialized. And then sort of ideas coming out of more of the trauma and addiction field of, you know, codependency and contrasting like that code of dependency model with kind of this idea of masking and you know what what you know I just think that
     

     

    279

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    this is where it's such a cool place in the field to really advance.
     

     

    280

    00:31:42.109 --> 00:31:43.109

    Yes.
     

     

    281

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    You know what actually matters for autistic people and our well-being, you know, and they think for women specifically.
     

     

    282

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    And we presented on this in our talk, you know but one of the things that just really is.
     

     

    283

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    My, you know. Probably kind of if I had to nutshell a life passion, you know.
     

     

    284

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    It's like protection of women and girls and sexual violence.
     

     

    285

    00:32:06.109 --> 00:32:32.109

    Being a very big, part of that kind of, you know, work and desire to correct, and the experiences of victimization that will occur can occur throughout someone's lifetime, you know, really means there's something else that we need to be doing to help awesome.
     

     

    286

    00:32:32.109 --> 00:32:38.109

    Yeah.
     

     

    287

    00:32:38.109 --> 00:32:39.109

    Absolutely.
     

     

    288

    00:32:39.109 --> 00:32:40.109

    You know safety and well being and like, if we you know, and they don't, you know.
     

     

    289

    00:32:40.109 --> 00:32:48.109

    Yeah, like, so that just there's so much more we can do once we have identified kind of how autism can show up.
     

     

    290

    00:32:48.109 --> 00:33:02.109

    You know, in female people, and what those specific needs are, and regarding kind of yeah, coming in.
     

     

    291

    00:33:02.109 --> 00:33:03.109

    Yeah.
     

     

    292

    00:33:03.109 --> 00:33:05.109

    And I think a lot of it is about healthy relationships, education and things that may be.
     

     

    293

    00:33:05.109 --> 00:33:09.109

    I agree.
     

     

    294

    00:33:09.109 --> 00:33:10.109

    Yeah. Oh!
     

     

    295

    00:33:10.109 --> 00:33:15.109

    We're not modeling when in our family systems, particularly coming to a late date, you realize what your family was also somewhere neuro different on the neurode spectrum.
     

     

    296

    00:33:15.109 --> 00:33:23.109

    And okay, where you know, it's like intergenerational. Looking back.
     

     

    297

    00:33:23.109 --> 00:33:24.109

    Truly!
     

     

    298

    00:33:24.109 --> 00:33:27.109

    But like that teacher about like what is, you know, and you know, from an inner affirm, like nervous system like, I think this is where my poly bagel theory stuff is.
     

     

    299

    00:33:27.109 --> 00:33:33.109

    It's like what brings me ventral which might not.
     

     

    300

    00:33:33.109 --> 00:33:46.109

    What be? What brings everybody else to ventral? I might find vegetable glass, garden, and use, find ventral, you know, like going to a party right like, you know.
     

     

    301

    00:33:46.109 --> 00:33:47.109

    Yeah, with my jelly smelling my gelling shoes.
     

     

    302

    00:33:47.109 --> 00:33:52.109

    Thank you. Yeah, yeah, like, right, it's like, I want, you know, it's like smelling the shoe instead of.
     

     

    303

    00:33:52.109 --> 00:34:01.109

    Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know, I don't want to wear them. I just want to smell them.
     

     

    304

    00:34:01.109 --> 00:34:07.109

    They make me feel good. But you said some really important things, you know, in terms of.
     

     

    305

    00:34:07.109 --> 00:34:08.109

    Right.
     

     

    306

    00:34:08.109 --> 00:34:15.109

    So we do the assessment, and then we can't just stop there we can't just go into treatment that looks like the non autistic treatment approach.
     

     

    307

    00:34:15.109 --> 00:34:18.109

    We've got to look at providing support for healthy.
     

     

    308

    00:34:18.109 --> 00:34:24.109

    The word is relative, but relationships, especially if you come from a religious background where there's a lot of shame around sexuality and intimacy.
     

     

    309

    00:34:24.109 --> 00:34:33.109

    And we've got a lot of young occupational people getting online. They're engaging with people sexually.
     

     

    310

    00:34:33.109 --> 00:34:37.109

    They don't know what's going on. So it's like, there's got to be support in education around that.
     

     

    311

    00:34:37.109 --> 00:34:40.109

    There's got to be support about pure victimization.
     

     

    312

    00:34:40.109 --> 00:34:42.109

    Healthy boundaries, relational victimization there's got to be support around communication of needs.
     

     

    313

    00:34:42.109 --> 00:34:51.109

    Wants desires. How do you feel, seen, known, heard, and understood?
     

     

    314

    00:34:51.109 --> 00:34:57.109

    There's got to be a lot of support there, and so I love that our assessment is a beautiful starting point.
     

     

    315

    00:34:57.109 --> 00:35:02.109

    And I also love that we created a long form which you and I can get through.
     

     

    316

    00:35:02.109 --> 00:35:05.109

    But for some, if we're handing it over to an autistic person to check, it can be incredibly overwhelming.
     

     

    317

    00:35:05.109 --> 00:35:12.109

    I get it. I've got the brain and so we're also creating a short form.
     

     

    318

    00:35:12.109 --> 00:35:19.109

    We're in edits of that right now which I'm excited about.
     

     

    319

    00:35:19.109 --> 00:35:20.109

    Yeah.
     

     

    320

    00:35:20.109 --> 00:35:29.109

    And so do you feel comfortable, maybe just going through and just throwing out some of the sections for folks as a teaser. You know, where there will be more questions in each of these sections where you can kind of take a deeper dive that look into the world of autistic females.
     

     

    321

    00:35:29.109 --> 00:35:37.109

    Yes, yeah. So kind of. So the way we have this laid out is.
     

     

    322

    00:35:37.109 --> 00:35:43.109

    Kind of presentation of the neuroirmative model for autism assessment.
     

     

    323

    00:35:43.109 --> 00:35:49.109

    And then breaking down each of the criteria. So for?
     

     

    324

    00:35:49.109 --> 00:36:02.109

    How do we even move away for identification? Sort of it's kind of like a way of collaborative identification, I think, is how Devita Hartman and her team talk about the you know.
     

     

    325

    00:36:02.109 --> 00:36:03.109

    Hmm!
     

     

    326

    00:36:03.109 --> 00:36:04.109

    But where we're looking at exploring together as opposed to, you know, from a power perspective like I'm giving you a diagnosis right?
     

     

    327

    00:36:04.109 --> 00:36:14.109

    Like, so just in terms of tone, there's sort of an element of, you know.
     

     

    328

    00:36:14.109 --> 00:36:15.109

    Here are autistic ways of communicating and interacting with others.
     

     

    329

    00:36:15.109 --> 00:36:45.109

    You know, like, for instance, worrying whether you're talking too much or not enough in social situations like, be wondering what's the right way to act we're making kind of significant efforts to observe or find out rules prior to engaging in kind of a new situation you know, ding
     

     

    330

    00:36:45.109 --> 00:36:46.109

    Yeah.
     

     

    331

    00:36:46.109 --> 00:36:49.109

    ding ding flag on this one, you know. Is it easier for them to talk at length about certain topics than others?
     

     

    332

    00:36:49.109 --> 00:36:53.109

    You know, or lose track, perhaps of whether others are still listening, if sharing about an interest area.
     

     

    333

    00:36:53.109 --> 00:37:06.109

    And you know it's like this, you know, or can you get bored or agitated?
     

     

    334

    00:37:06.109 --> 00:37:07.109

    Yeah.
     

     

    335

    00:37:07.109 --> 00:37:08.109

    If people are talking about things that are not of interest, you know it's like these are autistic ways of communicating like that's normal in autistic community.
     

     

    336

    00:37:08.109 --> 00:37:18.109

    It's like we are with people, and I love that.
     

     

    337

    00:37:18.109 --> 00:37:19.109

    Yeah, yeah.
     

     

    338

    00:37:19.109 --> 00:37:20.109

    Our relationship is we have similar special interests, talk and talk and be like Uhhuh.
     

     

    339

    00:37:20.109 --> 00:37:26.109

    Unload your wisdom, girl like? Yes, you know, but so that's a one.
     

     

    340

    00:37:26.109 --> 00:37:35.109

    And then so a 2 is autistic experiences of non-spoken or non-verbal communication.
     

     

    341

    00:37:35.109 --> 00:37:39.109

    And so here we might be assessing like, what's that?
     

     

    342

    00:37:39.109 --> 00:37:49.109

    Felt experience with either giving or receiving icons. Because, again, it's not that you can't do it.
     

     

    343

    00:37:49.109 --> 00:37:50.109

    Yup!
     

     

    344

    00:37:50.109 --> 00:37:56.109

    It, you know. Thank you are trained to look at me when I'm talking to you, for you know, for many of us right.
     

     

    345

    00:37:56.109 --> 00:37:57.109

    Hmm!
     

     

    346

    00:37:57.109 --> 00:37:58.109

    So it's not so much do they give eye contact from a clinician observer.
     

     

    347

    00:37:58.109 --> 00:38:05.109

    Lens do I notice my contact? It's more. Tell me what it feels like when you know some.
     

     

    348

    00:38:05.109 --> 00:38:08.109

    You gotta look in someone's eyes is looking into yours.
     

     

    349

    00:38:08.109 --> 00:38:14.109

    You know. Maybe it's like, Are there certain forms of communication that are easier than others?
     

     

    350

    00:38:14.109 --> 00:38:23.109

    Which is certainly true for me. I'm with, you know, especially if it's something that might be conflictual or challenging, like.
     

     

    351

    00:38:23.109 --> 00:38:44.109

    I would much rather write it than have to be confronted with saying things out loud, and I think with that there's also just more that I've learned around, maybe having some more respect for the reality of selective like mutism.
     

     

    352

    00:38:44.109 --> 00:38:50.109

    Hmm!
     

     

    353

    00:38:50.109 --> 00:38:58.109

    Yeah, yeah.
     

     

    354

    00:38:58.109 --> 00:38:59.109

    Yeah.
     

     

    355

    00:38:59.109 --> 00:39:07.109

    And where there are circumstances in which it hasn't been possible for me to speak, you know, even if I prepared for it, even if I scripted it out at the moment, comes and passes, and I cannot do it.
     

     

    356

    00:39:07.109 --> 00:39:14.109

    Yeah.
     

     

    357

    00:39:14.109 --> 00:39:15.109

    Yes.
     

     

    358

    00:39:15.109 --> 00:39:18.109

    And now that I know that's like because my autistic preferences for communication, and we're easier at harder for me and sometimes than others as opposed to an element of my codependency, that means that I have how to have a voice yet or you know it's like
     

     

    359

    00:39:18.109 --> 00:39:19.109

    Yeah.
     

     

    360

    00:39:19.109 --> 00:39:36.109

    it's very different. Lens. It's like I can respect and honor.
     

     

    361

    00:39:36.109 --> 00:39:37.109

    Yeah.
     

     

    362

    00:39:37.109 --> 00:39:38.109

    This is hard for me, and what do I need to do to support myself and either nervous system, wise getting regulated to a place where I can have enough cues of safety to have a nervous system that cooperates and allows me to come or are there other modes in which I
     

     

    363

    00:39:38.109 --> 00:39:45.109

    can share this information. So yeah, like, there's sort of nuances and kind of preferences around how we communicate.
     

     

    364

    00:39:45.109 --> 00:39:56.109

    And then the a 3 is the autistic experiences of developing mainten and understanding friendships and relationships.
     

     

    365

    00:39:56.109 --> 00:40:21.109

    I think this is, you know, really, where there can be incredible work done from like on a clinical level, just with friendship, timelines, and the nature of that exploration here.
     

     

    366

    00:40:21.109 --> 00:40:22.109

    Hmm!
     

     

    367

    00:40:22.109 --> 00:40:30.109

    But what you might be exploring with a client is really, you know, stories about being bullied, excluded like since childhood may be always feeling different, you know, kind of like I don't belong, you know, for me.
     

     

    368

    00:40:30.109 --> 00:40:34.109

    Yeah.
     

     

    369

    00:40:34.109 --> 00:40:35.109

    Yeah.
     

     

    370

    00:40:35.109 --> 00:40:48.109

    I always felt like an alien, had a big special interest in Ets and Ufos for a very long time, like, you know.
     

     

    371

    00:40:48.109 --> 00:40:53.109

    Yeah, yeah.
     

     

    372

    00:40:53.109 --> 00:40:54.109

    Yeah.
     

     

    373

    00:40:54.109 --> 00:40:57.109

    Pick me up no, or like with friendship, kind of relationships like I have tended to either be older and have much younger friends, or even, you know, more likely now, in today's world, my friends are all in, their you know, sixties like I have a page.
     

     

    374

    00:40:57.109 --> 00:40:58.109

    Yeah, same, yeah.
     

     

    375

    00:40:58.109 --> 00:41:01.109

    Like I have much older friends, and you know, and I do.
     

     

    376

    00:41:01.109 --> 00:41:13.109

    You know, it's kind of like there is an element where this shows up too.
     

     

    377

    00:41:13.109 --> 00:41:14.109

    Yeah.
     

     

    378

    00:41:14.109 --> 00:41:15.109

    It's like, you know, it's like, Oh, cause I you know I have like this, you know, reference for right like my elders, and like kind of then it can put me in this like position of you know, I think people might perceive.
     

     

    379

    00:41:15.109 --> 00:41:21.109

    Oh, you're you know you're making yourself less than you know from a framework, you know.
     

     

    380

    00:41:21.109 --> 00:41:24.109

    But it's like, No, I just really it's like, I think Candace is amazing.
     

     

    381

    00:41:24.109 --> 00:41:30.109

    You know. And so it's like, you know, and she's, you know, hanging you, hey?
     

     

    382

    00:41:30.109 --> 00:41:37.109

    And I look up to her right and like there's so there can be this sort of idea of like, yeah, that elevation and friendships.
     

     

    383

    00:41:37.109 --> 00:41:38.109

    Yeah, yeah.
     

     

    384

    00:41:38.109 --> 00:41:45.109

    And what that means. And yet, you know and like, let's not judge that from the outside.
     

     

    385

    00:41:45.109 --> 00:41:51.109

    Yes, I was. Gonna say that right instead of like, oh, that's codependent, like I, one of the things Ali, as you're talking.
     

     

    386

    00:41:51.109 --> 00:41:57.109

    And I'm aware of the time you and I could talk for hours.
     

     

    387

    00:41:57.109 --> 00:42:04.109

    What are the things that I'm aware of, though, is just recently in my adult relationships with what?
     

     

    388

    00:42:04.109 --> 00:42:24.109

    Who I thought were friends that didn't take the time to get to know me and my autism, who really started to, as I noticed just there was just some unhealthy dynamics where I was considered codependent and labeled in certain ways.
     

     

    389

    00:42:24.109 --> 00:42:29.109

    And then, if I was overwhelmed and needed to take space, then it was like they would kind of count me, and I would try to expl.
     

     

    390

    00:42:29.109 --> 00:42:38.109

    You know, I just need space like there's a lot going on.
     

     

    391

    00:42:38.109 --> 00:42:42.109

    And it was like, Well, what's wrong with it? Kids not personal doing all I could.
     

     

    392

    00:42:42.109 --> 00:42:58.109

    And then just even in one instance, where there was just a use where it was like there was this manipulation, this, you know, sitting right up in my face, staring at me like a narcissistic abuse like that coercion trying to intimidate me and so I was able to
     

     

    393

    00:42:58.109 --> 00:43:05.109

    have enough regularulation in my system to get through that. But that awareness of these people don't.
     

     

    394

    00:43:05.109 --> 00:43:13.109

    They're not taking the time to understand. They're not being culturally sensitive to the culture of autism and neuro difference.
     

     

    395

    00:43:13.109 --> 00:43:18.109

    I'm noticing that it is really dysregulating me to stay around them.
     

     

    396

    00:43:18.109 --> 00:43:22.109

    You know. And so I had to make some decisions there around that.
     

     

    397

    00:43:22.109 --> 00:43:30.109

    But what happens a lot of times if we're not aware of that, we just stay in it.
     

     

    398

    00:43:30.109 --> 00:43:34.109

    So this is why that section on the assessment is so important.
     

     

    399

    00:43:34.109 --> 00:43:37.109

    Because I think people when they're assessing they just go.
     

     

    400

    00:43:37.109 --> 00:43:42.109

    Oh, where you bullied! Came. Move on to the next thing, but it's like No.
     

     

    401

    00:43:42.109 --> 00:43:50.109

    What really does that mean? What really does peer victimization for autistic people and autistic females look like?
     

     

    402

    00:43:50.109 --> 00:44:03.109

    And then also relational victimization. Let's really get down to those that brass tacks. And let's then really look at, how can we actually support you in treatment planning around that?
     

     

    403

    00:44:03.109 --> 00:44:08.109

    Yes, yes.
     

     

    404

    00:44:08.109 --> 00:44:16.109

    Instead of me changing the way I'm showing up or I'm codependent, or I'm too needy or I'm cold and distant.
     

     

    405

    00:44:16.109 --> 00:44:23.109

    Oh, I just cut someone off. No, let's look at the trauma around that, and maybe do some trouble work around.
     

     

    406

    00:44:23.109 --> 00:44:34.109

    Why you had it end those relationships. And then let's really kind of break it down and look at how can we help you start to vet people in a way that keeps you safe?
     

     

    407

    00:44:34.109 --> 00:44:42.109

    That is so important. Yes, like that. Like the vetting right?
     

     

    408

    00:44:42.109 --> 00:44:43.109

    Vetting.
     

     

    409

    00:44:43.109 --> 00:44:44.109

    Bring the the level of discernment right like what?
     

     

    410

    00:44:44.109 --> 00:44:45.109

    Yes.
     

     

    411

    00:44:45.109 --> 00:44:49.109

    Like what actually makes a friend. And can't you know?
     

     

    412

    00:44:49.109 --> 00:44:50.109

    Yes.
     

     

    413

    00:44:50.109 --> 00:44:51.109

    And I think especially like for women in recovery work for sex and love addiction.
     

     

    414

    00:44:51.109 --> 00:45:00.109

    You know, it's like that. That element of pacing, you know.
     

     

    415

    00:45:00.109 --> 00:45:01.109

    Yes.
     

     

    416

    00:45:01.109 --> 00:45:02.109

    It's over time. Like, how do I develop? What does that actually look like?
     

     

    417

    00:45:02.109 --> 00:45:05.109

    You know what are the red flags?
     

     

    418

    00:45:05.109 --> 00:45:09.109

    Oh, my! Gosh! Yes!
     

     

    419

    00:45:09.109 --> 00:45:10.109

    Yes.
     

     

    420

    00:45:10.109 --> 00:45:12.109

    And can we develop some formula like, you know, education that's actually like cohesive.
     

     

    421

    00:45:12.109 --> 00:45:29.109

    Because all of my education around those things has come piecemeal through the aftermath crisis, and as a psychotherapist, great like, interested in studying to figure it all out you know, it's like, can we synthesize all of the information that we know about manipulative abuseive
     

     

    422

    00:45:29.109 --> 00:45:45.109

    predatory offender. People right to kind of get like these are red flags of which charm you're the greatest, you know, like love bombing right like there's so many 3 pants that can show that you.
     

     

    423

    00:45:45.109 --> 00:45:47.109

    Oh, my! Gosh! Oh, my! Gosh!
     

     

    424

    00:45:47.109 --> 00:45:52.109

    And then you're caught completely off guard, you know.
     

     

    425

    00:45:52.109 --> 00:45:53.109

    Yes.
     

     

    426

    00:45:53.109 --> 00:46:00.109

    But if we know, wait, someone does. Didn't know me that well, and I'm there some special everything that's something I need to register.
     

     

    427

    00:46:00.109 --> 00:46:01.109

    Yes.
     

     

    428

    00:46:01.109 --> 00:46:04.109

    Maybe a queue to examine right like that might mean something other than what they're telling me, you know, like there, you know, there might be something else going on, but I think we do.
     

     

    429

    00:46:04.109 --> 00:46:14.109

    I have needed, like very directive information around how to detect potential.
     

     

    430

    00:46:14.109 --> 00:46:23.109

    Manipulation in order. Now have a way better of like, yeah, I don't want to be part of that at the what did I do wrong? Right?
     

     

    431

    00:46:23.109 --> 00:46:24.109

    Yeah.
     

     

    432

    00:46:24.109 --> 00:46:33.109

    Umhm! Oh, my gosh, yes, yes, no! Same here. Same here, and I'm almost 50 and so it's like we can still fall victim to that.
     

     

    433

    00:46:33.109 --> 00:46:38.109

    So I as you were saying, love bombing. I was thinking of that, you know.
     

     

    434

    00:46:38.109 --> 00:46:39.109

    We're love bombed, and then it's anger.
     

     

    435

    00:46:39.109 --> 00:46:40.109

    Yeah.
     

     

    436

    00:46:40.109 --> 00:46:45.109

    Bombed, where all it's like it does. The switch flips.
     

     

    437

    00:46:45.109 --> 00:46:47.109

    And so then we're like, Well, wait, you just love me.
     

     

    438

    00:46:47.109 --> 00:46:59.109

    A minute ago, and then how is it that in one text all of a sudden, I'm in trouble, and I'm doing something wrong and I don't understand, because I'm not seeing what's going on here right.
     

     

    439

    00:46:59.109 --> 00:47:05.109

    So I'm excited about our assessment. I want the world to know it's coming out into the world.
     

     

    440

    00:47:05.109 --> 00:47:10.109

    We're hoping to get it into the appendix of the chapter.
     

     

    441

    00:47:10.109 --> 00:47:18.109

    That will be part of the book altogether. Us that Jenna Romerzma edited, and then Dick Schwartz, the founder of Ifs, did the forward to.
     

     

    442

    00:47:18.109 --> 00:47:24.109

    So we're super excited about so stay tuned for that, and then Ally and I oh, my gosh!
     

     

    443

    00:47:24.109 --> 00:47:30.109

    Okay.
     

     

    444

    00:47:30.109 --> 00:47:31.109

    Okay.
     

     

    445

    00:47:31.109 --> 00:47:34.109

    We'll be presenting for 4 h. I'm so thankful for you, I think it's a week or 2 before I start my psychedelic and program my psychedelic assistance therapy program through Cis.
     

     

    446

    00:47:34.109 --> 00:47:47.109

    So we've got a lot coming to us for September, but those of you clinicians, Medical providers I don't actually think you have to be a certified sex.
     

     

    447

    00:47:47.109 --> 00:47:52.109

    Addiction therapist to attend through itap.com.
     

     

    448

    00:47:52.109 --> 00:48:02.109

    But you know, if you follow either of us on social media, or you know you're just connected to us, feel free to email so that you can attend.
     

     

    449

    00:48:02.109 --> 00:48:10.109

    It'll be 4 h we are gonna take a deep dive into autistic females and really deep dive into this assessment.
     

     

    450

    00:48:10.109 --> 00:48:17.109

    I will probably do a little bit of teasing out between what does it look like for autistic males versus females?
     

     

    451

    00:48:17.109 --> 00:48:22.109

    So those of you that are curious enough anyways stay tuned for that. So that's coming. I think it's September fourteenth.
     

     

    452

    00:48:22.109 --> 00:48:24.109

    Awesome, so.
     

     

    453

    00:48:24.109 --> 00:48:31.109

    I'm guessing. I am. So yeah, I'm so thankful to you, Ally. You're just a god.
     

     

    454

    00:48:31.109 --> 00:48:39.109

    Send in the world of autistic females, and getting this word out there, and you've really inspired me to also up just my level of, I think, just awareness as to my own process as an autistic woman.
     

     

    455

    00:48:39.109 --> 00:48:51.109

    And just being really supportive and capacity and just being really supportive and compassionate towards my autistic female clients.
     

     

    456

    00:48:51.109 --> 00:48:53.109

    So thank you so much for all you're doing in the world, and for being on fabulously Candice.
     

     

    457

    00:48:53.109 --> 00:48:58.109

    Yes, thank you for supporting me, and my voice and, you know, like kind of the you know what helps right?
     

     

    458

    00:48:58.109 --> 00:49:08.109

    Like someone that believes in you, and says, that's actually really important to say, why don't you come on and talk about that?
     

     

    459

    00:49:08.109 --> 00:49:21.109

    And we appreciate. Yeah, just you and the space and the autistic clinicians in the world.
     

     

    460

    00:49:21.109 --> 00:49:22.109

    Yes.
     

     

    461

    00:49:22.109 --> 00:49:26.109

    Right that are like really change makers here, because we're no like neuro affirming care is is where we are.
     

     

    462

    00:49:26.109 --> 00:49:27.109

    Yeah.
     

     

    463

    00:49:27.109 --> 00:49:28.109

    Oh, my gosh! Quality care! It's quality care. It's best practice.
     

     

    464

    00:49:28.109 --> 00:49:37.109

    We've gotta be doing it. We focus on all the other cultures we've got to focus on cultures of neurotypes.
     

     

    465

    00:49:37.109 --> 00:49:39.109

    Yes.
     

     

    466

    00:49:39.109 --> 00:49:42.109

    Now is that time 2023. So, thank you, sweet friend, and I'll talk to you this afternoon.
     

     

    467

    00:49:42.109 --> 00:49:45.109

    Yeah, I'm glad I'll get to meet with you again.
     

     

    468

    00:49:45.109 --> 00:49:48.109

    Take good, care. Thanks, very much.
     

     

    469

    00:49:48.109 --> 00:49:56.109

    Yeah, you, too. I just wanted to say to the world that love is medicine.
     

     

    470

    00:49:56.109 --> 00:50:04.109

    You are love, so please be tender with your sweet cells in this world that could be so challenging for all of us.
     

     

    471

    00:50:04.109 --> 00:50:10.109

    I'm sending you so much love, so much compassion, and until next time have a beautiful, beautiful day. Bye!