Dr. Megan Neff and Patrick Casale are two Neurodivergent therapists in a neurotypical world. During this podcast, they’ll talk about their own personal experien...
Episode 82: Giftedness (Part 3): Deconstructing Giftedness: Life Beyond The Label [featuring Katy Higgins Lee]
Giftedness is paired with a unique cognitive and emotional makeup accompanied by many societal misconceptions. Many individuals find themselves grappling with high expectations, internalized stigma, and a constant quest for intellectual stimulation, often reconciling feelings of exceptional capability with misunderstood struggles.
In this episode, Patrick Casale and Dr. Megan Anna Neff, two AuDHD mental health professionals, and Katy Higgins Lee, a multiply neurodivergent therapist, discuss the nuanced world of giftedness, including the intersection of giftedness, neurodivergence, and the emotional landscape that comes with it.
Top 3 reasons to listen to the entire episode:
Understand the trauma that can arise from being labeled as gifted, and how societal misunderstandings and high expectations can lead to negative perceptions and unresolved emotional struggles.
Explore the concept of "overexcitabilities" from the theory of positive disintegration and how recognizing these heightened sensitivities can aid in self-care and managing intellectual and sensory needs for a balanced life.
Discover practical approaches and supportive communities that help twice exceptional (2e) individuals navigate their unique challenges, providing a sense of belonging and validation.
As you reflect on your unique journey or that of someone you care about, consider the nuances that shape your experiences and needs. Understanding and embracing these can open doors to self-acceptance and fulfilling connections.
More about Katy:
Katy Higgins Lee, MFT (she/her) is a multiply neurodivergent therapist in private practice in Northern California. She is also a clinical supervisor, continuing education provider, neurodiversity advocate, unschooling parent, gardener, and writer.
Katy’s Trainings: https://www.katyhigginslee.com/trainings
Katy’s Groups: https://www.katyhigginslee.com/groups
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tendingpaths
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katyhigginsleemft
YouTube: https://youtu.be/7pMcDdfEj6A
I Must Be BUG’N Podcast
Our Wild Minds Facebook Group
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Thanks to Our Sponsors: The Gifted Learning Lab, Resilient Mind Counseling, & Learning Nook
✨The Gifted Learning Lab
The Gifted Learning Lab is all about empowering parents to raise their gifted and 2e kids with confidence and less conflict. If you’re looking for real, neurodivergent-affirming strategies, you can check out Danika’s free email mini-course on reducing power struggles at giftedlearninglab.com/power. And for those wanting a deeper dive, her coaching program, 'Support Your Intense Gifted/2e Kid,' offers hands-on support for the journey.
✨Resilient Mind Counseling
Resilient Mind Counseling is a neurodivergent-affirming therapy and medication management practice operated all throughout North Carolina. We specialize in supporting neurodivergent individuals, especially Autistic ADHDers, as well as the LGBTQ and BIPOC communities. Text or call 828-515-1246 or visit our website at resilientmindcounseling.com to get started.
✨Learning Nook
Explore the power of the neurodivergent community with the Neurodivergent Insights Learning Nook—a neurodiverse space that welcomes all neurotypes. Our community fosters personal growth with access to workbooks, eBooks, workshops, and more. Clinicians can join our special tier for exclusive resources and networking. Limited to 20 new members monthly. Enroll at neurodivergentinsights.com/membership. Scholarships available.
✨Hurricane Relief for WNC communities
Donate to help provide urgent aid for WNC communities affected by Hurricane Helene. Visit: atppod.com/wnc
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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54:20
Episode 81: Giftedness (Part 2): You’re a Zebra, Not a Weird Horse [featuring Dr. Matt Zakreski]
The rich, layered experience of gifted and neurodivergent individuals often includes profound emotional sensitivity, rapid thinking, and unique challenges in daily life.
In this episode, Patrick Casale and Dr. Neff, two AuDHD mental health professionals, and Dr. Matthew Zakreski, a speaker and psychologist, discuss the complexities of neurodivergence and giftedness, including impostor syndrome, executive functioning, the rule of 5, mirror neurons, and overexcitability.
Top 3 reasons to listen to the entire episode:
Discover the unique traits of gifted and neurodivergent individuals, including the intense emotional experiences known as overexcitabilities that shape one's perception of the world.
Dive into the concept of executive dysfunction to understand why certain tasks can feel overwhelming, reframing "can't" instead of "won't."
Explore the nature of impostor syndrome among neurodivergent individuals, and learn how embracing authenticity and self-compassion can alleviate feelings of self-doubt and foster deeper connections.
As you reflect on the diverse aspects of giftedness and neurodivergence, remember that unique ways of experiencing, processing, and interacting with the world are both valuable and valid.
About Dr. Matt:
Matthew "Dr. Matt" Zakreski, PsyD is a high-energy professional speaker and clinical psychologist who specializes in working with neurodivergent (gifted, 2e, ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia, etc.) people. He has spoken more than 900 times all over the world on both stages and podcasts about supporting neurodivergent people in all walks of life, from schools to college to the workplace. Dr. Matt specializes in taking knowledge of the brain, human behavior, and clinical psychology and making that accessible and practical for people to improve their lives. Dr. Matt is the co-founder and lead clinician at The Neurodiversity Collective, an active member of the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) and Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted (SENG), as well as the New Jersey Association for Gifted Children (NJAGC) and the Pennsylvania Association for Gifted Education (PAGE).
Book (Neurodiversity Playbook)
Consulting: drmattzakreski.com/blank-3
Podcast (Nerding Out on Neurodiversity)
Website: drmattzakreski.com
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Thanks to Our Sponsors: The Gifted Learning Lab, Resilient Mind Counseling, & Learning Nook
✨The Gifted Learning Lab
The Gifted Learning Lab is all about empowering parents to raise their gifted and 2e kids with confidence and less conflict. If you’re looking for real, neurodivergent-affirming strategies, you can check out Danika’s free email mini-course on reducing power struggles at giftedlearninglab.com/power. And for those wanting a deeper dive, her coaching program, 'Support Your Intense Gifted/2e Kid,' offers hands-on support for the journey.
✨Resilient Mind Counseling
Resilient Mind Counseling is a neurodivergent-affirming therapy and medication management practice operated all throughout North Carolina. We specialize in supporting neurodivergent individuals, especially Autistic ADHDers, as well as the LGBTQ and BIPOC communities. Text or call 828-515-1246 or visit our website at resilientmindcounseling.com to get started.
✨Learning Nook
Explore the power of the neurodivergent community with the Neurodivergent Insights Learning Nook—a neurodiverse space that welcomes all neurotypes. Our community fosters personal growth with access to workbooks, eBooks, workshops, and more. Clinicians can join our special tier for exclusive resources and networking. Limited to 20 new members monthly. Enroll at neurodivergentinsights.com/membership. Scholarships available.
✨Hurricane Relief for WNC communities
Donate to help provide urgent aid for WNC communities affected by Hurricane Helene. Visit: atppod.com/wnc
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
There are many stereotypes about giftedness, what it really means, and the connection it might have to neurodivergent traits related to autism or ADHD.
In this episode, Patrick Casale and Dr. Neff, two AuDHD mental health professionals, and Emily Kircher-Morris, LPC, discuss the nuanced world of giftedness and neurodivergence, including IQ, societal pressures, and the unique personal experiences that shape gifted individuals.
Top 3 reasons to listen to the entire episode:
Explore the evolving definitions of giftedness and twice-exceptionality, and how universal screening can help identify marginalized and neurodivergent students.
Understand the social and emotional struggles faced by gifted individuals, including the challenges of perfectionism and social connections.
Learn about the theory of overexcitabilities, and how heightened sensitivities impact the cognitive and emotional experiences of gifted individuals.
Reflect on the importance of creating environments that support neurodivergent traits, challenge societal norms linking productivity to self-worth, and advocate for systemic changes that nurture the unique qualities of gifted individuals.
About Emily
Emily Kircher-Morris, LPC, is the host of The Neurodiversity Podcast, which explores the psychological, educational, and social needs for enriching the lives of neurodivergent people. She is the author of several books for parents and educators related to the development of children and teens who are neurodivergent and cognitively gifted. She started her career in education and now works as a mental health counselor in private practice outside of St. Louis, Missouri, specializing in supporting neurodivergent, twice-exceptional, and gifted people of all ages.
The Neurodiversity Podcast
Neurodiversity University
Neurodiversity-Affirming Schools: Transforming Practices So All Students Feel Accepted and Supported
Teaching Twice-Exceptional Learners in Today’s Classroom
Twitter: @EmilyKM_LPC
Facebook: @EmilyKircherMorris
Podcast Facebook Page: @NeurodiversityPodcast
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🎙️Listen to more episodes of the Divergent Conversations Podcast
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Thanks to Our Sponsors: The Gifted Learning Lab, Resilient Mind Counseling, & Learning Nook
✨The Gifted Learning Lab
The Gifted Learning Lab is all about empowering parents to raise their gifted and 2e kids with confidence and less conflict. If you’re looking for real, neurodivergent-affirming strategies, you can check out Danika’s free email mini-course on reducing power struggles at giftedlearninglab.com/power. And for those wanting a deeper dive, her coaching program, 'Support Your Intense Gifted/2e Kid,' offers hands-on support for the journey.
✨Resilient Mind Counseling
Resilient Mind Counseling is a neurodivergent-affirming therapy and medication management practice operated all throughout North Carolina. We specialize in supporting neurodivergent individuals, especially Autistic ADHDers, as well as the LGBTQ and BIPOC communities. For medication management, you need to be within a 60-mile driving distance to the office. Text or call 828-515-1246 or visit our website at resilientmindcounseling.com to get started.
✨Learning Nook
Explore the power of the neurodivergent community with the Neurodivergent Insights Learning Nook—a neurodiverse space that welcomes all neurotypes. Our community fosters personal growth with access to workbooks, eBooks, workshops, and more. Clinicians can join our special tier for exclusive resources and networking. Limited to 20 new members monthly. Enroll at neurodivergentinsights.com/membership. Scholarships available.
✨Hurricane Relief for WNC communities
Donate to Patrick's GoFundMe to help provide urgent aid for WNC communities affected by Hurricane Helene. Visit: atppod.com/wnc
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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50:30
Episode 79: OCD (Part 5): Bridging Mental Health and Comedy [featuring Samuel Silverman]
Balancing vulnerability and authenticity can be challenging, but also deeply rewarding.
In this episode, Patrick Casale and Dr. Megan Anna Neff, two AuDHD mental health professionals, talk with Samuel Silverman, a psychiatrist and stand-up comedian diagnosed with OCD and ADHD, about the intersection of comedy, mental health, and the digital age.
Top 3 reasons to listen to the entire episode:
Gain insights into how the blend of personal vulnerability and social critique in comedy helps individuals connect with their audience and understand their own mental health experiences more deeply.
Hear Samuel Silverman's unique perspective on balancing a career in psychiatry with a presence on comedy stages and in social media, including the ethical boundaries he maintains while advocating for mental health awareness.
Discover practical advice on recognizing and managing OCD, understanding its pervasive nature of doubt, and learning how self-expression can be a cathartic way to handle internal struggles.
As you reflect on this conversation, consider how your own experiences and challenges might be transformed through creative expression and connection. Remember that sharing your journey, setting healthy boundaries, and advocating for understanding can be powerful tools in the mental health landscape.
Note from Samuel:
I was raised in a progressive Jewish family in Baltimore, MD. I went to the same small progressive school that my mother and aunt attended — my grandmother actually taught there while the two of them were in school, and my mother later taught there while my brother and I attended.
When I was 18, I traveled halfway across the country to attend Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota. There I met my wife, Kelley Stevens, better known as “The Private Practice Pro.”
I attended medical school at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed my psychiatry residency training at Loma Linda University. As I was completing my residency, I began to explore the world of stand-up comedy, and started performing throughout Southern California before traveling to other parts of the country to tell jokes, when I’m not too busy seeing patients.
I myself have diagnoses of both OCD and ADHD. More than anything, OCD has colored so much of my experience. Because of this, my symptoms and struggles with this condition provide much of the material for my comedy.
Instagram: @samsilvermancomedy
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🎙️Listen to more episodes of the Divergent Conversations Podcast
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————————————————————————————————
Thanks to Our Sponsors: Resilient Mind Counseling & Learning Nook
✨Resilient Mind Counseling
Resilient Mind Counseling is a neurodivergent-affirming therapy and medication management practice operated all throughout North Carolina. We specialize in supporting neurodivergent individuals, especially Autistic ADHDers, as well as the LGBTQ and BIPOC communities. We take insurance, so please check our website for coverage for different services. For medication management, you need to be within a 60-mile driving distance to the office. Text or call 828-515-1246 or visit our website at resilientmindcounseling.com to get started.
✨Learning Nook
Explore the power of the neurodivergent community with the Neurodivergent Insights Learning Nook—a neurodiverse space that welcomes all neurotypes. Our community fosters personal growth with access to workbooks, eBooks, workshops, and more. We also host body double sessions, parent gatherings, and monthly live events. Clinicians can join our special tier for exclusive resources and networking. Limited to 20 new members monthly. Enroll at neurodivergentinsights.com/membership. Scholarships available.
✨Hurricane Relief for WNC communities
Donate to Patrick's GoFundMe to help provide urgent aid for WNC communities affected by Hurricane Helene. Visit: atppod.com/wnc
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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41:55
Episode 78: OCD (Part 4): I-CBT and Neurodivergent Approaches to OCD [featuring Brittany Goff]
Neurodivergent individuals often find mental health topics like OCD, autism, and ADHD intertwined in ways that can complicate their personal narratives and self-identity.
In this episode, Patrick Casale and Dr. Neff, two AuDHD mental health professionals, and Brittany Goff discuss the intersections of OCD, autism, and ADHD and the use of I-CBT in the treatment of OCD for neurodivergent individuals.
Top 3 reasons to listen to the entire episode:
Understand how sensory discrepancies can lead to the development of obsessive stories, particularly for autistic individuals, and how inference-based cognitive-behavioral therapy (I-CBT) offers a tailored approach to counteract these doubts.
Discover the unique challenges and strategies for neurodivergent individuals, including those with undiagnosed autism or ADHD, in managing OCD symptoms and building self-trust through a neuro-affirmative lens.
Learn about the intersection of personal experiences, vulnerable self-themes, and logical reasoning with OCD, and how neurodivergent traits such as hyperempathy and rejection sensitivity influence the creation of obsessive narratives.
Consider how your sensory experiences and neurodivergent traits affect your perception of reality and self-trust. I-CBT can offer tools and strategies to foster more certainty, understanding, and self-trust.
DISCLAIMER: I-CBT is currently only evidence-based for OCD.
About Brittany:
Brittany Goff is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and the Clinical Director at Zen Psychological Center, a neuroaffirming OCD practice in Maryland. Additionally, she serves as an Instructor at the Cognitive Behavioral Institute, providing continuing education in Inference-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (I-CBT) for OCD. She authored the first-ever I-CBT workbook and was one of the first adopters of I-CBT in the United States. She is the first clinician to offer I-CBT training specifically tailored for individuals with Autism and ADHD, a neuroaffirming approach to treating OCD.
Facebook groups:
I-CBT & Neurodivergence
I-CBT & Neurodivergence Community
Training in I-CBT: icbtonlinelearning.com
Waitlist for training on how to adapt I-CBT for neurodivergence
I-CBT Workbook
Zen Psychological Center: zenpsychologicalcenter.com
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🎙️Listen to more episodes of the Divergent Conversations Podcast
🎙️Spotify
🎙️Apple
🎙️YouTube Music
▶️ YouTube
————————————————————————————————
Thanks to Our Sponsors: Resilient Mind Counseling & Learning Nook
✨Resilient Mind Counseling
Resilient Mind Counseling is a neurodivergent-affirming therapy and medication management practice operated all throughout North Carolina. We specialize in supporting neurodivergent individuals, especially Autistic ADHDers, as well as the LGBTQ and BIPOC communities. We take insurance, so please check our website for coverage for different services. For medication management, you need to be within a 60-mile driving distance to the office. Text or call 828-515-1246 or visit our website at resilientmindcounseling.com to get started.
✨Learning Nook
Explore the power of the neurodivergent community with the Neurodivergent Insights Learning Nook—a neurodiverse space that welcomes all neurotypes. Our community fosters personal growth with access to workbooks, eBooks, workshops, and more. We also host body double sessions, parent gatherings, and monthly live events. Clinicians can join our special tier for exclusive resources and networking. Limited to 20 new members monthly. Enroll at neurodivergentinsights.com/membership. Scholarships available.
✨Hurricane Relief for WNC communities
This money will go to nonprofits who are boots on the ground. It will go to struggling individuals who do not have enough money for gas to get out, or who do not have enough money to provide their basic needs right now. Donate to Patrick's GoFundMe to help provide urgent aid for WNC communities affected by Hurricane Helene. Visit: atppod.com/wnc
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dr. Megan Neff and Patrick Casale are two Neurodivergent therapists in a neurotypical world. During this podcast, they’ll talk about their own personal experiences as Autistic-ADHDers. They will reflect on their lived experience as AuDHD mental health professionals, and entrepreneurs, as well as offer clinical guidance, and support. Episodes will be conversational in nature, and they’ll interview other ND Folx to amplify the voices of other neurodivergent advocates and individuals as they share their authentic stories. New episodes will come out weekly, on all major platforms. Megan told Patrick, ”I’ll bring the chaos, You organize it.” This perfectly sums up their working relationship and friendship. Reflections of two neurodivergent clinicians. Raw, Vulnerable, Affirmative As Hell. Follow on instagram.com/divergentconversations
Topics include Autism, ADHD, Sleep struggles, Chronic Illness, RSD, Alexithymia, Autistic burnout, Intersectionality, Neuroqueer, Creativity, OCD, Neurodivergence, Affirming Language, Small business ownership, Unpacking Internalized Ableism, and so much more.
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Legal Disclaimer: The content provided in this podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider or medical professional for personalized advice regarding any medical condition or treatment.