ADHD Women's Wellbeing Podcast

ADHD, Love and Intimacy: Understanding Neurodivergent Relationship Needs

Looking for further guidance and support on ADHD Women's Wellbeing? Check out my resource library here or search for any topic you need on the Podcast here.Whether you've been with your partner for years or you're navigating dating after a late diagnosis, ADHD changes how we love, connect and show up in relationships, and this episode is entirely about that.Welcome to this week's summer compilation episode. Rather than a single conversation, I've pulled together some of the most resonant clips from three different episodes on ADHD, love, intimacy and relationships, because I wanted to bring all of this into one place for you.We begin with Lisa Rabinowitz, couples counsellor, certified Gottman and PACT therapist and author of Why Won't You Stop Interrupting Me? Lisa talks about how blame rarely helps either partner, why neurodivergence is often present on both sides of a relationship, and how working as a team rather than against each other can genuinely turn things around.Then we hear from Sara-Louise Ackrill and Bontle Senne, AuDHD therapists, writers, and advocates and co-authors of The ND Lovers Club. They talk about psychological safety, masking in relationships, self-disclosure, and why understanding yourself is always the foundation before you can truly connect with someone else.And we close with Dr Angela Wright, a trauma-trained clinical sexologist, sex medicine practitioner and menopause clinician, who talks honestly about how hormones, the nervous system and ADHD all intersect when it comes to desire, intimacy and what changes in midlife.In this episode, we cover:Why neurodivergence is often present in both partners, even when only one has a diagnosisHow to move from blame to teamwork in a neurodiverse relationshipLisa's concept of the "talk nook" and why having a dedicated space for connection mattersWhy psychological safety is the foundation of intimacy for neurodivergent peopleHow masking and people pleasing quietly erode intimacy over timeWhat self-disclosure in relationships and dating really looks like for ND womenWhy so many neurodivergent women are reconsidering traditional relationship structuresHow hormones and perimenopause affect desire, arousal and connectionWhy the ADHD brain's need for novelty and dopamine can complicate long term relationshipsHow the nervous system underpins sexual arousal, and why feeling safe comes firstTimestamps:00:00 - Welcome and introduction to this week's compilation episode03:30 - Lisa Rabinowitz: why both partners are often neurodivergent05:47 - Moving from blame to understanding in a neurodiverse relationship08:00 - How couples come back from the brink with awareness and teamwork10:15 - The three legged race: working toward the finish line together14:48 - Focusing on strengths and creating the talk nook16:29 - Sara-Louise Ackrill and Bontle Senne: psychological safety in relationships20:53 - Why masking is survival, not a quirky personality trait23:27 - Self-disclosure: what to share, when and why28:27 - How perimenopause and diagnosis collide in midlife relationships33:04 - Celebrating the traits neurodivergent women bring to relationships34:33 - Dr Angela Wright: dopamine, novelty and desire in long term relationships37:00 - How hormones affect arousal and what changes in perimenopause41:22 - The nervous system, safety and why emergency mode kills desireLinks and Resources:Find my popular ADHD workshops and resources on my website here.Follow the podcast on Instagram: @adhd_womenswellbeing_podGet my book, The ADHD Women's Wellbeing Toolkit (also available in ebook and audiobook) hereJoin the More Yourself membership community hereVisit Lisa's website: counselorforcouples.comConnect with Lisa on Instagram: @rabinowitzcounselingGet Lisa's book: Why Won't You Stop Interrupting Me? Simple Solutions for ADHD CouplesVisit Sara-Louise and Bontle's website: builttodiverge.comGet their book: The ND Lovers Club: How Neurodivergent Women Lust, Like and LoveVisit Dr Angela Wright's website: spicedpearhealth.co.ukKate Moryoussef is a women's ADHD lifestyle and wellbeing coach, author and EFT practitioner who helps overwhelmed and unfulfilled newly diagnosed women with ADHD find more calm, balance, hope, health, compassion, creativity, and clarity.

What I Wish I'd Known Earlier About ADHD, Burnout and Saying No

Looking for further guidance and support on ADHD Women's Wellbeing? Check out my resource library here or search for any topic you need on the Podcast here.What if the conversation you needed to hear wasn't one Kate was leading, but one where she was being asked the questions for a change?Welcome back to a More Yourself Monday episode. This week I'm sharing a conversation I had as a guest on the Limited Time Only podcast, hosted by Esther Stanford and Susie Riddell. It's a beautifully produced show that feels like a proper chin wag over a cup of tea, and I had such a good time talking to them.In this conversation, we go into some topics that don't always get as much space on the main podcast: what my life looked like before diagnosis, the shame that came with finally getting those answers, and the very real experience of sensory overload and limited social batteries. We also talk about how burnout can creep in quietly rather than arriving all at once, how hormones and perimenopause can amplify everything, and why decompression and downtime aren't luxuries; they're necessities.I hope you find it as useful and validating to listen to as I found it to record.In this episode, we cover:What Kate's life looked like before her ADHD diagnosis at 40, and how her daughter's struggles during the pandemic finally connected the dotsWhy the initial reaction to diagnosis is so often shame rather than relief, and how that shifts over timeSensory sensitivities, limited social batteries and why understanding these is so freeingWhy ADHD and trauma are deeply interlinked, but trauma does not cause ADHDHow fluctuating hormones and perimenopause amplify ADHD traits, and why this hits neurodivergent women harderWhat ADHD burnout actually looks and feels like when it builds slowly rather than arriving all at onceKnowing which "season" you're in and why that matters before making any big decisionsWhy decompression time is non-negotiable, not a nice-to-haveSimple daily practices: movement, outdoor time and breathwork to regulate your nervous systemLearning to say no, protect your bandwidth and stop performing for everyone elseTimestamps:00:00 - Welcome to this More Yourself episode01:00 - Introducing the Limited Time Only podcast and what this conversation covers02:58 - Kate's story: life before diagnosis and how her daughter's struggles led to both of their assessments07:34 - Why girls with ADHD get missed, and the epidemic myth08:50 - The shame that comes with diagnosis, and navigating it publicly10:33 - Labels, autism, and finding language that doesn't hold us back15:02 - Sensory sensitivities, limited social batteries and permission to protect your energy18:27 - The parent experience: protecting yourself when you're already pouring into everyone else23:14 - Hormones, perimenopause and why ADHD traits can feel amplified in midlife28:57 - Gabor Maté, trauma and ADHD: why Kate disagrees with the causation theory34:56 - Burnout, boundaries and knowing your bandwidth40:42 - The empowerment of finally knowing your limits49:50 - How to recognise which season you're in52:33 - What ADHD burnout really looks like when it creeps in slowly55:22 - Simple practices: movement, breathwork and giving yourself buffersLinks and Resources:Find my popular ADHD workshops and resources on my website here.Follow the podcast on Instagram: @adhd_womenswellbeing_podGet my book, The ADHD Women's Wellbeing Toolkit (also available in ebook and audiobook) hereJoin the More Yourself membership community hereListen to the Limited Time Only podcast on Spotify here and Apple hereFollow Limited Time Only on Instagram: @limitedtimeonlypodcastKate Moryoussef is a women's ADHD lifestyle and wellbeing coach and EFT practitioner who helps overwhelmed and unfulfilled newly diagnosed women with ADHD find more calm, balance, hope, health, compassion, creativity, and clarity.

How and WHY a Doctor Missed Her Daughter's ADHD

Looking for further guidance and support on ADHD Women's Wellbeing? Check out my resource library here. The 'ADHD Women's Wellbeing Workshop Series' is on offer this July. Head here to learn more about the workshops and use code JULY to get 35% off.If you've ever wondered why it took so long to get answers, for yourself or for your daughter, this episode is going to feel very familiar.On this week's episode of The ADHD Women's Wellbeing Podcast, I'm joined by Dr Olivia Kessel, a former medical doctor who graduated from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and began her career in the trauma unit at Johannesburg General Hospital.Olivia is now the host of the SEND Parenting Podcast and has spoken at the UK House of Lords on patient-centred care, appeared on BBC Radio and BBC Sounds, and addressed healthcare professionals and policy leaders on neurodiversity. She is also the mother of Alexandra, fourteen, who has mild cerebral palsy, dyslexia and ADHD, and the author of Beyond the Label: Empowering Parents of ADHD Girls.In this episode, Olivia shares the remarkable and deeply personal journey that took her from practising medicine across three continents to founding the SEND Parenting community, after years of not recognising ADHD in her own daughter despite her medical background. We talk about why girls are still being diagnosed four to five years later than boys, how emotional dysregulation, masking and internalised struggles are so often missed, and what parents can actually do when they find themselves navigating a system that wasn't built for their child.In this episode, we cover:Why girls with ADHD are still being diagnosed four to five years later than boys, and what needs to changeHow ADHD can present in girls as anxiety, people pleasing and internalised struggle rather than hyperactivityWhy 52% of people with dyslexia also have ADHD, and why the two should never be looked at in isolationThe emotional dysregulation that doesn't appear in the DSM diagnostic criteria, and why that mattersWhy Olivia, as a doctor, still missed her daughter's ADHD for yearsHow the EHCP process almost broke her, and why it shouldn't be this hard for any familyThe four wheels that need to be running for an ADHD brain to thrive: medication, nutrition, sleep and school supportWhy early screening for neurodivergence in schools would benefit every child, not just those who are neurodivergentHow Olivia's daughter Alexandra went from chaos to making cottage pie by herself after finally getting the right supportWhat parents can bring to their GP to start asking the right questionsDiscover other ADHD Women's Wellbeing Podcast parenting-related episodes here.Timestamps: 00:00 - Welcome, and introducing Dr Olivia Kessel 01:44 - Olivia's career: from South Africa to Swaziland to the UK 08:55 - The EHCP process, and why it almost broke her 10:16 - How a former medical doctor missed her daughter's ADHD diagnosis 12:19 - Why girls are diagnosed so much later than boys 14:19 - How ADHD presents differently in girls: internalisation, anxiety and masking 16:27 - Dyslexia, ADHD and autism: why they rarely travel alone 18:17 - Sleep, emotional regulation and the things the DSM leaves out 22:06 - What changes when families finally understand their child's diagnosis 24:34 - Parenting with a neuroaffirming lens: Kate's own experience 27:06 - How Alexandra has grown in her own self-awareness at fourteen 30:26 - Why so many neurodivergent people were always there, just hiding 34:27 - Screens, social media and navigating this as an ADHD parent 40:19 - Why schools should teach every child as if they were neurodivergent 43:30 - Olivia's book Beyond the Label, her podcast and her ADHD mum community 45:33 - Why patients are currently leading the doctors on neurodiversityLinks and Resources:Find my popular ADHD workshops and resources on my website here.Follow the podcast on Instagram: @adhd_womenswellbeing_podVisit Olivia's website: sendparenting.comConnect with Olivia on Instagram: @drolivia.sendparentingListen to Olivia's podcast: SEND Parenting PodcastGet Olivia's book: Beyond the Label: Empowering Parents of ADHD GirlsKate Moryoussef is a women's ADHD lifestyle and wellbeing coach and EFT practitioner who helps overwhelmed and unfulfilled newly diagnosed women with ADHD find more calm, balance, hope, health, compassion, creativity, and clarity.

The Hidden Connections Between ADHD, Hypermobility and EDS: When Your Body Has Been Trying to Tell You Something

Looking for further guidance and support on ADHD Women's Wellbeing? Check out my resource library here. The 'ADHD Women's Wellbeing Workshop Series' is on offer this July. Head here to learn more about the workshops and use code JULY to get 35% off.If you've been told your pain is growing pains, anxiety or just something you need to live with, this episode might be the beginning of finally understanding what's actually been going on in your body.On this week's episode of The ADHD Women's Wellbeing Podcast, I'm joined by Alexandra Orfanides, a London-based hypermobility specialist osteopath and founder of Hypermobility HQ.Alexandra hosts the Help! I'm Hypermobile podcast and is the author of the book of the same name. She believes that "incurable" does not mean "untreatable," and she's on a mission to help the hypermobile community feel seen, supported, and informed.In this episode, Alex and I talk about the significant overlap between hypermobility and neurodivergence, why so many women spend decades being dismissed or misdiagnosed, and what it actually means to understand your body through this lens. We also get into the difference between osteopathy and physiotherapy, how to recognise signs of hypermobility in children, and why self-treatment strategies are such a crucial part of managing a connective tissue condition day-to-day.In this episode, we cover:What hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and hypermobility spectrum disorder actually are, and why the terminology mattersWhy growing pains are not a real diagnosis, and what to look for in children insteadThe strong correlation between hypermobility, ADHD and neurodivergenceHow conditions like endometriosis, PCOS and dysmenorrhea overlap with hEDS and HSDWhy gastrointestinal issues in children should never just be dismissed as IBSThe difference between osteopathy and physiotherapy, and how to find the right practitionerHow chronic pain, headaches and migraines can be connected to hypermobile connective tissueWhy rhythmic movement, including swimming and dancing, can be so regulating for hypermobile and neurodivergent bodiesThe importance of self-treatment strategies for people who can't always access clinic appointmentsWhy a diagnosis is a privilege, and how Help! I'm Hypermobile was written to reach the people who couldn't afford oneTimestamps: 00:00 - Welcome, and introducing Alexandra Orfanides 01:40 - Alex's personal story: growing up with undiagnosed pain 05:52 - From English literature to osteopathy 09:45 - Why hypermobility patients kept finding their way to Alex's clinic 11:46 - The overlap between hypermobility, ADHD and neurodivergence 14:12 - Osteopathy vs physiotherapy: what's the difference? 17:36 - Terminology: hEDS, HSD, condition vs disorder 20:30 - What patients are coming in knowing, and what they're not 23:57 - Signs to look for in children: growing pains, gut issues and more 28:15 - Endometriosis, PCOS and hormonal conditions in hypermobile bodies 30:39 - Migraines, headaches and the connection to the neck and connective tissue 36:32 - The gatekeeping problem and self-treatment strategies 39:24 - Working as a team with your patients 43:35 - Why Alex wrote Help! I'm Hypermobile 45:42 - How to work with Alex and what to expectLinks and Resources:Find my popular ADHD workshops and resources on my website [here].Follow the podcast on Instagram: @adhd_womenswellbeing_pod Visit Alexandra's website: hypermobilityhq.comConnect with Alexandra on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and Pinterest: @hypermobilityhqListen to Alex's podcast: Help! I'm HypermobileGet Alex's book: Help! I'm Hypermobile: Your How-To Guide for hEDS, HSD, and Life in a Hypermobile BodyResearch: Gynaecological conditions in hEDS and HSD (Daylor et al., 2025): https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14165636Research: Defining growing pains — a scoping review (O'Keeffe et al., 2022): https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2021-052578Kate Moryoussef is a women's ADHD lifestyle and wellbeing coach and EFT practitioner who helps overwhelmed and unfulfilled newly diagnosed women with ADHD find more calm, balance, hope, health, compassion, creativity, and clarity.

Feeling Overwhelmed and Overactivated? ADHD Regulation Strategies for a Busy Summer

Looking for ADHD support this summer? My entire 'ADHD Women's Wellbeing Series' is on offer this July. Head here to learn more about the workshops and use code JULY to get 35% off.Now that summer is upon us, it can be both a vibrant and overwhelming time, and can often feel like riding a rollercoaster for your nervous system when you are ADHD or neurodivergent.This season brings a whirlwind of social engagements and activities that ramp up our energy and excitement. But for many of us, this relentless pace leads to overwhelm and burnout if we don't balance that activation with necessary moments of calm. In this episode, we delve into understanding our nervous systems and recognising when we're becoming overactivated.Activation itself isn't the problem; joy, excitement, creativity, travel, and meaningful work can all be activating. But staying in this energy for weeks can lead to reactivity, snapping, disturbed sleep, and emotional exhaustion. Kate shares her tips for bringing balance into daily life through micro mindful moments, rather than waiting for burnout to force you to slow down.You'll hear how you can proactively weave grounding practices into your routine, whether it's a few minutes of breathwork, a walk in nature, or simply pausing to check in with yourself.In this episode, we cover:How summer's whirlwind of social activities can feel exciting but overwhelming, especially for those of us with ADHDWhy understanding the difference between nervous system activation and regulation is key to managing our responses during busy timesDaily moments of regulation aren't luxuries, but necessary maintenance for our well-beingHow grounding activities like yoga, breathwork, or time in nature help us recharge and prevent burnoutWhy listening to our bodies is vital, and how ignoring signs of fatigue often leads to burnoutHow to find a rhythm between activation and regulation, rather than staying in a constant state of high energy or anxiety🌟 The ADHD Women's Wellbeing Live Event Audio Experience is here!My first-ever ADHD Women's Wellbeing Live event sold out, and now the full experience is available to you wherever you are, whenever it feels right.Alongside three neuro-affirming experts, we spent four hours exploring the questions that matter most to women diagnosed late in life with ADHD. Get lifetime access here!Links and Resources:Find my popular ADHD workshops and resources on my website hereFollow the podcast on Instagram: @adhd_womenswellbeing_podGrab your copy of my book, The ADHD Women's Wellbeing Toolkit hereKate Moryoussef is an author, podcaster and women's ADHD lifestyle and wellbeing coach and EFT practitioner who helps overwhelmed and unfulfilled newly diagnosed women with ADHD find more calm, balance, hope, health, compassion, creativity, and clarity.