Better Being Me

Joanne Hatchard
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Mental Health

Welcome to the Better Being Me Podcast, a celebration of finding the EASE… an essential life pillar for host Joanne Hatchard. Our bodies can often be a temple of stress, seeking tension release through unhealthy and unproductive ways - it is here that Jo uses her incredibly canny and candid awareness of living life awkward, to gift you permission to leave behind the things that aren’t serving you and explore the seriousness of life’s big cosmic body slams. Discover how our executive functioning, neural pathways and brain mapping open up new, innovative ways of BE-ing that will forever change the way you relate to yourself and the world around you. This neurodivergent Mum with her infectious chuckle, self-deprecating humour and sarcasm will help you create a better connection to self and cut through the shitshow of life to uncover the simplest workaround!

  1. We Weren't Actually Living": Paige Carter on Burnout, the Grey Area, and Becoming a Badass Advocate

    3 days ago

    We Weren't Actually Living": Paige Carter on Burnout, the Grey Area, and Becoming a Badass Advocate

    🎙️ Episode Title"We Weren't Actually Living": Paige Carter on Burnout, the Grey Area, and Becoming a Badass Advocate ✨ In This EpisodeHello. This week I'm with Paige Carter — the woman who once filled Parliament House with autistic families so their reality landed in front of the decision-makers. We talk about the day her family stopped surviving the pressure cooker, packed life into a caravan, and watched her son come back to himself on the open road. If you've ever held it all together and still not actually lived, this one's for you. 🧠 What We Talk About Why Paige pulled her family out of "the pressure cooker" and onto the road (approx. 05:00–08:30)Her son Oakland regressing in a mainstream school that couldn't meet him — and returning to himself within weeks of leaving (approx. 09:00–13:30)The "grey area" in SA education: kids too able for special ed, too unwell for mainstream — and the fight she's taking to the Premier (approx. 22:30–29:30)Her late ADHD diagnosis landing as validation, and the both/and of grieving a late recognition (approx. 14:30–20:00)Becoming a "badass advocate" without burning down — pacing the fight so it survives (approx. 20:00–22:30, 30:00–33:30)Connection as what makes the hard shareable, and her new podcast When Life is Lifing (approx. 40:00–56:00)💬 Memorable Moments "I constantly felt like we were in a pressure cooker, and we weren't actually living." — Paige"You have to become a badass advocate to get the best for your kids." — Paige"It's okay to be like, I actually can't do that today. And it doesn't mean I fail." — Paige 📚 Resources + Mentions Inclusive Oak (formerly Oak for Autism) — Paige's community for neurodivergent families. Follow the page; no membership needed to be welcomed.SA education advocacy campaign + submission form — on Paige's site. ~10 minutes; every submission is collated as evidence and has gone to the Premier.When Life is Lifing — Paige's new podcast with Leanne. Wildly Grounded Co — Leanne's business. Paige Carter — founder of Inclusive Oak, fierce neurodivergent advocate and mum to a proudly neurodivergent family. Years fighting for autistic kids in SA's education system, now doing it from the road while travelling Australia for a year. One half of When Life is Lifing.Guest Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inclusiveoak/Guest Website: inclusiveoak.com.au 🎧 Listen + SubscribeApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/better-being-me/id1516970986Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4RLYE5TA3ZsCtuAF8otRQ0 📲 Connect With UsInstagram: @betterbeingme_bbmeWebsite: https://betterbeingme.com.auBBMe Community: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1FwjxRf5Km/ ✍️ Something to Sit With Paige's family didn't get a bigger house — they got fewer demands. When you picture "more space," is it more room, or less pressure?"I can't do that today, and it doesn't mean I fail." Where are you treating a pause as failure, when it's just pacing?🧩 Ready to understand how your brain actually works?The ND Life Alignment Quiz takes about 10 minutes and gives you a personalised picture of where you are right now — across the areas that matter most for neurodivergent women.Take the quiz → HERE Go forth, be awesome. — Joanne

    55 min
  2. She Drew Rainbows Everywhere: AuDHD, Late Diagnosis & Self-Compassion — with Brianna Thomas

    1 June

    She Drew Rainbows Everywhere: AuDHD, Late Diagnosis & Self-Compassion — with Brianna Thomas

    🎙️ EPISODE TITLE She Drew Rainbows Everywhere: AuDHD, Late Diagnosis & Self-Compassion — with Brianna Thomas ✨ IN THIS EPISODE Hello and welcome back to Talking Twaddle. This week Joanne is joined by Brianna Thomas — AuDHD psychologist, Certified Synergetic Play Therapist, and co-director of the Psych Hive in Canberra — for a conversation that somehow goes in every direction and lands exactly where it needs to. Together they unpack what happens when you finally get words for things you've been carrying for years. The things that felt hard but impossible to explain. The patterns you noticed but couldn't name. The parts of yourself that you assumed were personality flaws, overwhelm, laziness, or simply “how life is.” Because diagnosis rarely arrives as one neat moment where everything suddenly makes sense. Sometimes it brings understanding and sadness at exactly the same time. Relief and mourning. Validation and anger. Joy and overwhelm. It can feel like finally seeing yourself clearly while also grieving the years spent trying to fit into spaces that were never designed with you in mind. The conversation also dives into Bri’s PhD research around neurodiversity-affirming autism assessments, imposter syndrome, and one unexpectedly iconic character who appears midway through the episode: Pam. Yes. Pam. Pam emerged during Internal Family Systems (IFS) training and apparently runs the creative director’s office inside Bri’s brain. Depending on who you ask, Pam may also be responsible for multiple projects happening simultaneously, seventeen tabs being open at once, and potentially this entire podcast episode. If you've ever felt like you were doing a lot and couldn’t quite explain why, Pam might be someone you recognise. 🧠 WHAT WE TALK ABOUT • ~00:05:00 — Bri's ADHD diagnosis process: a psychiatrist, a very old form, and the phrase "darling, you definitely have inattentive ADHD" • ~00:11:00 — How the autism realisation followed ADHD medication — and the stims that finally had permission to exist • ~00:13:00 — The emotional rollercoaster after diagnosis: relief, grief, and the part that suddenly realises this is for life • ~00:16:00 — How diagnosis changed Bri's relationship and gave both people language for the mismatches that had always been there • ~00:20:00 — Bri's PhD research into neurodiversity-affirming autism assessments and the imposter syndrome that somehow still appears • ~00:33:00 — Meeting Pam: the IFS part who runs the creative department and possibly several parallel universes 💬 MEMORABLE MOMENTS "I feel like I started living after that. Like before that it's like I was here but I was just struggling in every way." — Brianna Thomas "It's not that we're not easy to love, it's just that sometimes we're hard to live with." — Joanne 📚 RESOURCES + MENTIONS • AuDHD IRL Podcast + Psych Hive: https://thepsychhive.com/ • MAGUS Assessment Tool — neurodiversity-affirming autism assessment for older children and adults • ADOS Assessment — behavioural observation tool used with young children • Internal Family Systems (IFS) — a framework for understanding different parts of how your mind works • BBMe Completely: https://betterbeingme.com.au Guest Instagram: @brianna_thomas_psych https://www.instagram.com/brianna_thomas_psych/ Guest Website: https://thepsychhive.com/ 🎧 LISTEN + SUBSCRIBE Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/better-being-me/id1516970986 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4RLYE5TA3ZsCtuAF8otRQ0 📲 CONNECT WITH US Instagram: @betterbeingme_bbme https://www.instagram.com/betterbeingme_bbme/ Website: https://betterbeingme.com.au BBMe Community: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1FwjxRf5Km/ 🧩 READY TO UNDERSTAND HOW YOUR BRAIN ACTUALLY WORKS? Take the ND Life Alignment Quiz → https://go.betterbeingme.com.au/ndquiz-landing

    50 min
  3. Burn It Down, Build It Better: Late ADHD Diagnosis, Accountability & Motherhood with Sandra Senn

    29 Mar

    Burn It Down, Build It Better: Late ADHD Diagnosis, Accountability & Motherhood with Sandra Senn

    🎙️ Burn It Down, Build It Better: Late ADHD Diagnosis, Accountability & Motherhood with Sandra Senn ✨ In This Episode What happens when you know you’re capable… but your brain won’t cooperate? In this honest, unfiltered conversation, Joanne sits down with Sandra Senn, founder of Business Mums Hub, to unpack late-diagnosed ADHD, dyslexia at 31, shame at 41, and the complicated layers of parenting while healing yourself. This one is equal parts laughter, truth-telling and uncomfortable self-reflection — the kind that cracks something open. Guest Bio Meet Sandra Senn. An Irish powerhouse and the owner of Business Mums Hub. This bubbly ball of energy has worked around the world, running large teams, overseeing sales and marketing, and working in events. However, many of you will also know Sandra as the owner of Hashtag Insta Prints, a business she grew after having 2 gorgeous kids (3 if you count her techy-savvy gamer husband) to give her the freedom and lifestyle she wanted. Facts about Sandra: #1 Business Tip: Learn when to say no. As hard as it seems at the time, saying yes to the wrong things is even harder. Guilty Pleasure: Chips and Gravy. I honestly love it! Cause close to her heart: Helping to raise awareness about Post Natal Depression and encouraging women to seek help early when it comes to mental health issues and normalise the stigma around this 🧠 What We Talk About 00:01 – “TikTok diagnosed me first”: Sandra’s ADHD assessment at 41 and the unexpected shame that followed 00:02 – Recategorising 40 years of memories through a neurodivergent lens 00:05 – Discovering dyslexia at 31 (after years of reading slides out loud) 00:11 – Is ADHD a “superpower”… or is that pressure we don’t need? 00:14 – Why praising hard work over “being smart” matters more than we realise 00:21 – Parenting while healing: repair, accountability, and breaking generational patterns 00:31 – Trying ADHD medication (Vyvanse & Ritalin), burnout, and choosing lifestyle changes instead 00:35 – “Neurodivergence as a normal response to abnormal environments” 00:38 – Accountability as freedom (and why diagnosis isn’t a full stop) 00:46 – Safe and happy kids are loud kids — unlearning public shame 00:48 – Repairing with your children… and repairing with yourself 💬 Memorable Moments “I always knew I wasn’t shit. There was just something shit going on.” “Accountability is the key to freedom.” “It’s not a full stop. You still have to do the work.” “Safe and happy kids are really loud kids.” 📚 Resources + Mentions Scattered Minds by Dr Gabor Maté The Diary of a CEO podcast (episode featuring Dr Daniel Amen) Dr Ash (parenting psychologist referenced in episode) Business Mums Hub Instagram: @businessmumshub 🎧 Listen + Subscribe Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Spotify 📲 Connect With Us Instagram: @betterbeingme_ Website: https://betterbeingme.com.au Explore the BBMe community + programs via the website if you’re ready for deeper support. ✍️ Share Your Thoughts What story about yourself needs recategorising? Where might accountability actually feel like freedom in your life? 🧡 Support the Show If this episode resonated, share it with another woman who’s quietly doing the work behind the scenes. Your share helps normalise these conversations.

    54 min
  4. Cassie Day on Unmasking, Burnout & Belonging

    04/12/2025

    Cassie Day on Unmasking, Burnout & Belonging

    🎙️ Episode TitleLate Diagnosis, Loud Identity: Cassie Day on Unmasking, Burnout & Belonging ✨ In This EpisodeThis episode, Joanne sits down with longtime friend and powerhouse human Cassie Day for an unfiltered chat about late-diagnosed neurodivergence, unravelling identity, and rebuilding from burnout. Cassie shares with raw honesty what it felt like to be diagnosed with ADHD (and a “side-serve” of autism) at 47 — and how she's still finding her place in a world that’s only just catching up. 🧠 What We Talk About 00:05 – Cassie’s late-diagnosis story and slipping through the cracks 09:00 – Parenting neurodivergent children while realising your own traits 14:00 – Processing diagnosis shame and the internalised “not enough” 22:00 – Imposter syndrome, self-trust, and deciding not to justify yourself anymore 27:00 – Burnout, business, and rediscovering identity beyond being a carer 35:00 – Neurodivergent communication quirks in relationships (kitchens beware) 42:00 – Cassie’s biggest message to other late-diagnosed women 💬 Memorable Moments “I’m just me. This is how the world works, right? How can I be different when I’ve always just been... me?” “I get to say no. I get to draw the line. I get to choose different.” “Don’t second guess yourself. You already have everything you need — and you’re okay exactly as you are.” 📚 Resources + Mentions Cassie Day’s website: www.cassieday.com Instagram: @days_of_cassie Cassie on LinkedIn Joanne’s programs & offerings: https://betterbeingme.com.au 🎧 Listen + Subscribe Follow the show so you never miss an episode — and share with a fellow late-diagnosed legend who needs to hear it. 📲 Connect With Us Instagram: @betterbeingme_bbme Website: https://betterbeingme.com.au BBMe Completely: https://go.betterbeingme.com.au/bbmecompletely295544 ✍️ Share Your Thoughts💭 What part of Cassie’s story hit home for you?👇 Drop us a DM or comment on Insta — we’d love to know. 🧡 Support the ShowIf this episode sparked something for you, please leave a review or share it with someone who might need it. You can also sign up for updates and deeper reflections at betterbeingme.com.au.

    49 min
  5. Talking Twaddle with Katie Price

    21/09/2025

    Talking Twaddle with Katie Price

    🎹 Episode TitleParenting, Burnout, and Finding Justice: Katie Price on Neurodivergence and the Innocence Project ✨ In This EpisodeThis is one of those episodes that sits in your body long after listening. Joanne chats with the passionate, hilarious, and no-BS Katie Price about late diagnosis, parenting four neurodivergent kids, and shifting from burnout to purpose. They unpack everything from the medical model to the prison system—and why Katie's now helping wrongfully convicted people through the Innocence Project. It's big-hearted, wide-ranging, and full of truth bombs. 🧠 What We Talk About 00:02 – Why Katie resisted a diagnosis and what finally changed her mind 00:14 – Raising four neurodivergent kids in rural Australia 00:30 – Rejection of the medical model and the harm of deficit-based labels 00:42 – The complicated relationship with NDIS and service providers 01:10 – Burnout, breakdown, and why hospital was the turning point 01:28 – How chickens (yes, really) and social justice shaped her career path 01:50 – From social work dropout to criminology and the Innocence Project 02:05 – Miscarriage of justice, systemic bias, and finding your purpose 💬 Memorable Moments “You have to ride your worst day to get help. And even then, they make you prove it.”“We're allowed to be shit at some things. It doesn't mean we're broken. It means we're human.”“I was trying to fill holes in a bucket that was exploding. And then they gave me a sieve.” 📚 Resources + Mentions Katie Price on LinkedIn Edith Cowan University – Criminal Justice Review Project Law Society WA: Interview with John Button Innocence Network Australian Miscarriages of Justice Organisation (NetK) Joanne's Program: Be Me Completely 🎰 Listen + SubscribeFollow the show for more real, raw, and radically validating conversations. 📲 Connect With Us Instagram: @betterbeingme_ Website: https://betterbeingme.com.au BBMe Community Group or Program: BBMe Completely ✍️ Share Your Thoughts💭 What part of Katie's story lit something up in you?👇 Tell us in the comments or DM Joanne on Insta. 🧡 Support the ShowLove this ep? Share it with a friend, leave a review, or subscribe to our newsletter at betterbeingme.com.au

    1hr 5min
  6. Talking Twaddle with Danielle Baker

    07/09/2025

    Talking Twaddle with Danielle Baker

    🎙️ Episode TitleADHD, Anger & Authentic Parenting: Danielle Baker on Reclaiming Her Neurodivergence ✨ In This EpisodeWhat happens when the therapist gets diagnosed? In this deeply real and refreshingly honest chat, Joanne sits down with Danielle Baker—play therapist, psychotherapist, mum, and founder of The Nurtured Village. Danielle shares her journey of late ADHD diagnosis, what it’s like to parent while healing, and how perfectionism, nervous system dysregulation, and unmet needs show up in daily life. If you’ve ever felt like you were doing it all and still falling short, this one will land hard—in the best way. 🧠 What We Talk About 04:30 – The ADHD diagnosis that changed everything 08:55 – Why becoming a mum was the unraveling (and the awakening) 15:10 – Heavy lifting, high-pressure jobs, and the need for stimulation 23:45 – Creating a neuro-affirming workplace at The Nurtured Village 30:20 – Parenting while re-parenting yourself 41:40 – Sensory needs, perfectionism, and asking for help 51:00 – The power of play therapy and non-verbal emotional processing 1:10:00 – Literal thinking, self-soothing, and letting go of parenting guilt 💬 Memorable Moments “We parent the way we do with the knowledge and the skills we have at the time. That’s all we can do.” “I created a workplace I wish existed—for neurodivergent mums, by neurodivergent mums.” “Being a therapist didn’t mean I didn’t yell. It meant I had the awareness to apologise.” 📚 Resources + Mentions Danielle’s Website: www.thenurturedvillage.com.au Instagram: @thenurturedvillage Personal IG: @__daniellebaker Circle of Security Parenting BBMe Programs & Resources: https://betterbeingme.com.au 🎧 Listen + SubscribeDon’t forget to hit follow so you never miss an episode. 📲 Connect With Us Instagram: @betterbeingme_ Website: https://betterbeingme.com.au ✍️ Share Your Thoughts💭 Did Danielle’s story mirror parts of your own?👇 Let us know in the comments or DM us on Insta—we’d love to hear from you. 🧡 Support the ShowLove what you’re hearing? Leave a review or share this episode with someone who needs to hear it. Sign up for the newsletter at betterbeingme.com.au for more real, neuro-affirming content.

    50 min
  7. Amy Hourigan Talking Twaddle

    07/06/2025

    Amy Hourigan Talking Twaddle

    Finding Peace in a Noisy World: Amy Hourigan on Late Diagnosis, PDA Parenting + Nervous System Healing ✨ In This EpisodeThis week, Joanne sits down with digital marketing expert and neurodivergent powerhouse Amy Hourigan (@amywhodigital) for a no-holds-barred, deeply human conversation. They cover the messy beauty of late-diagnosed autism, the raw truth of parenting PDA kids, and what it means to reclaim your nervous system after a lifetime of internalised chaos. It’s vulnerable, witty, and refreshingly real. 🧠 What We Talk About 00:03 – Late autism diagnosis at 41 and what sparked the self-discovery 06:40 – Parenting PDA kids, misdiagnosis, and the sideways approach to advocacy 14:05 – Early life trauma and the nervous system's long memory 24:30 – Shame, guilt, and birth stories that shape self-worth 36:15 – Internal meltdowns, masking, and the hidden labour of survival 48:45 – How SEO became a special interest and turned into Amy Who Digital 58:00 – Rewiring the nervous system and the magic of neuro-affirming therapy 💬 Memorable Moments “I survived it. I didn't cope with it. And now I get to learn how to live, not just exist.”“Your nervous system doesn’t care where you go—it comes with you. You can’t outrun it, but you can learn to befriend it.”“I built an empire out of spite. But mostly out of self-belief I didn’t even know I had.” 📚 Resources + Mentions Amy Who Digital – Amy's website for SEO + digital marketing @amywhodigital on Instagram Alison Davies on emotions + nervous system regulation Nikki Vox (mentioned for rapid processing therapy) 📲 Connect With Us Instagram: @betterbeingme_bbme Website: https://betterbeingme.com.au BBMe Completely: Link Here to Book A Chat ✍️ Share Your Thoughts💭 What part of Amy’s story felt familiar to you?👇 DM us or join the conversation on Instagram. 🧡 Support the ShowIf you loved this episode, leave a review or share it with a friend who gets it. Sign up for Joanne's newsletter at https://betterbeingme.com.au.

    49 min
  8. Talking Twaddle with Amelia Wright

    30/03/2025

    Talking Twaddle with Amelia Wright

    From Burnout to Belonging: Amelia Wright on Late Diagnosis, Self-Acceptance + Neurotopical Therapy ✨ In This Episode Joanne sits down with the beautifully insightful Amelia Wright (@neurotopicaltherapy), a late-identified autistic ADHDer and social worker who's carved a neuro-affirming path through therapy and lived experience. Together, they unpack what it really feels like to go from “something’s wrong with me” to full-blown self-understanding—and how that led to the creation of *Neurotopical Therapy*. If you’ve ever felt like you were faking being human, this one’s for you. --- 🧠 What We Talk About - 00:05 – The COVID-era collapse that led to Amelia’s diagnosis - 12:30 – “What’s actually wrong with me?” – navigating misdiagnoses and the search for clarity - 25:40 – Autism, ADHD and identity: from compartmentalising to integrating - 39:50 – What it’s like to mask while being the “chatty” twin - 46:15 – Starting Neurotopical: building a practice that *feels* right - 01:06:00 – Wisdom for the next gen of neurodivergent folk (spoiler: fight back!) --- 💬 Memorable Moments > “I just felt like I’d been pretending to be human—and the pandemic broke the mask.” > “You’re not a struggling neurotypical. You’re a perfectly fine autistic person.” > “Nothing isn’t autistic. You are autistic—and that’s a good thing.” --- 📚 Resources + Mentions - Amelia’s Practice: [neurotopicaltherapy.com.au](https://www.neurotopicaltherapy.com.au) - Instagram: [@neurotopicaltherapy](https://www.instagram.com/neurotopicaltherapy/) - Joanne’s 8-week program BBMe Completely for late-identifying women: [betterbeingme.com.au](https://betterbeingme.com.au) --- 📲 Connect With Us - Instagram: [@betterbeingme_bbme](https://www.instagram.com/betterbeingme_) - Website: [https://betterbeingme.com.au](https://betterbeingme.com.au) ✍️ Share Your Thoughts 💭 What part of Amelia’s story mirrored yours? 👇 Drop us a DM or tag @betterbeingme_bbme on Insta—we love hearing your reflections. 🧡 Support the Show Feeling seen? Share this episode with a friend or leave a review. It helps us reach more amazing humans. Sign up to Joanne’s newsletter at [betterbeingme.com.au](https://betterbeingme.com.au) to stay in the loop.

    1hr 4min
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Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Welcome to the Better Being Me Podcast, a celebration of finding the EASE… an essential life pillar for host Joanne Hatchard. Our bodies can often be a temple of stress, seeking tension release through unhealthy and unproductive ways - it is here that Jo uses her incredibly canny and candid awareness of living life awkward, to gift you permission to leave behind the things that aren’t serving you and explore the seriousness of life’s big cosmic body slams. Discover how our executive functioning, neural pathways and brain mapping open up new, innovative ways of BE-ing that will forever change the way you relate to yourself and the world around you. This neurodivergent Mum with her infectious chuckle, self-deprecating humour and sarcasm will help you create a better connection to self and cut through the shitshow of life to uncover the simplest workaround!

Information

  • Creator
    Joanne Hatchard
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    36
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Joanne Hatchard
  • Show Website
    Better Being Me