Mythbusting Neurodiverse Relationships

Loving Difference
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Mythbusting Neurodiverse Relationships

Welcome to the Mythbusting Neurodiverse Relationships Podcast, with hosts Natalie Roberts and Heather Parks, busting myths that we’ve realised aren’t true and that were preventing us from recovering and having the relationships and connection with partners and children that we desperately wanted. lovingdifference.net natalieroberts.com heatherparks.co.uk

  1. 15 HR. AGO

    30. Is surviving or just liking my neurodiverse relationship the best I can hope for?

    www.lovingdifference.net A different episode of the podcast for you today.. In this episode and the next one, we’re sharing our presentations from the Neurodiverse Love conference that happened online in February 2023. We loved the opportunity to share our experience with others there and now we’re bringing them to a wider audience via the podcast too. In Natalie's presentation today she's busting the myth that surviving or just liking your neurodiverse relationship is the best you can hope for. We want you to know the new truth that the impact of unknown neurodiversity in your relationship is reversible and you can thrive… and flourish. We used slides in the presentation so some things may be a little tricky to make sense of. If you’re listening to the podcast, you can watch instead via our Loving Difference youtube channel or even better come and join us at our online home in Loving Difference. ***** Want to learn more or join us on the road to being YOU and thriving in your own neurodiverse relationship or family?  Join Loving Difference at https://www.lovingdifference.net/ Loving Difference - HOPE and a Way Forward for Neurodiverse Relationships ✨ Loving Difference is hosted by Natalie Roberts and Heather Parks. The Loving Difference Relationship System they coach, specifically designed for neurodiverse relationships, prioritises recovery first and new foundations for better communication and connection. Subscribing members in the programme hosted there are solving the biggest issues experienced in neurodiverse relationships: exhaustion, being YOU, communication, connection, intimacy, resentment and reactivity.  #neurodiverse #neurodiversity #asd #autismspectrumdisorder #autismawareness #aspergers #autism #dontletanyonedullyoursparkle #aspergersrelationship #mentalhealth #happyrelationship #neurodiverserelationship #cultivateyourhappiness #beyouagain #beyou #liveslow #livewithintent #autismspectrum #neurodiverselove #lovingdifference #adhd #love #neurodiversecouple #coach #neurodiverserelationshipcoach #neurodiversefamilycoach

    22 min

  2. NOV 8

    29. Will festive seasons in my neurodiverse relationship always be a disaster?

    www.lovingdifference.net 🌟 We're here with Festive Hope and a Way Forward! Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, Diwali, New Year's, Parties, Family Gatherings... We used to dread the festive season. With festive myths busted and new ways to navigate challenges WITHOUT compromising what matters most to us, we now sparkle our way through the season! A special edition episode ... we're here to bust the myth that your festive seasons will forever be rubbish and doomed to be a disaster! We're not into surviving the season, we know you've done that for long enough! We're here to inspire and share our first ways that began to turn the festive wheels of change so that, year by year, we could begin to thrive in it. Sharing challenges and new ways about festive seasons past and present, how our perspectives have changed with greater understanding, clarity and an open mind to the possibilities of how festivities can be reimagined WITHOUT compromising what matters most to you. Interested to find out more and take some step by steps to a more sparkly festive season? The Loving Difference Programme includes coach support and resources for reimagining your festive season! ***** Want to learn more or join us on the road to being YOU and thriving in your own neurodiverse relationship or family?  Join Loving Difference at https://www.lovingdifference.net/ Loving Difference - HOPE and a Way Forward for Neurodiverse Relationships ✨ Loving Difference is hosted by Natalie Roberts and Heather Parks. The Loving Difference Relationship System they coach, specifically designed for neurodiverse relationships, prioritises recovery first and new foundations for better communication and connection. Subscribing members in the programme hosted there are solving the biggest issues experienced in neurodiverse relationships: exhaustion, being YOU, communication, connection, intimacy, resentment and reactivity.  #neurodiverse #neurodiversity #asd #autismspectrumdisorder #autismawareness #aspergers #autism #dontletanyonedullyoursparkle #aspergersrelationship #mentalhealth #happyrelationship #neurodiverserelationship #cultivateyourhappiness #beyouagain #beyou #liveslow #livewithintent #autismspectrum #neurodiverselove #lovingdifference #adhd #love #neurodiversecouple #coach #neurodiverserelationshipcoach #neurodiversefamilycoach

    26 min

  3. OCT 18

    28. Can my neurodiverse relationship only get better if we're both on board with sorting it out?

    www.lovingdifference.net It's been a while!!!.... it felt really good to get back to recording our conversations! If you're feeling lost, stuck and hopeless in your neurodiverse relationship and your partner can't or doesn't want to work on the issues that you think need sorting out, we're here with hope and a way forward! Here's some of the things we hear from people... 'If my partner doesn't want to see a professional together, I don't see how anything can change!' -- 'My partner's too scared to see someone - is there any other options?' -- 'My partner doesn't accept we're in a neurodiverse relationship and won't see anyone to sort things out. I'm losing hope that things can ever get better if I can't get them to couples counselling. What do I do?' -- 'I've said I'll leave if they won't come with me but I think that's made things worse. Can you help?' So if you're ready to sort things out and your partner isn't what CAN you do?! The good news is.... LOTS!! In this episode, we're busting the myth that things can only get better if both partners are on board with sorting the relationship out and both are willing to attend professional relationship support together. So many people we speak to have either forced, dragged, coerced, or used ultimatums to persuade their partner along to couples counselling or some other form of professional support for couples and been bitterly disappointed with how it went or the results they achieved. It's often done more harm than good, for individuals and the relationship or outcomes have been temporary. We know there are good outcomes for people too .. it's just probably not those who are listening to this podcast! If you're here, you've more likely been finding the information that concludes or seems to imply that there's no way your relationship can ever improve unless both partners are actively involved in sorting out the issues that one or both of them are experiencing - that all feels like a dead end of it's only you right now that's ready to sort things out. We're here with a different perspective because ten years ago we faced the same dead end and it left us feeling more stuck and powerless to change our situation, for us, for our children, for the relationship. It was devastating. We found a new way through... so let's dive into our next conversation. ***** Want to learn more or join us on the road to being YOU and thriving in your own neurodiverse relationship or family? Join Loving Difference at https://www.lovingdifference.net/ Loving Difference - HOPE and a Way Forward for Neurodiverse Relationships ✨ Loving Difference is hosted by Natalie Roberts and Heather Parks. The Loving Difference Relationship System they coach, specifically designed for neurodiverse relationships, prioritises recovery first and new foundations for better communication and connection. Subscribing members in the programme hosted there are solving the biggest issues experienced in neurodiverse relationships: exhaustion, being YOU, communication, connection, intimacy, resentment and reactivity. #neurodiverse #neurodiversity #asd #autismspectrumdisorder #autismawareness #aspergers #autism #dontletanyonedullyoursparkle #aspergersrelationship #mentalhealth #happyrelationship #neurodiverserelationship #cultivateyourhappiness #beyouagain #beyou #liveslow #livewithintent #autismspectrum #neurodiverselove #lovingdifference #adhd #love #neurodiversecouple #coach #neurodiverserelationshipcoach #neurodiversefamilycoach

    32 min

  4. 12/04/2023

    27. Celebrating 9 Years Friends & Answering Your Questions

    www.lovingdifference.net Recently we got together to celebrate being friends for nine years and a special AUA (Ask Us Anything!) answering questions from Loving Difference members. In 2014, we both felt like we were suffocating and trapped in lives we couldn't change. It was as if life had drained the life out of us. We hoped that discovering neurodiversity would sort out the daily nightmare that our lives had become. Meeting each other, we started to breathe again. We found ways to bring ourselves back to life, woke up from the nightmare and step by step by step began to experience the love, connection, peace and harmony we'd been craving. We love that we get to create some of that magic and share those ways with you! In our celebration conversation, we touched on a range of topics including - life before meeting in November 2014, - friendship origins, - how we shrink geography, - what inspired Loving Difference, - acceptance, - knowing we'd be ok and - the limits of labels. You won't be surprised to hear that we didn't get through all your amazing questions so there will be a sequel!! Enjoy! ✨ ps. If you’ve run out of hope and ways, sign up for Revival Retreat via www.lovingdifference.net

    1h 9m

  5. 11/02/2023

    26. I can't be happy at all whilst everything is so terrible in my Neurodiverse relationship.

    www.lovingdifference.net In this episode we're busting the myth that 'I can't be happy at all whilst everything is so terrible in my Neurodiverse relationship'. Many of our members arrive in Loving Difference hoping to resolve the challenges in their neurodiverse relationships, so that they can be happy again. We don't want our members to wait until they've resolved all their challenges in their relationship to be happy! We want that for them ASAP! In fact, we'd go further than that. We take the view that being happy (and we're mindful that there are so many nuances to that word!) is key to having a better experience in our neurodiverse relationships! We have so many stories and expectations about how a happy relationship = a happy me. But really it's the other way round. We believe A happy ME is a prerequisite to happy relationship! We're much more likely to be able to experience happiness in a relationship if we're able to create it for ourselves first. And we want to help our members discover ways to do that for themselves, even though we know it's a hard concept when they've arrived exhausted after years of persistent stress. And in any case, most have lost touch with who they are and what makes them happy. The truth we've realised is that happiness really does come from within and we have agency to create it without changing anyone else. And we are PASSIONATE about helping our members recover from persistent stress, exhaustion and unhealthy relationship dynamics and rediscover who they are and how they can resource themselves to experience more happiness. We hope you enjoy our conversation and are inspired and encouraged to start along your own journey to BE YOU, to recover from there stress of it all and to discover ways to have a better experience in your neurodiverse relationship ASAP! Want to learn more or join us on the road to being YOU and thriving in your own neurodiverse relationship or family? Join Loving Difference and check in to Revival Retreat at https://www.lovingdifference.net/ Revival Retreat is an all-online, life-changing coaching programme for anyone in a neurodiverse relationship who want things to change, to discover a new map, a proven route, empowering resources, sustainable solutions and all the support you need, hosted by accredited coaches who are also navigating difference in their relationships and family. Choose the Revival Retreat Plan at www.lovingdifference.net for more details and to sign up. What is Loving Difference? A place that brings together anyone looking for new ways to live in neurodiverse relationships, with a focus on living well together with difference. Loving Difference is hosted by Coaches with experience navigating life with difference. We guide members to learn about themselves and their loved ones in a safe, non-judgmental community so that we can inspire and encourage each other to love the unconventional and beautiful differences in ourselves and in our homes #neurodiverse #neurodiversity #asd #autismspectrumdisorder #autismawareness #aspergers #autism #dontletanyonedullyoursparkle #aspergersrelationship #mentalhealth #happyrelationship #neurodiverserelationship #cultivateyourhappiness #beyouagain #beyou #liveslow #livewithintent #autismspectrum #neurodiverselove #lovingdifference #adhd #love #neurodiversecouple #coach #neurodiverserelationshipcoach #neurodiversefamilycoach

    39 min

  6. 10/19/2023

    25. It’s too dangerous to hope in my neurodiverse relationship.

    www.lovingdifference.net In this episode, we’re busting the myth it's too dangerous to hope in my neurodiverse relationship. A member recently shared the following:- 'It's so encouraging to read also from people with similar first-hand experience, about the fears and doubts and then about the hope. Hope is something I had tried to let go of in recent years, because i experienced so many setbacks and one-way streets that it felt almost counter-productive to try and keep it alive.' In this podcast we recall how hope evaporated as our energy depleted as we tried various different strategies which didn't work and how our belief that things could get better was replaced by disappointment, resignation and, ultimately, despair. We lost hope that anything could get better in our Neurodiverse Relationships. So we totally get it when members arrive in exhaustion and despair and find it difficult to even dare to hope that things could get better. In fact, we often say to our members that we'll carry the hope for now. And we've got enough for all of you! We talk about the parallels between losing hope in our neurodiverse relationships and losing hope in our ability to make a difference in aspects like climate change. When all we hear is the problems, the enormity of it, the hopelessness of it, it feels impossible to make a difference, so why even bother? This can be what it feels like in our relationships too. So, how can we shift back into hope. And how can hope, when combined with agency and energy, create the motivation to keep going in our quest to have a better experience in our neurodiverse relationships? Join us in a conversation which is so close to our hearts and to our mission to bring hope to all those who are struggling in their neurodiverse relationships. Want to learn more or join us on the road to being YOU and thriving in your own neurodiverse relationship or family? Join Loving Difference and check in to Revival Retreat at https://www.lovingdifference.net/ Revival Retreat is an all-online, life-changing coaching programme for anyone in a neurodiverse relationship who want things to change, to discover a new map, a proven route, empowering resources, sustainable solutions and all the support you need, hosted by accredited coaches who are also navigating difference in their relationships and family. Choose the Revival Retreat Plan at www.lovingdifference.net for more details and to sign up. What is Loving Difference? A place that brings together anyone looking for new ways to live in neurodiverse relationships, with a focus on living well together with difference. Loving Difference is hosted by Coaches with experience navigating life with difference. We guide members to learn about themselves and their loved ones in a safe, non-judgmental community so that we can inspire and encourage each other to love the unconventional and beautiful differences in ourselves and in our homes #neurodiverse #neurodiversity #asd #autismspectrumdisorder #autismawareness #aspergers #autism #dontletanyonedullyoursparkle #aspergersrelationship #mentalhealth #happyrelationship #neurodiverserelationship #cultivateyourhappiness #beyouagain #beyou #liveslow #livewithintent #autismspectrum #neurodiverselove #lovingdifference #adhd #love #neurodiversecouple #coach #neurodiverserelationshipcoach #neurodiversefamilycoach

    29 min

  7. 10/05/2023

    24. Can my experience change in my neurodiverse relationship if my partner doesn't change?

    www.lovingdifference.net In this episode, we’re busting the myth that others need to change so that our experience is different. We used to think our experience was dependent on what others did or didn't do... and we've realised that's not true. Our waiting on others to change or hoping they'll change or expecting or believing they should change or trying to get them to change cost us our health and happiness, for years!... and we weren't prepared to do it that way anymore.. and we found a way that isn't dependent on that! Most of our listeners and Loving Difference members are working on changing their experience in their neurodiverse relationship/family without the support or involvement of their partner. This was us too and it meant we needed a different approach than all those we found at the time. That different approach not only transformed our own experience dramatically, it consequently changed the vibe and dynamics in the relationships with our partner and children. We've realised healthy relating that's prioritising loving connection doesn't force or expect others to change. What we can do instead is get into healthier relationship with ourself and then make healthier decisions and in relation to others based on what they are choosing to do or not do. We have healthier ways now to handle how different needs, preferences, capacities, values, tolerances can all be catered for in a relationship/family, also for accountability, 'unacceptable behaviour' and things that we believe or perceive others can't or won't do. In time, our partners and children changed how they related to us and that began a chain reaction that has created significantly more thriving individually and collectively in our relationships and families. Want to learn more or join us on the road to being YOU and thriving in your own neurodiverse relationship or family? Join Loving Difference and check in to Revival Retreat at https://www.lovingdifference.net/ Revival Retreat is an all-online, life-changing coaching programme for anyone in a neurodiverse relationship who want things to change, to discover a new map, a proven route, empowering resources, sustainable solutions and all the support you need, hosted by accredited coaches who are also navigating difference in their relationships and family. Choose the Revival Retreat Plan at www.lovingdifference.net for more details and to sign up. What is Loving Difference? A place that brings together anyone looking for new ways to live in neurodiverse relationships, with a focus on living well together with difference. Loving Difference is hosted by Coaches with experience navigating life with difference. We guide members to learn about themselves and their loved ones in a safe, non-judgmental community so that we can inspire and encourage each other to love the unconventional and beautiful differences in ourselves and in our homes #neurodiverse #neurodiversity #asd #autismspectrumdisorder #autismawareness #aspergers #autism #dontletanyonedullyoursparkle #aspergersrelationship #mentalhealth #happyrelationship #neurodiverserelationship #cultivateyourhappiness #beyouagain #beyou #liveslow #livewithintent #autismspectrum #neurodiverselove #lovingdifference #adhd #love #neurodiversecouple #coach #neurodiverserelationshipcoach #neurodiversefamilycoach

    24 min

  8. 09/22/2023

    23. Will the support we need be there once my child has a diagnosis?

    www.lovingdifference.net Caution: please look after yourself for today's episode. There is discussion of suicide and the very desperate situations our young people experience and that we as parents can experience in our efforts to support them. If you need to, skip this one. We welcome your comments and questions about what we're sharing today. Get in touch via www.lovingdifference.net or email hello@lovingdifference.net. In this episode, we're responding to a recent BBC News article about the alarming numbers of young autistic people dying in the absence of the specialist support they need. You can read the article we're referencing at this link - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-66731265. We're specifically talking about our experience in the UK in this episode though we know that the issue of insufficient or inadequate support is not isolated to the UK. We support members globally in Loving Difference and hear about this from all countries. Efforts to change this are very very slow in coming and in the meantime, children's situations and life chances are being significantly affected. In our conversation we’re busting the myth that diagnosis for our children leads to ‘all the support you need'. The reality for us and for so many families and their children is that the promises of support that have them battling and exhausting themselves for a diagnosis aren't there or are insufficient to support the needs of children and young people... and the very real experience that in the waiting time to diagnosis, the issues that began the process have become worse. We're sharing our own experiences as best we can whilst at the same time respecting the privacy of our children who experienced a lot of difficulties in childhood and as teenagers, particularly in the education system. We're also sharing some of the things that helped us to cope, recover and begin to thrive again as a family in spite of the absence and inadequacies of statutory care and support. We know we are some of the lucky ones. Our children are still here. They are still recovering in lots of ways and some of them are still really struggling and we're still in the struggle with them. The gift is that we have better ways now, ways that ensure we're well and that means we're in the best possible position to support them so much better than when we were exhausted, overwhelmed and in our own mental health crises. Want to learn more or join us on the road to being YOU and thriving in your own neurodiverse relationship or family? Join Loving Difference and check in to Revival Retreat at https://www.lovingdifference.net/ Revival Retreat is an all-online, life-changing coaching programme for anyone in a neurodiverse relationship who want things to change, to discover a new map, a proven route, empowering resources, sustainable solutions and all the support you need, hosted by accredited coaches who are also navigating difference in their relationships and family. Choose the Revival Retreat Plan at www.lovingdifference.net for more details and to sign up. What is Loving Difference? A place that brings together anyone looking for new ways to live in neurodiverse relationships, with a focus on living well together with difference. Loving Difference is hosted by Coaches with experience navigating life with difference. We guide members to learn about themselves and their loved ones in a safe, non-judgmental community so that we can inspire and encourage each other to love the unconventional and beautiful differences in ourselves and in our homes #neurodiverse #neurodiversity #asd #autismspectrumdisorder #autismawareness #aspergers #autism #dontletanyonedullyoursparkle #aspergersrelationship #mentalhealth #happyrelationship #neurodiverserelationship #cultivateyourhappiness #beyouagain #beyou #liveslow #livewithintent #autismspectrum #neurodiverselove #lovingdifference #adhd #love #neurodiversecouple #coach #neurodiverserelationshipcoach #neurodiversefamilycoach

    51 min
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4.3
out of 5
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About

Welcome to the Mythbusting Neurodiverse Relationships Podcast, with hosts Natalie Roberts and Heather Parks, busting myths that we’ve realised aren’t true and that were preventing us from recovering and having the relationships and connection with partners and children that we desperately wanted. lovingdifference.net natalieroberts.com heatherparks.co.uk

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