NeuroCurious

Andrew Dupuis, LMFT
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Mental Health

Why do we think the way we do? Why do relationships thrive—or fall apart? And what’s really happening inside our brains? NeuroCurious is a podcast about exploring the human mind with curiosity. From parenting and emotional development to relationships, mental health, and everyday behavior, each episode looks at the psychology behind real life. Hosted by a marriage and family therapist, NeuroCurious blends neuroscience, therapy insights, and practical wisdom to help you think deeper, connect better, and live more intentionally.

Episodes

  1. Jul 27

    Psychosocial Development

    Have you ever stopped to wonder why two children can grow up in similar homes and yet become two completely different people throughout their lives? Why is it that one may develop confidence while another might struggle with shame? Well, this is something that may have been decades in the making, from needing a bottle to driving a car. In this episode, we will explore Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development, which is kind of like a map that helps explain how our earliest life experiences mold and refine who we are today. Whether you are a parent, a therapist, or just someone as curious as I am, understanding these stages can change the way we see children and, hopefully, ourselves.

  2. Jul 21

    Clinical Assessments for ADHD

    I want you to imagine with me that you are taking your car in to see a mechanic because that cursed check engine light turned on. But this time, you decided to do things differently. You take it into three different mechanics and get three completely different diagnoses. One says it's the transmission. Another says it's the engine. A third says it's just a sensor. Would you spend thousands of dollars on repairs before knowing what's actually wrong? Most likely not! But now imagine that car is your child or teenager. Perhaps they have been struggling to focus in school. Maybe they're having emotional meltdowns, difficulty making friends, or falling behind academically. One person says it's ADHD. Another says it's oppositional defiant disorder. Someone else wonders if it's autism. As parents, we're left asking the same question: "What is it!?” and “Why can’t I just get a straight answer?” It truly feels frustrating at times. On this episode, we will be talking about psychological and neurodevelopmental assessments—what they are, why they can be valuable, and how they help move us from guessing to understanding. We'll break down some of the most common assessment tools used for ADHD and autism evaluations, including the Vanderbilt ADHD Diagnostic Rating Scale, the BASC-3, and the BRIEF-2. By the end of this episode, you'll have a clearer understanding of what these assessments measure, why they matter, and how they can help guide treatment, school accommodations, and support for your child or teenager. So you and your child can get the answers you’ve been looking for and the help you need.

  3. Jun 16

    ADHD or ODD?

    On this episode, we will dive into a question I hear from parents and teachers a lot: "Is the child just defiant, or is it their ADHD?" A child refuses to follow directions. They argue with teachers, have emotional outbursts, so the quick assumption is “They have Oppositional Defiant Disorder”. But what is the full story here? What if what looks like defiance is just the child feeling overwhelmed? What if the disrespect is just the child struggling with executive functioning, emotional regulation, and feeling invisible due to challenges that come up because of their ADHD? We will try to unpack the differences between ODD and ADHD, explore why these diagnoses are often confused, and what strategies can be helpful to process more effectively. Instead of asking “What is wrong with this child?”, why can we think instead, “What is this child trying to tell us?” not just from what we see externally, but also from what we don’t see internally.

    ADHD or ODD?

  4. Jun 2

    The Big 3

    If there are three things teenagers tell me in my office that they wish their parents understood, it’s this: 1) “I’m trying harder than you think in school.” 2) “Video games are more than just wasting time.” 3) “My phone isn’t just a screen, it’s my lifeline”. For many parents, poor grades, video games, and cell phones can feel very frustrating and confusing at the same time. But sometimes, it can make a parent hypervigilant. But for many teenagers, they are often interconnected with pressure, identity, and a way to escape reality. How can we pause to take a moment and see it from both sides, rather than arguing, saying, “I am the parent and what I say goes!” We need to understand each other, both as parents and as teenagers, especially since neurodivergence plays a huge part in this. In today’s episode, we are going into actual research that supports the struggles with academic challenges, video gaming, and phone use, the good, the bad, and the misunderstood, and how it can negatively impact moods and behaviors, but why it benefits the teenager with neurodivergence.

    The Big 3

  5. May 12

    Family Matters

    Welcome back, friends. In this episode, we will talk about something that affects a lot of families but doesn’t always seem to get the attention it needs, which is the stress parents feel when raising children with a neurodevelopmental disorder. If you are a parent, caregiver, educator, or know someone having ADHD and just want to understand them better, this episode will help break that down in what research says. We will explore these three questions: First, why do parents of children with ADHD report higher levels of stress? Second, what psychological factors make a difference in how parents cope? And third, what can help?

    Family Matters

  6. May 5

    Supporting a Neurodivergent Teen

    Parenting a teenager with autism, ADHD, or an intellectual disability, or even one that is a bit snoody? I am certain you had moments that sounded like: “What am I supposed to do right now with you right now!?” “It is not that hard!!” “What is wrong with you?!” Let’s take a step back and reflect that maybe your teen is overwhelmed, burned out, and overly exhausted—but no matter what you do, it doesn’t seem to work. If this is you… I want to start by saying this to yourself: You’re not a failure as a parent. You’re navigating a system that often isn’t designed for your child and a situation you were not prepared for. In this episode, we’re going to break this down in a way that makes sense—what’s really going on with your teen, and more importantly, what may help. Mental Health Awareness Month Useful sites to learn more: NAMI: https://www.nami.org/stay-connected/events/awareness-events/mental-health-awareness-month/

    Supporting a Neurodivergent Teen

  7. Apr 29

    Episode 3: Emotional Layers with Intellectual Disability

    Welcome back to NeuroCurious—where we explore the brain, behavior, and the human experience. Today, I want to challenge a really common assumption: When a child has an intellectual disability…Are behaviors just a part of the disability? Or… are we missing something deeper? Because for many families, what looks like defiance, aggression, or shutdown is actually something else entirely— something misunderstood, and often untreated. Millions of children in the U.S. has an intellectual or developmental disabilities. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5), is what mental health professionals use to effectively diagnose clients. Diagnostic criteria for intellectual disability include deficits in intellectual and adaptive functioning across the conceptual, social, and practical domains. This can affect the individual’s judgment, abstract thinking, academic learning, and functioning at home, school, and in the community. It can be measured as mild, moderate, severe, or profound. Depending on the level of severity, some domains may be deficient, such as communication and basic activities of daily living, including dressing and eating. However, many of them may also be navigating: ADHDAutismAnxietyDepressionSo right away, we’re not dealing with a single diagnosis—they are dealing with multiple layers. Think of it like an onion (or a parfait if you are not a fan of onions) no matter, they have layers. The outside layer may appear as sad, but the next layer may be feeling lonely, and as we get deeper, it may be feeling isolated. The deeper the layer, the deeper the emotion that is felt. It can run very deep, especially if it is misunderstood.

    Episode 3: Emotional Layers with Intellectual Disability

  8. Apr 25

    Episode 2: Helping the Anxious Child Feel Heard

    Imagine being a child who is constantly told to try harder, pay attention, or sit still—but no matter how hard you try, your brain seems to move in a completely different direction than everyone else’s. Teachers see distraction. Parents see unfinished homework. Peers sometimes see the “weird kid.” But what if what we’re really looking at isn’t a lack of effort… but a different wiring of the brain?

    Episode 2: Helping the Anxious Child Feel Heard

  9. Apr 21

    Episode 1: ADHD is Only Part of It

    About 1 in 10 children in the United States between the ages of 3 and 17 are treated for ADHD. But ADHD rarely shows up alone. Research shows that nearly 80% of those children also experience another mental, behavioral, or developmental condition. That might include anxiety, depression, oppositional defiant disorder, or intense emotional outbursts. For parents, this can feel confusing. Is it ADHD? Is it anxiety? Is my child just being defiant? Or is something deeper happening in their developing brain

    Episode 1: ADHD is Only Part of It
  • 9 Episodes

About

Why do we think the way we do? Why do relationships thrive—or fall apart? And what’s really happening inside our brains? NeuroCurious is a podcast about exploring the human mind with curiosity. From parenting and emotional development to relationships, mental health, and everyday behavior, each episode looks at the psychology behind real life. Hosted by a marriage and family therapist, NeuroCurious blends neuroscience, therapy insights, and practical wisdom to help you think deeper, connect better, and live more intentionally.

Information

  • Creator
    Andrew Dupuis, LMFT
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    9
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    NeuroCurious