Reframing Neurodiversity

Melissa Jackson
  • 5.0 (19)
  • MENTAL HEALTH
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

This podcast is for the woman who’s been told she’s too much, too emotional, too sensitive, too scattered, and is ready to finally see her neurodivergence for what it really is: a different way of experiencing the world, not a flaw to fix. Hosted by Melissa Jackson, a reparenting coach, educator, and neurodivergent mother, Reframing Neurodiversity is a soft space to land. Each episode blends honest storytelling, nervous system healing, and practical tools to help you move out of survival mode and into deeper connection with yourself and your children. You’ll learn how to stop abandoning yourself, start trusting your inner signals, and build a life that honors your wiring instead of fighting against it. Whether you're navigating ADHD, raising sensitive or neurodivergent kids, or just trying to find peace in a world that feels too fast...you're not alone here. You’re not broken. And you were never meant to do it all the "normal" way. Let’s create a new way forward together. 🌐 Website: https://www.theneurodiversityadvocate.com/

  1. FEB 3

    Season 2 | Ep 3: ADHD, Motherhood, and the Sensitive Nervous System

    ✨ Free Nervous System Quiz: https://learn.theneurodiversityadvocate.com/self-regulation-quiz-podcast In this episode, Melissa explores a truth many women quietly carry but rarely have language for: why ADHD often feels more challenging later in life, especially during motherhood or when adult responsibilities increase. Rather than framing ADHD as a childhood issue or a problem to fix, this conversation gently reframes it as a nervous system experience that evolves over time. Melissa walks listeners through how a highly sensitive nervous system, combined with increasing emotional and mental demands, can lead to overwhelm, shutdown, emotional reactivity, and self‑judgment in adulthood. Through both personal reflection and professional insight, she connects the dots between ADHD, high sensitivity, nervous system overload, and the early survival patterns many women learned long before they understood themselves. This episode invites you to move away from self‑blame and toward understanding, compassion, and real support at the root. If you have ever wondered why life suddenly feels harder, why coping tools that once worked no longer do, or why motherhood seemed to intensify everything you already struggled with, this episode offers clarity, validation, and a new way forward. 🧭 This Episode Is Especially For You If… You feel more overwhelmed, reactive, or shut down than you did earlier in lifeYou suspect ADHD or high sensitivity plays a role in your emotional experienceMotherhood or increased responsibility has pushed you into burnoutYou struggle with self‑regulation, emotional overstimulation, or chronic exhaustionYou feel guilt or shame about not being able to handle what others seem to manageYou want to understand yourself instead of criticizing yourselfYou are ready to support your nervous system rather than force yourself to cope 🔔 SUBSCRIBE & RATE ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ If this episode supported you, please subscribe on Apple or Spotify, leave a review, or share it with someone who might need to hear it. Your support helps this conversation reach more women who are learning they are not broken. 💛 🤝 Let’s Stay Connected: Resources + Links ✨ Free Nervous System Quiz: https://learn.theneurodiversityadvocate.com/self-regulation-quiz-podcast 📞 Work With Melissa 1:1: https://www.theneurodiversityadvocate.com/contact 📬 Join the Substack Community: Neurodiversity Advocate 🌐 Website: a href="https://www.theneurodiversityadvocate.com/" rel="noopener...

    23 min

  2. JAN 20

    Season 2 | Ep 2: Why Reparenting Works When ADHD Hacks Don't

    If you’ve ever felt like you're too much, too sensitive, or just not wired to thrive the way others seem to…this episode is for you. Melissa Jackson returns with a deeply personal conversation about what actually creates long-lasting change for women with ADHD, emotional overwhelm, and highly sensitive nervous systems. Instead of chasing surface-level productivity tips, Melissa invites her community to go deeper: to the root of self-doubt, burnout, and dysregulation through the healing practice of reparenting. Drawing from her lived experience and professional training, she explores how emotional safety, nervous system capacity, and inner nurturing are the keys to true, sustainable transformation. 🎧 In This Episode, Melissa Talks About... 💛 Why traditional ADHD tips and self-help advice fail to support sensitive women 🧠 How masking, people-pleasing, and perfectionism are signs of deeper unmet needs 🌿 What reparenting actually looks like, and why it’s the key to root-level healing 👩‍👧 The ripple effect of healing: how supporting yourself transforms your parenting 📉 How disconnection from the body leads to shutdown, burnout, and survival mode 💫 A new approach to building nervous system capacity (without pushing or forcing) 🧭 This Episode Is Especially For You If… You’re a woman with ADHD or emotional sensitivity who’s exhausted by overwhelmYou feel disconnected from yourself, constantly “performing” to be acceptedYou’ve tried mindset work and productivity hacks, but still feel stuckYou’re curious about nervous system healing, reparenting, and embodied safetyYou want to raise your children differently, but feel like you need support first ✨ Free Nervous System Quiz: https://learn.theneurodiversityadvocate.com/self-regulation-quiz-podcast 🔔 SUBSCRIBE & RATE ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Share this episode with someone who’s on their own neurodivergent healing journey. Every share helps more people feel seen, safe, and supported. 💛 🤝 Let’s Stay Connected: Resources + Links ✨ Free Nervous System Quiz: https://learn.theneurodiversityadvocate.com/self-regulation-quiz-podcast 📞 Work With Melissa 1:1: https://www.theneurodiversityadvocate.com/contact 📬 Join the Substack Community: Neurodiversity Advocate 🌐 Website: https://www.theneurodiversityadvocate.com/ 🎧...

    14 min

  3. JAN 13

    Season 2 | Ep 1: What Taking a Break Taught Me About Reparenting, ADHD, and the Healing We Actually Need

    After six months of deep inner work, soul rest, and rediscovery, I’m back, and I’m so grateful to be here with you. This episode marks the beginning of a new season. One that feels softer, more honest, and more aligned with how I want to show up in this work. I’m starting 2026 with a renewed commitment: to create meaningful conversations that help you come home to yourself, especially if you’ve been navigating life in survival mode for far too long. In this solo episode, I share what reparenting has taught me, not just as a practitioner, but as a woman, mother, and human trying to feel safe in her own body again. If you’ve felt overwhelmed, disconnected, or like you’ve been performing just to be accepted, I hope this conversation reminds you: ✨ You are not broken. ✨ You do not have to earn your worth. ✨ And there is another way to live, one that honors your wiring and your truth. You’ll walk away with a deeper understanding of: 🧠Why mindset tools and productivity hacks don’t work for everyone 🌿How nervous system regulation creates the foundation for real change 💛And why healing yourself changes everything, including your relationship with your kids This isn’t about fixing yourself. It’s about feeling safe enough to finally be yourself. That’s where the healing begins. 🎧 In This Episode, I Talk About...🧠 Why ADHD “tips” and productivity hacks rarely work for sensitive, neurodivergent women 💛 How reparenting helped me stop abandoning myself and build nervous system safety 🌿What it feels like to come home to your body after years of dissociation and burnout 👩‍👧 How healing ourselves impacts the way we show up for our children and communities 🌫️ The emotional toll of masking, self-silencing, and trying to “do life right”, and how to begin unraveling it 🧭 This Episode Is Especially For You If…You’ve been diagnosed with ADHD or suspect you may be neurodivergentYou’re a mom, educator, or sensitive woman feeling burnt out and unseenYou struggle with self-trust, harsh self-criticism, or emotional shutdownYou’ve tried mindset work and still feel stuck or overwhelmedYou’re curious about what reparenting really looks like, and how to start 🔔 SUBSCRIBE & RATE ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Share this episode with someone who’s on their own neurodivergent healing journey. Every share helps more people feel seen, safe, and supported. 💛 🤝 Let’s Stay Connected: Resources + Links ✨ Free Nervous System Quiz: https://learn.theneurodiversityadvocate.com/self-regulation-quiz-podcast 📞 Work With Melissa 1:1: Schedule a complimentary consultation call with me! 📬 Join the Substack Community: https://neurodiversityadvocate.substack.com/about 📸 Instagram: a...

    26 min

  4. 06/06/2025

    51. Dissociation, ADHD and Why You Really Tune Out (and How to Reconnect)

    In this episode, Melissa explores how dissociation, numbing, and emotional avoidance keep ADHDers stuck in cycles of overwhelm and self-judgment. She shares personal reflections and somatic strategies to help listeners reconnect with their bodies and interrupt these patterns. Through an honest look at her own nervous system responses, Melissa introduces a powerful reparenting approach that supports deep healing from the inside out. Covered in this episode: What dissociation looks like in day-to-day life for ADHDersWhy avoidance reinforces old coping mechanismsThe somatic practice that helps process emotions in 90 secondsHow Melissa used reparenting tools to shift her anxiety during a triggering momentWhy self-awareness and body-based healing are essential for transformationDetails about Melissa’s upcoming 8-week reparenting program This episode is packed with insight and support, especially if you’re feeling overwhelmed, stuck in old coping loops, or ready to explore emotional healing from a root-level perspective. Take the FREE quiz: What Self-Regulation Technique do you need right now? Join the community: https://neurodiversityadvocate.substack.com/about Connect with Melissa: Schedule a complimentary consultation call with me! Instagram: @neurodiversity_advocate

    21 min

  5. 05/28/2025

    50. Learning to Trust Yourself Again After Years of Self Doubt

    In this episode, Melissa explores the deep impact that years of masking, self-doubt, and external validation-seeking can have on adults—especially those with ADHD or heightened sensitivity. She shares her own journey of reclaiming self-trust, the limiting beliefs that kept her stuck, and how reparenting herself somatically has helped her—and her clients—begin to heal from the inside out. What you’ll learn: Why ADHDers often struggle to trust themselves after a lifetime of being misunderstoodHow childhood conditioning creates unconscious limiting beliefs that persist into adulthoodThe difference between intellectually knowing something and somatically believing itHow reparenting gets to the root of self-doubt, people-pleasing, and emotional dysregulationHow to recognize and break free from outsourcing your power to othersWhy self-trust starts with nervous system safety—not mindset work aloneWhat an “evidence journal” is, and how it helps rebuild confidenceWhat it means to somatically rewire old emotional wounds and beliefsWhy external validation can never replace internal safety and self-acceptanceHow Melissa is now working with moms to reparent themselves—and why it changes everything Join the waitlist to get access to work with me 1:1 - spots are opening soon! Take the FREE quiz: What Self-Regulation Technique do you need right now? Join the community: https://neurodiversityadvocate.substack.com/about Connect with Melissa: Schedule a complimentary consultation call with me! Instagram: @neurodiversity_advocate

    16 min

  6. 05/16/2025

    49. Calm the ADHD Chaos and Your Nervous System This Summer With Megan Barnett

    In this episode, we reconnect with executive function coach Megan Barnett for another rich conversation about the intersection of ADHD, parenting, nervous system regulation, and real-world executive function support. We talk candidly about why so many “quick fix” tips fall flat—and how true transformation starts with grounding the whole family system. We also announce a brand-new offering for moms and families that’s launching this summer to help you move into the next school year empowered, supported, and steady What you’ll learn: Why executive function coaching for kids isn’t enough without support for parentsHow regulating your own nervous system is foundational to helping your child regulate theirsWhat co-regulation really means—and why it matters so much for neurodivergent familiesHow mindset work can fall short when the nervous system is in survival modeThe missing role of “real-time” support in creating lasting behavior changeWhy so many families feel overwhelmed by scattered solutions—and what they really need insteadHow fear and overwhelm impact advocacy and decision-making in the school systemHow to build an individualized, holistic roadmap for your familyThe power of community, co-regulation, and support during high-stress parenting seasonsDetails of our new summer coaching container launching June 2025 Questions answered in this episode: Why do executive function strategies often fail when parents feel dysregulated?How do we support moms who are also living with ADHD while trying to help their children?What’s missing from most school-based and therapeutic interventions for neurodivergent kids?How can parents confidently advocate for their children’s needs in IEP/504 meetings?Why is nervous system regulation more foundational than mindset shifts?What do families really need in the early stages after a diagnosis?What kind of plan helps reduce parental overwhelm and increases confidence?How do we help parents step into leadership when they’ve been socially conditioned to doubt themselves?What’s the role of intuitive knowing in parenting—and how do we access it?What is the summer coaching program, and who is it for? 🚨Launching June 2025! Megan and I are teaming up to support moms and kids this summer with an individualized 2-month coaching container including: 1:1 Zoom coaching callsVoxer voice note support (real-time help!)IEP/504 supportExecutive function planningNervous system regulation toolsAccess to Megan’s 7-week ADHD parent courseAccess to my guided emotional regulation video archive ✨ Join the waitlist here to schedule your free discovery call and see if it’s a fit. Take the FREE quiz: What Self-Regulation Technique do you need right now? Join the community: https://neurodiversityadvocate.substack.com/about Connect with Megan Barnett: Website: https://www.meganjbarnett.comInstagram: @meg.barnett.coachingADHD Executive Function Parent Course (included in the summer program) Connect...

    25 min

  7. 04/30/2025

    48. Gut Health, Intuitive Eating, and Listening to Your Body, While Having ADHD With Courtney Lee

    In this episode, Melissa sits down with author, scientist, and advocate Courtney Lee, the founder of Wellness Without Walls, to unpack the fascinating and critical connection between ADHD and gut health. Courtney shares her personal journey with ADHD, her extensive academic background in medical microbiology, and how she’s using science-backed, intuitive healing methods to help others reframe and heal. From understanding the gut-brain axis to actionable tips for diet and mood support, this conversation is both empowering and deeply informative. What you'll learn: How gut health and ADHD are connected through the gut-brain axisWhy supporting the microbiome can help regulate mood and focusSimple, science-based dietary changes that can reduce neuroinflammationThe role of intuitive eating and personalized nutrition in ADHD managementHow to support children with ADHD using gut-friendly strategiesWhich foods and ingredients to limit or avoid to reduce brain fog and behavioral symptomsHow early childhood development and gut microbiota affect lifelong mental healthThe link between protein intake and emotional regulation in childrenHow fermented foods, prebiotics, and probiotics boost cognitive performanceHow Courtney's children’s book and programs empower families to take charge of their mental wellness Questions answered in this episode: What is the gut-brain axis and how does it impact neurodivergent brains?Can diet really help reduce anxiety, depression, and hyperactivity in ADHD?What are practical, parent-friendly ways to incorporate gut-healthy foods into a busy lifestyle?What’s the science behind gut microbiome testing and how can it help?Why is protein critical for emotional regulation in ADHD children?How do early life eating patterns shape gut health and cognitive development?What is the difference between a “difference” and a “disorder” in neurodevelopmental terms?What are the most effective natural alternatives to ADHD medication?What supplements or nutrients support dopamine, serotonin, and GABA production?How can parents support their neurodivergent children without feeling overwhelmed? Connect with Courtney Lee: Website: https://www.wellnesswithoutwalls.coInstagram: @wellnesswithoutwallsChildren’s book: Mimi’s Adventures (coming Summer 2025)Root Cause + Gut Testing Program: available on her website Take the FREE quiz: What Self-Regulation Technique do you need right now? Join the community: https://neurodiversityadvocate.substack.com/about Connect with Melissa: Schedule a complimentary consultation call with me! Instagram: @neurodiversity_advocate

    34 min

  8. 04/26/2025

    47. How to Find Safety in Unmasking and Being Authentic

    In this deeply personal episode, I dive into how our old wounds and childhood stories can hijack our present experiences — especially around authenticity and connection. I share real-time tools for healing these patterns, finding safety in our bodies, and showing up as our true selves. If you've ever struggled with feeling seen, feared rejection, or found it painful to "unmask," this conversation is for you. What you'll learn: Why being authentic can feel so uncomfortable for neurodivergent peopleHow early childhood wounds shape adult reactions and relationshipsThe three core questions to ask yourself when you feel triggeredHow to begin reparenting your inner child to heal old woundsWhy nervous system regulation is key to authentic livingHow to set boundaries with others — and with yourselfThe truth about rejection and what it actually means about youHow to reframe old stories that are holding you backWhy self-trust is foundational to freedom and joySteps to build nervous system capacity for showing up as your full self Take the FREE quiz: What Self-Regulation Technique do you need right now? Join the community: https://neurodiversityadvocate.substack.com/about Connect with Melissa: Schedule a complimentary consultation call with me! Instagram: @neurodiversity_advocate

    28 min
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Trailer

5
out of 5
19 Ratings

About

This podcast is for the woman who’s been told she’s too much, too emotional, too sensitive, too scattered, and is ready to finally see her neurodivergence for what it really is: a different way of experiencing the world, not a flaw to fix. Hosted by Melissa Jackson, a reparenting coach, educator, and neurodivergent mother, Reframing Neurodiversity is a soft space to land. Each episode blends honest storytelling, nervous system healing, and practical tools to help you move out of survival mode and into deeper connection with yourself and your children. You’ll learn how to stop abandoning yourself, start trusting your inner signals, and build a life that honors your wiring instead of fighting against it. Whether you're navigating ADHD, raising sensitive or neurodivergent kids, or just trying to find peace in a world that feels too fast...you're not alone here. You’re not broken. And you were never meant to do it all the "normal" way. Let’s create a new way forward together. 🌐 Website: https://www.theneurodiversityadvocate.com/

Information

  • Creator
    Melissa Jackson
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    55
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Melissa Jackson
  • Show Website
    Reframing Neurodiversity

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