516 | ADHD reWired’s Coaches Round Table

On today’s show, Eric is joined by Marcy Caldwell, Psy.D!  Marcy is a psychologist, writer, and proud mom of 2, who has been helping adults with ADHD thrive in their work, relationships, and parenting for over 20 years.  She is a passionate advocate for adults with ADHD and is dedicated to helping them create environments that unlock the unique genius of their brains!   Marcy is also the founder of ADDept.org, a blog and resource for adults with ADHD, and is also the owner of Rittenhouse Psychological Services, a practice specializing in adult ADHD in the Philadelphia area. In addition, Marcy is also the creator of Meltdown to Mastery!  Learn more about Marcy and find her masterclass, Meltdown to Mastery, at ADDept.org! Are you in the Philadelphia area  Check out Rittenhouse Psychological Services!    Questions/Topics:  [00:00:57] Introducing Marcy and how she got into the world of ADHD  [00:03:31] A family with ADHD and being in the messy middle  [00:05:50] Regulatory differences between neurotypical and ADHD brains  [00:07:21] Activation, stopping, and on/off switches  [00:08:43] Three components of an ADHD experience  [00:15:32] “How do we know the difference between the emotional storms and emotional regulation challenges that are so often seen with ADHD… and the emotional storms / regulation challenges that come with other disorders, such as autism, borderline personality disorder, bi-polar, etc.?”  [00:20:11] Why does it matter to understand that an antecedent comes externally for emotional storms with ADHD compared to other differential diagnoses?  [00:22:08] How much of the emotional storms that are triggered by external events are more a trauma response vs. being organically related to ADHD?  [00:27:32] What is Meltdown to Mastery all about?  [00:30:21] Can the intentional use of distraction be a tool?  [00:32:02] A discussion on distraction vs. avoidance [00:36:31] Developing an understanding of identifying the “in-between” emotions and building conscientiousness  [00:40:35] Closing thoughts and more about Marcy  Resources & Honorable Mentions: “I believe in the power of understanding.” – Marcy  🌟 Have you heard about our Adult Study Hall Community? Go to adultstudyhall.com to join our ADHD-friendly body-doubling community! 🌟 Interested in group coaching and want to take your ADHD management to the next level? Go to coachingrewired.com to get all the up-to-date information on the upcoming season of ADHD reWired’s award-winning Coaching & Accountability groups!

In this episode, Mary Kima Dolson, a clinical social worker, joins the podcast!  As a clinical social worker, Mary has been providing psychotherapy in incarcerated populations since 2019. She is the founder of the pandemic support group Stuff We Can’t Say Out Loud and the executive director for Fund That Bitch, a non-profit group dedicated to helping women with emergency funding.  Mary also  You’ll hear Eric and Mary talk about trauma in incarcerated populations, if the word “trauma” is overused, trigger warnings, and the misunderstandings about trauma and its multifaceted layers.  Then, Mary and Eric talk about different types of trauma, unique trauma responses, the ways that people in the ADHD community can experience trauma, and how trauma responses can show up as ADHD traits.  Eric and Mary also talk about other trauma features, if there is a connection between trauma and workaholism, the importance of investing in and validating someone’s experience, and the healing and adjusting process of the incarcerated population.  Finally, you’ll hear about Mary’s experiences with trauma, how she got into her work, and a story about Henry the tortoise.  Get More from Mary:     Other Questions & Topics in this Episode:  What is trauma  What is the difference between trauma and acute stress disorder?  PTSD and CPTSD – what’s the difference?  What is the “trifuckta” of trauma  What do we do about complex trauma  What are some of the less obvious markers, behaviorally and emotionally, of trauma  Check out the Other Podcasts on the ADHD reWired Podcast Network: with Brendan Mahan with Will Curb with MJ Siemens  

In this episode, Eric is joined by Lorri Hollingsworth who was officially diagnosed with combined-type ADHD about two-and-a-half years ago at the age of 64, having reached retirement without suspecting any neurodivergencies.  Yet, she always felt herself to be the “misfit” given the expectations set by friends, family, coworkers, and society at large, and forever assumed the role of “Inadvertent Perpetrator” with all the guilt inherent therein.  Lorri will share her journey shaped by the absence of an ADHD diagnosis in early childhood, which inevitably led to numerous comorbidities over the decades, as well as the never-expected hope that she now experiences for her future.  You’ll hear about the different comorbidities that were discovered before Lorri’s ADHD diagnosis, how her husband of over 35 years aided in Lorri getting diagnosed, her journey of the ways her diagnosis changed the way she viewed her past, and the dynamics of her environment growing up undiagnosed.  You’ll also hear about Lorri’s thrill of a challenge, and her journey through unhealthy eating behaviors, OCD, depression, anxiety, and more.  Lastly, you’ll hear about the importance of learning, self-awareness, and forgiveness to move forward. Questions Answered & Memorable Moments in this Episode: Lorri goes in depth about how important it is to get more stories of seniors getting diagnosed.  What was it that led Lorri to get the diagnosis? “I think the persistent leaving of cabinets and drawers open should be part of the diagnostic criteria!” – Eric “…unless somebody does something drastic to get your attention, they don’t have your attention.” – Lorri Mentioned here: How we show up in relationships:  Is that a product of our environment, or does ADHD sometimes get in the way? “I, .as far back as I can remember, have been a ‘loner’.” – Lorri At 64, you’ve been through a lot of stuff, so why does it matter now (to get diagnosed)? “If you love your life, it’s worth the work.” – Lorri “You have to forgive yourself, and you have to forgive the people that might have contributed inadvertently to you being in that place. Forgiveness is so important.” – Lorri Check out the Other Podcasts on the ADHD reWired Podcast Network:  with Brendan Mahan  with Will Curb  with MJ Siemens  with Moira Maybin Don’t Forget These, Too:  — Support the show by becoming a Patron! — Get your name on the waitlist to join the sping season of ADHD reWired’s Coaching and Accountability Groups!  — Join your ADHD-friendly co-working space!  — Join Eric, Brendan, Will, MJ, Moira, Kat, and Lisa for an hour of Live Q&A on Zoom, every 2nd Tuesday of the month at 12:30pm Central (10:30am Pacific / 1:30pm Eastern)

What is ADHD coaching? how does it work? how can someone with ADHD benefit from coaching? These are some of the questions I had when I was diagnosed and I now see it come up often in the ADHD community online.
In this episode, I share a snippet of an actual ADHD coaching session that I facilitated. Pls note that this person has ADHD , is not a client of mine, they agreed to be on the show/recording and wanted to experience ADHD coaching.
The session starts with her wanting to address her lack of motivation – as the session progressed we talked about her values, then in the middle of the call you hear a shift in her energy as we got deeper into her values. She has a shift in perspective when she realizes the root of lack of motivation is that she has been avoiding what truly makes her happy which are tied to her values.
As you listen to this coaching session, do you relate to what she is going through (I know I did)?
This is just a short snippet of how coaching can really bring out the best in you and help you realize what is the root cause of what is holding you back. ADHD or not, we all have our stories/reasons/excuses until you take the time and dissect what is really holding you back, you will continue to get in your own way of success and even management of your ADHD.
I am so honoured to be part of these shift in perspective with my clients and in this call it was my pleasure to help and witness this young lady experience a shift in mindset.  I want thank my guest for sharing her story with us, she was such a star and so open to seeing new possibilities.
My coaching is a partnership where I design a plan based on the your agenda – coaching takes what’s inside and translates it into outer goals that you accomplish step-by-step.
I hope this snippet gives you more insight into the endless possibilities of how ADHD Coaching can benefit you.
p.s. When you feel unmotivated, direction less, chances are you are not fully living by your values. Grab my free values assessment workbook and find your true north. https://www.readysetchoose.com/adhd-free-tools

In today’s episode, we have Dr. Ian Macnaughton, Ergos Institute of Somatic Education Faculty Member. We explored trauma and ADHD, somatic experiencing, and the importance of small cycles of completion (bonus interactive demo of somatic experiencing at the end 😏).

 

Detailed show notes: 

In today’s episode, we have Dr. Ian Macnaughton, Ergos Institute Faculty Member. We talked about: 

• Trauma and ADHD – key characteristics, how it affects your neurophysiology, and re-regulation. 
• The vagus nerve and its importance – expansion, and contraction, shutdowns, and ramifications of negative experiences.
• Somatic experiencing – the importance of our senses and how developing them move us towards regulating our entire being. 
• Completion – why tiny steps matter more than you think, and how it instills hope and agency in people. 

(and a bonus interactive demo of somatic experience with Dr. Macnaughton!)

For more information on Somatic Experiencing visit https://traumahealing.org/

 

Ian Macnaughton MBA, PhD, FEA, SEP, has been a teacher and practitioner of trauma resolution, mind-body and family systems psychotherapy for 50 years and is a Bodynamic Analyst and trainer.  He has worked with Somatic Experiencing since the early 70’s and is Levine Legacy faculty with the Ergos Institute of Somatic Education.  His practice includes a high percentage of executives, medical practitioners and therapists and others in the helping professions both for psychotherapy and supervision.  He maintains an ongoing training group for clinical practitioners, as well as delivering public workshops for helping professionals. 

Ian also has owned a number of businesses and maintains an active practice working

with business families, families of wealth, and various organizations. He is on the

teaching faculty for, and a Fellow of the International Family Firm Institute and his

clients have included many government ministries and corporations. He is the holder of

the Richard Beckhard Practice Award for contributions in the field of Family Business

Advising.

 

Dr. Macnaughton has taught at numerous universities and colleges, both undergraduate

and graduate levels in psychology and in business. His other publications include, Embodying the Mind and Minding the Body, and Body, Breath and Consciousness: A Somatic Anthology, also “Self, Other, and the System” in Catalyzing the Field.  His other writings on family business have been published in a number of venues as well as his work in Systems Science published in Comprehensive Systems Design: A New Educational Technology: NATO Workshop on Systemic Educational Design.

Contact information: www.transitionpoint.ca, ian@macnaughton.ca

 

Join the ADHD reWired Team every second Tuesday of the month for our monthly Live Q&A!  Go to to register so you can join us on Zoom and ask your questions live!  And get the full and ad-free version of this episode when you become a Patron at $5.00 a month or more by going to !   Questions & Topics in this Episode: [00:04:58] “What are your tips for taking yourself out of hyperfocus?” [00:08:24] Tips on managing overwhelm, to-do lists, and cues for coming back to our lists  [0019:09] A listener who was recently diagnosed asks about impulsivity and food in a work environment.  [00:27:14] “How do you help someone who definitely needs help and support, but isn’t ready, doesn’t want it, or feels that they don’t need it, but at the same time, they’re constantly feeling overwhelmed and can’t manage?” [00:36:31] Will Curb gives an update from last month’s episode and talks about making trying different foods fun for kids. [0038:04] Ideas for incorporating exercise and body movement. [00:43:29] Suggestions for managing impulsive behaviors, setting boundaries when making plans with other people, and online shopping.  Resources & Honorable Mentions: Hacking your ADHD Episode:   Alarm App:   Alarm App: (Android) Alarm App: (Apple)  Check out the Other Podcasts on the ADHD reWired Podcast Network: with Brendan Mahan with Will Curb with MJ Siemens The Annual International Conference on ADHD is coming soon!  Join virtually or in person in Dallas, Texas!  Then, listeners of ADHD reWired can get 15% off your registration at !  Or use the promo code adhdrewiredadhdcon2022 at checkout!