Inside the Pickle Jar: Connecting with the Spectrum

What if the version of you that everyone praises for coping is actually the version that's burning you out? In this episode we go deeper into neurodivergent masking, moving past what it is and into what it actually costs. The exhaustion that doesn't make sense given what you did today. The performance of "fine" when you're anything but. The slow drift away from knowing who...

FREE: The Four Things I Want My Friends to Know ~~~~ https://www.insidethepicklejar.com ### Understanding Neurodivergent Masking: A Survival Strategy In today's world, many neurodivergent individuals often find themselves engaging in a behavior known as masking. This is the practice of hiding one's true self to fit into a neurotypical society, and it can leave one feeling exhausted and d...

In Part 1, Raymond Lavine made the case for why ND families need a plan. In Part 2, he shows you how to build one even if you don't know where to start, even if resources are tight, and even if the whole idea feels overwhelming.  Raymond is the Principal at Lavine LTC Benefits, co-author of the Amazon bestselling book Empathy and Understanding in Business, and a man who has spent his career h...

What happens to the people we love when we can't be there for them anymore?  For parents of children with Level 2 autism, PDD-NOS, and similar diagnoses, that question lives somewhere close to the surface. You're caregiving today, right now, doing something that requires everything you have. And somewhere in the back of your mind is the harder question: what is the plan for when I can&ap...

Part 2 of my conversation with Linda Carmella Sibio picks up right where we left off and goes somewhere I didn't expect.  In this half, Linda talks about what happened after she left Los Angeles: a seven-year nervous breakdown in a desert house with no heat, no water, and one enormous room she turned into a studio. She talks about the drawings that came out of that period. Hundreds of miniatu...

What if the thinking patterns your diagnosis named... the fragmentation, the loops, the leaps your mind makes... were actually the most generative creative tools you have? Not a metaphor. Not a coping strategy. A methodology.  This week on Inside the Pickle Jar, I sit down with Linda Carmella Sibio...an interdisciplinary artist, performer, educator, and founder of Bezerk Productions for a conversa...

Late at night, when the day is done and my brain finally gets quiet — I put on crinkle paper videos.  Not music. Not a show. Not a podcast. Crinkle paper.  For years I thought this was a little weird. A little embarrassing. The kind of thing you don't bring up in professional settings. And then I learned what was actually happening in my brain when I watched those videos and it changed everyt...

In part 2 of this insightful interview, I continue my conversation with Dr. Katrina Ostmeyer, founder of Beyond the Individual, shares her journey into psychology, her clinical expertise in neurodivergence, and practical strategies for supporting children and families. Discover how systemic change, personalized interventions, and advocacy can transform the lives of neurodivergent children. Dr Katr...

In part 1 of this insightful interview, Dr. Katrina Ostmeyer, founder of Beyond the Individual, shares her journey into psychology, her clinical expertise in neurodivergence, and practical strategies for supporting children and families. Discover how systemic change, personalized interventions, and advocacy can transform the lives of neurodivergent children. Dr Katrina Ostmeyer, is a licensed psyc...

In part 2, we pick back up on the story of how Mark Steiner transitioned from acting to entrepreneurship, creating GigSalad to connect entertainers and event planners. Learn more about his journey and insights. ### The Birth of GigSalad The idea for GigSalad emerged from Mark's experiences as a booking agent. While he was initially focused on national touring acts, he noticed a growing need f...

Discover how Mark Steiner transitioned from acting to entrepreneurship, creating GigSalad to connect entertainers and event planners. Learn about his journey and insights. In today’s fast-paced world, finding your true passion can often feel overwhelming. For many, the journey is filled with twists and turns, ups and downs. In this blog post, we delve into the inspiring story of Mark Steiner, co-f...

This is a very personal subject for me. Wanting to belong but not quite fitting in. Neurodivergent people need belonging just as much as anyone else, but the path to finding tribe is full of obstacles nobody warned us about. In this episode, I get honest about the long search for my own people, and I break down the neuroscience behind why connection is harder when your brain works differently: unw...

In this episode, I share a heartfelt exploration of neurodivergence, abandonment, and the importance of creating safe spaces for authentic self-expression. I'll tell my own personal stories and using the metaphor of Punch the monkey, I'll emphasize the power of belonging, advocacy, and self-compassion, why only you are the best at being you. Key topics: Neurodivergence and self-advocacy...

The Brain Science Behind Emotional Dysregulation and 9 Skills That Actually Help This episode explores the neuroscience behind emotional dysregulation in ADHD, emphasizing understanding, compassion, and practical skills to manage intense emotions effectively. Key Topics Neuroscience of ADHD and emotional regulation Impact of dopamine and norepinephrine on emotions The role of the prefrontal cortex...

Have you ever felt like the system is set up to keep you down? You're not alone.  Tag someone who needs to hear this!  In this episode, we dive deep into the struggles of being neurodivergent in a workplace that isn’t equipped for you. The pressure to mask your true self is real, and it costs us more than we realize.  You deserve a workplace that values your unique brain, not one that makes y...

🥒Welcome to Inside the Pickle Jar!  Have you ever felt the heaviness that comes with being late? 💚 It can sit in your chest like a stone. But I want you to know something important: You’re not the only one who feels that way, and you’re not doing anything wrong. Sometimes our brains experience time differently. For many neurodivergent folks, time doesn’t move in neat little boxes. It stretches…...

Ever felt guilty for doing nothing? Let’s talk about how embracing ‘Niksen’ can be your secret weapon. 👇 Tag someone who needs to hear this! Niksen, the Dutch practice of doing nothing, is more than just a trend. For neurodivergent minds, it’s a lifeline.  Imagine sitting quietly without a to-do list, allowing your thoughts to drift like leaves on a stream. In a world obsessed with productivity,...

NeuroWell (Applying Brain Science to Build Safe, Supportive, and Proactive Schools) In this second half of the conversation, Lisa Riegel continues the discussion on how our brains shape the way we learn and behave. She talks more about her book NeuroWell and reminds us that every child and every grown‑up, too, carries a whole world inside their mind. When we understand a little more about how the...

NeuroWell (Applying Brain Science to Build Safe, Supportive, and Proactive Schools) In this first half of the conversation, Lisa Riegel invites us to slow down and take a kind look at how our brains shape the way we learn and behave. She talks about her book NeuroWell and reminds us that every child and every grown‑up, too, carries a whole world inside their mind. When we understand a little more...

🌿 Summary In this episode, I wander into the heart of radical self‑acceptance and what it really means to love myself on purpose. I talk about the “pickle jar” as a way to understand how I’ve been shaped, and sometimes trapped, by expectations that were never designed for my particular wiring. I explore how shadow work helps me meet the parts of myself I once hid away, not to fix them, but to und...

🥒In this episode of Inside the Pickle Jar , I come back to the second part of our conversation about shadow work . It’s a tender kind of inner exploration, inspired by the ideas of Carl Jung. In the last episode, I talked about how easy it is for any of us to get tangled up in our own thoughts — especially when we’re carrying old beliefs or wearing a persona we think the world expects from us. 🌟...

In this episode of Inside the Pickle Jar , I take a quiet little walk into something called shadow work . It’s a tender kind of inner exploration, inspired by the ideas of Carl Jung. I talk about how easy it is for any of us to get stuck inside our own heads especially when we’re carrying old beliefs about who we’re supposed to be, or when we’re wearing a “just‑fine” mask for the world. I share ho...

🥒In this episode, I wander into the twisty bramble of procrastination. Not as a flaw to fix or a sign that we're “bad at time,” but as a deeply human, deeply neurodivergent (and sometimes neurotypical) experience. I peel back the layers and show how procrastination has never really been about calendars or willpower. It’s about emotions, safety, and the way our uniquely wired brain responds t...

🥒Hello Pickle friends… In this episode, I invite you to rethink executive function. It's an issue that so many neurodivergent hearts quietly wrestle with... overwhelm, procrastination, restless nights, and feeling 'other'. I speak to these struggles offering compassion instead of criticism. 💚So, I encourage you, dear listener, to build gentle structures that feel like easy scaffol...

🥒Hello friends… in this episode, I wander into the tender, tangled world of productivity apps through a neurodivergent lens...the hope they spark, the overwhelm they stir up, and the quiet shame that can settle in when the systems we’re “supposed” to use end up using us instead. 💚I’ve been moving through my own inner turmoil with these apps. Sometimes bright optimism on occasion and then a littl...