NeuroDiverse Christian Couples

We all want a marriage that feels like home. We long for a partner who is there for us through all of life's challenges and griefs, who is in on all our inside jokes, who delights in the family we've built together, who looks with hope toward the future with a shared faith and an arm firmly around our shoulders. But how do we get there? What actually works in the real world and honors the picture...

Today, Dr. Stephanie is joined by Dan to talk with Dr. Naseef about the impact of passive or engaged fathers on children, especially their autistic children. Dr. Naseef discusses the psyche of a man and how to engage fathers for a positive impact on their marriage, family system, and the autistic child. About our Guest: Robert Naseef, Ph. D., has a distinct voice as a psychologist and father of an...

Join Dr. Stephanie and Dr. Saulnier as they discuss her presentation on broadening the autism spectrum at the Converge Autism Summit.  They will discuss: The key features of autism How Autism symptoms are expressed differently in male and female The role of racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in misdiagnosis of autism Common overlaps and differential diagnosis What if someone being asses...

In this lively conversation, the “Just the Guys” team explores how crucial context can be—whether you’re deciphering a strange image, navigating a complex relationship, or fielding unexpected life events. They kick things off by sharing news of the new book *Uniquely Us* and then dive into fascinating parallels between fooling AI systems with “adversarial examples” and how our assumptions can misl...

Today on Coaches' Corner, Dr. Stephanie & Barb Grant, MMFT, talks with Bob Hamp about abuse and recovering from abuse. What is Abuse? When does a relationship become abusive? How do you recover from that abuse from a victim mindset to a healing and recovery mindset? Today, we ask:   What is abuse? Can both partners be abusive? How do you change your mindset from a victim of abuse to a survivor...

Do you and your spouse have constant communication misfires? As the ND spouse, do you feel interrupted, falsely accused, and often confused about what you said or did that was hurtful to your spouse? As the non-autistic spouse, do you feel unheard, dismissed, that issues remain unsolved, and when the relationship has a rupture, there is no repair? These cycles leave couples frustrated, and by leav...

Today, Dr. Stephanie talks with Dr. Natalie about Autism, Burnout, Depression, and Suicidality. Dr. Natalie Engelbrecht is a clinician in Canada and was diagnosed later in life with both ASD and ADHD. Dr. Natalie will break down burnout, depression, suicidality, and the suicide gene. Did you know in bee hives there are NT and AS bees? Topics We Discussed: Burnout Suicide Gene Depression Protective...

Part 2! Some of you had questions for Drs. Jeff and Mary so we had them back? Drs. Jeff and Mary are back to discuss therapeutic separation, addiction, autism, and healing! Some of you had questions, and some of you had criticism, and they are discussed today! Listen to part one here: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/autism-addiction-healing-with-therapeutic-separation-s-with-drs-jeff-mary-jones--...

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Dan and Stephanie start their discussion with the book Building Bounce: How to Grow in Emotional Resilience by Warner & Hinman. For more resources on this, go to www.christianneurodiversemarriage.com Group Resources—Bounce. We have put together a video for every chapter of Bounce. The key elements of building resilience are knowing your weight, not breaking under that weight, and building capa...

Join Dr. Stephanie as she discusses disability theology and disability ministry with Stephanie O. Hubach, author of Same Lake Different Boat. Questions Stephanie and Stephanie Discuss: What is Disability Ministry and Why Does it Matter? a. How would you define disability ministry? b. Why doesn’t your definition of disability ministry even have the word disability in it? c. What is the role of disa...

Today, Dr. Stephanie and Dan Holmes asked Dr. Natalie Engelbrecht about ASD, ADHD, and both. Dr. Natalie Engelbrecht is a clinician in Canada and was diagnosed later in life with both ASD and ADHD. Dr. Natalie will break down the similarities and differences between ASD, ADHD, and ADHD. She will also discuss the strengths of each neurotype—this is part 1 of our discussion. Some discussion points f...

In this special episode of Just The Guys , host Dan Holmes is joined by renowned authors Dr. Jim Wilder and Marcus Warner for an insightful conversation on attachment, emotional maturity, and resilience within neurodiverse Christian relationships. Drawing from their extensive work and books like "Bounce," "Renovated," "Rare Leadership," and "The Other Half of Church," they explore how attachment g...

What is Shame? What is health shame vs toxic shame? What if someone is unaware of their feelings, including shame? Can you heal from shame alone? These are the questions we will be asking Dr. Curt Thompson. Many of our neurodiverse relationships have shame- either about the diagnosis, about not having the perfect Christian marriage, or not meeting someone's needs- what do we do about that? How can...

We have guests with us. Carol and Greg Reller join us to discuss Chapter 7 of Uniquely Us on Social Communication and Challenges! You may recognize Greg’s voice, who has been on several of our Just the Guys segments. Greg is 63 and retired after a 35-year career as a consulting geologist. Married to Carol. He was diagnosed around age 55 with what was then called Asperger's Syndrome. Carol and he h...

Today, Dr. Stephanie is solo hosting with guest Sarah McDugal. Sarah is a coach who was later identified on the autism spectrum. Today, we discuss her divorce from a former minister's wife and the challenges of divorce when you are in ministry. We discuss types of abuse. I asked Sarah, does being autistic give anyone a pass in their behavior? Sarah also discusses the importance of staying or leavi...

Giving the gift of relational JOY! Dan and I are continuing to build joy by working through Chris and Jen Coursey's 30 Days of Joy: For Busy Married Couples. Many couples get so obsessed with their needs and focus on "the marriage" that they wonder, " Do you even like this person anymore?" What do you like about your spouse?" Love is commanded by Scripture, but like is a choice. In Coursey's book,...

Just the Guys discussed their experiences with planning surprise events and trips, emphasizing the importance of considering the other person's interests and preferences. They also shared their experiences with travel planning, highlighting the challenges and stress involved and the need to be more mindful and attentive in daily life. The conversation concluded with the importance of expanding exp...

Dr. Stephanie and Meredith discuss social skills groups for adolescents and young adults 14 and older. Meredith Sinclair is the Executive Director/Founder of LIFE Behavior Consulting, LLC. Meredith holds a Master’s Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from Georgia State University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Pennsylvania State University. She is a certified Rehabilitation Counselor a...

About our Guests: Kristin Faith Evans, MA, MS, LMSW, and Todd Evans, PhD, MA, are award-winning authors, speakers, and disability parents. They earned their MA in Christian educational ministries at Wheaton College in Illinois and have served together in full-time ministry in church, camping, and retreat settings. Todd received his PhD from Vanderbilt University’s School of Engineering and current...

Listeners, you asked! We listened! Many reached out and wanted to hear from an NT Husband and ND Wife! Today, we have Gary and Molly, who discuss not only neurodiversity in marriage but also the extra layer and complexity of being a couple in ministry and who would find out about their neurodiversity. What are the similarities and differences of being the "reverse," so to speak, type of NeuroDiver...

We had 2 questions come in from listeners about chronic stress and autoimmune issues in the ND marriage and how to build resiliency and calm the central nervous system in high-stress environments. Today, Dan and Stephanie talked with Jana Smith, an expert in this area. About Jana: Bio: Jana Smith is a Certified Nervous System and Somatics Coach with a Master’s Degree in Health Education. Jana’s ex...

Dr. Donna Berghauser is a Florida-licensed and Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) with over 10 years of experience in public schools and community settings. Dr. Donna Berghauser earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Florida State University and a doctorate in psychology from Nova Southeastern University. Since 2011, she has served on the Florida Association of School Psycholog...

Today is a special edition of JTG. Our usual crew will be back! Today, Dan discusses marriage, divorce, and a new marriage with John Fela of Joni & Friends. While not officially diagnosed, John has realized later in life his neurodivergent identification. About John: John Fela is the Ministry Relations Manager at Joni and Friends Chicago, working with churches to equip and train them to help t...