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Women & ADHD

Women & ADHD

By: Katy Weber
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Summary

A late diagnosis turned her world upside down. Now Katy Weber interviews other women who discovered they have ADHD in adulthood and are finally feeling like they understand who they are and how to best lean into their strengths, both professionally and personally.

Copyright 2020-2025 All rights reserved. Hygiene & Healthy Living Personal Development Personal Success Psychology Psychology & Mental Health
Episodes
  • Jenna Free: ADHD, overwhelm, and how to heal your dysregulated nervous system

    Jenna Free: ADHD, overwhelm, and how to heal your dysregulated nervous system
    May 4 2026

    Episode 209 with Jenna Free


    “I think the biggest issue is with the current ADHD narrative. People are confusing ‘fight or flight’ and ADHD; they're putting it in a bundle and calling it ADHD. Then people believe, ‘Well, this is how hard it needs to be.’”


    Jenna is a therapist living in Calgary, Alberta, who not only specializes in ADHD but also has ADHD herself.


    Jenna was diagnosed with ADHD at 32 while in grad school with two young children – so yes, she gets the overwhelm. But instead of accepting the standard narrative that ADHD women are just destined to live in a constant state of frantic energy followed by crashes, she started asking a different question: What if the struggle isn't actually inevitable? What if what we're calling "ADHD symptoms" are actually signs of a nervous system stuck in chronic fight-or-flight?


    In this episode, we'll dive into Jenna's journey, her insights on ADHD regulation, and how she helps others through her ADHD regulation groups and certification program. We also chat about her brand new book, “The Simple Guide to ADHD Regulation: The Secret to Finding Balance, Getting Things Done, and Enjoying Your Life.”


    Key topics discussed:


    • The difference between ADHD traits and fight-or-flight responses
    • Internal vs. external regulation strategies
    • Why overwhelm is actually a cognitive distortion and sign of dysregulation
    • The role of belief work in nervous system regulation
    • How regulation can actually increase productivity and capacity
    • The power of group work for ADHD healing
    • Challenging the narrative that ADHD struggle is inevitable


    Website: jennafree.com

    Instagram: @adhdwithjennafree


    Links & Resources:

    Jenna’s book: The Simple Guide to ADHD Regulation: The Secret to Finding Balance, Getting Things Done, and Enjoying Your Life

    Jenna’s podcast: ADHD with Jenna Free

    Dr. Anita Johnston's The Log


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    Episode edited by E Podcast Productions


    Find the transcript of this episode at www.womenandadhd.com/transcripts


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    Women & ADHD coaching: www.womenandadhd.com/coaching

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    Work 1-on-1 with Katy: www.womenandadhd.com/katy

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    Order the “Hey, it’s ADHD!” course: www.womenandadhd.com/adhdcourse

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    Did you love this episode? Click here to pledge a one-time donation to the podcast!

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    If you are a woman who was diagnosed with ADHD and you’d like to apply to be a guest on this podcast, visit womenandadhd.com/podcastguest.


    Instagram: @womenandadhdpodcast

    Tiktok: @womenandadhdpodcast

    Twitter: @womenandadhd

    Facebook: @womenandadhd



    Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

    Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
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    55 mins
  • Alex Bellitter: Coaching vs. therapy for ADHD

    Alex Bellitter: Coaching vs. therapy for ADHD
    Apr 6 2026

    Episode 208 with Alex Bellitter


    “People can feel like, ‘I don’t think this is an internal thing I’m trying to work through. I feel like I’m trying to navigate my environment, and I don’t have the tools, education, and resources to do it.’”


    Alex is the Senior Manager of Coaching at Shimmer, an ADHD community and coaching platform that’s redefining what support can look like for ADHD brains.


    Alex does not have ADHD herself, but she’s spent years working with neurodivergent kids, adults, and now leading a team of over 50 ADHD coaches at Shimmer. She brings a background in coaching psychology, clinical psychology, and health and wellness to her work, and she’s passionate about delivering strengths‑based, evidence‑informed support that actually feels good to ADHDers.


    In this conversation, we talk about:


    • What coaching psychology is and why it’s such a powerful fit for ADHD
    • The difference between therapy, coaching, and “healing” work, and how they can complement each other
    • Why so many of us are misdiagnosed with depression first and how overwhelm, executive dysfunction, and chronic frustration can get mislabeled
    • The ebb and flow of ADHD symptoms across the lifespan, hormones, menopause, grief, and “temporary neurodivergence”
    • How Shimmer structures its coaching, body doubling, community, and AI tools to be genuinely ADHD‑friendly and shame‑free
    • The promises and risks of AI for neurodivergent people — and what “good guardrails” actually look like


    If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re “struggling enough” to count, questioned what’s “normal,” or felt confused about where ADHD ends, and environment, hormones, and capitalism begin … this episode is for you.


    Website: linkedin.com/in/abellitter

    Instagram: @shimmer.care


    Links & Resources:

    Shimmer.care

    Episode 191 with Christal Wang

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    Episode edited by E Podcast Productions


    Find the transcript of this episode at www.womenandadhd.com/transcripts


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    Women & ADHD coaching: www.womenandadhd.com/coaching

    - - - - -

    Work 1-on-1 with Katy: www.womenandadhd.com/katy

    - - - - -

    Order the “Hey, it’s ADHD!” course: www.womenandadhd.com/adhdcourse

    - - - - -

    Did you love this episode? Click here to pledge a one-time donation to the podcast!

    - - - - -


    If you are a woman who was diagnosed with ADHD and you’d like to apply to be a guest on this podcast, visit womenandadhd.com/podcastguest.


    Instagram: @womenandadhdpodcast

    Tiktok: @womenandadhdpodcast

    Twitter: @womenandadhd

    Facebook: @womenandadhd



    Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

    Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
    Show More Show Less
    50 mins
  • Roberta Dombrowski: Breaking up with burnout

    Roberta Dombrowski: Breaking up with burnout
    Mar 2 2026
    Episode 207 with Roberta Dombrowski“Work is one of the only socially acceptable forms of addiction. We get rewarded for not having boundaries and for always taking on more and more things.”Roberta is an executive coach and founder of Learn Mindfully, where she helps leaders and teams thrive from the inside out.After rising quickly through leadership roles to become a VP in the tech world at age 29, Roberta realized her success was coming at a cost — she found herself burned out, anxious, and physically affected by the pressure to prove herself constantly. On the outside, she was the high‑performing executive. On the inside, she was white‑knuckling her way through burnout, complex trauma, and the isolation of often being the only woman or person of color in the room.In this conversation, Roberta and I discuss:How her late ADHD diagnosis helped her finally make sense of her childhood and school experienceThe overlap between ADHD, trauma, and burnout, especially for high‑achieving women, mothers, and entrepreneursWhat trauma‑informed leadership actually looks like day‑to‑day (hint: it’s not just more bubble baths)Why work is “one of the only socially acceptable forms of addiction” — and how to step out of that cycleHow to start loosening your grip on control, micromanagement, and over‑functioning without letting everything fall apartIf you’ve ever felt like your “success” is built on overfunctioning, perfectionism, and people-pleasing — and you’re desperate to break up with burnout but not sure how — this episode is definitely for you.Website: learnmindfully.coInstagram: @learn_mindfullyLinks & Resources:In Her Words (Roberta’s podcast)Free resource: Leadership Energy AuditFree resource: Reclamation JournalStrong Ground: The Lessons of Daring Leadership, the Tenacity of Paradox, and the Wisdom of the Human Spirit by Brené BrownTrauma Stewardship: An Everyday Guide to Caring for Self While Caring for Others by Laura van Dernoot Lipsky with Connie Burk- - - - - Episode edited by E Podcast ProductionsFind the transcript of this episode at www.womenandadhd.com/transcripts- - - - -Women & ADHD coaching: www.womenandadhd.com/coaching- - - - -Work 1-on-1 with Katy: www.womenandadhd.com/katy- - - - -Order the “Hey, it’s ADHD!” course: www.womenandadhd.com/adhdcourse- - - - -Did you love this episode? Click here to pledge a one-time donation to the podcast!- - - - -If you are a woman who was diagnosed with ADHD and you’d like to apply to be a guest on this podcast, visit womenandadhd.com/podcastguest.Instagram: @womenandadhdpodcastTiktok: @womenandadhdpodcastTwitter: @womenandadhdFacebook: @womenandadhdSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/women-and-adhd/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
    Show More Show Less
    57 mins
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This podcast is just amazing for anyone with adhd or suspecting they may have.
it honesty got me through all the anxiety of waiting on my assessment and helped me to believe that my experience was real!
even now after my diagnosis this is my go to when I'm feeling down and like I'm not normal.
thank you so much Katy and all the wonderful women who share there story 🧡

So validating.

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Katy, thank you for bringing my tribe close and for helping me to understand myself, accept myself and forgive myself all the harshness and badness I had for myself all my life.

Teresa Knudsen

So much understanding

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Think try Llamalife.co productivity help by and for women with ADHD, which helps build in dopamine hits to help you get through your tasks on your to do list ( and manage time far better). just listened to the episode with the makers. let's do this!

fantastic, thank you for making this!

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