Neurodivergent Empowered

28/08/2025

There’s a neurobiological reason stillness isn’t always calming for some of us.

When you live with a neurocomplex brain and body, stillness can feel like sensory deprivation — not restoration. Our nervous systems often seek regulation through movement, rhythm, pressure, or engagement. Forcing stillness can trigger more dysregulation, not less.

Science says: Autistic and ADHD nervous systems often operate in hyperarousal or hypoarousal states — meaning we need tools that support co-regulation, not performative calm.

Polyvagal theory tells us we don’t feel safe just because a space is quiet. Safety is felt — through agency, movement, and authenticity.

This is why I reimagined yoga and mindfulness when I trained — to work with our wiring, not against it.

My calm includes pressure, movement, wandering thoughts, and deep presence — not silence or stillness for the sake of it.

If you’ve ever felt like the problem in a mindfulness space… you’re not. You might just need a practice built for your nervous system.

📸 Liz Morris Photography

28/08/2025

Welcome to the very first episode of Christine’s Classroom — our new educational series where we unpack big ideas with clarity, compassion, and a neurodivergent-affirming lens.

In this debut episode, Christine explores the key differences between PTSD and Complex PTSD (C-PTSD), how trauma reshapes the brain, and why these patterns show up so frequently in neurocomplex individuals — especially autistic and ADHD brains.

Drawing on both research and real-world observations, this episode sheds light on:

- The neurobiology of trauma

- How trauma responses can be misread as behavioural or personality issues

- Why masking, sensory trauma, and chronic invalidation leave many neurodivergent people living in a constant state of nervous system dysregulation

- How trauma-linked psychosis and dissociation can be better understood and supported.

Whether you're a parent, practitioner, educator, or just curious — this is a must-read for anyone wanting to better understand the trauma–neurodivergence intersection. Christine brings her expertise as an early intervention practitioner and registered teacher to offer grounded, practical insight into this vital topic.

🌈 Shared in collaboration — original learning points by Christine, reframed through our two wings: HEART & EMPOWER. You can read more about this at www.neurodivergentempowered.com

For those wanting the receipts - we got you:

Kerns, C. M., et al. (2015). The relationship of trauma and PTSD symptoms with autism spectrum disorder.

Crane, L., et al. (2018). Experiences of autism diagnosis: A survey of over 1,000 autistic adults in the UK.

Weiss, J. A., & Fardella, M. A. (2018). Validated trauma symptom profiles in adults with ASD.

Szymanski, K., Sapanski, L., & Conway, F. (2011). ADHD and trauma: Intersections and outcomes.

van der Kolk, B. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score.

Fisher, J. (2021). Transforming the Living Legacy of Trauma.

Siegel, D. J. (2020). The Neurobiology of We.

26/08/2025

Today I want to pause and shine a light on two of our beautiful community members.

🤍 Miss Abbey — for the very first time, she put herself out there and auditioned for a musical. Not only did she step into that courage, she succeeded and performed her first shows last weekend! Knowing the inner work, the self-belief, and the challenges she has faced around confidence, seeing her thrive on stage was nothing short of inspiring.

🤍 Marleigh from is one of Abbey’s session companions, who came along to support and cheer her on. Marleigh always goes above and beyond, even at such a young age, ensuring that people feel supported and seen. I’ve witnessed her show up for others in this way countless times since she joined our community, and seriously how lucky are we to have her?

Sometimes the challenges we face together are big and heavy. But today, I’m honouring the yogic wisdom of taking in the good. When moments of joy and growth come, we pause, and take them in, and let them nourish us.

🤍 Here’s to celebrating courage, connection, and those sparkly wins along the way.

25/08/2025

Life was very confusing growing up — and honestly, it still doesn’t always make sense now. But what does make sense is me: who I am, and the way my brain and body work. They were always meant to be this way. 💫

I want to share some inspiration from someone I really look up to, Lindsey Mackereth, who put this beautifully into words. Here are her 7 Invitations for the Neurocomplex Mind

(For when the world feels too small, and your consciousness too large)
1. Honour the Infinite Within You�Your mind isn’t “too much”—it’s uncontainable by design. When thought spirals feel unmanageable, try asking: What if this is what depth looks like when it’s alive? Don’t reduce your mind to dysfunction. Let it be sacred complexity.

2. Let the Body Be the Anchor.�Your intellect may span galaxies, but your body keeps time. Sleep, nourishment, breath—these aren’t just biological; they’re spiritual permissions. The body is not your cage. It’s your constellation point, the ground from which you rise.

3. Reclaim the Sacred in the Mundane.�You’re not failing when you ponder mortality while making coffee. You’re practicing embodied philosophy. Let daily tasks become altars where your intellect and existence meet—messy, imperfect, and meaningful.

4. Accept That Some Questions Aren’t Meant to Be Solved.�You will never know everything. But knowing that can be its own kind of reverence. Some questions are temples, not puzzles. Stand in them. Let mystery be part of your internal architecture, not a flaw in the design.

5. Let Emotional Truth Coexist With Intellectual Inquiry.�Feel deeply and question fiercely. They are not opposites—they are siblings. Let your grief inform your theories. Let your awe sharpen your logic. The heart is not a distraction from thinking. It is what gives thinking context.

6. Seek Resonance, Not Just Understanding�Survival is not just about being understood—it’s about being felt. Find people, art, or silence that echoes something in you. That doesn’t shrink your thoughts but expands their room to breathe.

7. Bear Witness to Your Own Aliveness�Even if no one ever maps the full constellation of your mind, let this be enough: You witnessed it. You named it. You shaped beauty from it. That, too, is meaning. That, too, is proof.

Sending big love,

Tan xx

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25/08/2025

Oh my goodness... sharing to get the word out... and our Advocators are in FB jail for making too much noise... :(

Send a message to learn more

24/08/2025

👑 Crowns On: The Power of Refusing What Isn’t Ours

We’ve been told to carry what others think.
To believe their opinions define us.

But here’s the truth:
Most of the time, those judgments aren’t even real.
We invent them in our heads — and then use them against ourselves.

That ends here.

Their anger. Their story. Their shadow.
It only becomes ours if we let it in.

We don’t see the world as it is.
We see the world as we are.
That is our sparkly gift — and sometimes our shadow.

But now? We rewrite the story.

✨ We refuse to carry what isn’t ours.
✨ We take responsibility for what is.
✨ We rise sovereign and unshaken.

Crowns on. Hearts open. Sparkly AF.

For ourselves. For each other. For every soul who’s ever felt unseen.

22/08/2025

One of my favourite tools to stay present? Mindful colouring.

There’s something powerful about slowing down, choosing colours, and letting the page come alive.

This one carries the words:
“Flames don’t destroy the story — they purge its power.”

It’s a reminder that even in the fire, we can rewrite, reclaim, and rise.

If colouring helps you stay grounded too, feel free to print this off and make it your own.

Together we can.

21/08/2025

The new Thriving Kids program is not investment — it’s a cut.
Families lose choice. Kids lose affirming supports.
And autistic people carry the distress of knowing that even when we tell the truth of what we need, the system may not listen.

So together now, "My truth is steady, even when the system is not."

As always, thanks to our advocates leading the way: Heidi La Paglia Reid Consulting
Australian Neurodivergent Parents Association - ANPA
Regional Autistic Engagement Network Yellow Ladybugs and more xx

Please follow and support these pages if you are not already. x

20/08/2025

Here we go… our village leading the way. Thank you Australian Neurodivergent Parents Association - ANPA Gladstone Region Autistic & Neurodivergent Network Inc - GRANN Heidi La Paglia Reid Consulting

As always, walking with you 🤍🤍🤍