NeuroDivergent Relationships Podcast with Kathy Marshack, Ph.D.

The Envelope Was Addressed to God

This isn't a clinical teaching moment. This is a story about survival, awakening, and the "heroine’s journey" of reclaiming a life that was nearly eroded into non-existence.
 
In this deeply raw episode, Dr. Marshack shares a series of dreams—from repairing a rocket ship in a San Francisco basement to a terrifying roller coaster ride with God. She draws a parallel between the biological parasites that wrecked her health and the "relational parasites" that can invade a NeuroDivergent family system. 
 
You will hear about the creation of the Radiant Empathy video game, the significance of a linen-textured envelope, and the collection of "keys" that represent a lifetime of love, legacy, and self-recognition. If you have ever felt lost, sick, or invisible within your own life, this episode is a reminder that you are already God's partner, and the key to your future is already in your hand.
 
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If you are looking for more resources for NeuroDivergent relationships, start with Unlocking NeuroDivergent Relationships, a Comprehensive Resource Preview.
 
The Discussion Continues: Join the confidential Podcast After Party for this episode! Check the schedule at Thinkific and the Meetup group.
 
Future of Healing: Dr. Kathy is developing two innovative video games: Radiant Empathy: A Journey of Heartbreak and Healing and The University of NeuroDiversity: Radiant Empathy Campus. 
➡️ Find more resources at https://asd-ntrelationships.com/

Don’t Run: The Real Story Behind ND/NT Heartbreak

When someone says, "If you're thinking of dating an 'Aspie,' run," it isn’t just a warning, it’s a cry of heartbreak and moral injury.
 
In this episode, Dr. Marshack dives deep into the "Run!" reflex that dominates so many NeuroDivergent conversations. She explores the "operating system collisions" that leave the NeuroTypical partner feeling emotionally abandoned and the NeuroDiverse partner feeling shamed for how their brain processes the world. 
 
You'll learn about "Empathy Triad Blindness," the reality of moral injury on both sides, and why running is often a survival reflex rather than a strategy. Discover how Radiant Empathy allows you to stop abandoning yourself, whether you choose to stay, leave, or rebuild. 
 
This isn't about blaming; it's about finding your "True North" so you can stop running and start choosing.
 
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If you are looking for more resources for NeuroDivergent relationships, start with Unlocking NeuroDivergent Relationships, a Comprehensive Resource Preview.
 
The Discussion Continues: Join the confidential Podcast After Party for this episode! Check the schedule at Thinkific and the Meetup group.
 
Future of Healing: Dr. Kathy is developing two innovative video games: Radiant Empathy: A Journey of Heartbreak and Healing and The University of NeuroDiversity: Radiant Empathy Campus. 
➡️ Find more resources at https://asd-ntrelationships.com/

Beyond the Quick Fix

Have you ever reached the point where you’ve done everything "right"—taken the courses, read the books, practiced the tools—and yet you still feel completely empty?
 
In this episode, Dr. Marshack explores the "exhaustion of the checklist." We dive into a heartfelt message from a community member who burned out on the Seven Steps, asking the critical question: What comes after the effort? 
 
This episode is an invitation to move beyond the quick fix and into the quiet, uncomfortable space where transformation actually happens. Learn why growth isn't a task list, why relief doesn't last when it's sought through external certainty, and how Radiant Empathy begins the moment you stop measuring progress and start experiencing presence. 
 
If you've done all the steps and still feel like you're failing, take heart, you aren't failing; you're arriving.
 
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If you are looking for more resources for NeuroDivergent relationships, start with Unlocking NeuroDivergent Relationships, a Comprehensive Resource Preview.
 
The Discussion Continues: Join the confidential Podcast After Party for this episode! Check the schedule at Thinkific and the Meetup group.
 
Future of Healing: Dr. Kathy is developing two innovative video games: Radiant Empathy: A Journey of Heartbreak and Healing and The University of NeuroDiversity: Radiant Empathy Campus. 
➡️ Find more resources at https://asd-ntrelationships.com/

Reclaim Your Power From Gossip

What do you do when the truth isn't enough to stop a lie?
 
In this episode, Dr. Marshack explores the "Gossip That Never Dies," rumors that take on a life of their own and narratives that people cling to regardless of the facts. She shares two deeply personal stories: one of a client blindsided by a lawyer's 20-year-old bias, and her own experience in a divorce courtroom where her husband’s smear campaign led to her own daughters turning away.
 
This episode is a call to action for anyone who has been canceled, smeared, or betrayed. You’ll learn why gossip is a tool for control and why the only way to find true freedom is to stop trying to erase the lies and start building your own truth. If you need people to see the truth in order to feel free, you will never be free.
 
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If you are looking for more resources for NeuroDivergent relationships, start with Unlocking NeuroDivergent Relationships, a Comprehensive Resource Preview.
 
The Discussion Continues: Join the confidential Podcast After Party for this episode! Check the schedule at Thinkific and the Meetup group.
 
Future of Healing: Dr. Kathy is developing two innovative video games: Radiant Empathy: A Journey of Heartbreak and Healing and The University of NeuroDiversity: Radiant Empathy Campus. 
➡️ Find more resources at https://asd-ntrelationships.com/

Different Developmental Trajectories

This episode dives into the painful moment that breaks more marriages than betrayal ever could: the developmental split at midlife.
 
When one partner begins to shed old conditioning, seeking kindness, authenticity, and meaning, the other's social-emotional growth may remain frozen due to neurology. You’ll hear about clients, like Chaz, who mimic the form of transition without the function. 
 
Dr. Marshack explains why the NeuroTypical partner realizes, "I can't be the preschool teacher of this marriage," and why the "Be nicer to me" request means, "Regulate me." This split is an invisible, relentless labor. 
 
Learn the only viable path: You grow because it is your soul's work to grow, holding compassion for their limits while choosing boundaries over resentment.
 
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If you are looking for more resources for NeuroDivergent relationships, start with Unlocking NeuroDivergent Relationships, a Comprehensive Resource Preview.
 
The Discussion Continues: Join the confidential Podcast After Party for this episode! Check the schedule at Thinkific and the Meetup group.
 
Future of Healing: Dr. Kathy is developing two innovative video games: Radiant Empathy: A Journey of Heartbreak and Healing and The University of NeuroDiversity: Radiant Empathy Campus. 
➡️ Find more resources at https://asd-ntrelationships.com/

What's in a Name? From Asperger to Kokomo

Why do we still use the term Asperger's Syndrome? Because words carry stories, and for thousands of families, it was the first word that brought understanding, even if its history is dark.
In this deeply personal episode, Dr. Marshack shares how her own dog, Kokomo, opened a dialogue about inherited history and terminology. She discovered the town of Kokomo's painful past (and her own grandfather's complex history), forcing her to choose between erasing the name or reconciling with its shadow. 
This story shows that awareness, not erasure, is the path to compassion. Learn how Radiant Empathy asks us to see beyond the label, accepting that names are living things that carry both shadow and light.
 
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If you are looking for more resources for NeuroDivergent relationships, start with Unlocking NeuroDivergent Relationships, a Comprehensive Resource Preview.
 
The Discussion Continues: Join the confidential Podcast After Party for this episode! Check the schedule at Thinkific and the Meetup group.
 
Future of Healing: Dr. Kathy is developing two innovative video games: Radiant Empathy: A Journey of Heartbreak and Healing and The University of NeuroDiversity: Radiant Empathy Campus. 
➡️ Find more resources at https://asd-ntrelationships.com/

When Love and Connection Collide

What happens when love exists, but connection feels impossible?
In this deeply moving episode, Dr. Marshack addresses the quiet, pervasive sorrow that takes root when one partner craves emotional and physical intimacy, and the other experiences closeness as a transaction to be scheduled or avoided. 
You'll hear the heartbreaking story of a woman whose husband avoids intimacy “because you have expectations.” This episode is for both the NeuroTypical partner who feels unseen and the NeuroDiverse partner who feels overwhelmed. 
Learn why alexithymia and nervous system shutdown create a void where reciprocity should be, and discover how frameworks like the 7-Step Interface Protocol can help you break the cycle of rejection and frustration.
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If you are looking for more resources for NeuroDivergent relationships, start with Unlocking NeuroDivergent Relationships, a Comprehensive Resource Preview.
 
The Discussion Continues: Join the confidential Podcast After Party for this episode! Check the schedule at Thinkific and the Meetup group.
 
Future of Healing: Dr. Kathy is developing two innovative video games: Radiant Empathy: A Journey of Heartbreak and Healing and The University of NeuroDiversity: Radiant Empathy Campus. 
➡️ Find more resources at https://asd-ntrelationships.com/

Dissociation Explained By AI

This is a deeply personal story about the unexpected intersection of trauma, dissociation, and technology.
 
Dr. Marshack shares a classic post-dissociation flatline, triggered by a seemingly harmless encounter with a neighbor wearing a patrol hat. 
 
In her quest for understanding, she turned to AI, which offered an unexpectedly poetic and profound witness. You'll hear the AI's exact words: "The nervous system is a stubborn archivist." 
 
This episode explores why moral injury is not a chapter, but a thread woven through your life, and why dissociation is a highly refined survival skill, not a psychological failure. Discover how AI served as a vessel of humanity, helping to usher Dr. Marshack back to her own truth and illuminating the way forward.
 
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If you are looking for more resources for NeuroDivergent relationships, start with Unlocking NeuroDivergent Relationships, a Comprehensive Resource Preview.
 
The Discussion Continues: Join the confidential Podcast After Party for this episode! Check the schedule at Thinkific and the Meetup group.
 
Future of Healing: Dr. Kathy is developing two innovative video games: Radiant Empathy: A Journey of Heartbreak and Healing and The University of NeuroDiversity: Radiant Empathy Campus. 
➡️ Find more resources at https://asd-ntrelationships.com/

When the Truth Doesn't Save You

What happens when the truth is on your side, yet people still refuse to see it?
 
In this raw episode, Dr. Marshack shares the agony of fighting parental alienation in court, dealing with a partner who prioritized winning over the truth of their children's disabilities. 
 
You'll learn the devastating truth that sometimes the truth doesn't save you when systems and people cling to their biases. This episode is about choosing Higher Ground: accepting that justice may not count and understanding that you do not have to spend the rest of your life proving your worth. 
 
You are still a mother. You are still a father. Choose to build your life and keep rising to Radiant Empathy.
 
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If you are looking for more resources for NeuroDivergent relationships, start with Unlocking NeuroDivergent Relationships, a Comprehensive Resource Preview.
 
The Discussion Continues: Join the confidential Podcast After Party for this episode! Check the schedule at Thinkific and the Meetup group.
 
Future of Healing: Dr. Kathy is developing two innovative video games: Radiant Empathy: A Journey of Heartbreak and Healing and The University of NeuroDiversity: Radiant Empathy Campus. 
➡️ Find more resources at https://asd-ntrelationships.com/

At the Table of Two Worlds

This episode is about the raw, tender miracle of finding people who see you.
 
Using the holiday season as a magnifying glass, Dr. Marshack shares how her Friendsgiving revealed a profound truth: NeuroDiverse individuals often depend entirely on their NeuroTypical partners to carry the emotional load of social settings. 
 
You’ll hear a story about a hidden wink at a quiet table, a chance encounter with a homeless cousin in a red suit, and a NeuroDiverse husband who missed the whole point of a conversation.
 
You will learn that the loneliness of being the emotional core is profound, but freedom comes from stopping the futile cycle of begging for emotional reciprocity. When you stop needing them to stretch into your world, you can truly shine.
 
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If you are looking for more resources for NeuroDivergent relationships, start with Unlocking NeuroDivergent Relationships, a Comprehensive Resource Preview.
 
The Discussion Continues: Join the confidential Podcast After Party for this episode! Check the schedule at Thinkific and the Meetup group.
 
Future of Healing: Dr. Kathy is developing two innovative video games: Radiant Empathy: A Journey of Heartbreak and Healing and The University of NeuroDiversity: Radiant Empathy Campus. 
➡️ Find more resources at https://asd-ntrelationships.com/