NeuroDivergent Relationships Podcast with Kathy Marshack, Ph.D.

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/

Narcissism Is a Choice

This episode dives into a difficult topic for the holiday season: Narcissism is a Choice, and so is Radiant Empathy.
We talk about narcissism not as a textbook disorder, but as a defense—a fortress built around a deep wound and terror. You'll learn how emotional burnout in NeuroDivergent relationships often drives both NT and ND partners into these defensive patterns. 
Dr. Marshack reveals that Radiant Empathy is your only true option: it's strength wrapped in clarity that asks you to "see the wound, but not fall into it." Learn the difference between forgiveness and surrender, and how to choose bravely at the critical crossroads.
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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/

Survivor Guilt: Living a Beautiful Life, Even Without the Ones You Love

This episode is about survivor's guilt—the quiet ache in your heart after losing someone you love, even if they are still alive. Dr. Marshack shares her reality as an alienated parent with grown daughters and grandchildren she’s never met.
 
You'll learn that the grief is real, but it is possible to live a beautiful life anyway. This episode gives you permission to embrace joy, explaining why living fully is not a betrayal; it is a declaration that love and joy can survive anything. 
 
If reconnection is possible, you want them to meet the whole, vibrant you, not someone frozen in grief. Joy is not a betrayal; it's an invitation.
 
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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/

The Hardest Choice I Ever Had to Make

This is the story of the hardest choice Dr. Marshack ever had to make: the choice to protect herself, even when it meant letting go of the people she loved most.
 
This raw episode details the chaos of a high-stakes, NeuroDivergent divorce involving parental alienation, overwhelming meltdowns, and total betrayal. You'll hear the agonizing truth of being threatened with arrest while trying to protect her Autistic daughter. 
 
Dr. Marshack reveals that choosing yourself in these circumstances isn't "empowerment wrapped in a bow,” it's a Sophie's Choice that leaves a scar. Learn how she stepped out of the fire, continues to shine, and keeps the light burning, believing her daughters will find her whole and loving them.
 
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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/

Raised by a Practical “Aspie.” Where's the Love?

If you grew up in a NeuroDivergent household, you know the longing for a hug and the confusion of being met with practical solutions instead of emotional connection.
 
In this deeply nostalgic and honest episode, Dr. Marshack reflects on her childhood with a brilliant, thrifty, and emotionally distant mother who was likely on the Autism Spectrum. 
 
You'll hear how her mother's quirky love—from dresses made of flour sacks to lessons in Feminism—shaped her ability to adapt and problem-solve. 
 
This conversation is about recognizing that the lack of warm, fuzzy memories doesn't mean you didn't receive an incredible gift: the lasting legacy of resilience and ingenuity.
 
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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/