Ep15 AI, Empathy, and the Future of Human Connection | Bashar | See Me Podcast | Máire

Ep15 AI, Empathy, and the Future of Human Connection | Bashar | See Me Podcast | Máire

Welcome to the See Me Podcast, hosted by psychotherapist and neurodivergent advocate Máire Crouchman. In this episode, Máire is joined by Bashar, Managing Director and a leading voice in artificial intelligence, digital transformation, and strategic leadership across the Middle East. With decades of experience driving innovation across the region, Bashar brings a grounded, human perspective on how AI is reshaping the way we work, connect, and think about intelligence itself. Together, they explore the shift from what AI can do to what AI can be, why the machines we speak to "know everything but understand nothing," and what this new landscape means for leaders, teams, and neurodivergent individuals navigating the workplace of the future. Bashar shares a clear, practical view on where AI can genuinely support inclusion, where it risks deepening isolation, and why responsibility for every decision ultimately stays with the human. The conversation moves through leadership, creativity, community, and the ethical questions we cannot afford to ignore, from bias in data and algorithms to the difference between artificial intelligence and augmented intelligence. ✨ In this episode: * The shift from what AI can do to what AI can be * Why AI knows everything but understands nothing * The mixed workforce of the future: humans and AI agents working side by side * How AI can offer more accommodating, less biased engagement for neurodivergent individuals * The risk of isolation, addiction, and losing real human community * Leadership, creativity, and technical fluency as the skills of the future * Ethical AI, hidden biases in data and algorithms, and the case for augmented intelligence * Why we should regulate the use case, not the technology * Redefining "normal" and why neurodivergent minds are built for what comes next 📌 About the host: Máire Crouchman is a psychotherapist, educator, and neurodivergent woman dedicated to creating spaces where every kind of mind is welcome.

Ep14 Warrior Motherhood, Autism, and the Power of Acceptance | Ambreen (Warrior Mommy) | See Me Podcast | Máire

Welcome to the See Me Podcast, hosted by psychotherapist and neurodivergent advocate Máire Crouchman. In this episode, Máire is joined by Ambreen, known to her community as Warrior Mommy, a mother of autistic twins and a neurotypical son, and a passionate advocate for autism families navigating diagnosis, stigma, and everyday life. Ambreen shares the full arc of her motherhood journey, from the long road to conceiving twins, to the slow realisation that something was different, to the diagnosis that turned her world upside down at two and a half. She speaks with rare honesty about the loneliness of those early months, cultural stigma, the quiet grief of unmet milestones, and the moment her late father told her, "Get back up. They are our children, autism or no autism." She also opens up about losing him during COVID, and how that loss reshaped how she lives, parents, and shows up for her boys today. Together, they explore what acceptance actually looks like in practice, why exposure matters more than hiding, how marriage shifts when you become a special parent, and why kindness, not perfection, is the message she wants the world to hold for her sons. ✨ In this episode: * Twin pregnancy, baby blues, and the early signs no one would name * Diagnosis at two and a half, and learning to let autism be the third child * Toilet training twins while eight months pregnant * Raising a sensitive neurotypical sibling alongside autistic twins * Losing her father during COVID, and rebuilding herself afterwards * Finding her tribe, building community, and starting Warrior Mommy * Marriage, communication, and parenting from different starting points * Mental health, solo breakfast dates, and why a happy mum raises a happy child * The harm of comparison culture, quick fixes, and the pressure to "fix" autism * Sunflower lanyards, public stares, and walking out with your head high * Why kindness and empathy are the only message that matters 📌 About the host: Máire Crouchman is a psychotherapist, educator, and neurodivergent woman dedicated to creating spaces where every kind of mind is welcome.

Ep 13 Inclusion, Psychological Safety, and Leading Without Assumptions | Peter Van Der Merwe | See Me Podcast | Máire

Welcome to the See Me Podcast, hosted by psychotherapist and neurodivergent advocate Máire Crouchman. In this episode, Máire is joined by Peter Van Der Merwe, a values driven leader in communications with deep experience building inclusive cultures and creating workplaces where people can belong and thrive. Peter shares how feeling like "the awkward kid" and an outsider shaped his leadership, and why inclusion is not a box ticking exercise, but the foundation for creativity and trust. Although he does not have a formal diagnosis, he reflects on recognising traits he relates to through lived experience and close relationships, and how that has made him more humble, empathetic, and curious about the way different people process the world. Together, they explore why so many workplaces still reward sameness, how default assumptions quietly exclude people, and the practical cultural shifts that help neurodivergent and differently wired employees flourish without having to mask. Peter also speaks candidly about the weight of leadership, the risk of burnout, and why organisations need to move from mental health "awareness" to real tools and support. ✨ In this episode: * Inclusion as belonging, not performance * Why workplaces reward sameness, and what it costs * Masking, social rituals, and quiet exclusion * Clarity and flexibility as everyday inclusion practices * Multiple ways to contribute: written, verbal, visual, and one on one * Psychological safety, and what it actually means in real workplaces * Burnout, leadership load, and the need for real debrief support * Allyship as making space, not speaking for others * Self acceptance, and what Peter would tell his younger self 📌 About the host: Máire Crouchman is a psychotherapist, educator, and neurodivergent woman dedicated to creating spaces where every kind of mind is welcome.

Ep12 ADHD, Anxiety, and Self Compassion | Scott Armstrong (MENTL) | See Me Podcast | Máire

Welcome to the See Me Podcast, hosted by psychotherapist and neurodivergent advocate Máire Crouchman. In this episode, Máire is joined by Scott Armstrong, founder of MENTL, a platform giving mental health the voice and visibility it deserves in workplaces. Scott shares his recent diagnosis of inattentive ADHD, describing it as "seismic," and reflects on how it has reshaped his understanding of his identity, his childhood, and the narratives he carried for decades. He speaks openly about growing up without answers, being labelled "lazy" and "scatterbrained," and living in constant "panic mode" fueled by anxiety, shame, and people pleasing. This is a grounded conversation about healing, nervous system regulation, and self compassion, and what sustainable wellbeing can look like while leading a business and advocating for change. Scott also explores why workplace wellbeing is not just ethical, it is good business, and how simple, practical accommodations can unlock stronger performance and retention. ✨ In this episode: * Receiving an adult diagnosis of inattentive ADHD and why it felt life changing * Anxiety, childhood trauma, and the long impact of shame and self doubt * Masking, people pleasing, and living in constant panic mode * Moving from "I have to" to "I will," and how that shift changes daily life * Practical strategies: turning off notifications, timers, scaffolding, and body doubling * Medication, stability, and learning what supports you best * Workplace wellbeing, psychological safety, and supporting neurodivergent talent * Why inclusion is good business, not just a moral stance 📌 About the host: Máire Crouchman is a psychotherapist, educator, and neurodivergent woman dedicated to creating spaces where every kind of mind is welcome.

Ep11 Autism, Identity and Unmasking | Chris from The Butterfly | See Me Podcast | Máire

Welcome to the See Me Podcast, hosted by psychotherapist and neurodivergent advocate Máire Crouchman. In this episode, Máire is joined by Chris, an autistic adult whose journey from childhood masking to adult self-discovery sheds light on what it truly means to navigate the world with a different neurotype. Chris shares vivid early memories of speech therapy, feeling "out of sync," the pressure to fit cultural expectations, and the moment he learned the truth about his diagnosis as a teenager. Together, they explore how identity forms in silence, how masking becomes survival, and how unmasking becomes freedom. Chris also speaks about his work with The Butterfly, supporting families and advocating for inclusive employment across the UAE. ✨ In this episode: – Rediscovering an autism diagnosis after years of masking – Growing up neurodivergent in a collectivist culture – Social burnout, empathy, and emotional processing – Stimming, sensory needs, and regulation – Perfectionism, giftedness, and adult burnout – Inclusion, employment, and the work of The Butterfly