ADHD for Smart Ass Women with Tracy Otsuka

Want to fall in love with your ADHD brain and make it work for you? Learn more about my patented program, Your ADHD Brain is A-OK Academy  here [https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup]: programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup [https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup] ___ What if your doctor could prescribe a fishing group instead of another medication? A birdwatching club for your anxiety. An art class for your depression. Welcome to social prescribing—a healthcare movement that's changing how we think about healing by focusing on connection, not just pills. Julia Hotz is a journalist and author of The Connection Cure, the first book to explore the science behind social prescribing. As someone who recognizes herself in ADHD symptoms—the scattered attention, the 10,000 browser tabs, the plates left out for days—she's discovered something fascinating: when do we feel our symptoms the least? In this conversation, Julia and Tracy dive into why ADHD brains are particularly sensitive to loneliness and disconnection, and how social prescriptions can be game-changing. From Dave's fishing group that helped him overcome addiction and ADHD symptoms, to forest bathing backed by Japanese research, to bibliotherapy that eases anxiety, Julia shares real examples of how connection-based healing works. They explore attention restoration theory, why 20 minutes in nature can work as well as Ritalin, and how moving from "what's wrong with you" to "what matters to you" can transform everything. Julia shows us how giving our brains what they actually need—connection, nature, purpose—can help us thrive alongside traditional treatments. Resources: Website: https://www.hotzthoughts.com [https://www.hotzthoughts.com] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hotzthoughts [https://www.instagram.com/hotzthoughts] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-hotz-06510161  [https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-hotz-06510161 ] Send a Message: Your Name | Email | Message [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2316437/open_sms] Learn more by connecting with Tracy through Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/tracyotsuka/], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/heytracyotsuka], LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyotsuka/], Pinterest [https://www.pinterest.ph/adhdforsmartwomen/], or visit adhdforsmartwomen.com [https://adhdforsmartwomen.com/]. Are You Ready to Discover Your Brilliance? Order Now: https://tracyotsuka.com/book2 [https://tracyotsuka.com/book2] Join Your ADHD Brain is A-OK: https://tracyotsuka.com/aok [https://tracyotsuka.com/aok] Visit our website: https://tracyotsuka.com [https://tracyotsuka.com] Join our community of ADHD For Smart Ass Women: https://www.facebook.com/groups/tracyotsuka [https://www.facebook.com/groups/tracyotsuka] Join What Do I Do With My Life Masterclass: spyhappy.me/class [https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/master-class-registration] Unlock your best days with Blends: https://tracyotsuka.com/blends [https://tracyotsuka.com/blends]

Want to fall in love with your ADHD brain and make it work for you? Learn more about my patented program, Your ADHD Brain is A-OK Academy  here [https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup]: programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup [https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup] ___ Nobody prepares you for ADHD pregnancy brain. Decisions become impossible when choosing between 200 strollers for a baby you've never met, how appointments can completely derail your routine, and focus. The brain fog that hits like a wall, or the surprising clarity that some women experience when hormones align just right with their neurodivergent wiring. Dr. Kalin Johnson is back, and this time she's sharing what she learned from experiencing pregnancy, childbirth, and early motherhood with ADHD firsthand. Diagnosed with ADHD, autism, PTSD, and hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome in adulthood, Kalin recently welcomed her daughter Indie Rue—and discovered just how much the medical system doesn't prepare ADHD women for this journey. In this episode, Tracy and Kalin explore the hormonal rollercoaster of each trimester, why some ADHD women experience incredible focus during pregnancy while others struggle with brain fog, and how conditions like MCAS, dysautonomia, and hypermobility intersect with ADHD. They dive deep into medication decisions, the realities of postpartum life, and why being kinder to yourself isn't optional—it's essential for being the parent you want to be. Whether you're thinking about pregnancy, currently pregnant, or supporting someone who is, this conversation will give you the real talk nobody else is having—and the science to back it up. Resources: Website: https://www.kalinjohnson.com [https://www.kalinjohnson.com] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kalinpharmd [https://www.instagram.com/kalinpharmd] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kalin-johnsonpharmd [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kalin-johnsonpharmd] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@queensoftheneuroverse?si=kuneU-Fcnz1Ea2RI&sub_confirmation=1  [https://www.youtube.com/@queensoftheneuroverse?si=kuneU-Fcnz1Ea2RI&sub_confirmation=1 ] Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4LqfhlyNcPLo1CmJXGJvEw [https://open.spotify.com/show/4LqfhlyNcPLo1CmJXGJvEw] Send a Message: Your Name | Email | Message [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2316437/open_sms] Learn more by connecting with Tracy through Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/tracyotsuka/], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/heytracyotsuka], LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyotsuka/], Pinterest [https://www.pinterest.ph/adhdforsmartwomen/], or visit adhdforsmartwomen.com [https://adhdforsmartwomen.com/]. Are You Ready to Discover Your Brilliance? Order Now: https://tracyotsuka.com/book2 [https://tracyotsuka.com/book2] Join Your ADHD Brain is A-OK: https://tracyotsuka.com/aok [https://tracyotsuka.com/aok] Visit our website: https://tracyotsuka.com [https://tracyotsuka.com] Join our community of ADHD For Smart Ass Women: https://www.facebook.com/groups/tracyotsuka [https://www.facebook.com/groups/tracyotsuka] Join What Do I Do With My Life Masterclass: spyhappy.me/class [https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/master-class-registration] Unlock your best days with Blends: https://tracyotsuka.com/blends [https://tracyotsuka.com/blends]

Want to fall in love with your ADHD brain and make it work for you? Learn more about my patented program, Your ADHD Brain is A-OK Academy  here [https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup]: programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup [https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup] ___ When you live with ADHD, it’s easy to get stuck in a cycle of overwhelm, shutdown, and shame. But what if there’s a way to interrupt that pattern without judgment, without spiraling, and without trying to “fix” yourself? Vanessa Gorelkin is a licensed therapist, executive coach, and returning favorite on the podcast. With 30 years of experience across clinical care and executive leadership, she specializes in helping ADHD women find clarity, stability, and actual tools that work. In this episode, she introduces us to Internal Family Systems (IFS), a powerful framework that helps us make sense of our emotional chaos by getting curious instead of self-critical. Tracy and Vanessa dive into the difference between the “manager” and “firefighter” parts of our brain, how IFS can reframe emotional dysregulation, and why so many high-achieving women with ADHD still feel like they’re “too much.” They also talk about the surprising way shame shows up in our daily lives, and how compassion is more than just self-care; it’s a powerful strategy for long-term emotional regulation. Vanessa also shares how IFS creates space for your inner world to feel less chaotic, less punishing, and more connected. You’ll learn how identifying and working with your internal parts can build self-awareness, reduce reactive patterns, and unlock a deeper sense of agency. Whether you’re new to IFS or already deep into parts work, this episode offers real, relatable guidance for anyone looking to create more emotional balance and self-trust. Resources: Website: https://vanessagorelkin.com [https://vanessagorelkin.com ] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsvanessagorelkin [https://www.instagram.com/itsvanessagorelkin ] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessacahngorelkin1  [https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessacahngorelkin1 ] Send a Message: Your Name | Email | Message [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2316437/open_sms] Learn more by connecting with Tracy through Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/tracyotsuka/], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/heytracyotsuka], LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyotsuka/], Pinterest [https://www.pinterest.ph/adhdforsmartwomen/], or visit adhdforsmartwomen.com [https://adhdforsmartwomen.com/]. Are You Ready to Discover Your Brilliance? Order Now: https://tracyotsuka.com/book2 [https://tracyotsuka.com/book2] Join Your ADHD Brain is A-OK: https://tracyotsuka.com/aok [https://tracyotsuka.com/aok] Visit our website: https://tracyotsuka.com [https://tracyotsuka.com] Join our community of ADHD For Smart Ass Women: https://www.facebook.com/groups/tracyotsuka [https://www.facebook.com/groups/tracyotsuka] Join What Do I Do With My Life Masterclass: spyhappy.me/class [https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/master-class-registration] Unlock your best days with Blends: https://tracyotsuka.com/blends [https://tracyotsuka.com/blends]

Want to fall in love with your ADHD brain and make it work for you? Learn more about my patented program, Your ADHD Brain is A-OK Academy  here [https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup]: programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup [https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup] ___ How do you thrive in one of the most demanding industries in the world, while quietly navigating ADHD the whole time? Nancy Shapiro spent 33 years as a senior executive at the Recording Academy, home of the GRAMMYs, where she led all twelve regional chapters and built groundbreaking programs that changed the face of music education and artist development. But behind the scenes, she was often working twice as hard to manage distraction, emotional intensity, and the quiet self-doubt that comes with an undiagnosed ADHD brain. In this conversation, Nancy and Tracy discuss drive, resilience, and the unique energy ADHD women bring to leadership. Nancy shares how she built a legacy in the music industry while masking for decades, what changed after her diagnosis, and why executive coaching has become a new mission in this chapter of her life. She opens up about perfectionism, relationships, the power of creative instinct, and how women like us can channel our intensity without burning out. They also explore how ADHD can both fuel ambition and quietly sabotage it—and what happens when women finally stop performing and start living in alignment with how they’re wired. Nancy’s story is about more than music. It’s about identity, reinvention, and finally giving yourself the grace you’ve always given everyone else. Whether you’re in the music world or not, Nancy’s story is a powerful reminder that ADHD doesn’t disqualify you from success—it’s part of what makes your brilliance so undeniable. Resources: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancy-shapiro-741255218 [https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancy-shapiro-741255218]  Send a Message: Your Name | Email | Message [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2316437/open_sms] Learn more by connecting with Tracy through Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/tracyotsuka/], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/heytracyotsuka], LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyotsuka/], Pinterest [https://www.pinterest.ph/adhdforsmartwomen/], or visit adhdforsmartwomen.com [https://adhdforsmartwomen.com/]. Are You Ready to Discover Your Brilliance? Order Now: https://tracyotsuka.com/book2 [https://tracyotsuka.com/book2] Join Your ADHD Brain is A-OK: https://tracyotsuka.com/aok [https://tracyotsuka.com/aok] Visit our website: https://tracyotsuka.com [https://tracyotsuka.com] Join our community of ADHD For Smart Ass Women: https://www.facebook.com/groups/tracyotsuka [https://www.facebook.com/groups/tracyotsuka] Join What Do I Do With My Life Masterclass: spyhappy.me/class [https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/master-class-registration] Unlock your best days with Blends: https://tracyotsuka.com/blends [https://tracyotsuka.com/blends]

Want to fall in love with your ADHD brain and make it work for you? Learn more about my patented program, Your ADHD Brain is A-OK Academy here [https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup]: programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup [https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/signup] ___ You can’t out-organize trauma. You can’t schedule your way out of burnout. But you can begin to heal, and in doing so, everything else starts to shift. Dr. Lorre Laws has spent over three decades helping people do just that. Known affectionately as “Dr. Lorre,” she’s a bestselling author, integrative nursing professor, and founder of The Haelan Academy, a nonprofit that supports trauma recovery and holistic well-being. She’s also a woman with ADHD who knows what it’s like to look calm on the outside while feeling dysregulated, scattered, or stuck on the inside. In this conversation, she and Tracy explore how trauma and ADHD often intertwine, especially in women who have spent years high-functioning their way through stress, disconnection, and self-doubt. They talk about the nervous system’s role in attention and emotion, why so many ADHD women push themselves past the point of depletion, and how healing often starts with something as simple as breath and awareness. Dr. Lorre shares powerful insights from her journey, what changed when she finally connected the dots between trauma, ADHD, and burnout, and how she now helps other women do the same. She offers concrete, compassionate tools for slowing down, listening to your body, and shifting out of survival mode… without shame or overwhelm. This episode is for every woman who’s ever thought, Why can’t I just get it together? You’re not broken. You’re not lazy. You’re likely just carrying more than your nervous system was ever meant to hold—and this conversation will help you start to set it down. Resources: Website: drlorrelaws.com [https://drlorrelaws.com ] Instagram: www.instagram.com/drlorrelaws [https://www.instagram.com/drlorrelaws ] Facebook: www.facebook.com/drlorrelaws  [https://www.facebook.com/drlorrelaws] Send a Message: Your Name | Email | Message [https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2316437/open_sms] Learn more by connecting with Tracy through Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/tracyotsuka/], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/heytracyotsuka], LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyotsuka/], Pinterest [https://www.pinterest.ph/adhdforsmartwomen/], or visit adhdforsmartwomen.com [https://adhdforsmartwomen.com/]. Are You Ready to Discover Your Brilliance? Order Now: https://tracyotsuka.com/book2 [https://tracyotsuka.com/book2] Join Your ADHD Brain is A-OK: https://tracyotsuka.com/aok [https://tracyotsuka.com/aok] Visit our website: https://tracyotsuka.com [https://tracyotsuka.com] Join our community of ADHD For Smart Ass Women: https://www.facebook.com/groups/tracyotsuka [https://www.facebook.com/groups/tracyotsuka] Join What Do I Do With My Life Masterclass: spyhappy.me/class [https://programs.tracyotsuka.com/master-class-registration] Unlock your best days with Blends: https://tracyotsuka.com/blends [https://tracyotsuka.com/blends]