Brain Club®: The Podcast

Brain Club®: The Podcast - S1E11 - Masking in Relationships

What happens when the people closest to you have never seen the parts of you you've spent a lifetime hiding? In this episode of Brain Club®: The Podcast, we explore masking in the context of relationships — romantic, familial, social. Masking is automatic and involuntary, a survival strategy built up over years of environments that signaled it wasn't safe to show up as yourself. It looks different for everyone, and it isn't accessible to everyone — some people have never been able to mask, and some lose that ability in burnout. We talk about what all of that means inside our closest relationships, where the gap between who we are and who we've learned to perform can feel the most painful. This conversation was originally recorded as part of All Brains Belong's Brain Club® — a weekly community education program focused on demonstrating neuroinclusive culture in action. Panelists:  Elizabeth Carney Aniel Kailani Beck Natale Janelle Starr Brain Club is not medical advice or a support group — it's an invitation to think differently about health, connection, and how we build systems that include everyone. Join us live most Tuesdays at 6:00 PM ET and explore 4 years of past videos at allbrainsbelong.org/brain-club Transcript here: https://allbrainsbelong.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Brain-Club®_-The-Podcast-S1E11-Masking-in-Relationships-TRANSCRIPT.pdf [https://allbrainsbelong.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Brain-Club%C2%AE_-The-Podcast-S1E11-Masking-in-Relationships-TRANSCRIPT.pdf]

Brain Club®: The Podcast - S1E10 - "The Best Way to Support My Health is to Believe Me"- Part 2

What does it feel like to be believed — and why does it matter so much? This is Part 2 of our conversation with Dr. Laura Lewis, Sarah Knutson and Zeph  about their research on the healthcare experiences of autistic adults with multiple chronic conditions. In this episode, we reflect on the harm described in Part 1 and explore the impact of being believed — not just emotionally, but physiologically. We talk about what shifts in the relationship between patient and provider when clinicians stop trying to control the interaction and start truly listening. If you haven’t listened to Part 1 yet, we encourage you to start there. Content warning: This episode includes discussion of healthcare trauma, ableism, fatphobia, and discrimination. Please take care while listening. This conversation was originally recorded as part of All Brains Belong’s Brain Club® — a weekly community education program focused on demonstrating neuroinclusive culture in action. Guests: Dr. Laura Lewis, University of Vermont and her research community partners, Sarah Knutson and Zeph  Brain Club is not medical advice or a support group — it’s an invitation to think differently about health, connection, and how we build systems that include everyone. Join us live most Tuesdays at 6:00 PM ET and explore 4 years of past videos at allbrainsbelong.org/brain-club [https://allbrainsbelong.org/brain-club] Transcript here: https://allbrainsbelong.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Brain-Club®_-The-Podcast-S1E10-The-Best-Way-to-Support-My-Health-is-to-Believe-Me-Part-2-TRANSCRIPT.pdf [https://allbrainsbelong.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Brain-Club%C2%AE_-The-Podcast-S1E10-The-Best-Way-to-Support-My-Health-is-to-Believe-Me-Part-2-TRANSCRIPT.pdf]

Brain Club®: The Podcast - S1E9 - "The Best Way to Support my Health is to Believe Me" - Part 1

What do autistic adults with multiple chronic conditions want healthcare providers to know — and what happens when no one listens? In this episode, Dr. Mel Houser talks with Dr. Laura Lewis  from the University of Vermont, a researcher studying the experiences of Autisitc adults, along with members of her research team, Sarah Knutson and Zeph Lodestone, about findings from a study of autistic adults with complex medical needs. Part 1 focuses on what participants shared about their healthcare experiences: being disbelieved, having their communication misunderstood, and the impact of those encounters on their physical and emotional health. Content warning: This episode includes discussion of healthcare trauma, ableism, fatphobia, and discrimination. Please take care while listening. This conversation was originally recorded as part of All Brains Belong’s Brain Club® — a weekly community education program focused on demonstrating neuroinclusive culture in action. Guests: Dr. Laura Lewis - University of Vermont and community research partners, Sarah Knutson and Zeph Lodestone Brain Club is not medical advice or a support group — it’s an invitation to think differently about health, connection, and how we build systems that include everyone. Join us live most Tuesdays at 6:00 PM ET and explore 4 years of past videos at allbrainsbelong.org/brain-club [https://allbrainsbelong.org/brain-club] Transcript here: https://allbrainsbelong.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Brain-Club®_-The-Podcast-S1E9-The-Best-Way-to-Support-My-Health-is-to-Believe-Me-Part-1-TRANSCRIPT.pdf

Brain Club®: The Podcast - S1E8 - What Autistic People Want You to Know

What would you do with a new understanding of yourself — one that changed the way your entire life made sense? In this episode, autistic adults from the All Brains Belong community share reflections on being diagnosed for the first time in adulthood, from their 20s to their 60s. They talk about what it was like to live without knowing, how they made sense of the discovery, and what changed once they had language for their experience. This is a conversation about unmasking, grief, relief, and beginning again — and about how discovering you’re autistic can also mean discovering what you’ve always needed. This conversation was originally recorded as part of All Brains Belong’s Brain Club® — a weekly community education program focused on demonstrating neuroinclusive culture in action. Panelists: Kele Bourdeau Matthew LeFluer1 Sarah Knutson Zeph Amy Noyes Brain Club is not medical advice or a support group — it’s an invitation to think differently about health, connection, and how we build systems that include everyone. Join us live most Tuesdays at 6:00 PM ET and explore 4 years of past videos at allbrainsbelong.org/brain-club [https://allbrainsbelong.org/brain-club] Transcript below: https://allbrainsbelong.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Brain-Club®_-The-Podcast-S1E10-What-Autistic-People-Want-You-to-Know-TRANSCRIPT.pdf [https://allbrainsbelong.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Brain-Club%C2%AE_-The-Podcast-S1E10-What-Autistic-People-Want-You-to-Know-TRANSCRIPT.pdf]

Brain Club®: The Podcast - S1E7 - Transforming Systems

What if systems change didn’t start with policy or permission — but with people? In this episode, Dr. Winnie Looby shares reflections on community-centered design, co-creation, and the power of building change alongside those most impacted. We talk about what it means to shift power structures by sharing power, to model new possibilities without waiting for large institutions to catch up, and to build systems that reflect the needs, wisdom, and leadership of the community. This is a conversation about what’s possible when change begins from the ground up. This conversation was originally recorded as part of All Brains Belong’s Brain Club® — a weekly community education program focused on demonstrating neuroinclusive culture in action. Guest: Dr. Winnie Looby Brain Club is not medical advice or a support group — it’s an invitation to think differently about health, connection, and how we build systems that include everyone. Join us live most Tuesdays at 6:00 PM ET and explore 4 years of past videos at allbrainsbelong.org/brain-club [https://allbrainsbelong.org/brain-club] Click here for transcript: https://allbrainsbelong.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Brain-Club®_-The-Podcast-S1E5-Systems-Change-from-the-Ground-Up-TRANSCRIPT.pdf