Releasing the Shame of Your Past: Somatic Therapy for ADHD and Trauma Recovery

This week on the ADHD Women's Wellbeing Podcast, Kate is joined by Jennifer McKenzie, a somatic trauma therapist and holistic educator. This week's episode covers something we haven't explored before: the impact of trauma, abuse, addiction and neurodivergence on the body resulting from years of masking, not fitting in, surviving and never quite feeling safe enough to stop. Jennifer speaks openly about her trauma and surviving homelessness, addiction, domestic abuse, and rape, raising four children whilst living with chronic pain and disability, and receiving her AuDHD diagnosis later in life. Jennifer's approach to healing is unapologetic and rebellious, reminding us that recovery and self-improvement are possible for everyone, no matter where they start. In this episode, we explore:

Jennifer's personal story, the labels she received growing up, and how her lived experience shaped her path and her purpose

How alcohol and substance use became a way of masking, functioning, and navigating a world that wasn't built for Jennifer

Why AuDHD women can be particularly vulnerable to risk-taking behaviours, manipulation, and abusive relationships

The impact of ADHD and autism on female relationships and the ongoing struggle for authentic connection

How trauma and pain live in the body, from posture and digestive issues to emotional weight and chronic pain

The role of fascia as the body's second nervous system, how it stores trauma, and its links to conditions like EDS

The power of movement and somatic therapy in nervous system regulation and genuine, embodied healing

For so many neurodivergent women, the trauma and pain they carry aren't just emotional. It lives in the body, in the nervous system. Jennifer's perspective offers real tools and a deeply compassionate belief that healing is always possible. The ADHD Women's Wellbeing Live Event Recording is here! My first-ever ADHD Women's Wellbeing Live event sold out, and now the full experience is available to you wherever you are, whenever it feels right. Alongside three neuro-affirming experts, we spent four hours exploring the questions that matter most to late-diagnosed women. Get lifetime access here! Inside the ADHD Women's Wellbeing Live Recording, you'll find:

Kate Moryoussef on post-diagnosis growth and her gentle framework for what comes next

Dr Hannah Cullen on the neuroscience of ADHD and why your brain works the way it does

Hannah Miller on reconnecting with purpose through a neurodivergent lens

Adele Wimsett myth-busting on hormones, HRT, progesterone and perimenopause

Understand yourself more deeply, feel less alone, and finally access the expert knowledge you deserve. Because every woman with ADHD deserves access to the knowledge, expertise and understanding that for too long simply hasn't been available to us. To get lifetime access for £44, click here. Join the More Yourself Community - the doors are now open! More Yourself is a compassionate space for late-diagnosed ADHD women to connect, reflect, learn and come home to who they really are. Sign up here! Inside the More Yourself Membership, you’ll be able to:

Connect with like-minded women who understand you

Learn from guest experts and practical tools

Receive compassionate prompts & gentle reminders

Enjoy voice-note encouragement from Kate

Join flexible meet-ups and mentoring sessions

Access on-demand workshops and quarterly guest expert sessions

To join for £26 a month, click here. To join for £286 for a year (a whole month free!), click here. We’ll also be walking through The ADHD Women’s Wellbeing Toolkit together, exploring nervous system regulation, burnout recovery, RSD, joy, hormones, and self-trust, so the book comes alive in a supportive community setting. Today's episode sponsors: If perimenopause has felt like the lid has come off your ADHD traits, today's podcast sponsor is for you. Adele Wimsett is a Women's Health Practitioner specialising in ADHD and perimenopause, helping women unde