In episode 82, Chris and Emma talk with Mattia Maurée about the intersection of ADHD, autism, and PDA—the Pervasive Drive for Autonomy. Mattia is an AuDHD coach and host of the ADHD Flourishing podcast. We discuss what it actually means to flourish rather than just cope or survive, why the pathology paradigm failed so many of us, and how positive disintegration offers a different lens for understanding intense neurodivergent experiences.

Mattia shares their journey from misdiagnosis to self-understanding, the physical reality of nervous system shutdown, and why “do less” might be the most radical advice for neurodivergent people. We also get into the work question—why so many of us can’t stay in traditional jobs, the integrity trigger, and what it means to build a life around your actual needs rather than neurotypical expectations.

Links from this episode

AuDHD Flourishing Podcast

AuDHD Flourishing Episode 88 with Chris Wells

Do Less

Also mentioned:

* PDA: Resistance and Resilience Episode 7, Creative Resistance, with Marni Kammersell, Chris Wells, and guest Mattia Maurée

* Caitlin Hughes from the Divergent Dialogues Podcast

* Connect with us

* Positive Disintegration on Substack

* Visit the Dabrowski Center website

* Facebook

* Instagram

* The Positive Disintegration YouTube Channel

* Adults with Overexcitabilities group on Facebook

* The Tragic Gift blog by Emma

* Email us at positivedisintegration.pod@gmail.com

* Please consider donating to the Dabrowski Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

* Find Positive Disintegration Merch

If you enjoyed this episode on Apple or Spotify, please remember to click on the stars and leave a rating or write a review. Thank you!

In episode 81, Chris and Emma mark four years of the podcast with a candid look at what’s changed—in themselves, their work, and their relationship to the theory.

Both faced challenges this year, and both noticed something striking: they handled it differently than they would have before. The theory has become a real-time companion rather than a post-mortem tool—dynamisms catching in the moment instead of being identified after the fact.

They discuss:

* The shift from analyzing crises afterward to navigating them as they unfold

* How relational resilience and genuine listening matter (with gratitude to bee mayhew )

* What they’d do differently—never saying levels, prioritizing lived experience over expertise, better audio equipment

* Plans for 2026: more episodes featuring just the two of them, deeper dives into lived experience

* An announcement: they’re stepping away from the Dabrowski Congress to take a new direction

The episode ends where the theory always points: shedding what’s less like us and moving toward greater autonomy.

Resources from this episode

* Dabrowski 101 (YouTube)

* Ep. 56: Autoethnography for Personal Growth

* Ep. 72, Healing through Writing with Dr. Lil Jedynak (The Gifted Experience)

* cosmic cheer squad podcast

* PDA: Resistance and Resilience podcast

Connect with us

* Positive Disintegration on Substack

* Visit the Dabrowski Center website

* Facebook

* Instagram

* The Positive Disintegration YouTube Channel

* Adults with Overexcitabilities group on Facebook

* The Tragic Gift blog by Emma

* Email us at positivedisintegration.pod@gmail.com

* Please consider donating to the Dabrowski Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

* Find Positive Disintegration Merch

If you enjoyed this episode on Apple or Spotify, please remember to click on the stars and leave a rating or write a review. Thank you!

In episode 80, Chris and Emma talked with Heather Anne Keyes, a neuroqueer Gestalt psychotherapist and educator based in Durango, Mexico. Together, we explore the intersections between sexuality, neurodivergence, and development through the lens of Dąbrowski’s theory of positive disintegration.

This conversation invites listeners to think about how we relate to ourselves and others when we step outside of convention. Heather’s insights bridge psychotherapy and lived experience, showing how awareness, compassion, and honesty can transform the way we love, communicate, and grow.

Topics include:

* Rethinking monogamy, non-monogamy, and ethical relationships

* The overlap between giftedness, neurodivergence, and relational complexity

* Gestalt therapy as a practice of awareness, authenticity, and co-creation

* I-Thou relationships and the ethics of seeing others as full humans

* The role of language in communication and self-understanding

* How Buddhist psychology and radical acceptance inform Heather’s work

Heather also shares moving reflections on loss, love, and the lifelong process of learning to “accept pain without turning it into unnecessary suffering.”

Resources from this episode

Heather’s website

Humans of Gestalt (website)

Humans of Gestalt (YouTube)

Connect with us

* Positive Disintegration on Substack

* Visit the Dabrowski Center website

* Facebook

* Instagram

* The Positive Disintegration YouTube Channel

* Adults with Overexcitabilities group on Facebook

* The Tragic Gift blog by Emma

* Email us at positivedisintegration.pod@gmail.com

* Please consider donating to the Dabrowski Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

* Find Positive Disintegration Merch

If you enjoyed this episode on Apple or Spotify, please remember to click on the stars and leave a rating or write a review. Thank you!