In this episode of Unapologetic Leadership, Cory Dunham sits down with Jaitesha Hanson, a licensed mental health counselor, neurodiversity specialist, and geek therapy certified clinician. They explore how faith, journaling, and self-leadership empower neurodivergent and autistic individuals to thrive in life and work.
Jaitesha shares her personal journey of overcoming imposter syndrome, embracing her neurodivergence, and integrating faith into daily practice. From her athletic background to starting a nonprofit, she discusses the lessons learned in leadership, accountability, and self-discovery.
This episode dives deep into tools like mad scientist journaling and internal family systems, showing how reflective practices can help you regulate emotions, embrace your authentic self, and lead with confidence. Whether you’re navigating professional challenges, personal growth, or spiritual alignment, this conversation offers actionable insights for living and leading unapologetically.
Guest Bio
Jaitesha “Jai” Hanson (she/her) is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Geek Therapist Certified clinician, and neurodivergent creative whose work centers on helping people heal through what they love.
Her clinical and creative work spans children, teens, and adults, with a focus on supporting neurodivergent individuals (including ADHDers, autistic folks, trauma survivors, and high-masking clients) who have spent years adapting to systems that were never designed for their minds.
Jai’s practice is rooted in an eclectic, human-centered framework drawing from person-centered and narrative therapy, play-based healing, somatic integration, fandom and pop-culture work, and neurodivergent-affirming care. Whether she’s unpacking trauma through character archetypes, exploring burnout through special interests, or building emotional regulation tools using metaphor and story, she meets people where they actually are.
Beyond therapy, Jai creates digital tools, curricula, and assessment frameworks that help identify different thinking and processing styles across the neurodiverse spectrum. Her work bridges nervous system science, creativity, and leadership design, with an emphasis on building systems that work for real humans—not just institutions.
This isn’t one-size-fits-all healing. It’s adaptive, relational, and grounded in lived experience.
Connect with Jaitesha:
- https://open.substack.com/pub/thealchemistslab
- https://thealchemistslab.gumroad.com
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaiteshahanson