NeuroDiverse Christian Couples

Can Neurodiverse marriages work?

Can they be satisfying and healthy?

Does autism really ruin marriage and family- NO!

Does the training of your coach or counselor matter- YES!

You will hear an introduction by neurodiverse relationship expert and coach Jodi Carlton. Jodi has been instrumental in forming a peer support group for neurodiverse couples from around the world. You will hear some panelists who have also been part of the show, and there are a few more segments we produced as a panel. Panelist work with different types of relationships and different religious or non religious backgrounds but the key point is neurodiversity training mattersIf you are a coach or counselor chaplain or clergy and you want training on ND Chritian couples reach out to me at www.christianneurovecouples.comJodi is also in our peer group putting together an organization a database of qualified professionals- so listen in our panelists discussion of neurodiverse relationship experts and specialists.

Want to hear the rest of the podcast with Jodi- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-get-unstuck-in-neurodiverse-partnerships-expert/id1612135248?i=1000718667695

Want training for Christian ND couples? www.christianneurodiversemarriage.com

Want the book Uniquely Us? https://www.christianneurodiversemarriage.com/uniquelyus

Today, Barbara was unable to co-host with Dr. Stephanie. For today, Dr. Stephanie is joined by Jeremy Rochford of Our Neuro Fam and Just the Guys to discuss Dr. Attwood's newest book, written by co-author Maxine Aston.

This year marks 5 years of the ND Couples Podcast, and we welcome Dr. Tony Attwood back to the show to share his decades of experience.

Professor Tony Attwood is a clinical psychologist who has specialized in autism spectrum disorders since he qualified as a clinical psychologist in England in 1975. He currently works in his own private practice and is also an adjunct professor at Griffith University, Queensland, and a senior consultant at the Minds and Hearts clinic in Brisbane. His book Asperger’s Syndrome – A Guide for Parents and Professionals has sold over 400,000 copies and has been translated into 27 languages. His subsequent book, The Complete Guide to Asperger’s Syndrome, published in October 2006, has sold over 300,000 copies and has been translated into 18 languages, and is one of the primary textbooks on Asperger’s syndrome. He has several subsequent books published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers, Future Horizons Inc., and Guilford Press.
 Dr. Tony has been invited to be a keynote speaker at many Australasian and International Conferences. He presents workshops and runs training courses for parents, professionals, and individuals with Asperger's syndrome all over the world and is a prolific author of scientific papers and books on the subject.
 He has worked with many thousands of individuals of all ages with Asperger's syndrome or an Autism Spectrum Disorder.
 www.tonyattwood.com.au

The book:
https://www.amazon.com/Relationship-Counselling-Autistic-Neurodiverse-Couples/dp/1805013025

Colleague and Neurodiverse Couple Specialist Jodi Carlton interviewed us for her show for Season 5- Your NeuroDiverse Couple Podcast. Stephanie and Dan were featured in the Couples Who are Making It! We also discuss our book, Uniquely Us!

Get the book here:
https://www.christianneurodiversemarriage.com/uniquelyus
 According to our research, 10-12% of ND Christian Couples are satisfied or thriving!
We can do better!
Let go of religious rules and roles and seek attachment and relationship!

 Jodi Carlton is also an expert in the field of NeuroDiverse Marriage and specializes in cases where there is a crossover of Narcissism and Autism.
https://jodicarlton.com/

We hope you have been following this entire month of podcasts on sex, porn, addiction, healthy sexuality, and now total intimacy.

Today, we look at what total intimacy is.
Is there such a thing as the sin of withholding? Where did that come from? Is it the wife's duty to cover or pay for her husband's sin? What is con·cu·pis·cence, and can Stephanie even say it?

• Where did this thought originate that men must have sex every three days or three times a week?
  • Is that from the Bible?

• What is healthy intimacy? What happens when there is duty sex?

• Is there coercion in your marriage for sex?

We draw today from Total Intimacy from Dr. Doug Roseneau and The Marriage You Want by the Gregoires. We also talk about attunement and attachment from Renovated by Dr. Jim Wilder.

We read from an article from Focus on the Family: Is Sex a Need or Desire?
https://www.focusonthefamily.com/marriage/is-sex-a-need/

Wanna hear us on Focus on the Family's Crazy Little Thing Called Marriage Podcast?
https://m.christianradio.com/ministry/crazy-little-thing-called-marriage/my-spouse-is-on-the-spectrum-1238637.html
  

Today, Dr. Stephanie is solo but has a discussion the church needs to hear with Dr. Andrew Bauman.
Andrew has been on the show before, but this month our focus is on porn or sexual abuse and addiction, and what is healthy?
Dr. Stephanie asks Dr. Andrew:
What is an appreciation of beauty vs. "bounce the eyes" and devouring beauty?
What is healthy masculinity?
How has the Church devalued women?
What is sexual intimacy?
Dr. Stephanie mentions that many men, when porn is discovered, go into blame, shame, or defensive anger, and asks Andrew, What is happening here?
Is porn use betrayal or infidelity?
What needs to happen to heal and restore masculinity in the way God intended?
 About our Guest:
Founder & Director of the Christian Counseling Center: For Sexual Health & Trauma (CCC), Dr. Andrew J. Bauman, is a therapist with a Doctorate from Northeastern University. His dissertation was on studying the impact of sexism and abuse on women in the Protestant Church. Andrew is the author of seven books, and his newest book with Baker, is called SAFE CHURCH: How to Guard Against Sexism & Abuse in Christian Communities (2025).

Find out more about retreats at:
https://andrewjbauman.com/

In this episode of Just the Guys, Dan interviews Michael Cusick—licensed counselor, ordained minister, and founder of Restoring the Soul—to discuss the deeper spiritual and emotional roots of sexual addiction, particularly pornography, as explored in his book Surfing for God.
Michael vulnerably shares his own journey from trauma, addiction, and shame to healing and restoration. He explains that many Christian approaches to pornography are often split between moralism (“just stop it”) and clinical models (treating it as a disease). His book offers a different lens: one that views compulsive sexual behavior as rooted in legitimate God-given desires that have been disordered by trauma, unmet attachment needs, and relational wounds.
Key insights include:
• “Listen to your lust” – Our compulsions are tells, pointing to deeper longings for connection, affirmation, and healing.
• Addiction is not just a behavior, but often a false god, offering counterfeit comfort for past wounds.
• Shame is physiological and often misunderstood in Christian circles. True healing comes not from hiding, but from secure, grace-filled relationships with God and others.
• Michael emphasizes the four S’s of attachment (Seen, Soothed, Safe, Secure) as crucial for emotional and spiritual healing.
• He reframes God’s posture in Genesis 3, inviting listeners to imagine a version of God that says, “Come closer” rather than condemning God as a loving Father, not a punisher.
• The path forward isn’t perfect behavior, but direction and healing. Relapse may be part of the journey, but growth happens when men risk being known and pursue secure attachments.
Listeners are encouraged to shift from behavior management to healing through connection—first with others, then with God.
⸻
Resources Mentioned:
• Surfing for God by Michael Cusick (Book, Audio, Kindle)
• Sacred Attachment (new book by Cusick)
• Restoring the Soul ministry: restoringthesoul.com
• Restoring the Soul Men’s Weekend: restoringthesoulweekend.com
• Podcasts: Restoring the Soul and The Place We Find Ourselves (Adam Young)
• Influences: Dallas Willard, G.K. Chesterton, Jay Stringer (Unwanted), Kurt Thompson, Gerald May

Continuing our focus on porn and sex addiction and autism sexuality with expert Candice Christiansen.
Today, we talk about the co-occurrence and reasons Autistic people can struggle with porn or sex addiction. Diagnosed later in life herself and now an expert in the field of autism and sexuality, Candice provides a breadth of information that listeners or viewers (YT) will benefit from. This is not a faith-based discussion today.
 About our Guest:
Candice Christiansen, Founder, Clinical Director, LCMHC, Neuro-Inclusive IFS, CSAT-S, CMAT-S, Certified EMDR, Psychedelic Integration Therapist, Author, Speaker, Presenter

 Expertise:
Autism and ADHD, Neuro-Inclusive IFS, Complex Trauma, DID, Sexual, Betrayal, and High Conflict Relationship Issues, Intensive Therapy for complicated issues/relationship dynamics, Psychedelic Assisted Therapy, Generational Healing.
 Candice Christiansen, LCMHC, CSAT-S, CMAT, Neuro-Inclusive IFS, Certified EMDR, and Psychedelic Assisted Therapist (PAT), is the Founder and Clinical Director of Namasté Center For Healing. As a leading expert in trauma-informed care and neurodiversity, Candice specializes in supporting individuals and couples navigating complex mental health challenges, including trauma, intimate betrayal, and high-conflict relationship dynamics. As an autism expert, her innovative and inclusive therapeutic approach extends to providing neuro-affirmative screenings, consultations, training, and presentations to neuropsychologists, medical professionals, professors, and students at institutions like Yale University, Harvard, Seeking Integrity Los Angeles, and the International Institute for Trauma and Addiction Professionals in Arizona. Candice is a published author, with works including "Mastering the Trauma Wound" (2016) and "Compassionate KAP: Creating Neuro-Affirmative ‘Set and Settings’ for Autistic Adults Participating in Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP)" (2024). Her insights on relationship issues have also been featured in prominent media outlets, including the Salt Lake Tribune and Talkspace.com, and she has served as a relationship expert for Fox 13's The Place and other regional news programs. Committed to advancing mental health awareness and best practices, Candice served on the Division of Professional Licensing Substance Use Disorder Board for five years and on the Utah Mental Health Counselor Association's (UMHCA) Board. Her work emphasizes fostering resilience and healing by acknowledging and integrating all aspects of an individual's experience. Candice's dedication lies in empowering individuals and professionals with the understanding and tools necessary to navigate mental health challenges effectively.
 Candice and her colleague, Meg Martinez, wrote a chapter about our Neuro-inclusive approach to IFS in “Altogether Us” (2023). In 2023, Candice and her colleague Aly Dearborn, LMFT, created a Neuro-affirmative Autism screening tool that can be used with any gender, but identifies additional traits that are common in Autistic females and non-binary adults.
 Disclaimer: When we have guests on the podcast, they are recognized for their expertise in autism as advocates, self-advocates, clinicians, parents, or other professionals in the field. They may or may not be part of the faith community; having a guest on the broader topic of autism does not necessarily reflect complete agreement with the guest, just as many guests may not share our faith perspective. Guests are chosen by topic for the chosen podcast discussion and are not necessarily in full agreement with all beliefs of the chosen guest(s).

This month, the focus of the podcast involves the co-occurring issues of porn use or sexual addiction commonality in the autism community. We begin today with porn use and addiction 101, to include:

• Why are autistic people vulnerable?

• When does the behavior cross into addiction?

• We will end with building a healthy and intimate neurodiverse Christian marriage.

Today's guest, Dr. Janice Caudill, starts this month's discussion.
 Dr. Janice Caudill
 Janice is a Texas psychologist, also licensed through PSYPACT for tele-therapy in most states. She is the co-author of his and hers companion workbooks for helping couples navigate a therapeutic disclosure of sexual betrayal:
 Full Disclosure: Seeking Truth After Sexual Betrayal – 3 Volume Series
 Full Disclosure: Sharing the Truth After Sexual Betrayal
 
She is the founder of Intensive Recovery Healing and Intensive Recovery Coaching, programs that specialize in customized intensives, therapy, and workshops for individuals and couples recovering from sex or pornography addiction, betrayal trauma, intimacy anorexia, or other life traumas.
 Janice is a Certified Sex Addiction Therapist and supervisor, Certified Clinical Partner Specialist and supervisor, Certified Partner Trauma Therapist and supervisor, Certified Partner Betrayal Trauma Therapist, certified Intimacy Anorexia Therapist, and Somatic Experiencing Practitioner. She was one of the founding members of the Association for Partners of Sex Addicts Trauma Specialists and participated in the creation of the Multidimensional Partner Trauma Model.
 Contact for sexual addiction assessments: https://intensivehope.com/pages/about/people/janice-caudill.html

Today, I welcome back Rev. Jenilee Goodwin. On a previous show, Jenilee shared the journey of being on the mission field and their neurodiverse family journey in missions. A lot has happened in her marriage and family journey since then. Today, we talk about neurodiverse marriage and missions as well as abuse and handling that under the lens of being in ministry.
 About Our Guest:
Rev. Jenilee Goodwin
Professional Life Coach
 As a certified professional life coach (ICCI), a certified autism coach (NCDD), and an ordained minister (AG), Jenilee has over 20 years of career ministry experience. Serving in stateside churches and overseas missions, Jenilee brings lived experience, problem-solving skills, compassionate support, and creativity into each coaching session. Jenilee asks hard questions while listening, guiding, and coaching clients in their unique life situations. Jenilee is trained in the Equipping Profile, a personal development coaching tool that helps discover growth points and possible barriers to growth. Through one-on-one and group coaching, Jenilee uses the Equipping Profile, book studies, and even some homework to establish personal development plans, helping clients move forward healthily.
 With many in her immediate family on the autism spectrum, Jenilee has a special call and place in her heart for moms of kids on the spectrum and for NT wives going through the difficulties of ND marriages. Even more specifically, I have a passion for these women who are also in full-time ministry or missions. There are very few places to share the full story. In coaching with Jenilee, you can share every single page of the story.
 In addition to the above skills, Jenilee loves reading, writing, coffee, going for walks, and watching history documentaries.

You can connect with Jenilee daily on Instagram @jenileerachel or through her website, jenileerachel.com