NeuroDiverse Christian Couples

Part 2! Some of you had questions for Drs. Jeff and Mary so we had them back?
Drs. Jeff and Mary are back to discuss therapeutic separation, addiction, autism, and healing! Some of you had questions, and some of you had criticism, and they are discussed today!

Listen to part one here:
https://www.spreaker.com/episode/autism-addiction-healing-with-therapeutic-separation-s-with-drs-jeff-mary-jones--62412733

Find Dr. Mary at:
Dr. Mary Jones believes there is greatness in each of us and is passionate about equipping and empowering women to reach their fullest potential.

Throughout her life and career, she has had the privilege of working to empower and equip women and girls to be their best selves. Dr. Mary has also completed a study in autism as a specialty through PESI, becoming an Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinical Specialist. Her vision is to see women living out their purpose and affecting change in their worlds. She is an NT married to a neurodivergent spouse and the mother of a son on the autism spectrum.​

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Contact her at: https://drmarycoaches.com/contact-me

Dr. Jones has been featured on our NeuroDiverse Christian Couples (NDCC) podcast.
Listen to her episode HERE!

Needs description

Dan and Stephanie start their discussion with the book Building Bounce: How to Grow in Emotional Resilience by Warner & Hinman.

For more resources on this, go to www.christianneurodiversemarriage.com Group Resources—Bounce. We have put together a video for every chapter of Bounce.

The key elements of building resilience are knowing your weight, not breaking under that weight, and building capacity. You can do this through key practices: quitting, appreciation/joy, beliefs and expectations, and growing connection with God and people. Each chapter gives you a joy workout to start your journey toward individual resilience and reliance on God. Your marriage and life situation may not change, so how will you carry that weight without breaking or allowing the situation to transform you versus being transformed and renewed? Then Dan and Stephanie talk about their practices for quieting, joy, and connecting to God and how they connect through Coursey & Coursey's 30 Days of Joy for Busy Married Couples!

Join Dr. Stephanie as she discusses disability theology and disability ministry with Stephanie O. Hubach, author of Same Lake Different Boat.

Questions Stephanie and Stephanie Discuss:
What is Disability Ministry and Why Does it Matter?
a. How would you define disability ministry?
b. Why doesn’t your definition of disability ministry even have the word disability in it?
c. What is the role of disability ministry in the local church?
d. If disability ministry is “central to the life of the church” what do you mean by that?
e. How does the presence of people with disabilities in a church change the fabric of congregation life?
f. What type of steps need to be taken to help a church that is not disability-friendly to move towards people with disabilities?
g. You refer to the biblical concept of “equal concern” in your philosophy of disability ministry. What does that look like in practice?

About our Guest:
Stephanie Opdahl Hubach
Biographical Information

Stephanie Hubach is a Research Fellow in Disability Ministries and a Visiting Instructor in Educational Ministries in affiliation with Covenant Theological Seminary. From 2007-2016 she served as Mission to North America’s Special Needs Ministries Founding Director. Mission to
North America (MNA) is associated with the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). Steph currently serves on the Wheaton Center on Faith and Disability advisory board and the board of directors for Key Ministry.

She formerly volunteered as a member of the board for The Arc of Lancaster County, chairperson of the Lancaster County Mental Health/Mental Retardation Advisory Board, and president of the board of directors for the Infant Evaluation Program of State College, PA.
Steph is the author of Parenting & Disabilities: Abiding in Gods’ Presence (P&;R Publishing, 2021), Same Lake, Different Boat: Coming Alongside People Touched by Disability (P&;R Publishing, 2006; Revised and Expanded 2020), director of a Christian Education DVD series
based on Same Lake, Different Boat, and author of All Things Possible: Calling Your Church Leadership to Embrace Disability Ministry (Joni and Friends, August 2007).

She has been published in ByFaith magazine, Covenant magazine, Focus on the Family magazine, and Breakpoint online magazine. Steph currently writes for Key Ministry’s Special Needs Parenting blog, which is for parents of children with special needs, and for the Presbyterian Church in America’s enCourage blog. She has been a guest blogger for The Gospel Coalition and the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission and has been interviewed on a wide variety of podcasts.


Steph also coordinated a writing team for Christianity Today to provide a Disability Ministry Track in The Ministry Essentials Bible, released in September 2014. Stephanie is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of McDaniel College (formerly Western Maryland College), has an MA in Economics from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and an MATS from Covenant Theological Seminary.

Steph and her husband, Fred, have been married for 41 years. They have two deeply loved sons, Fred and Tim, the younger of whom has Down syndrome. In 2013, the Hubachs were blessed with a wonderful daughter-in-law when Cecelia married Fred, and in 2019, they were thrilled to welcome their first grandchild, Caroline. In 2022, twin grandsons joined the family—Everett and Dietrich. The Hubach family resides in Lancaster County, PA.

Stephanie's Book Same Lake Different Boat-Revised Ed. and other resources:
https://www.stephaniehubach.com/

Dr. Stephanie's Uniquely Us:

https://www.christianneurodiversemarriage.com/uniquelyus

Today, Dr. Stephanie and Dan Holmes asked Dr. Natalie Engelbrecht about ASD, ADHD, and both.

Dr. Natalie Engelbrecht is a clinician in Canada and was diagnosed later in life with both ASD and ADHD. Dr. Natalie will break down the similarities and differences between ASD, ADHD, and ADHD. She will also discuss the strengths of each neurotype—this is part 1 of our discussion.

Some discussion points from Dr. Natalie:

• Co-occurring autism and ADHD can be experienced as

• Heightening of some autistic traits

• Navigating contradictions of opposing traits

Here are some of the contradictions you may experience as an AuDHD:

You thrive when there’s a set routine (autistic trait), but you struggle to plan and follow a schedule (ADHD trait)

You get very distressed when your friend shows up late to your meeting (autistic trait), but you struggle to arrive at events on time (ADHD trait)

You find engaging in a special interest to be soothing (autistic trait), but you also need to jump between multiple interests to keep you engaged (ADHD trait)

You are meticulous with your plans (autistic trait), but sometimes you overwhelm yourself by making an impulsive decision (ADHD trait)

When you infodump, you have a habit of speaking “too fast” (ADHD trait), but when someone asks you an unrelated question, your responses may be delayed, or you may be unable to speak (autistic trait)

Find out more on Dr. Natalie:

Get the Autism Burnout book we mentioned at:

https://embrace-autism-store.myshopify.com/

In this special episode of Just The Guys, host Dan Holmes is joined by renowned authors Dr. Jim Wilder and Marcus Warner for an insightful conversation on attachment, emotional maturity, and resilience within neurodiverse Christian relationships. Drawing from their extensive work and books like "Bounce," "Renovated," "Rare Leadership," and "The Other Half of Church," they explore how attachment goes beyond physical needs to deeply influence our relational and spiritual lives.

The discussion delves into the challenges faced by individuals on the autism spectrum, particularly in building emotional resilience and managing energy levels in relationships. They offer practical strategies for incremental growth, overcoming fear, and breaking patterns of avoidance and addiction. Whether you're navigating a neurodiverse relationship or seeking a deeper understanding of emotional maturity from a Christian perspective, this episode provides valuable insights and guidance to foster healthier, more resilient connections.

What is Shame? What is health shame vs toxic shame? What if someone is unaware of their feelings, including shame? Can you heal from shame alone? These are the questions we will be asking Dr. Curt Thompson.

Many of our neurodiverse relationships have shame- either about the diagnosis, about not having the perfect Christian marriage, or not meeting someone's needs- what do we do about that? How can clergy deal with their own shame of not knowing how to help neurodiverse couples?

About our Guest:
Psychiatrist, speaker, and author Curt Thompson connects our intrinsic desire to be known with the need to tell truer stories about ourselves — showing us how to form deep relationships, discover meaning, and live integrated, creative lives.
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Curt Thompson, MD, is a board-certified psychiatrist, author, speaker, and co-host of The Being Known Podcast. He has been in private practice for over 30 years in Falls Church, Virginia, graduated from Wright State University’s Boonshoft School of Medicine, and completed his psychiatric residency at Temple University Hospital. He strives to help patients develop flourishing lives by telling their stories more honestly to become more deeply known for creating beauty and goodness in the world. With conviction and humor, he trains clinicians and speaks at workshops, retreats, and conferences, integrating neuroscience, human relationships, and Christian faith. He and his wife, Phyllis, are the parents of two adult children and live in Northern Virginia.
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Psychiatrist Curt Thompson, MD, brings together a dialect of interpersonal neurobiology (IPNB) and Christian anthropology to educate and encourage others as they seek to fulfill their intrinsic desire to feel known, valued, and connected. Curt understands that deep, authentic relationships are essential to experiencing a healthier, more purposeful life — but the only way to realize this is
to begin telling our stories more truly.
His unique insights about how the brain affects and processes relationships help people discover a fresh perspective and practical applications to foster healthy and
vibrant lives, allowing them to get unstuck and move toward the next beautiful thing they’re being called to make.


WEBSITE, PODCAST, and SOCIAL MEDIA
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Website www.CurtThompsonMD.com
Podcast www.BeingKnownPodcast.com
Instagram CurtThompsonMD
Facebook CurtThompsonMD
@CurtThompsonMD

We have guests with us. Carol and Greg Reller join us to discuss Chapter 7 of Uniquely Us on Social Communication and Challenges!

You may recognize Greg’s voice, who has been on several of our Just the Guys segments. Greg is 63 and retired after a 35-year career as a consulting geologist. Married to Carol. He was diagnosed around age 55 with what was then called Asperger's Syndrome. Carol and he have three children. Carol is in her fourth year of retirement after a 32-year career as a speech-language pathologist. Carol has written chapter 7.

Today, Carol and Greg will discuss some of their most common communication misfires and tools and strategies that help!

Pre-order the book today:
https://www.christianneurodiversemarriage.com/uniquelyus

New classes are forming 2-3 spots remain!

Reach out to Stephanie at rev.stephaniecholmes@gmail.com