Embracing Intensity
Self-Improvement
About
Have you ever felt like you're "too much?" Too intense? Too consumed by whatever life has in store, that you cannot ever feel fulfilled? Aurora Remember Holtzman has news: you are not too much. Perhaps you simply haven't embraced your naturally excitable self? In "Embracing Intensity," Aurora will take everything you think you know about what it means to be intense and excitable, and show you how intensity is not a weakness but a hidden power. Each week, Aurora will interview a strong, creative, and sensitive woman who embodies what it means to embrace intensity in order to show you how to embrace your life in its fullest. Listen to unlock ways to unleash your inner fire— without getting burned!
Episodes
- 294: Nervous System Regulation w/ Juliana Allen
Juliana Allen joins Embracing Intensity to discuss nervous system regulation, exploring practical strategies and insights for managing the nervous system.
- 293: Ways to Recharge When You Can't Quit Your Day Job
Host Aurora Remember Holtzman shares her RECHARGE framework for managing energy when time is limited. The episode focuses on identifying what drains or restores energy across physical, mental, emotional, social, and connection areas, sugge…
- 292: Increasing Capacity & Reclaiming the Body with Juliana Allen
Juliana Allen, a somatic experiencing practitioner, joins the podcast to discuss nervous system regulation and reclaiming one's body. The conversation covers overriding the body through societal conditioning, perfectionism, and eating diso…
- 291: Reframing ADHD for Black Women with Inger Shaye Colzie
Inger Shaye Colzie, a therapist and coach, shares her journey with ADHD as a Black woman, including her late diagnosis, the importance of culturally relevant care, and her work founding the ADHD Black Professionals Alliance to support othe…
- 290: Executive Functioning with Fizzah Zaidi
This episode features psychotherapist Fizzah Zaidi discussing executive functioning in neurodivergent individuals. The conversation covers the differences in neurodivergent brains, the link between executive dysfunction and rejection sensi…
- 289: Reclaiming Power Through Art w/ Ilima Considine
In this week's episode, Aurora sits down with Portland-based multidisciplinary artist and filmmaker Ilima Considine to explore how neurodivergence, art, music, and personal experience intersect to spark powerful creative expression. Ilima…
- 288: Tasting the Gifted Rainbow w/ Kaitlin Smith
In this deeply insightful guest call, we welcome Kaitlin Smith, a PhD candidate in the history of science at Harvard with a secondary focus in African American Studies. Kaitlin brings a powerful lens to the conversation around giftedness,…
- 287: The Myth of Work-Life Balance
Is work-life balance real—or just another unrealistic expectation? In this solo episode of Embracing Intensity , I unpack the myth of work-life balance and share my journey toward something more meaningful: harmony . Drawing from my person…
- 286: Collective Liberation w/ Caroline J. Sumlin
In this powerful episode of Embracing Intensity, we welcome Caroline J. Sumlin—author of We'll All Be Free—for a deep, vulnerable, and inspiring conversation about collective liberation, the impact of white supremacy culture, and how we ca…
- 285: The Power of Mirroring with Sheldon Gay
In this thought-provoking episode of Embracing Intensity , Aurora sits down with Sheldon Gay, host of the I Must Be BUG'N podcast, which amplifies the stories and voices of Black, unidentified, underrepresented, gifted, and otherwise neuro…
- 284: Breaking Through Burnout w/ Brendan Mahan
This week on the Embracing Intensity podcast, I'm thrilled to welcome back the always thoughtful and illuminating Brendan Mahan, founder of ADHD Essentials and creator of the Wall of Awful. In this free-flowing and deeply relatable convers…
- 283: Empowering Neurodivergent Voices w/ Fizzah Zaidi
In this inspiring episode of Embracing Intensity, I'm joined by the vibrant and insightful Fizzah Zaidi, a psychotherapist based in Chicago who works with adults with ADHD, especially those navigating high-pressure environments like tech a…
- 282. Navigating Neurodivergent Burnout
After a bit of a break from long-form content, I'm so excited to be back with a solo episode that's deeply personal and incredibly timely. I've missed connecting with you more intimately through the podcast and am looking forward to bringi…
- 281: Reclaiming Your Worth & Collective Liberation with Caroline J. Sumlin
In this episode of Embracing Intensity, host Aurora Remember sits down with Caroline J. Sumlin, author of We'll All Be Free: How a Culture of White Supremacy Devalues Us and How We Can Reclaim Our True Worth. Together, they explore the int…
- 280: Celebrating Neurodivergence and Authenticity with Sheldon Gay
In this episode of Embracing Intensity, I'm thrilled to welcome Sheldon Gay, host of the I Must Be Buggin' podcast. Sheldon brings his insightful perspective on navigating life as a late-identified gifted and neurodivergent individual. His…
- 279: The Science of Writing to Heal w/ Nneka Denise
The Science of Writing to Heal with Nneka Denise In this episode of Embracing Intensity, we're excited to share the Q&A portion of our powerful conversation with Nneka Denise, founder of the Write to Heal Project. This discussion offers ti…
- 278: Nonviolent Communication w/ Bob Yamtich
In this highly engaging episode of the Embracing Intensity podcast, host Aurora Remember Holtzman dives deep into the world of Nonviolent Communication (NVC) with Bob Yamtich, a seasoned practitioner with over 20 years of experience. Bob s…
- 277: Navigating Healthy Relationships w/ Heather Boorman-Morris
This episode of the Embracing Intensity podcast, features a detailed conversation with Heather Borman Morris about understanding narcissistic relationships and how they uniquely affect gifted and neurodivergent individuals. Heather, a clin…
- 276: Neurodivergent Leadership w/ Marc Almodovar
In this enriching episode, Aurora hosts Marc, who shares his profound insights on neurodivergent leadership. Marc introduces himself by recounting his journey with ADHD, from his early school years to receiving his diagnosis at 16. This pi…
- 275: The Healing Power of Music w/ Princess Fortier
This week on the Embracing Intensity podcast, host Aurora discusses the transformative power of music with guest Princess Fortier. Princess shares her personal journey of using singing to alleviate her chronic migraines, which began at the…
- 274: Restful Rest
In this solo episode, I delve into my personal journey of overcoming a prolonged burnout to explore the concept of truly restful rest. I discuss the five areas of energy balance—physical, emotional, mental, social, and connection—from my '…
- 273: Exploring Self-Connection w/ Bob Yamtich
In this episode of the Embracing Intensity podcast, host Aurora Remember Holtzman interviews Bob Yamtich about his journey with intensity, nonviolent communication (NVC), and self-connection. Bob shares his personal experiences with bipola…
- 272. Creativity as Self Care w/ Sharon Burton
This week on Embracing Intensity, we share part of our call with Sharon J. Burton on "Creativity as Self-Care." Sharon delves into a chapter from her upcoming book "Creative Sparks" that explores how embracing creativity can be a powerful…
- 271: The Importance of Play w/ Boontarika Sripom
Join us in a profound exploration of fun, creativity, and self-care in our latest Embracing Intensity Podcast episode with special guest Boontarika Sripom. Dive deep into the significance of play in nurturing personal growth and bringing j…
- 270: Intensity & Harmony w/ Princess Fortier
In this engaging conversation, Aurora sits down with the multi-talented Princess Fortier, a beacon of inspiration in the journey of embracing one's intensity. Princess shares her remarkable story, from neuroscientist to singer and model, h…
- 269: Dismantling Patriarchy Through Play w/ Jeff Harry
In this thought-provoking podcast episode, Jeff and Aurora delve deep into the topic of dismantling patriarchy through play. They explore the impact of societal norms on individuals, the role of neurodivergence in challenging the status qu…
- 268: Embracing the Power of Emotional Intensity with Christine Fonseca
This week on Embracing Intensity, we share an enlightening conversation with award-winning author and licensed educational psychologist, Christine Fonseca. In this episode of our podcast, our host, Aurora, delves into an enriching conversa…
- 267: Building Confidence & Resilience w/ CoCo Leary
In this episode of the Embracing Intensity Podcast, we bring you an inspiring conversation with Cosette "Coco" Leary. Coco's gripping story takes us on a journey from her days as a welfare recipient to eventually becoming a celebrated moti…
- 266: Navigating Intensity Through a Cultural Lens w/ Kaitlin Smith
In this episode of the Embracing Intensity Podcast, host Aurora interviews Kaitlin Smith, a scholar, facilitator, and founder of Our Wild Minds. Kaitlin shares her journey as a gifted BIPOC individual, her work in supporting gifted adults,…
- 265: Play as a Tool for Decolonizing Neurodivergence w/ Dr. Kimberly Douglass
In this age of rapid and overwhelming information, how does one choose what is important to learn? Opportunities to play are opportunities to learn. Play allows us to imagine ourselves in different realities, in different worlds where the…
- 264: Overcoming Perfectionism: Building Self-Compassion for Gifted and Neurodivergent Adults
Are you a gifted or neurodivergent perfectionist struggling to overcome the damaging effects of perfectionism? In this episode of the Embracing Intensity podcast, host Aurora Remember Holtzman invites special guest Aileen Kelleher, a thera…
- 263: Navigating Intimacy and Neurodivergence: A Conversation with Catieosaurus
In this episode of the "Embracing Intensity" podcast, host Aurora brings on a special guest, Cate Osburn, better known on social media as Catieosaurus. As a certified sex educator with an emphasis on neurodivergency and intimacy, Cate spar…
- 262: Burnout Recovery
This week on Embracing Intensity, I share my experience with the physical and emotional exhaustion that comes with severe burnout. In this episode, I share updates on my personal life that have contributed to burnout, dive into my recovery…
- 261: ADHD Productivity w/ Arianna Bradford
This week, we talk with Arianna Bradford, an ADHD productivity coach, about the best ways for adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder to boost productivity in their daily lives. We cover a range of topics, from common symptoms…
- 260: Play as Self-Care w/ Rukshana Triem
Never Leave the Playground In this episode, where we delve into the importance of self-care in our daily lives. Whether it's through mindfulness practices, physical exercise, or leisure time activities, taking care of our emotional and phy…
- 259: Seeing Life Differently w/ Zaakirah Muhammad
Seeing Life Differently In this episode, Zaakirah Muhammad joins us to discuss mindfulness, gratitude and how these practices can help to craft a more meaningful life in her talk on Seeing Life Through a Different Lens: Mindfulness and Gra…
- 258: Overcome Burnout w/ Dr. Zarya Rubin
Overcome Burnout Welcome to From Burnout to Brilliance, a talk that explores the best ways to manage work-related stress and overcome burnout. In this episode, we have the privilege of speaking with Dr. Zarya Rubin, a Harvard trained MD tu…
- 257: Gifted Kid Burnout w/ Catieosaurus
Exploring Gifted Kid Burnout Gifted kid burnout affects many smart kids and former gifted students who were once in gifted programs. As young adults, they often share a common theme of feeling burnt out and struggling with unrealistic expe…
- 256: Finding Neurodivergent Community with Marc Almodovar
The importance of neurodivergent community Neurodivergent individuals are those who think, process information, and experience the world in ways that differ from the neurotypical (i.e., not neurodivergent) population. The neurodiversity mo…
- 255: Tidying Up Your Brain, Marie Condo Style w/ Nadja Carghetti
As neurodivergent creatives, we often find ourselves overwhelmed with too much stuff both in our environment and in our minds. We may be overrun with office supplies, craft supplies, and/or miscellaneous things that support our hyperfixati…
- 254: Self-Advocacy w/ Dr. Matt Zakreski
Building Self-Advocacy This week on Embracing Intensity, we share our talk with Dr. Matt Zakreski on self-advocacy skills. Self-advocacy is an important skill that can help you take charge of your own life and move toward greater freedom,…
- 253: Decolonizing Neurodivergence w/ Dr. Kimberly Douglass
I am so thrilled to get to share Dr. Kimberly Douglass' talk on Decolonizing Neurodivergence! From Violence to Love Do you ever wonder why we get into loops on social media platforms when we talk about neurodivergence? We have convinced ou…
- 252: Pause & Plan
Taking a little pause to focus on moving & back end stuff.
- 251: Neurodivergence and Queerness with Leela Sinha
Today's episode is a recording of our talk with Leela Sinha on the intersection of neurodivergence and gender. This is definitely not an "inside-the-box" topic. You can find the full discussion in the Embracing Intensity community at commu…
- 250: Passive Income and Side Hustles with Sadie Smiley
We all have our "beyond our wildest imagination" dreams that we never realistically hope to achieve. This is not true for today's guest. She truly is living her dream in a place she never thought possible, and she's teaching others to reac…
- 249: Outside-the-Box: Thinking About Time Management with Emily Roach-Griffin
Today's episode is a recording from last fall about time management from a neurodivergent perspective. We are joined on the guest call by Emily Roach-Griffin, who is ADHD and gifted, and her insights resonate soundly with many of us. She i…
- 248: Tap into Your Intuition with Cam Werley-Gonzales
Today's show carries a timely message for those of us who returned to work or school after the anxiety-ridden shutdown of the pandemic. As we try to move forward, many of us still face anxiety and burnout. My guest's message of tapping int…
- 247: Drama vs. Passion with Alexandra Loves
Today's episode is the Embracing Intensity Community Call with guest speaker Alexandra Loves. The topic is Drama vs. Passion, which is highly relevant to intense people. I'm excited to share this with you! You can find the full discussion…
- 246: Rising Up Against Imposter Syndrome with Kate Arms
Imposter syndrome is something that most people have felt at some point or another. Intense people may feel this in magnified ways, as the world tells them they are not welcome as they are. Join us on this guest call to learn more! Kate Ar…
- 245: Educating Gifted Students and Their Families with Barry Gelston
Today's show focuses on the twice-exceptional experience. As with so many people in this line of work, my guest looks to provide for students and families the help and support that he needed–and didn't have as he grew up. Join us to learn…