Becoming Understood: What’s Really Happening Beneath ADHD Behaviors

In this episode of Backpacking Through ADHD, Tera sits down with clinical psychologist and behavior analyst Dr. Katrina Ostmeyer for a powerful conversation about what’s really happening underneath ADHD behaviors.

Together, they explore emotional regulation, the nervous system, perfectionism, masking, and the difference between defiance and dysregulation—especially in children who don’t yet have the words to explain what they’re feeling.

Tera also shares personal parenting moments with Grayson, including a recent experience on the baseball field that left her questioning how parents are supposed to respond when behavior looks intentional on the outside, but feels like something deeper underneath.

Dr. Katrina brings both professional expertise and lived experience as a parent of two neurodivergent children, creating a conversation that feels grounded, validating, and deeply human.

This episode is for:

Parents trying to understand what’s underneath big reactions
Women navigating ADHD and emotional overwhelm later in life
Anyone who has ever felt misunderstood in their struggles

Because sometimes behavior isn’t about defiance.

Sometimes it’s a nervous system asking for support.

To learn more about Dr. Katrina Ostmeyer and Beyond the Individual, including virtual services, visit: www.beyondtheindividual.com

Song of the Episode: “Human” – Christina Perri

If this episode resonated with you, please follow, review, and share Backpacking Through ADHD with someone who might need this conversation too.

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(65)

Becoming Together: Preparing for a New Beginning

Becoming Together: Preparing for a New Beginning New beginnings can be exciting, scary, and overwhelming—sometimes all at once. As we close our five-part Becoming Together series, we're stepping back ...

9 Aug 16min

Becoming Together: Helping our Kids Understand Their ADHD

How do we explain ADHD to our children in a way that builds confidence instead of shame? In this episode of Backpacking Through ADHD, we're continuing our Becoming Together series with one of the most...

3 Aug 15min

Becoming Together: Medication, Tics, and Making Impossible Decisions

Medication decisions are rarely just about medication. They carry questions about identity, side effects, school, confidence, and whether we are making the right choice for the child we love. In this ...

27 Jul 17min

Becoming Together: Teaching Social Skills Without Crushing Confidence

Before we start teaching our ADHD kids social skills, maybe we need to ask a different question. What if the challenge isn't that they don't know how to be a good friend? What if they're simply missin...

19 Jul 15min

Becoming Together: What I'm Afraid of This School Year

As another school year begins, many of us are carrying more than backpacks and school supplies. We're carrying questions, hopes, and fears that we rarely say out loud. Will my child make friends? Will...

16 Jul 22min

Becoming in the Messy Middle: Same Ocean, Different Boats

In this episode of Backpacking Through ADHD, Tera is joined by Lisa Richer, founder of Journey2Bloom, for a grounded conversation about ADHD, parenting, advocacy, burnout, masking, learning difference...

29 Jun 54min

Becoming Confident: When You're "Too Much" and Still Worthy

As the school year comes to an end, many ADHD kids aren't just counting down to summer—they're carrying the emotional weight of months spent trying to focus, fit in, regulate big feelings, and hold ev...

7 Jun 13min