Is this Sabotaging Intimacy in Your Neurodiverse Relationship? S6E6 with Jodi Carlton & Mona Kay

If you're in a neurodiverse relationship — whether you're ADHD, autistic, or both — intimacy can be one of the most complicated things to navigate. In this episode, Mona Kay & I get real about routines, spontaneity, physical intimacy, and the hidden pattern that quietly undermines intimacy for neurodiverse couples: fawning.

From date night strategies that actually work, to what happens when one partner has learned to tolerate instead of communicate — this conversation goes places most podcasts won't.

🔔 Subscribe so you don't miss our next episode where we continue the conversation. 📩 Send us your questions: podcast@jodicarlton.com

Chapters: 0:00 Teaser 0:42 Intro 1:28 Routines, Structure & the ADHD/Autistic Couples 3:27 Date Night Strategies That Work for Both Partners 7:17 Communicating About Sex — When, How & Why Not During 8:42 Physical Intimacy & Predictable Patterns 10:43 Codependency, Fawning & People-Pleasing in the Bedroom 11:28 Sex & Vulnerability 18:16 The Resentment Cycle & When Sex Comes to a Halt 18:19 To Be Continued... 18:26 Outro

Find us at www.jodicarlton.com and www.neurodiverselove.com

👩‍💼 About Jodi Carlton, MEd

I’m Jodi Carlton, MEd, a neurodiversity educator, relationship expert, author, and coach with more than 20 years of experience helping individuals, couples, families, and professionals better understand autism, ADHD, and the realities of neurodiverse relationships.

As a late-diagnosed ADHDer, I combine professional expertise with lived experience. My own family includes multiple neurotypes, and after spending nearly two decades in a neurodiverse marriage, I understand both the challenges and the opportunities that can emerge when different minds meet.

My work also explores the important distinction between neurodivergent differences and harmful relationship dynamics, including narcissistic abuse and personality pathology. My goal is not to tell people what to think, but to help them better understand what they are experiencing so they can make informed decisions about their relationships.

On this channel, you’ll find episodes of the YOUR Neurodiverse Relationship podcast, interviews with leading experts, educational videos, and practical conversations designed to help you better understand yourself, the people you love, and the misunderstood mind.

📖 Subscribe to The Misunderstood Mind on Substack: https://inside.themisunderstoodmind.com

📅 Book a consultation: https://jodicarlton.com/private-consultation/

🧠 Explore articles, courses, quizzes & resources: https://jodicarlton.com

👋🏼 Join our Neurodiverse Relationships community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/neurodiverserelationships

⸻

New here? Subscribe for thoughtful conversations about:

* Autism and ADHD

* Neurodiverse relationships

* Communication and conflict

* Alexithymia and executive functioning

* Narcissistic abuse and personality pathology

* Boundaries, healing, and healthier relationships

Whether you are neurodivergent, love someone who is, or work with neurodiverse individuals and couples, you’re welcome here.