Episode 215-The Quiet Chaos Behind the Facade: ADHD, Shame, and Leading with Grace with Jennifer McFarland

Episode 215-The Quiet Chaos Behind the Facade: ADHD, Shame, and Leading with Grace with Jennifer McFarland

From The Vibrant Living Podcast by Donna Tashjian

June 1, 2026 · 19 min · Season 7 · Episode 215

About this episode

The episode discusses ADHD in women, focusing on the internal struggles and societal shame, featuring insights from advocate Jennifer McFarland.

In this episode of the Vibrant Living Podcast, I welcome Jennifer McFarland, ADHD advocate, TFT Tapping practitioner, and founder of Monarch Dawn. Jennifer works with women who discover their ADHD diagnosis in adulthood, after years of shame, relentless anxiety, and the exhausting work of holding it all together on the outside while everything feels chaotic within. This conversation names what so many women have carried but never had language for. Jennifer explains why ADHD in women is so frequently missed, how it shows up as internalized anxiety rather than visible behavior, and why the shame around it runs so deep. She shares what it looks like to stop fighting the way your brain is wired and begin working with it instead, from a posture of grace rather than pressure. I close with a word that lands: relief is information. If this conversation made you breathe, do not rush past that. Awareness is the beginning of wisdom. And wisdom is where change begins. Resources Mentioned Dr. Russell Barkley YouTube channel — long-term ADHD expert and researcher Up-to-date, fact-based information on ADHD How to ADHD by Jessica McCabe YouTube channel — practical tips, compassionate education…

People in this episode

Host: Donna Tashjian

Guest: Jennifer McFarland

Topics covered

  • ADHD
  • women's mental health
  • shame
  • anxiety
  • self-acceptance
  • personal growth

Keywords

  • ADHD
  • women
  • shame
  • anxiety
  • mental health
  • self-acceptance
  • TFT Tapping
  • personal growth
  • Monarch Dawn

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Monarch Dawn

Books & works: How to ADHD

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