In this raw and deeply validating episode, I’m joined by Emma Gilmour, coach, counsellor, parent of two neurodivergent teens, and founder of Hope Rising Coaching.
Together, we explore the invisible intersections between neurodivergence, alcohol, trauma, unmasking, and parenting through burnout.
Emma shares her powerful journey of redefining her relationship with alcohol, discovering her own late-diagnosed neurodivergence, and parenting her children through autistic burnout.
We unpack how masking, cultural conditioning, and shame impact our ability to advocate for ourselves and how choosing self-compassion over self-judgment can be a radical and life-saving act.
This is an episode about being honest with ourselves. About acknowledging what we didn’t know, what we coped with the best we could, and how healing often begins in the places we’ve been told to hide.
This conversation is both an invitation and a lifeline, especially for parents walking a similar path.
Trigger Warning: This episode contains open and honest conversations about:
Childhood trauma and emotional neglect
Alcohol use as a coping mechanism
Self-harm and suicidal ideation (including among teens and women in midlife)
Unsafe social situations and consent
Burnout, shutdowns, and parent-child relational trauma
Please take care while listening. Press pause, come back later, or skip this episode entirely if needed. Your nervous system safety matters most.
In this episode, we explore:
Emma’s journey from corporate marketing to sobriety and coaching
The link between late-diagnosed neurodivergence and alcohol use
How alcohol often acts as a mask and survival tool for neurodivergent people
Parenting two PDA children through burnout
What it really means to support kids who can’t yet advocate for themselves
Breaking generational cycles around emotions, shame, and compliance
How grief, guilt, and growth coexist in parenting
Why awareness—not self-blame—is the first step to change
The freedom that comes from seeing behaviour as data, not failure
🔗 Resources & Links:
Tanya’s membership: From Burnout to Balance