In this deeply insightful episode of Love Conquers, Kaz and Matt reconnect with friend of the show and returning expert Nicole Ennis Oakes to unpack one of the most nuanced challenges in neurodivergent life: learning your way through a diagnosis while already deep into adult relationships, shared routines—and, in many cases, parenting.

Nicole brings her clinical expertise and lived empathy to the table as she explores what happens when a diagnosis drops into the middle of a marriage or long-term relationship. She guides listeners through the emotional recalibration that often follows—grief, identity shifts, communication cracks—and how couples can navigate this terrain without losing each other in the process.

But the conversation doesn’t stop at the couple. Nicole dives into how the presence of children adds layers of complexity, urgency, and sometimes unexpected clarity to the diagnostic journey. Parenting through this lens demands a radical reshuffling of expectations, boundaries, and often, self-worth.

This episode is both illuminating and validating for anyone who’s had to re-understand themselves or their partner while already doing the hard work of showing up for family life. Compassionate, clear-eyed, and deeply human—Nicole helps us name what so many are quietly navigating.