Hiding in plain sight-- Life, work, and therapy on the autistic spectrum
Back from the Abyss: Psychiatry in Stories | Psychotherapy, Trauma, and Psychedelics
10/03/25
•65m
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In today’s story we explore what it’s like to be on the autistic spectrum, and more specifically, how a later life diagnosis can totally change the way you view the world and yourself. Aurelie, our storyteller today, was an autism expert, a clinical psychologist who had trained with some of the premier autism experts in the country...yet she didn’t discover her own autism until she was 40 years old.
This episode explores why women on the spectrum are so often missed, how women on the autistic spectrum are so often masters of masking, which means imitating the mannerisms and behaviors of neurotypical people, thus allowing them to both fit in and also to be left hiding in plain sight.
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Dr. Aurelie Welterlin
https://www.ncawag.net/our-team/dr-aurelie-welterlin
"I Love You, I Hate You, Are You My Mom?" An intensive experiential workshop exploring transference with Dr. H and Dr. Hillary McBride, Feb 4th-6th 2026 in Joshua Tree, CA
https://www.craigheacockmd.com/i-love-you-i-hate-you-are-you-my-mom/
BFTA episode recommendations/Podcast page
Previous Episode
Trapped in secrecy and shame-- A boy, his coach, and healing trauma with MDMA
September 19, 2025
•96m
How do you rebuild trust amidst the ashes of trauma? This is the story of Sean, an up and coming star tennis player whose coach carefully selected him and then groomed him for years of sexual assault. His trust destroyed, Sean had to find a way to try to trust again.....and after many years of hiding and pretending and near self-destruction, Sean finally was able to share the details of what happened to him. Thus began his therapeutic journey of finding compassion for himself and trust toward others...with the guidance of his two devoted therapists and the assistance of MDMA.
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Sean (tarheelmcdermott@gmail.com)
"I Love You, I Hate You, Are You My Mom?" An intensive experiential workshop exploring transference with Dr. H and Dr. Hillary McBride, Feb 4th-6th 2026 in Joshua Tree, CA
https://www.craigheacockmd.com/i-love-you-i-hate-you-are-you-my-mom/
BFTA episode recommendations/Podcast page
Next Episode
Treatment-resistant bipolar disorder-- Finding stability at last
October 17, 2025
•54m
This story is a mirror to Elizabeth’s story from season 1 episode 1. Today’s storyteller Sarah was so moved by Elizabeth’s story that it helped her to trust Dr. H's recommendation to take a pretty scary medication, the extremely powerful antipsychotic and mood stabilizer called clozapine.
So why tell this story again? As they say, history doesn’t repeat itself, but it does often rhyme, and Sarah’s story rhymes beautifully with Elizabeth’s. Both had severe and treatment resistant bipolar 1 disorder, formerly known as manic-depression. Both tried all the meds, did all the things, then eventually reached a point of utter hopelessness and despair....and then they had to trust Dr. H enough to try one more thing.
Support the show!
https://www.buzzsprout.com/396871/support
"I Love You, I Hate You, Are You My Mom?" An intensive experiential workshop exploring transference with Dr. H and Dr. Hillary McBride, Feb 4th-6th 2026 in Joshua Tree, CA
https://www.craigheacockmd.com/i-love-you-i-hate-you-are-you-my-mom/
BFTA episode recommendations/Podcast page
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