This week on Embracing Intensity, I'm thrilled to finally sit down with the powerful and passionate Inger Shaye Colzie, a therapist and coach working at the intersection of ADHD, identity, and cultural experience. Inger shares her journey of being diagnosed with ADHD later in life, after decades of navigating systems and expectations that didn't see her neurodivergence—or the unique challenges that come with being a Black woman with ADHD.

Together, we dive into her experiences growing up gifted but overlooked, her path to founding the ADHD Black Professionals Alliance, and how she helps others own their fire and intensity without apology. Inger's insight, humor, and realness make this an episode you won't want to miss.

P.S. We're planning to bring Inger back for a guest call in the Embracing Intensity Community during the 2026 speaker season—I'd love your feedback on upcoming topics and guests!

Inger is a therapist, ADHD coach, and the founder of the ADHD Black Professionals Alliance. Diagnosed later in life, she now uses her lived experience, clinical knowledge, and coaching tools to support other Black women navigating life, work, and relationships with ADHD. Through her practice and community, she creates spaces for healing, advocacy, and unapologetic self-discovery.

• The experience of being undiagnosed with ADHD well into adulthood—and what finally led her to seek answers

• Growing up as an intense, passionate child whose energy was often misunderstood

• Why culturally relevant care is essential for Black women with ADHD

• The emotional impact of living with ADHD in a world not built for neurodivergent minds

• How diagnosis and coaching helped her reframe her identity and harness her gifts

• Creating the ADHD Black Professionals Alliance as a safe and empowering space

• Turning down the dial—or turning it up with intention

• The importance of coaching, community, and embracing your whole self

• Inger Shaye Colzie's Website & Coaching Info (link to be added)

• ADHD Black Professionals Alliance: [Website or community link]

• Join the Embracing Intensity Community

Whether you're navigating ADHD yourself or supporting others who are, this episode offers compassion, clarity, and community. Inger's story is a reminder that it's never too late to rewrite the narrative—and that when we embrace our fire, we light the way for others.

🎧 Listen now and share with someone who needs to hear they are not broken—just unseen.

In this powerful episode of Embracing Intensity, I'm joined by the insightful and compassionate Fizzah Zaidi, a psychotherapist who specializes in working with neurodivergent individuals. We explore the complexities of executive functioning, and how understanding our brain's unique operating system can transform how we show up for ourselves and others.

Fizzah brings deep experience from her work with high-achieving neurodivergent clients in the tech, medical, and legal fields. Together, we discuss how neurodivergent brains often struggle not because they're broken, but because they're functioning differently—and those differences can also be sources of strength.

Fizzah Zaidi is a Chicago-based psychotherapist with a passion for working with neurodivergent adults. Her practice supports many twice-exceptional individuals in high-demand professions, and her work includes educating organizations on how to better support neurodiverse teams. Diagnosed with ADHD just before entering graduate school, she dove deep into understanding the brain and executive functioning through continuing education and real-world application.

• Why rest isn't always about being still—and how energizing activities can also be restorative.

• The link between executive dysfunction and rejection sensitivity.

• How big-picture thinkers can better support task initiation and follow-through.

• Understanding the role of the prefrontal cortex and limbic system in executive functioning.

• Why complex tasks might be easier than basic ones for some neurodivergent folks.

• The importance of personalized strategies over one-size-fits-all "fixes."

• Using self-regulation instead of self-control to support executive function.

• Shifting the mindset from "fixing" to understanding your operating system.

• Fizzah Zaidi's Website

• Join the Embracing Intensity Community

• Find Workbooks

• Embracing Intensity Guest Call Library

In this week's episode, Aurora sits down with Portland-based multidisciplinary artist and filmmaker Ilima Considine to explore how neurodivergence, art, music, and personal experience intersect to spark powerful creative expression. Ilima shares her journey through long COVID, chronic illness, and how she channels her intensity into film, empowering others in the process.

As Ilima prepares to premiere her second feature-length film, Drug Holiday, she talks about the themes of trauma, addiction, and radicalization—and how they resonate with creative and neurodivergent communities. This conversation dives deep into how one artist transforms challenges into bold storytelling.

Ilima Considine is best known as the frontwoman for the Sexbots and a multidisciplinary artist whose work spans music, visual art, and now film. After a severe bout of long COVID altered her career trajectory, Ilima dove headfirst into filmmaking, combining sound, visuals, and narrative to explore themes that are often hard to talk about—like grooming, neurodivergence, and societal trauma.

• How chronic illness and neurodivergence have shaped Ilima's creative process

• The story behind Drug Holiday, and how it reflects real-life struggles with trauma and radicalization

• The overlap between neurodivergent traits and the arts—and how Ilima fosters a safe space for collaborators

• Embracing intensity as a strength in both personal and professional life

• Why Portland became a haven for embracing eccentricity and creativity

• The value of harnessing hyperfocus and obsessive attention to detail

• Using film to bring light to dark topics in accessible, artistic ways

• Ilima's philosophy on directing: accommodating individual needs to help artists thrive

• Her own experiences with burnout, energy management, and the use of stimulants during film production

• Ilima's Website

• Check out her band: The Sexbots

• Watch Drug Holiday (Premiering Nov. 14th at Mission Theater, Portland)

• Join the Embracing Intensity Community

🎬 Whether you're an artist, a neurodivergent creative, or someone navigating chronic health challenges, Ilima's story is a powerful reminder that you can channel your fire into something deeply meaningful—and bring others along with you.