Utopia with ADHD Girls

Karime “KK” Harris is a Business Psychologist and Executive Coach Director at Talking Talent. She is inspirational, motivational, energetic and leads with empathy. KK’s coaching experience has been in both the public and private sector, combined with her knowledge of psychology, has enabled her to have a deeper understanding of the complexity of people, which enables her to help her clients perform better at work.  One General Manager, of a multinational corporation, recently said, “KK is the unlock expert.” Her passion for DEI, and her thoughts around the necessity to be more inclusive in all areas of diversity, including Neurodiversity, have been featured in publications. She wasrecently interviewed by Trisha Goddard on London Live Talk Radio about KK’s experience of having a late ADHD diagnosis and the need for workplace awareness and support.  KK is from Los Angeles and lived in London for more that 15 years. She now resides in Horsham, West Sussex with her daughter and their 3 cats.  

About Utopia    

This interview is part of the Utopia campaign, a collaboration between ADHD Girls and Qbtech. By shedding light on the unique lived experiences of neurodivergent individuals, Utopia aims to create a broader, more universal understanding of what it’s like to experience life with ADHD.   

For those living with ADHD, their families, and clinicians alike, this interview offers a wealth of real, relatable stories.

When Sydney Dodini started noticing her ADHD symptoms as a young adult, she attributed them to lifestyle changes and a difficult course-load rather than a potential neurodevelopmental condition. As Sydney explains in this interview, the path toward diagnosis can be tricky. Avoiding the "stigma of self-diagnosis" while adapting to life changes like a new university can change the way we see our struggles.  Some people may see themselves in Sydney's story. In this interview, Sydney discusses experiences with procrastination and the "nearsightedness of the brain" that other people with ADHD have felt, as well as her journey to a diagnosis.

When Sydney Dodini was diagnosed with ADHD at age 19, she didn’t just gain new ways of improving her focus at university. With the help of her father, Dr. Aaron Dodini, and objective ADHD testing with QbTest, Sydney was also able to better understand her perfectionist tendencies, her struggles with anxiety, and the way neurodivergence can affect our daily lived experience. The ADHD diagnosis changed Sydney’s life, but it was only the beginning of a path that led to a new level of self-reflection.  In this powerful and heartfelt conversation, Sydney and Dr. Aaron Dodini give a refreshing and frank perspective on living with and treating ADHD. 

Both Dr. Hiew and Sydney Dodini were diagnosed with ADHD as adults. In this interview, they lend their perspective on creating their own productive, self-motivated lives while living with ADHD. Alongside Dr. Aaron Dodini’s years of experience treating neurodivergent patients, the conversation also encompasses personal anecdotes, reflections, and hope for the future of ADHD care.  For ADHDers, their families, and clinicians alike, this interview offers a wealth of real, relatable stories.

Do you know what Stress does to a Neurodivergent's brain and body? Why are we so susceptible to #burnout? What can we do about it?  This is an absolute GIFT from the Utopia campaign to all the high achieving NDs who are on a perpetual hamster wheel.  Bernadette Dancy PhD (Health coach) and me discussed why stress shows up so much in a neurodivergent's life and the ensuing burnout, gender differences and what it looks like in terms of biology and behaviour, sharing examples of impact of the stress culture on our work lives, and why some struggle to "come out” and unmask at work, and some stress management strategies. 

Ruth-Ellen spoke about raising her child on the autism spectrum as a neurodivergent herself, being dyslexic, dyspraxic, autistic, and having ADHD.  We discussed a broad range of topics from the perspective of Ruth-Ellen on being a divorcee & single parent raising a neurodivergent child, as well as her journey to becoming a meditation teacher, hypnotherapist, EFT practitioner which has helped her manage her hormones & emotional regulation.

Cecilia Fang talks about her upbringing and cross cultural perspective of neurodivergence, having moved from China to New Zealand at the age of 8. She touched on the Asian culture’s expectation on humility, a strong emphasis on education, and getting a good job, and how this led her to do her best to live up to that expectation. She was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 26 during the pandemic. Her diagnosis made her interested to learn about other conditions such as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and autism, and how these impact people’s professional lives.

A quick intro from Samantha Hiew, Director of ADHD Girls, about what you can expect from our podcast!