HerTism with Michele Paivahttps://www.spreaker.com/podcast/hertism-with-michele-paiva--7301819Autism gives us a diagnostic framework. HerTism explores what autism looks and feels like when it is lived by women.

Autistic women remain:
  • Underrepresented in research
  • Misunderstood in clinical and cultural conversations
  • and frequently overlooked because their lives do not resemble familiar autism stereotypes. 
Through research, personal reflection and honest conversation, I explore masking, identity, relationships, trauma, burnout, giftedness and the complex inner lives hidden beneath apparent competence.

I’m Michele Paiva, an autistic woman, therapist, writer and Certified Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinical Specialist. HerTism brings together professional insight, lived experience and the conversations autistic women have waited far too long to hear.

Free resources at www.HerTism.com]]>enMental Healthall rights reserved.https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/5856a6d894065bc3185bcd123b8d0b50.jpgHerTism with Michele Paivahttps://www.spreaker.com/podcast/hertism-with-michele-paiva--7301819Mon, 05 Oct 2026 10:15:34 +0000Michele PaivaMichele Paivamichele@hertism.comAutism gives us a diagnostic framework. HerTism explores what autism looks and feels like when it is lived by women. Autistic women remain: - Underrepresented in research - Misunderstood in clinical and cultural conversations - and frequently...Autism gives us a diagnostic framework. HerTism explores what autism looks and feels like when it is lived by women.

Autistic women remain:
  • Underrepresented in research
  • Misunderstood in clinical and cultural conversations
  • and frequently overlooked because their lives do not resemble familiar autism stereotypes. 
Through research, personal reflection and honest conversation, I explore masking, identity, relationships, trauma, burnout, giftedness and the complex inner lives hidden beneath apparent competence.

I’m Michele Paiva, an autistic woman, therapist, writer and Certified Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinical Specialist. HerTism brings together professional insight, lived experience and the conversations autistic women have waited far too long to hear.

Free resources at www.HerTism.com]]>false688a2c9e-c8b1-576a-a5af-52cd66a90f1cepisodicThe Autism, Empath and Trauma Overlap Part 2 of 2https://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-autism-empath-and-trauma-overlap-part-2-of-2--75403505
In Part Two, I talk about people pleasing, empathy, and the exhaustion that can follow years of adapting to other people’s expectations. I explore how some autistic women learn to monitor other people’s moods, prevent conflict, and appear fine in public while needing significant time to recover in private.

I also look at why feeling empathy and feeling responsible for someone else’s emotions are different experiences.We consider the relationship between masking, autistic burnout, identity, and the adapted self.

 If you’ve spent years being accommodating and capable but struggle to know what you want or need, I share questions that can help you notice when adaptation is happening and where you may want more choice.

Continue the conversation with HerTism
  • Free guide: “But You Don’t Look Autistic" Stand your ground without explaining yourself away.
  • Autism Welcome Kit 
  • Join the HerTism newsletter & Explore support groups, resources and services https://www.hertism.com


About Michele
Michele Paiva is an autistic woman, writer and Certified Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinical Specialist with three decades of professional experience.
Her work has been featured in Vogue, O, The Oprah Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, Men’s Health, USA Today and Yahoo Finance.
She has spoken for universities, medical and professional organizations, nonprofits and women’s organizations.

Please note: HerTism is provided for educational and informational purposes. The podcast and related content are not therapy, medical care or individualized professional advice, and participation does not establish a professional relationship. Guest perspectives are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Michele Paiva or HerTism.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/75403505Mon, 05 Oct 2026 10:00:03 +0000Michele PaivaCan autistic masking become so familiar that you begin to mistake it for your personality? In Part Two, I talk about people pleasing, empathy, and the exhaustion that can follow years of adapting to other people’s expectations. I explore how some...
In Part Two, I talk about people pleasing, empathy, and the exhaustion that can follow years of adapting to other people’s expectations. I explore how some autistic women learn to monitor other people’s moods, prevent conflict, and appear fine in public while needing significant time to recover in private.

I also look at why feeling empathy and feeling responsible for someone else’s emotions are different experiences.We consider the relationship between masking, autistic burnout, identity, and the adapted self.

 If you’ve spent years being accommodating and capable but struggle to know what you want or need, I share questions that can help you notice when adaptation is happening and where you may want more choice.

Continue the conversation with HerTism
  • Free guide: “But You Don’t Look Autistic" Stand your ground without explaining yourself away.
  • Autism Welcome Kit 
  • Join the HerTism newsletter & Explore support groups, resources and services https://www.hertism.com


About Michele
Michele Paiva is an autistic woman, writer and Certified Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinical Specialist with three decades of professional experience.
Her work has been featured in Vogue, O, The Oprah Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, Men’s Health, USA Today and Yahoo Finance.
She has spoken for universities, medical and professional organizations, nonprofits and women’s organizations.

Please note: HerTism is provided for educational and informational purposes. The podcast and related content are not therapy, medical care or individualized professional advice, and participation does not establish a professional relationship. Guest perspectives are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Michele Paiva or HerTism.]]>1686autism,autism_books,autism_podcast,autism_research,autistic,autistic_woman,autistic_women,empath_energy,empaths,energy_vampire,hertism,michele_paiva,people_pleasing,trauma_recovery,women_and_autismfalse13fullAutism, Empath and Trauma Overlap Part 1 of 2https://www.spreaker.com/episode/autism-empath-and-trauma-overlap-part-1-of-2--75403245
For many autistic women, these habits develop over years of navigating social expectations, particularly when their natural responses have been misunderstood.I explore why an interaction can appear to go beautifully while leaving you exhausted afterward.

If you’ve wondered why socializing takes so much preparation and recovery, or why you seem to become a slightly different person in different settings, this conversation offers a way to recognize those experiences as possible forms of autism masking.

Continue the conversation with HerTism
  • Free guide: “But You Don’t Look Autistic" Stand your ground without explaining yourself away.
  • Autism Welcome Kit 
  • Join the HerTism newsletter & Explore support groups, resources and services https://www.hertism.com


About Michele
Michele Paiva is an autistic woman, writer and Certified Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinical Specialist with three decades of professional experience.
Her work has been featured in Vogue, O, The Oprah Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, Men’s Health, USA Today and Yahoo Finance.
She has spoken for universities, medical and professional organizations, nonprofits and women’s organizations.

Please note: HerTism is provided for educational and informational purposes. The podcast and related content are not therapy, medical care or individualized professional advice, and participation does not establish a professional relationship. Guest perspectives are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Michele Paiva or HerTism.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/75403245Mon, 28 Sep 2026 10:00:04 +0000Michele PaivaIn Part One of this HerTism podcast episode, I talk about the less visible work behind social interactions: reading the room, mirroring someone else’s tone or energy, rehearsing conversations, and trying to be the easy, competent, helpful woman. For...
For many autistic women, these habits develop over years of navigating social expectations, particularly when their natural responses have been misunderstood.I explore why an interaction can appear to go beautifully while leaving you exhausted afterward.

If you’ve wondered why socializing takes so much preparation and recovery, or why you seem to become a slightly different person in different settings, this conversation offers a way to recognize those experiences as possible forms of autism masking.

Continue the conversation with HerTism
  • Free guide: “But You Don’t Look Autistic" Stand your ground without explaining yourself away.
  • Autism Welcome Kit 
  • Join the HerTism newsletter & Explore support groups, resources and services https://www.hertism.com


About Michele
Michele Paiva is an autistic woman, writer and Certified Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinical Specialist with three decades of professional experience.
Her work has been featured in Vogue, O, The Oprah Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, Men’s Health, USA Today and Yahoo Finance.
She has spoken for universities, medical and professional organizations, nonprofits and women’s organizations.

Please note: HerTism is provided for educational and informational purposes. The podcast and related content are not therapy, medical care or individualized professional advice, and participation does not establish a professional relationship. Guest perspectives are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Michele Paiva or HerTism.]]>1450autism,autism_masking,autism_research,autistic,autistic_female,autistic_woman,empaths,hertism,late-diagnosed_autism,michele_paiva,social_anxiety,social_skills,trauma_recovery,women_with_autismfalse12fullAutism and Traumahttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/autism-and-trauma--74775449Part One of my series Autism and Trauma explores this very real, lived experience.

Continue the conversation with HerTism
  • Free guide: “But You Don’t Look Autistic" Stand your ground without explaining yourself away.
  • Autism Welcome Kit 
  • Join the HerTism newsletter & Explore support groups, resources and services https://www.hertism.com


About Michele
Michele Paiva is an autistic woman, writer and Certified Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinical Specialist with three decades of professional experience.
Her work has been featured in Vogue, O, The Oprah Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, Men’s Health, USA Today and Yahoo Finance.
She has spoken for universities, medical and professional organizations, nonprofits and women’s organizations.

Please note: HerTism is provided for educational and informational purposes. The podcast and related content are not therapy, medical care or individualized professional advice, and participation does not establish a professional relationship. Guest perspectives are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Michele Paiva or HerTism.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74775449Tue, 01 Sep 2026 00:54:59 +0000Michele PaivaTrauma and autism often overlap but sometimes, women with autism begin to assume that their trauma is part of their autism or the other way around. Part One of my series Autism and Trauma explores this very real, lived experience.Part One of my series Autism and Trauma explores this very real, lived experience.

Continue the conversation with HerTism
  • Free guide: “But You Don’t Look Autistic" Stand your ground without explaining yourself away.
  • Autism Welcome Kit 
  • Join the HerTism newsletter & Explore support groups, resources and services https://www.hertism.com


About Michele
Michele Paiva is an autistic woman, writer and Certified Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinical Specialist with three decades of professional experience.
Her work has been featured in Vogue, O, The Oprah Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, Men’s Health, USA Today and Yahoo Finance.
She has spoken for universities, medical and professional organizations, nonprofits and women’s organizations.

Please note: HerTism is provided for educational and informational purposes. The podcast and related content are not therapy, medical care or individualized professional advice, and participation does not establish a professional relationship. Guest perspectives are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Michele Paiva or HerTism.]]>830autism,autism_and_trauma,autism_cptsd,autism_disorder,autism_ptsd,autism-research,autism_spectrum,autistic,hertism,michele_paiva,neglect_and_autism,trauma,trauma_recoveryfalse11fullHerTism Trailer and Introductionhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/hertism-trailer-and-introduction--74775435
Continue the conversation with HerTism
  • Free guide: “But You Don’t Look Autistic" Stand your ground without explaining yourself away.
  • Autism Welcome Kit 
  • Join the HerTism newsletter & Explore support groups, resources and services https://www.hertism.com


About Michele
Michele Paiva is an autistic woman, writer and Certified Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinical Specialist with three decades of professional experience.
Her work has been featured in Vogue, O, The Oprah Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, Men’s Health, USA Today and Yahoo Finance.
She has spoken for universities, medical and professional organizations, nonprofits and women’s organizations.

Please note: HerTism is provided for educational and informational purposes. The podcast and related content are not therapy, medical care or individualized professional advice, and participation does not establish a professional relationship. Guest perspectives are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Michele Paiva or HerTism.]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74775435Tue, 01 Sep 2026 00:49:43 +0000Michele PaivaAutism has predominately been male-centric. The purpose of HerTism is to change the conversation to include the female experience and voice, to autism and neurodivergence.
Continue the conversation with HerTism
  • Free guide: “But You Don’t Look Autistic" Stand your ground without explaining yourself away.
  • Autism Welcome Kit 
  • Join the HerTism newsletter & Explore support groups, resources and services https://www.hertism.com


About Michele
Michele Paiva is an autistic woman, writer and Certified Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinical Specialist with three decades of professional experience.
Her work has been featured in Vogue, O, The Oprah Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, Men’s Health, USA Today and Yahoo Finance.
She has spoken for universities, medical and professional organizations, nonprofits and women’s organizations.

Please note: HerTism is provided for educational and informational purposes. The podcast and related content are not therapy, medical care or individualized professional advice, and participation does not establish a professional relationship. Guest perspectives are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Michele Paiva or HerTism.]]>191asd,autism,autism_and_women,autism_podcast,autistic,late_diagnosis,podcast_for_autismfalse1trailer