Episode 204

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Published on:

23rd Aug 2025

Episode 204: From Therapy to Coaching: New Impact and Identity [featuring Priyanka Rao]

In this episode, Patrick Casale and Dr. Priyanka Rao talk about her journey from clinical work into the world of coaching, viral social media growth, and the permission to let your path evolve—especially as a late-diagnosed ADHDer.

Her authenticity, humor, and vulnerability about pivoting careers offers valuable insight for clinicians, entrepreneurs, and anyone feeling pressure to “stick to the plan.”

Here are 3 key takeaways:

  1. Prioritize Authenticity Over Perfection: Showing up as your real self is what builds trust and genuine connection—whether you’re creating content, leading a group, or sitting one-on-one with a client.
  2. Embrace the Pivot (without shame): It’s okay—and healthy—to follow what excites you, even if it means leaving behind something you once worked hard for. Letting go of “shoulds” and honoring your energy isn’t a failure; it’s necessary growth.
  3. Impact Can Look Different: Transitioning to new modalities or scaling back can create a ripple effect—from helping more people at once to empowering others through your story. Your reach and impact aren’t limited to direct client hours.

Whether you’re managing a private practice, exploring entrepreneurship, or redefining your role entirely, give yourself the grace to evolve. Your journey doesn’t need to be linear or “by the book”—especially if leaning into your strengths and interests allows you to thrive and serve others more fully.

More about Priyanka:

Dr. Priyanka Rao—also known as Pri—is a Licensed Psychologist, executive coach, and founder of Asha Mental Health and Asha Coaching & Consulting. She specializes in adult ADHD and autism assessments and supports late-diagnosed professionals and entrepreneurs in building lives that work with their brains, not against them. A late-diagnosed ADHDer herself, she brings both clinical expertise and lived experience to everything she does.

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Mentioned in this episode:

NeuroPreneur Circle Community

NeuroPreneur Circle is an online community built by and for neurodivergent entrepreneurs who want a supportive space to build a business, a space where they can show up as themselves and in whatever way feels most comfortable. NeuroPreneur Circle exists because community built on masking isn't really community. And business advice built for neurotypical brains isn't actually useful to us, no matter how many times we try to make it fit. Whatever your neurotype, whatever you're building, there's a space here for you. You've been creating alone long enough. Visit: https://atppod.com/community

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About the Podcast

The Neurodivergent Entrepreneur
Honest conversations about building a business while Neurodivergent, the self-doubt, the chaos, and everything in between.
The Neurodivergent Entrepreneur is a podcast for ADHD, Autistic, and all other neurodivergent entrepreneurs who are building businesses, creative work, and lives that actually fit how their brains work. Hosted by Patrick Casale, LCMHC, this show is for people who
want to create meaningful work, create outside of the box, grow their impact, and build something sustainable without losing themselves in the process.

Being a neurodivergent entrepreneur can feel like holding a lot of contradictions at once. You may have big ideas, deep passion, creative energy, and a strong desire to do things differently. You may also be navigating burnout, masking, self-doubt, perfectionism, rejection sensitivity, executive dysfunction, inconsistent energy, and the pressure to keep showing up when your capacity is already stretched. This podcast speaks to that reality honestly, because building a business around your brain, your values, and your lived experience can be powerful, complicated, messy, and deeply personal.

Patrick Casale is a chronically ill, AuDHD, mental health therapist, entrepreneur, TEDx speaker, event host, group practice owner, and neurodivergent business owner who has built, grown, burned out, pivoted, and kept going. His work brings together clinical insight, lived experience, business perspective, and real conversation about what it actually takes to create something that feels values aligned. His conversations are direct, compassionate, unfiltered, and practical, with room for both the emotional reality of entrepreneurship and the concrete decisions that shape a sustainable business.

New episodes drop every Wednesday and feature honest conversations with neurodivergent entrepreneurs, creators, therapists, business owners, and leaders. Together, Patrick and his guests explore entrepreneurship, identity, mental health, chronic health,
creativity, leadership, systems, money mindset, visibility, community, sustainable growth, and the behind-the-scenes reality of creating work that matters.

Build your dream business. Protect your capacity. Work with your brain instead of against it.