How Phoenix Made “No” a Care Tool, Not a Crime
In this episode, Angela talks with Phoenix Goodson about turning misdiagnosis into meaning — and how art, honesty, and community helped her rebuild life as an AuDHD woman.
In this meeting of The Late Diagnosis Club, Dr Angela Kingdon welcomes artist and illustrator Phoenix Goodson, whose journey through misdiagnosis, hospitalisation, and burnout eventually led to a powerful late diagnosis of autism and ADHD.
Together, they explore how Phoenix rebuilt her life through art, self-advocacy, and community — turning survival into creativity, and chaos into colour.
🎧 Listen to this episode:
🪑 Attendees
Chair: Dr Angela Kingdon — Author, community-builder, and Autistic advocate
Guest: Phoenix Goodson — Autistic/ADHD artist, illustrator, and memoirist from the UK
You: The Listener!
🗒️ Meeting Agenda
Opening remarks from the Chair
Member introduction: Phoenix’s 15-year road from misdiagnosis to discovery
Discussion: Healing, identity, and art as sanctuary
Key learnings from the meeting
Club announcements
🧾 Minutes from the Meeting
1️⃣ Opening Remarks
Angela welcomed attendees and introduced Phoenix as this week’s guest. Angela highlighted the importance of recognising misdiagnosis as a barrier to care and community connection.
2️⃣ Member Introduction: Phoenix’s Story
Phoenix shares her experience of 15 years of psychiatric misdiagnosis before discovering she is AuDHD. She reflects on how art, writing, and structure became essential tools for healing and communication.
3️⃣ Discussion Highlights
The impact of repeated misdiagnosis on self-worth and identity.
The role of creativity in rebuilding trust in oneself.
How community spaces can offer safety and validation for AuDHD adults.
The importance of accessible language when talking about neurodivergence.
4️⃣ Key Learnings
Misdiagnosis can delay self-understanding, but doesn’t erase it.
Creative practice supports emotional regulation and belonging.
Autistic and ADHD experiences often overlap — support needs to reflect that.
Late discovery can mark the beginning of self-trust, not the end of struggle.
📌 Notice Board
LDC Gallery
Into The Light — by Phoenix Goodson
A luminous, textural piece exploring self-discovery, resilience, and the transition from survival to creative freedom.
💷 Price: £895 — Foil and acrylic paint on canvas board, includes professional framing and UK postage. The painting is 30x40cm unframed.
For purchase or exhibition enquiries, don't hesitate to get in touch with Phoenix directly
📣 Club Announcements
🎧 The Late Diagnosis Club is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.
💬 Join our online meetups and community at latediagnosis.club.
📌 Check the LDC Notice Board for Member Contributions
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💌 Want To Be Our Next Guest?
If you’ve been nodding along and thinking, “That could be my story,” we want to hear from you.
We’re always looking for late-diagnosed or self-identified neurodivergent adults who are ready to share their story on The Late Diagnosis Club.
Tell us a little about yourself and your diagnosis journey here:
💜 Whether you’ve just realised you’re autistic, ADHD, dyslexic, or you’re still figuring it out — your story belongs here. We’ve saved you a seat.
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🎙️ Executive Producers
Amy Burns, Anamaria B Call, Andrew Banner, Anna Goodson, Ashley Apelzin, Audrea Volker, Ben Coulson, Brian Churcek, Cappy Hamper, Carley Biblin, Charlene Deva, Chloe Cross, Clay Duhigg, Clayton Oliver, Danny Dunn, Daria Brown, David Garrido, Emily Burgess, Eric Crane, Erik Stenerud, Fiona Baker, Grace Norman, Helen Shaddock, Jaimie Collins, Jason Killian, Jen Unruh, Jennifer Carpenter, Julia Tretter, Kathie Watson-Gray, Kenneth Knowles, Kira Cotter, Kristine Lang, Kyle Raney, Llew P Williams, Laura Alvarado, Laura De Vito, Laura Provonsha, Lily George, Nelly Darmi, Nigel Rogers, Rachel Miller, Tim Scott, Tyler Kunz, Victoria Steed, Yanina Wood.
🎧 Producers
AJ Knight, Bobby Simon, Da Kovac, Eleanor Collins, Emily Griffiths, Hannah Hughes, Jennifer Kemp, Jonas Fløde, Kate F, Katie N Benitez, Kendra Murphy, Lisa Dennys, Logan Wall, Louise Lomas, Melissa Nance, Nicola Owen, Rebecka Johansson, Sam Morris, Sarah Hannah Morris.