Belonging in Your Own Body: Five Element Medicine & Late-Diagnosed Autism with Dr. Janice Campbell | Ep. 17
Tue Jan 27 2026
"Janice has always been a wish. From the moment she was born, she was a wish."
These are the words Dr. Janice Campbell's mother said when she learned about her daughter's autism diagnosis at age 50. That moment of being truly SEEN is what this episode is about.
Dr. Janice Campbell—doctor of acupuncture, Five Element practitioner, former theater stage manager, and late-diagnosed autistic woman—teaches us:
• Five Elements Explained: How Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water map your nervous system • The Christmas Party Game: Real-time nervous system regulation demonstration • "Chi Follows the Mind": Why body safety requires life belonging first • "Remember When It Was Easier?": Your nervous system's call for help • Autism + Menopause: Why you need BOTH hormonal AND nervous system support • Verbal Needles: How language shifts physical states • Aging as Adventure: Designing your elder self
For women who've spent decades feeling like a "turtle without their shell"—performing belonging instead of embodying it—this episode is your roadmap home.
Late-diagnosed autistic women in menopause, women who've been masking their whole lives, anyone whose body feels like foreign territory: You don't need to fix yourself. You need to remember you've always been a wish.
⏱️ TIMESTAMPS
[00:00] Cold Open: The "Wish" Story [03:00] Meet Dr. Janice Campbell [05:00] Theater Stage Manager to Acupuncturist Journey [10:00] Late-Diagnosed Autism at 50 [15:00] Five Element Medicine: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water [22:00] The Christmas Party Game (Nervous System Demo) [28:00] "Chi Follows the Mind": Energy & Belonging [33:00] Verbal Needles: Language as Medicine [38:00] Back-Body Awareness Practice [43:00] Autism & Menopause Intersection [48:00] "Remember When It Was Easier?" as Nervous System Signal [52:00] Nourish or Numb Segment [58:00] Designing Your Elder Self
Concepts Mentioned:
• Five Element Theory (Traditional Chinese Medicine) • Chi/Qi (life force energy) • Acupuncture meridians • Diagnostic interaction • Verbal needles • Back-body awareness
Resources & References
Connect with Dr. Janice Campbell:
• Website: http://www.drjanicecampbell.com • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-janice/ • Podcast: Once Upon A Moment • The Octopus Movement (Founding Member)
Dr. Stacey Denise: • Free Quiz: "What Kind of Menopause Burnout Are You?" → https://drstaceydenise.com/take-the-quiz • Instagram: @drstaceydenise • Newsletter: https://drstaceydenise.com/newsletter • Website: https://drstaceydenise.com
Podcast: The Nervous System Eats FirstHost: Dr. Stacey Denise | The Neuroaesthetic MDGuest: Dr. Janice Campbell | Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental MedicineEpisode: 17
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"Janice has always been a wish. From the moment she was born, she was a wish." These are the words Dr. Janice Campbell's mother said when she learned about her daughter's autism diagnosis at age 50. That moment of being truly SEEN is what this episode is about. Dr. Janice Campbell—doctor of acupuncture, Five Element practitioner, former theater stage manager, and late-diagnosed autistic woman—teaches us: • Five Elements Explained: How Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water map your nervous system • The Christmas Party Game: Real-time nervous system regulation demonstration • "Chi Follows the Mind": Why body safety requires life belonging first • "Remember When It Was Easier?": Your nervous system's call for help • Autism + Menopause: Why you need BOTH hormonal AND nervous system support • Verbal Needles: How language shifts physical states • Aging as Adventure: Designing your elder self For women who've spent decades feeling like a "turtle without their shell"—performing belonging instead of embodying it—this episode is your roadmap home. Late-diagnosed autistic women in menopause, women who've been masking their whole lives, anyone whose body feels like foreign territory: You don't need to fix yourself. You need to remember you've always been a wish. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS [00:00] Cold Open: The "Wish" Story [03:00] Meet Dr. Janice Campbell [05:00] Theater Stage Manager to Acupuncturist Journey [10:00] Late-Diagnosed Autism at 50 [15:00] Five Element Medicine: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water [22:00] The Christmas Party Game (Nervous System Demo) [28:00] "Chi Follows the Mind": Energy & Belonging [33:00] Verbal Needles: Language as Medicine [38:00] Back-Body Awareness Practice [43:00] Autism & Menopause Intersection [48:00] "Remember When It Was Easier?" as Nervous System Signal [52:00] Nourish or Numb Segment [58:00] Designing Your Elder Self Concepts Mentioned: • Five Element Theory (Traditional Chinese Medicine) • Chi/Qi (life force energy) • Acupuncture meridians • Diagnostic interaction • Verbal needles • Back-body awareness Resources & References Connect with Dr. Janice Campbell: • Website: http://www.drjanicecampbell.com • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-janice/ • Podcast: Once Upon A Moment • The Octopus Movement (Founding Member) Dr. Stacey Denise: • Free Quiz: "What Kind of Menopause Burnout Are You?" → https://drstaceydenise.com/take-the-quiz • Instagram: @drstaceydenise • Newsletter: https://drstaceydenise.com/newsletter • Website: https://drstaceydenise.com Podcast: The Nervous System Eats FirstHost: Dr. Stacey Denise | The Neuroaesthetic MDGuest: Dr. Janice Campbell | Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental MedicineEpisode: 17