Spark Launch: Neurodiversity Ignited

·S3 E12

Burnout & Balance: Reciprocity and Resilience in Healthcare w/ Katy Johnson

August 7
35 mins

Episode Description

Mike and Chaya sit down with Katy Johnson, a registered nurse and founder of Reciprocity KC, who brings vital wellness support directly to burned-out healthcare professionals. Katy opens up about her late-in-life ADHD and social-phobia diagnosis, unpacks the reality of compassion fatigue, and explains why prioritizing somatic release and self-compassion is the true first step toward healing.

We Also Cover:
  • Misidentifying adult ADHD symptoms as simple perfectionism and procrastination.
  • The grief and relief of a late-in-life diagnosis
  • Why mindfulness can be challenging for neurodivergent brains and how movement helps
  • The process of forgiving yourself for decades of negative internal dialogue.
  • Recognizing healthcare worker burnout and the grief and sadness that builds up without a release
  • Why hospitals aren't the place for healthcare workers to heal and the need for external wellness spaces
  • Why the female-dominated healthcare industry normalizes toxic levels of compassion fatigue
  • The unique challenges of launching a nonprofit organization while navigating ADHD
  • Making wellness spaces more inclusive, accessible, and less performative
Quotes:
  • "For years. I was going to my doctor, my therapist, saying, 'I used to be so productive... What is wrong with me? Why?'" — Katy Johnson
  • "I do think that the communities could do more for the healthcare providers. I know the hospitals can't do it. Their job is to save the patients, not to save their staff." — Katy Johnson
  • "If you don't feel good in the room, are you in the right room? Because for me, it wasn't the right room, and it's not about them being bad people. It's about me and where I was comfortable." — Katy Johnson
About Katy Johnson:

Katy Johnson, RN, MHL, is a former pediatric transplant nurse and the founder of Reciprocity KC, a nonprofit dedicated to helping healthcare professionals heal from the inside out. After spending more than a decade working in pediatric hematology, oncology, and transplant, she witnessed firsthand the devastating toll of compassion fatigue and chronic stress on those who give so much of themselves. At 38, Katy was late-diagnosed with ADHD and social phobia—and likely falls within the AuDHD spectrum—a discovery that profoundly shifted her approach to nervous system regulation, sensory needs, and authenticity.

Guided by the belief that you can’t pour from an empty cup and that caregivers deserve care too, she launched Reciprocity KC to offer donation-based yoga, breathwork, and mindfulness events for medical professionals in the Kansas City community. Today, Katy balances her nonprofit mission with a career in oncology biopharma, raising two kids, and continuing her own journey of growth through movement and self-discovery.

Connect with Katy Johnson:

Join the Waitlist for SPARKADE: Games for Children and Families Designed for ADHD Minds, by ADHD Minds
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Stay Connected:

Mike's Neurodivergent & Mental Health Peer Coaching-- Nab a Free Consultation:

As always, thanks for lending us your ears and keep igniting that spark!


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