Tony Mantor: Why Not Me ?

Victoria Lenormand: Cacao, Crystals, and Courage: Unconventional Autism Support

Victoria Lenormand · July 10, 2025

Author · Wellness · Life Coachin

Interview with Victoria Lenormand

Victoria Lenormand: Cacao, Crystals, and Courage: Unconventional Autism Support

Podcast: Tony Mantor: Why Not Me ?

July 10, 2025 · 26 min

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Victoria Lenormand: Cacao, Crystals, and Courage: Unconventional Autism Support

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Key topicsHome Education and the Myth of ‘One-Size-Fits-All’ LearningShe gently unpacks common fears about homeschooling, from socialization to exam pressure, and offers language for parents who sense their child is struggling but don’t yet have a name for it. From Burnout to Breakthrough: Reclaiming Your Life After a High-Pressure CareerThis isn’t a story of reinvention-it’s one of return. To alignment. To health. And to a life that fits. Advocating for Your Child (and Yourself) in Rigid InstitutionsFor anyone feeling like the system is too big to question, Victoria shows how small acts of resistance can lead to big relief. And how to hold your ground, without losing yourself in the fight. View all topics →

About Victoria Lenormand

Ex Police Detective, Author and Holistic Health Expert Reimagining Education, Health & Justice Through a Family Lens

28 years Police service & investigation2024 author The Magic of Not Fitting InReiki Master Holistic coaching credential3 specialist areas Wellness coaching, trauma-informed care and energy work

Victoria Lenormand is a former police detective turned holistic coach, Reiki master, and passionate advocate for alternative education and social justice. With a 28-year career in public service behind her, Victoria’s lens is both compassionate and sharp: she’s witnessed firsthand how institutions can sometimes fail those they claim to serve. Her journey took a transformative turn when her youngest son’s autism diagnosis revealed the flaws in rigid educational and medical systems. Choosing to home educate, she and her family embraced a life of flexibility, healing, and empowerment—living in a motorhome before settling in Scotland and exploring a more intuitive way of living. Her family’s transformation, sparked by a combination of diet, environment, and deep listening, revealed the healing power of choice and the cost of ignoring it.

Today, through Gemini Directions, Victoria now works with families and individuals who feel stuck inside systems not made for them. Her work draws on training in wellness coaching, trauma-informed care, and energy work—but more than anything, it’s shaped by real-world experience: managing crisis with calm, asking better questions, making space when the default is to push through. Victoria speaks to parents at breaking point, professionals navigating burnout, and educators or policymakers open to doing things differently.

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Victoria Lenormandshares her transformative journey from police officer to autism advocate after her son's diagnosis, revealing how unconventional choices led to unexpected healing and growth for her entire family.

• Former police officer whose life changed when her son was diagnosed with autism at age three • Faced impossible demands balancing work while trying to help her son fit into traditional school • Discovered during lockdown that her son thrived without school's constraints, rising from bottom to top of his class • Changed diet completely, eliminating trigger foods and focusing on gut health with remarkable results in six weeks • Traveled in a motorhome for three years providing experiential learning rather than traditional education • Explored natural anxiety management using high-quality cacao as an alternative to medication • Found that self-directed learning allowed her son to follow his interests while developing necessary skills • Documented their journey in her book "The Magic of Not Fitting In" available on Amazon and IngramSpark • Now coaches other families, sharing natural approaches to supporting neurodivergent children

If you're noticing issues with gut health or anxiety in your child, consider exploring natural approaches like dietary changes and cacao. Visit Victoria's website at geminidirections.co.uk for more information about her coaching and her book.

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Intro music: T. Wild Music: Mantor Music BMI

The content on Why Not Me: Embracing Autism amd Mental Health Worldwide, including discussions on mental health, autism, and related topics, is provided for informational and entertainment purposes only.

The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not reflect those of the podcast, its hosts, or affiliates.

Why Not Me is not a medical or mental health professional and does not endorse or verify the accuracy, efficacy, safety of any treatments, programs, or advice discussed.

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Guest: Victoria Lenormand