You think differently than others. Why shouldn’t your therapy look different then?
Therapy For The ADHD Brain
Exclusively Online Therapy & Telehealth throughout Arizona, Florida, Massachusetts and Indiana.
You went on a tangent again in therapy and now the session is over however you didn’t get to say or do what you wanted because of the tangent you took your therapist on
People with ADHD are known for their tangents. While their brains are amazing and can make connections that most humans don’t there can be a very big negative - you can pull people off with you and end up somewhere you didn’t want to spend time at.
Wouldn’t it be nice if you could go on a tangent without being called back right away and invalidating what you were attempting to say? Wouldn’t you feel validated if you got to go on your tangent to explain things the way your brain processed something but still be brought back to address your initial need? And just think about the idea of not having to monitor yourself and just relaxing because you know that the therapist will make sure to let you speak your mind but never let you wander too far from what your goal is for that day.
This isn’t a fantasy - it can be a reality for you.
Feel validated, heard, and “normal” in therapy meant for an ADHD brain
According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIH), “attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is marked by an ongoing pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development” (para 1).
ADHD can have many faces and symptoms that present. Some ADHD symptoms may have been obvious when you were a child and others, particularly females, were not as easily seen. Some with ADHD are bouncing all around an unable to concentrate, others (or possibly the same ones) can focusing on things for hours losing track of time. Some have a difficulty focusing on what needs to get done and may have the information “go in one ear and out the other.”
There are many symptoms of ADHD and while people say that they have “ADHD symptoms” unless they have a clinically significant amount of symptoms and the symptoms are causing an issue in two or more areas of their life then they don’t have ADHD.
The media and people claim that there in an overabundance of ADHD however there is more research showing that several adults got missed in childhood. This could be because of the child’s gender and people ignoring them. Others may have not been diagnosed because of a stigma that made parents want to avoid an official diagnosis.
For adults and teens with ADHD, “normal” therapy can be hard to endure.
1st Degree of Change Therapy has molded our ADHD therapy style to engage clients in services, give them skills that they need, as well as support them with being authentic to their beautiful unique brain.
Schedule a free consultation today so we can talk about how things can change for you.
Let’s make change together
ADHD Therapy With Me Will Look Like:
Skill Building
ADHD with or without meds can create some pretty interesting patterns. Keys can be constantly lost, you can forget appointments, you sit and play video games or read for hours, etc. So knowing that habits can form we’ll work together to create new skills that will eventually turn into habits to help you be able to function where you want to be.
A Therapist Able To Wander Along
ADHD thoughts can sometimes take the scenic route. While people without ADHD may go straight from point A to point B a person with ADHD may go from point A to point C to point S to point Z to point K and finally to point B. It can be hard to have people follow you or for therapist to now be pulled off track by the many scenic stops you take. As an ADHD therapist I can go along your scenic route and make sure that we eventually get back to point B.
Sarcasm, Dark Humor & Work
“Sarcasm is my love language” is a quote I hear from clients frequently. And guess what? It’s mine too. When you’re dealing with the weight of the world it’s hard not to develop a dark humor or sarcasm. So let’s use it and have fun with it - therapy is hard enough without having to hide a part of yourself. We’ll have fun - but we’ll also work. It’s not always going to be easy but my goal is that everyone that I meet with will at least think it was work their time to come here.
Common Questions About ADHD Therapy
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No!
I work with multiple issues but specialize in anxiety and trauma. Both of which have affects on the brain that can present as what people lovingly refer to as “ADHD light” or “ADHD symptoms.” So whether you do or do not have ADHD you’re in the right spot.
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The great thing about online therapy is that you can do what you need to do to be able to do to concentrate. Sometimes people will bring fidget toys, other times they will be drawing, and other times they may be petting their animal - your options are limited only by your imagination. If it does become a problem we can work together to create some strategies around what to do in session to stay focused. However I will say because the therapy is geared around people with ADHD the sessions are more engaging and more dare I say… fun? than normal sessions so most people are ok.
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If you are interested in getting tested I can work with you to find a Doctor who can assess you and give you the diagnosis. While we do the therapeutic work to help you cope in a neurotypical world with your beautiful neurodivergent personality.
ADHD is one of the few diagnoses that has a specialized testing process.