What ADHD Looks Like in Adults

ADHD in adults often looks very different from the hyperactive child most people picture. Many adults (especially those who are high-achieving, highly sensitive, or perfectionistic) develop sophisticated coping strategies that can hide the real struggle underneath. They arrive at therapy exhausted, wondering why everything feels so much harder for them than it seems to for others.

COMMON EXPERIENCES IN ADULTS WITH ADHD INCLUDE:

• Chronic procrastination and task avoidance—even for things you genuinely want to do

• Difficulty with transitions, shifting focus, or "turning your brain off"

• Hyperfocus on interest-driven tasks while neglecting other responsibilities

• Chronic lateness, time blindness, and underestimating how long things take

• Overwhelm in cluttered environments or when facing multiple demands at once

• Difficulty with working memory — forgetting conversations, losing context mid-thought

• Impulsivity in spending, relationships, or decision-making

• Shame and low self-esteem from years of being labeled lazy, irresponsible, or "too much"

• Sleep difficulties — trouble winding down, inconsistent schedules

• Sensory sensitivities or difficulty tolerating boredom

For many people, particularly women, BIPOC individuals, and late-diagnosed adults, ADHD went unrecognized for decades. The masking required to "keep it together" is exhausting and often leads to anxiety, burnout, and a deep sense of inadequacy that does not belong to you. It belongs to a system that was not designed to see you.

ADHD & Co-Occurring Challenges

ADHD rarely travels alone. Many adults with ADHD also experience:

• Anxiety — often a result of years of struggling, masking, and overcompensating

• Depression — connected to chronic underachievement, shame, and exhaustion

• Trauma — childhood experiences of being misunderstood or disciplined for ADHD symptoms can be genuinely traumatic

• Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD) — intense emotional pain in response to perceived failure or criticism

• Burnout — from years of working twice as hard to appear "normal"

• Relationship difficulties — miscommunications, forgotten commitments, emotional intensity

Therapy can address ADHD and these co-occurring experiences together, rather than treating them in isolation.

Therapy for Adult ADHD

In our work together, we start by slowing down and making space for you to actually understand your brain, not just manage it. So much of what adults with ADHD carry is shame and self-blame. A significant part of this work involves externalizing the ADHD, separating who you are from how your brain works, and developing real compassion for yourself.

From there, we build practical, personalized strategies that work for your brain, not against it. I am not here to help you become neurotypical. I am here to help you build a life that honors how you actually function.

DEPENDING ON YOUR NEEDS, I MAY INTEGRATE:

• Internal Family Systems (IFS) / Parts Work — exploring the inner critic, the avoider, and the overwhelmed parts that drive ADHD-related patterns

• Somatic and nervous system regulation — helping your body find a window of tolerance so your brain can function

• EMDR — for processing underlying trauma, shame, or early experiences around school, relationships, or performance

• Psychoeducation — understanding the neuroscience of ADHD so you can stop blaming yourself

• Strengths-based approaches — identifying the gifts that often accompany an ADHD brain: creativity, passion, hyperfocus, big-picture thinking

• Attachment-based approaches — exploring how early relational experiences shaped your patterns and self-concept

TOGETHER, WE WORK ON:

• Understanding your unique ADHD presentation and how it shows up in daily life

• Healing the shame and internalized narratives from years of masking

• Building routines, systems, and strategies tailored to your brain — not someone else's

• Regulating emotions and navigating relationships more confidently

• Identifying and leveraging your strengths

• Creating a sustainable, values-aligned life that fits you

You have spent a long time trying to fit into a world not built for your brain. It is time to build something that actually works.