It is critically important that the therapist knows what ADHD is, understands the brain-based functions and nature of how to work with each persons individual presentations, and be able to differentiate a symptom of ADHD from an emotional or psychological symptom.

Struggling with the consequences of a lifetime of undiagnosed ADHD often leads adults to diagnoses of anxiety or depression.  In fact, what adult ADHD often looks like in the doctor’s, nurses or therapists office is anxiety and depression. 

The important question is, which came first? 

While these conditions can be present alongside ADHD (called ‘comorbidities’), they are more often a result of living a lifetime with undiagnosed ADHD, which can be quite demoralizing.  

Adhering to global treatment recommendations means including psychosocial interventions in your ADHD treatment. ADHD-Adapted Therapy for ADHD can be transformational because it both addresses the challenging emotions that were underpinning the anxiety and depression symptoms, as well as helps folks build new relational skills to confidently self-advocate and strengthen one’s relationships. 

Studies have shown ADHD-Adapted cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) and interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) to be effective forms of therapy to help support: