You've always had to work twice as hard as everyone around you just to look like you're keeping up.

Therapy can help adults with ADHD by working on what medication can't address, including the frustration, self-criticism, and relationship strain that build up after years of struggling to keep up. It won't make ADHD go away, and it can make the symptoms feel more manageable as you understand how ADHD has shaped your work, your relationships, and how you see yourself. ADHD was the primary focus of my doctoral dissertation, and I see adults with ADHD in person at my Culver City office and by telehealth across California. A free 15 minute consultation is an easy way to find out whether working together makes sense.

Many adults do therapy alongside ADHD medication, because medication can help with focus while therapy works on the patterns, self-criticism, and relationship stress that medication doesn't change. A lot of the adults with ADHD I see have already tried medication by the time they reach out, and many find it helps them get through the workday while they still feel frustrated with themselves at home. I'm a psychologist, so I don't prescribe medication, and therapy fits well alongside care from the psychiatrist or physician who does.

In therapy for ADHD, you talk about where ADHD is making life harder right now, whether that's work, your partner, or your family, along with how it has shaped your history and the way you see yourself. That might mean a project that stalled, an argument about something you forgot, or comments from growing up that still affect how you talk to yourself. In our first session, I'll ask what's been going on and whether you've been in therapy before, including what helped and what didn't. The first few sessions are evaluative, which means I'm assessing whether I can help you and you should be evaluating me too.

ADHD can affect relationships when forgetting plans, zoning out during conversations, or leaving tasks unfinished starts to look like not caring, even when you care a lot. Partners often end up feeling ignored or like they're managing everything, and the person with ADHD ends up feeling criticized and defensive, which can turn small moments into the same argument over and over. In therapy, we look at the pattern you keep falling into and what's been keeping it going, so you can respond differently instead of defending yourself. I also see couples at my Culver City office if you and your partner want to work on it together.

It's normal to feel a mix of relief, grief, and frustration after an adult ADHD diagnosis, because a lot of your history suddenly makes sense while the day-to-day hasn't gotten any easier yet. Many adults find themselves looking back at the grades, jobs, or relationships that didn't work out and wondering how things might have gone with support earlier, and others feel angry about years of being told they weren't trying. Therapy gives you a place to make sense of those feelings and figure out what you want going forward, and many of the adults I see reach out soon after being diagnosed.