As a person with ADHD, I understand what it is to want to do something, to try really really hard…and still miss the mark. Many of my clients are conventionally successful on the outside: they have jobs, families, friends, etc. But things still feel like they are fighting an uphill battle every day. Things that seem to come easily to other people feel extra hard, sometimes impossible, for my clients.
That’s where I come in. I take a two-pronged approach with my ADHD clients: skill building, and self-compassion. For skill-building, I work with my clients to identify things that are absolutely not working in their lives, and help them build an approach that “hacks” their neurotype and works for their actual brains. These solutions are often unconventional (like storing your toothbrush on your kitchen counter so you remember to brush your teeth), but the whole point is just to find something that works! Then, we work to increase self-compassion, to let go of the “should” that society places on us and simply accept that for us, some things are going to look different. And that’s okay. KC Davis from @domesticblisters uses the phrase “morally neutral,” and I absolutely love that phrase. Piles of laundry are morally neutral. Dishes in the sink are morally neutral. You deserve a space that is functional and works for your life, but everything else is just extra.
Adolescent ADHD
For adolescents, my approach is the same, but with an extra feature: parent coaching. Nobody hands you an instruction manual with your child when you bring them home. My goal is to help act as that “instruction manual.” Parenting a teenager is hard enough, let alone a teen with ADHD. I will help you understand your child’s brain, set up systems to keep them on track, coach them through tough moments, and generally reduce your family conflict.