Choosing the Right ADHD Service

 
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Which ADHD Service Is Right for Me?

When someone first reaches out — especially after a recent diagnosis — it’s common to feel unsure about where to access support and which type of service will best meet your needs

Two of the most frequent questions I hear are:

  • “What’s the difference between ADHD life coaching and therapy?”

  • “And what is ADHD-adapted versus ADHD-focused therapy?”

The truth is, not everyone with ADHD will need counselling or psychotherapy. These services are most helpful if you’re looking to address an acute mental health or emotional issue, or support for persistent co-occurring conditions like anxiety or depression.

However, most people with ADHD can benefit from ADHD life coaching, which is practical, action-oriented, and focused on helping you create individualized strategies and systems that work for your unique brain wiring, allowing you to manage ADHD challenges over time.

At Healing Conversations, several options are available to clients: psychotherapy/counselling, ADHD life coaching, or a combination of psychotherapy and ADHD life coaching. Sometimes referred to as a hybrid approach.

I hope that this page — and the comparisons below — will help you feel clear and confident about your next steps.

ADHD-Adapted Counselling & Psychotherapy

  • What it is: Standard counselling or psychotherapy (CBT, DBT, EMDR, etc) that has been adapted to suit ADHD brain wiring, sensory needs, and executive function challenges.

  • How it’s different: The therapist changes how therapy is delivered, while still working within a therapeutic framework, so it is more accessible and usable for ADHDers.

  • Examples of some adaptations include:

    • Shorter, more structured sessions or check-ins between sessions.

    • Visual aids, reminders, or digital tools to help with memory.

    • Breaking tasks into smaller, concrete steps.

    • Allowing for movement, fidgeting, or changes in focus during the session.

  • Areas of focus may include:

    • Mental health concerns (ex, anxiety, depression, PTSD, etc.)

    • Emotional regulation

    • Relationship issues

    • Substance misuse/abuse

    • Grief

    • Processing past experiences

  • Best for: Clients who need mental health intervention and want the process tailored to how their ADHD brain works.

ADHD-Focused Counselling & Psychotherapy

  • What it is: Counselling or psychotherapy where ADHD itself — and its impact — is the central focus of therapy sessions.

  • How it’s different: Rather than simply adapting techniques, the work directly targets ADHD-related challenges and their ripple effects in life, relationships, work, and self-image.

  • Areas of focus may include:

    • Understanding ADHD brain wiring and how it might be impacting one’s life.

    • Addressing shame, self-esteem, and internalized ableism

    • Improving daily functioning alongside emotional well-being.

    • Addressing executive functioning challenges.

    • Coping with ADHD-related relationship issues

  • Best for: Clients who want to explore how ADHD shapes their life and develop emotional and behavioral strategies specifically for those impacts.

In Practice

  • ADHD-adapted - how therapy and counselling are delivered changes to match the client’s unique brain wiring.

    ADHD-focused - what the therapy talks about is centred on ADHD.

ADHD Life Coaching

  • What it is: A collaborative, goal-oriented process that helps clients create practical strategies that address everyday challenges associated with ADHD, develop individualized systems, and maintain accountability to reach personal or professional goals.

  • How it’s different: It’s not mental health treatment/intervention — it’s action-focused and future-oriented, built around strengths, motivation, and creating sustainable habits.

    ADHD Life Coaching is not about fixing the client, because they’re not broken. Nor is it about prescribing or telling them what they must do. It’s about guiding the client to find the solutions that work for them, given their unique brain wiring. The ADHD life coach sees the client as capable, creative, and resourceful — and with growing self-awareness, can discover the answers that work best for them.

  • Areas of focus may include:

    • Develop practical, personalized systems and strategies to address everyday challenges associated with ADHD.

    • Bring awareness to the foundation of ADHD management and steps to implementation

    • Address negative interpretation styles and patterns of belief about oneself.

    • Begin to understand behaviour through an ADHD lens rather than an ableist or neurotypical lens, recognizing that challenges often reflect differences in executive functioning, attention regulation, and motivation, not character flaws or lack of effort.

    • Develop a deeper understanding of their ADHD and how it shows up in their life.

    • Learning to work with your “interest-based” nervous system and unique brain wiring, rather than against it.

    • Identify and improve understanding of ADHD processing modalities (how we take in and process information) and personal challenges.

    • Helping clients identify their positive ADHD characteristics and appreciate their strengths.

    • Learning to turn your intention into action.

    • Developing executive functioning management systems and strategies.

    • Understanding the ADHD paradox and situation variability.

    • Strengthening and maintaining accountability and momentum.

    • The ADHD life coach shines a light on the strengths, passions, and inner qualities that the client has always carried within them. Once the client sees and trusts these abilities — and uses them intentionally — they can create success on their terms.

  • Best for: Clients who are ready to take action, want structure and tools, and aren’t looking for mental health therapy and are managing day-to-day life without acute mental health issues.

OTHER INTERVENTIONS USED

In addition to ADHD Life Coaching, I use evidence-based interventions thoughtfully adapted for individuals and couples navigating the challenges of ADHD. Some of the most common interventions are listed below.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for ADHD:

It is not traditional CBT. Rather than focusing primarily on eliminating symptoms by changing maladaptive thoughts and behaviours, this approach emphasizes developing practical skills and strategies to manage ADHD related challenges. At times, traditional CBT techniques are incorporated to address the negative or unhelpful thoughts and even the overly positive ones that may interfere with achieving client goals.

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) for ADHD:

DBT for ADHD is an evidence-informed and skills-based therapy. It keeps the same core DBT modules, but modifies them to match ADHD needs. Mindfulness may focus on building attention regulation and self-observation skills, and distress tolerance may include building tools for handling frustration, boredom, or setbacks without giving up or acting impulsively.

Mindfulness for ADHD

Mindfulness for ADHD can help individuals strengthen focus, emotional regulation and self-awareness. Short, practical exercises are introduced to make it easier to stay present and reduce the sense of overwhelm.

ADHD Coaching & Consulting For Couples

ADHD Focused Couple Counselling

 

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