Get more present more often

ADHD Therapy in Long Beach

Mindfulness and Cognitive Therapy for Adult ADHD in Long Beach and telehealth all over California

Does this sound familiar?

You might have ideas of goals for yourself, but keep getting stuck in the trenches of overwhelm.

    • “When I think about the things I need to do, I get so overwhelmed that nothing gets done.”

    • “I know what I should be doing, I just can’t get myself to do it.”

    • “I know what I need to do but I can’t figure out where the entry point is.”

    • “Sorry, what did you say? My mind is all over the place.”

    • “I started working on X, but then I started thinking about Y and got lost in a research hole and ended up not finishing.”

    • “I keep bouncing around from task to task, leaving several things half done.”

    • “All the sudden I got so sad, but when we started doing something else I kind of forgot about it.”

    • “I get annoyed and I snap before I even realize I was annoyed or even if I know it wasn’t anyone’s fault.”

    • “I get overwhelmed and get stuck scrolling and then I feel even worse.”

  • “Where the f*ck are my phone/keys/wallet?”

    “I forgot what I was saying again.”

    “What did they just tell me to do?”

    • “When my partner gives me feedback it spins me out for days or even weeks.”

    • “I sometimes snap when people are telling me what to do and I feel bad about it.”

    • “I can’t bring myself to apply for that job or invite that person to hang out because I’m so worried about how I’ll feel if they say no, so I don’t even bother.”

Even if the world isn’t set up for you, you can set up your world for you.

How cognitive mindfulness therapy for ADHD can help you

  • Have a space to learn and practice tools to cultivate a more focused mind

  • Shift your inner voice from a shamey guilt tripper to a supportive coach who understands you

  • Build a tool box that works for you unique brain

  • Cultivate a closer connection to what your body and emotions are telling you

  • Learn about how ADHD can show up and what can help

  • Heal the trauma associated with growing up neurodivergent in a neurotypical world

Methods

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

  • the most commonly recommended therapy approach for ADHD

  • helps us challenge unhelpful internalized messages about ourselves (i.e. “I’m just being lazy”)

  • helps us slow down with thoughts, evaluate them, and find new ways to move forward that feel more accurate and helpful

Mindfulness

  • helps improve focus, concentration, emotional regulation, and compassion for self and others

  • helps increase non-judgmental awareness of how our brains work and what our bodies are trying to tell us

Somatic Work

  • learn how to and practice being in your body to better understand your body’s cues

  • learn to more deeply understand what overwhelm, stuckness, or avoidance are telling us about what we need to move forward

  • learn to offer ourselves the support we need

ADHD Therapy FAQs

  • Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is considered a neurodevelopmental disorder of childhood that sometimes lasts into adulthood. This means that the symptoms are typically present in childhood in order to be diagnosed. It’s tends to be genetic, although there are environmental factors that can contribute as well. Find out more here.

  • You may have previously sought diagnosis after someone pointed out the symptoms to you or you might have come across some information about it and found yourself deeply relating to it. Some symptoms of ADHD, like executive dysfunction and emotional dysregulation, can show up in other cases, too, like following trauma, with depression or anxiety, or PTSD. It’s important to seek support from a mental health professional to untangle the differences and seek testing from a psychologist to receive a formal diagnosis.

  • Typically you can seek a formal diagnosis by finding a licensed psychologist (PsyD, PhD, or EdD) or psychiatrist (MD, DO) who conducts this type of testing. If a Google search in your area doesn’t turn anything up, you might also contact your insurance, current therapist, psychiatrist, or primary care doctor to seek a referral. The individual conducting the testing will typically discuss the results with you and recommend next steps.

  • After getting a diagnosis, we might have a period of big feelings - relief, sadness, anger it was never caught. Then we might be left with confusion - what do I do now? Should you be finding these symptoms impacting your life, you might seek support from a licensed mental health therapist or a coach that specializes in executive functioning coaching. Should you prefer a more DIY approach or therapy/coaching isn’t curently accessible to you, you might start with some research, reading, and podcasts to get you started. See my Resources page for some recommendations to get you going.

  • Some of the benefits of having a diagnosis include

    • having a direction to go in when seeking support (i.e. finding an ADHD focused therapist, community or Facebook groups, therapeutic or coaching groups, etc.)

    • having specific language that can help describe your experiences

    • access to accommodations or supports at school, university, or in the workplace

  • Nope - There are many reasons why someone might be experiencing executive dysfunctioning outside of ADHD, including depression, anxiety, or trauma. Therapy can help untangle the roots of these challenges and support you wherever you’re at.

  • It’s estimated that up to 50% of folks with ADHD will experience an anxiety disorder at some point in their lives. ADHD can sometimes present with anxiety about ADHD related symptoms (worries about being late, being too impulsive, not getting work done, etc). While anxiety might have different focuses or a broader focus.

    If you also struggle with anxiety, I often start off with working on the anxiety. For some folks, when we treat the anxiety symptoms, the executive dysfunction seems to go away. For others, it sticks around. Even if it sticks around, the anxiety work can help bolster your growth.