Written by Luisa Kos
Table of contents
Understanding ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)
ADHD, or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, is a common mental health condition that affects how people think, learn, and behave. It is often misunderstood and can present itself in different ways depending on the individual. People with ADHD may experience persistent symptoms, such as difficulty focusing, controlling impulses, or regulating their mood, and these symptoms can have a significant impact on both children and adults, especially in daily life.
It’s important to remember that ADHD is not a reflection of intelligence or ability. With the right treatment and support, individuals with ADHD can manage their symptoms and lead fulfilling lives. The Therapist Finder offers a range of ADHD services, connecting you with qualified therapists who can provide the support and therapy you need.
What is ADHD
- Maintaining attention on tasks
- Following instructions or completing projects
- Impulse control and emotional regulation
- Restlessness or excessive movement
- Forgetfulness and time management
ADHD Assessment - Getting An ADHD Diagnosis
If you suspect that you or a loved one may have ADHD, getting an accurate diagnosis is the first step toward receiving the appropriate mental health support. A diagnosis of ADHD is made based on a comprehensive evaluation of the individual’s medical history, a review of their symptoms, and sometimes, behavioural assessments. Diagnosing ADHD involves considering other mental health conditions that may share similar traits, such as mood disorders or oppositional defiant disorder. Here’s what you should know:
- The assessment process may involve a clinical interview to understand your medical history and personal experiences.
- Questionnaires and rating scales, often completed by the individual and caregivers, help gauge the severity of symptoms.
- Observing the individual’s behaviour in different environments may help highlight inattentive symptoms or impulsive symptoms that are key indicators of ADHD.
Once a diagnosis is made, treatment options, including behavioural interventions, can be explored to manage ADHD symptoms and improve quality of life. Early diagnosis is essential to ensure timely support and intervention, which can significantly improve an individual’s overall development.
Children & ADHD
Children with ADHD often face unique challenges, both at home and at school. They may struggle with following instructions, paying attention in class, and managing their impulses. These difficulties can lead to frustration, which may manifest as low self-esteem. It’s important for parents to seek early diagnosis, as behavioural interventions and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can significantly improve a child’s ability to manage their symptoms.
Parents should also consider enrolling their child in support groups to connect with other families facing similar challenges. ADHD support groups can offer helpful strategies and emotional support to both children and their families. These groups also encourage sharing experiences and resources, ensuring that children don’t have to navigate their mental health condition alone.
Adults & ADHD
ADHD doesn’t just affect children; it can persist into adulthood. Adults with ADHD may struggle with maintaining focus at work, managing time, or regulating their emotions, which can lead to feelings of inadequacy and poor self-esteem. Additionally, adults with ADHD may be more prone to sleep disorders, which can exacerbate symptoms. ADHD can also present with oppositional defiant disorder or conduct disorder, complicating its diagnosis and treatment.
Treatment for adults with ADHD often involves a combination of medication, therapy, and lifestyle adjustments. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is particularly effective in addressing mood disorders and helping individuals create structure and routine in their lives. These strategies, along with ongoing mental health support, can help adults with ADHD thrive in both their personal and professional lives.
Therapies For ADHD Symptoms
Therapy plays an important role in managing ADHD. It helps individuals develop the necessary skills to cope with inattentive symptoms, impulsivity, and restlessness. Behavioural interventions, such as CBT, can help individuals gain better control over their emotions and behaviours. Therapies can also address mood disorders that often accompany ADHD, such as anxiety or depression.
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is effective in helping individuals change negative thought patterns that affect their behaviour.
- Occupational therapy can provide sensory integration support and help with daily life tasks.
- Speech and language therapy is useful for individuals who struggle with communication and social skills.
By seeking appropriate therapy, individuals with ADHD can better manage their condition and lead more balanced lives.
Medication For ADHD
Medication is often a key component of ADHD treatment, particularly for individuals with moderate to severe symptoms. Stimulant medications are commonly prescribed to help manage impulsive symptoms and improve focus. However, it’s important to note that medication should always be used in combination with behavioural interventions, rather than as a sole treatment.
- Stimulants such as methylphenidate and lisdexamfetamine are effective in managing focus and impulse control.
- Non-stimulant medications, such as atomoxetine, are an option for individuals who experience side effects from stimulants.
- Medications for ADHD are often prescribed alongside treatment for co-occurring mental health conditions, such as mood disorders or anxiety.
Medication can be highly effective in managing ADHD symptoms, but it should always be carefully monitored by a healthcare provider to ensure its efficacy and minimise potential side effects.
Self-Help Strategies For ADHD
While therapy and medication are essential for treating ADHD, individuals can also benefit from self-help strategies. By creating structure and routines, individuals with ADHD can reduce the chaos that often leads to careless mistakes and impulsive behaviour. These strategies can empower individuals to take control of their symptoms and improve their daily functioning.
- Establishing consistent routines can help with time management and reduce forgetfulness.
- Using visual aids, such as planners or reminders, can support organisation and task completion.
- Practising mindfulness techniques, such as deep breathing, can help manage emotional regulation.
Implementing these strategies can complement professional treatment and improve quality of life for individuals with ADHD.
Get The Support You Need With The Therapist Finder
If you’re struggling with ADHD, don’t navigate this journey alone. The Therapist Finder connects you with experienced professionals who understand ADHD and are qualified to help. Whether you’re seeking therapy for yourself or your child, our directory offers a range of specialists who can provide tailored support. Explore therapists specialising in ADHD services in your area today and find the help you need to manage your symptoms and thrive.
Therapists who can help with ADHD
Stella Compton Dickinson
Award-winning Consultant Psychotherapist, Counsellor, and Music Therapist with over 20 years of clinical experience across NHS and private practice. She holds a PhD and is registered with three separate professional bodies — UKCP, BACP, and HCPC — and is an accredited Cognitive Analytic Therapist (CAT) through ACAT, placing her among the most credentialled practitioners in the UK. Based in Grange-over-Sands, Lancashire, Stella offers consultancy and therapy to individuals, professionals, and organisations across a wide area from Barrow-in-Furness to Carlisle. Her richly integrative approach combines psychotherapy, Cognitive Analytic Therapy, and music therapy — attending to both mind and body — and her 20-year NHS career has given her extensive expertise with complex and enduring presentations. She brings the same clinical rigour and depth to her private practice and is also an experienced supervisor and researcher.
Joseph Madden
I am a fully qualified psychodynamic psychotherapist, holding a master’s degree from The University of London. I am a registered member of the BACP and follow their ethical framework and professional standards. My training has also included studies in philosophy, neuroscience, psychology, and modules in clinical psychology at King’s College London, which help inform my approach to understanding how past experiences shape our present. I currently practice at The Couch – Psychological Therapies in Peckham, Hackney Therapy Centre, Consulting rooms in central London and am the Co-Founder of Men Connect – talking groups for men. Before opening my private practice, I trained in Clinical Psychology at King’s College London with Guy’s Hospital. I also spent over a decade working internationally in senior leadership roles. This gives me a lived understanding of the pressures faced by individuals, the visibility, responsibility, performance demands, and internal standards that often go unseen.
Camilla Ferraro
I can help if you are struggling with your relationship with food, your body, neurodivergence, identity, or the pressure to meet expectations that do not fit who you are. My background in nutrition and dietetics means I understand how personal, emotional and often political food and eating can be, but my work now is less about telling you what to do and more about understanding your story. I am interested in who you are, what has happened to you, and how you have learned to cope. I bring both professional training and lived experience of neurodivergence and past disordered eating, but I will never assume that makes me the expert on you. Our work together would be collaborative, thoughtful and respectful of your own experience, with room for honesty, repair and learning along the way.
Dr Jeremy Rowe
I am a Consultant Psychologist and Clinical Director of Ark Psychology Ltd. We provide assessment & diagnosis, therapy, coaching and consultation for a wide range of mental health and neurodivergent presentations, inc ADHD/ autism, depression, PTSD, anxiety, OCD, addictions. I specialize in the treatment of OCD. We offer ADHD coaching and comprehensive ADHD and autism assessments for children and adults
Matthew Jadavji
You might be navigating life as someone who’s always felt a little outside the mainstream, queer, neurodivergent, or both. Perhaps you’ve had a late ADHD or autism diagnosis and are trying to make sense of what that means for your identity and your history. Maybe you’re in a relationship structure that doesn’t fit the standard mould, or you’re exploring your gender and struggling to find a therapist who genuinely gets it rather than just tolerates it. I work with adults across the UK online, specialising in LGBTQ+ identities, ADHD, autism, and AuDHD. I understand the particular weight that comes with holding several marginalised identities at once, the minority stress, the intersecting pressures, the exhaustion of navigating a world not built with you in mind. I’m kink-aware and polyamory-friendly, and I work from a place of lived experience, not just professional training.
Lily Von Kalbach
I’m a UKCP-accredited therapist with an MA and Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy. I use integrative approaches in my practice, and can draw on creative techniques, such as dream work, IFS, meditation, archetypal psychology, shadow work, and visualisations to empower and heal the disquieted mind, body and spirit. Prior to being a therapist, I worked as an anthropologist, researcher, and in the creative arts. I have an affinity for working with clients who are deep thinkers, feel alienated in life, and have a rich, complex inner life that they would like to understand and learn how to integrate..
Sue Wilders
Hello, I am an experienced therapist (35yrs+) and would like to try to help you. Free introductory online call.
Claudia Behnke
I am a qualified couples counsellor and psychotherapist based in Westcliff-on-Sea (near Chalkwell Park), offering therapy in person and online via Zoom. I specialise in relationship counselling, attachment-based work, and relational patterns, helping couples and individuals improve communication, strengthen emotional connection, and navigate relationship challenges. My primary couples modality is Terry Real’s Relational Life Therapy (RLT), an evidence-based approach focused on accountability, emotional honesty, and building secure, respectful partnerships. I also have specialist experience working with codependency and love addiction, supporting clients to move out of unhealthy relational dynamics and develop healthier boundaries and self-worth. I work with a wide range of issues including relationship conflict, emotional disconnection, infidelity, trust issues, intimacy concerns, anxiety, self-esteem, identity transitions, and life stress. My practice is inclusive and affirming, welcoming clients of all genders, sexual orientations, relationship structures, and cultural backgrounds. My integrative approach draws on Relational Life Therapy (RLT), trauma-informed therapy (Janina Fisher), Psychodynamic therapy, Imago relationship therapy, and Transpersonal psychology, allowing sessions to be tailored to each client’s unique needs and goals.
Justin Lee
Easy to talk to, open minded humanistic therapist, with 10+yrs of experience working predominantly with clients sufferring with deep anxiety as they face life choices they don’t know how to process.
Jackie Golding
Welcome. If you’re reading this then I imagine something in your life feels too hard to face alone. Maybe it’s a difficult relationship? A stressful work life? Some painful family dynamics? Or perhaps you’re feeling overwhelmed by past events and patterns that seem to keep repeating themselves? Whatever you’re struggling with, therapy is a place to be fully heard, understood, and supported; where your inner world can be expressed without fear or shame. A safe space where you can make sense of what you feel including the emotions you have learned to suppress and the things you are carrying alone. Navigating your way through a difficult time on your own can feel daunting, but I can help you overcome your challenges with kindness and at a pace that feels comfortable for you. With empathy and a grounded presence, together we can explore what has happened, sift through the residual thoughts & feelings and then find a way forward that works for you. I work from a place of acceptance and compassionate understanding to help you restore balance and build a happier life experience through increased inner awareness and self-empowerment.
Is There Any ADHD Treatment?
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to treating ADHD. Each individual’s treatment plan should be personalised to meet their specific needs. In addition to therapy and medication, other forms of support may include lifestyle changes and involvement in support groups. For those with persistent symptoms, a combination of treatment options may be necessary to address the different aspects of ADHD.
Early intervention and treatment are essential to managing ADHD successfully. The right support, when provided early, can reduce the impact of ADHD on an individual’s life, allowing them to reach their full potential.
Supporting Children and Adults With ADHD
Supporting both children and adults with ADHD requires a holistic approach, considering all aspects of their mental health. This includes behavioural interventions, therapy, and lifestyle adjustments. By addressing not just the symptoms but also the underlying emotional challenges, individuals with ADHD can experience long-term improvements in their daily functioning.
For children, involving parents and caregivers in the treatment process can ensure that the strategies developed are implemented consistently at home. For adults, therapy and support groups can provide ongoing mental health support, helping them manage their symptoms in a way that fits with their lifestyle.
At The Therapist Finder, we can also help you find therapists who specialise in multiple disciplines – from ADHD & autism to anxiety and depression, getting the treatment you need has never been easier.
Need Help? Contact The Therapist Finder Now
If you or a loved one is struggling with ADHD, The Therapist Finder can help you connect with professionals who specialise in ADHD support. Browse our directory to find therapists who can provide the help and guidance you need. Reach out today and take the first step toward managing your ADHD symptoms and living a fulfilling life. Our dedicated team is here to support you every step of the way. Back to The Therapist Finder.