Why CBT for ADHD?

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition characterised by persistent struggles with inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. Medication can effectively treat core symptoms but does not empower people with skills to manage their day to day lived experience.

CBT is a short-term,goal-oriented form of psychotherapy that helps individuals identify and change unhelpful ways of thinking and behaving.  

Adult ADHD is often viewed as a problem with implementation rather than a deficit of skills. This is sometimes summarised as “I know what I need to do, I just don’t know if I’ll do it when I need to.”

In addition to consolidating and developing pre-existing skills and strengths, CBT will directly address this implementation problem by identifying the cognitive, emotional and behavioural barriers which prevent you following through with your intentions. You will learn to apply evidence based strategies to overcome these barriers. The “meta-skills” of implementation, or turning intentions into actions, can be applied to any specific areas where you might need support.

This might include coping with overwhelm by working on organisation and time management strategies, overcoming task paralysis or difficulties getting started, optimising your executive function skills to increase your experiences of mastery, working on sleep, restructuring unhelpful thoughts towards a more realistic perspective, developing more compassionate ways of relating to yourself or improving emotional regulation and ability to cope with perceived rejection.

CBT can help identify individualised strategies to support you in all these areas, but more importantly, it can help you put them into practice consistently.