ADHD is often misunderstood as something that only impacts attention, concentration, impulsivity and hyperactivity. In reality, it can affect many things including emotional regulation, energy levels, friendships and the experience of education or work.
For many people, these challenges can impact self-esteem and sense of identity, which can increase anxiety and contribute to low mood. Counselling can provide a supportive space to explore these traits and experiences at your own pace, whether you have a diagnosis, are waiting for an assessment, or are simply beginning to wonder how ADHD traits may relate to you.
Emotional regulation
People with ADHD often experience emotions intensely and may find it difficult to manage or express them. Many people with ADHD also experience Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria (RSD), which is an overwhelming emotional response to perceived rejection, criticism or failure.
Counselling offers a safe relationship in which all feelings are welcome. Counsellors are trained to handle big feelings, and want to understand what life is like for you.
Feeling understood and safe to express yourself can help with:
- Recognising and naming emotions more easily
- Identifying strategies to support emotional regulation
- Knowing how to ask for help from trusted people in your life outside the counselling relationship
Energy management
Whilst ADHD is often associated with hyperactivity, in reality energy management can be challenging when you have ADHD. Feeling mentally exhausted, struggling with motivation and finding it hard to have the energy to complete tasks can often be part of an ADHD profile. Support to understand how to manage your energy and how to rest can help with daily life.
Psychoeducation
Psychoeducation can be a helpful part of counselling for people with ADHD. This involves developing a deeper understanding of ADHD traits, including things that may not be within formal diagnostic criteria. This is done collaboratively to ensure it feels respectful and non-patronising.
ADHD presents differently for each person, so the aim of psychoeducation is to support you to identify your own individual profile of traits in order for you to understand yourself better.
There is a lot to learn about ADHD, so taking this at your own pace and having the chance to come back to things is important.
Psychoeducation can:
- Highlight strengths often associated with ADHD, such as creativity, empathy, divergent thinking, problem-solving and being good in a crisis
- Challenge negative beliefs such as “I’m not trying hard enough”
- Provide language to use to advocate for yourself
- For young people, whose brains are also developing due to the changes that happen in adolescence (the period of time between the ages of 12 and 25), understanding more about this can also be an important part of the psychoeducation work
A space for self-acceptance
Perhaps most importantly, counselling offers a place where you are valued for who you are. For those with ADHD, who may often feel misunderstood, this can be especially powerful.
Accepting our own strengths and differences and learning how to navigate the world using this understanding can be really important.
Final thoughts
Ensuring that ADHD traits, whether formally diagnosed or not, are considered in the counselling process is important to ensure the counsellor tailors support correctly. However, it is equally important to recognise and explore other things if you feel this would be helpful. Experiences such as anxiety, exam stress, trauma, bereavement, LGBTQ+ identities, and other significant life events are all valid and meaningful to bring into counselling. Counselling is just for you, where you can talk about whatever feels important. The most important thing is you feel understood, respected and accepted for who you are.