ADHD Services

The education, treatment and support of individuals with ADHD (attention deficit, hyperactivity disorder) and their families is a specialized area. This neurochemical condition affects almost every area of functioning and can range in severity from being somewhat inconvenient, to causing major issues in the lives of affected individuals and those they interact with, particularly in significant attachment relationships. Poor impulse control, characteristic of the disorder, negatively impacts executive function (planning, organizing, delegating, prioritizing, etc.), and it is not uncommon for people with ADHD to experience poor educational outcomes, job loss and the breakdown of important relationships in their lives. The co-occurrence of depression, anxiety and other mental health issues is many times higher for ADHD people, as is the rate of addiction.

 

  1. Individual Counselling/Coaching
    ADHD affects functioning in a number of areas and many individuals benefit from learning strategies to help them better manage work, relationship, educational and social situations. Organizing oneself, managing money, being on time, controlling verbal output, and initiating/completing tasks are just a few of the challenges that those with ADHD may face. Perhaps even more damaging, though, are the anxiety, depression and low self-esteem that often accompany the disorder. These emotional issues aggravate, and are aggravated by, the ADHD symptoms and are often unsuccessfully treated when professionals fail to identify the primary problem as ADHD. Medication can be helpful for some people, but adjusting the brain’s neurochemistry still leaves the individual with the task of addressing their psychological and functional challenges through self-management, sometimes with counselling/coaching support. As this disorder is present through the lifespan, many people have exhibited social-behavioural challenges that have, in turn, elicited negative reactions from teachers, parents, employers, co-workers, friends and intimate partners. The result is low self-esteem, lack of confidence and “fight or flight” anxiety. Counselling and coaching help people develop the strategies and skills to create success in their lives, while also changing the self-defeating cognitive-emotional habits.
  1. Parenting
    The primary behavioural feature of ADHD is oppositional or non-compliant behaviour. This is true of both children and adults, and is so prevalent that Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) is now imbedded in the ADHD diagnosis. This means that parents (and teachers, child care staff, coaches, etc.) must have the skills to respond to children who will often be distracted, failing to observe rules and refusing to follow directions. Unfortunately, most adults are not skilled in effective behavioural intervention, and so the ADHD child often ends up feeling judged, rejected, misunderstood and different than his peers. The resulting stress further impairs functioning and exacerbates the ADHD symptoms, resulting in anxiety, poor academic performance, emotional outbursts, inappropriate socialization and, ultimately, low self-esteem. Training in behavioural intervention and attachment building are imperative, in order to ensure that these children feel successful, valued and included.

Services

 

  • Individual Counselling/Coaching: Cognitive-behavioural strategies and skills building to establish functional strategies for success in school, work, leisure activities and relationships. Therapy to reduce negative self-talk/beliefs, address low self-esteem and increase self-confidence. $165/hr
  • Relationship Counselling: Counselling to build communication, problem-solving, de-escalation and other relationship enhancing behaviours. Education of both partners regarding ADHD characteristics (e.g., poor impulse control, emotional dysregulation, defensiveness and distractibility) that negatively impact relationships. Strategies to manage, and reduce the impact of the ADHD behaviours on the relationship. $200/hr

Workshops

ADHD Through the Lifespan

This workshop presents information on the neurology and developmental pathway of ADHD . Participants will develop an understanding of how the disorder manifests in childhood, including social, learning, emotional and behavioural issues. The special issues of ADHD in adolescence will be explored, with particular attention paid to addiction and other co-occurring disorders. The adult challenges of higher education, marriage, parenting and employment will be examined with, again, an emphasis on the co-occurring mental health issues. Treatment and intervention options will be presented.

 

Childhood  ADHD

This session focuses on the emotional behavioural issues of children with ADHD. Social issues, classroom behaviour, emotional problems and parenting challenges will be discussed and management strategies presented.

 

Adult ADHD

Adult ADHD may have even more serious consequences than the disorder in childhood. Failed marriages, poor academic performance in higher education, and problems with employment are often exacerbated by co-occurring depression, anxiety, low self-esteem and addictive behaviours. Intervention strategies will be presented, including self-management techniques.

This workshop is offered as follows:

  • 1 day workshop offered at your site/location
    • Cost: $1750 plus expenses

*The option of holding sessions at your site offers the benefits of convenience, reduced cost, and some flexibility with course content. The above prices are based upon services delivered in the lower mainland vicinity of British Columbia but ,upon request, pricing can be provided for delivering the program in your community.