ADHD-Aware Therapy for Adults
Not a different kind of therapy: the same evidence-based approaches, delivered with real attention to how ADHD can change what actually works in the room.
What "ADHD-Aware" Actually Means
This work is delivered by Farishta Jalal, Clinical Psychotherapist, EMDR Trauma Specialist and Certified ADHD Assessor. That background shapes how ADHD presentations are understood clinically, though it isn't a diagnostic assessment in itself.
This isn't a claim that conventional psychotherapy "doesn't work" for ADHD; it does, for many people. ADHD-aware therapy means paying real attention to differences that can affect how therapy lands, and adjusting accordingly, rather than assuming every client engages with sessions and between-session work in the same way.
Not everyone with ADHD experiences all of the difficulties below, and some experience them differently at different times. Assessment looks at what's actually true for you, not a checklist assumed from a diagnosis.
Differences ADHD-Aware Therapy May Account For
- Executive-function difficultiesPlanning, organisation, and initiating tasks, including starting therapeutic homework.
- Working memory demandsHolding multiple pieces of information from a session in mind afterwards.
- Attention regulationDifficulty sustaining focus, or the opposite: becoming intensely absorbed and losing track of time.
- Time perception and managementDifficulty estimating how long things take or connecting with future consequences.
- Emotional regulation and overwhelmEmotions that arrive quickly and intensely, and can be hard to bring back down.
- Motivation and reward sensitivityDifficulty engaging with tasks that don't feel immediately rewarding, regardless of their importance.
- Previous experience of criticismYears of being told to "try harder" can leave a strong expectation of failure or judgement.
- Shame and self-criticismA harsh internal voice, often more limiting than the ADHD traits themselves.
- Variable follow-throughInconsistent ability to implement strategies between sessions, even when motivated.
How Therapy May Be Adapted
Where relevant, adaptations might include clearer session structure, breaking goals into smaller and more concrete steps, written or visual summaries instead of relying on memory, realistic (not aspirational) between-session tasks, and treating difficulty implementing a strategy as information about executive-function barriers, not as evidence of low motivation. Self-compassion work is often part of this too, particularly where shame and self-criticism are prominent.
This is individualised. Not every client needs every adaptation, and some need things not listed here: assessment and ongoing collaboration determine what's actually useful for you.
The Approaches This Draws On
ADHD-aware therapy isn't a separate branded method: it draws on established, evidence-based approaches including CBT, ACT, behavioural strategies, compassion-focused principles, and psychoeducation, adapted with ADHD in mind rather than replaced by something proprietary.
Getting Started
Because this is a new pathway alongside the practice's EMDR work, ADHD-aware therapy currently starts with a conversation rather than a fixed-price booking. Get in touch to discuss what you're looking for. If trauma or EMDR also turn out to be relevant to your situation, that can be discussed as part of the same conversation.