Therapy for ADHD
in Washington, DC
Does this sound familiar?
You procrastinate on tasks and usually understimate how long it will take.
You have difficulty with motivation, often needing the time pressure of a deadline to complete a task.
You have a hard time keeping your attention on one task and your mind wanders easily.
You often miss deadlines, forget assignments, and stay up late working.
These are symptoms of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and are executive functioning challenges.
Your intelligence and flexible teachers helped you get through school, even though you struggled with completing assignments. Now, in a more demanding setting, you are struggling to complete tasks.
Executive Functions
Executive functions are the mental skills that help a person plan, organize, and carry out goal-directed behavior. They allow individuals to start and maintain problem-solving efforts, think abstractly, and adapt their behavior when circumstances change.
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The ability to begin a task or activity without being prompted to do so.
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The capacity to make transitions, tolerate change, problem-solve flexibly, and switch attention from one topic to another.
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The ability to resist impulses and to stop one’s behavior at the appropriate time.
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The capacity to hold information in mind in order to complete a task, encode and store information, or generate goals.
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The degree to which an individual perceives themself as aware of the effect that their behavior has on others.
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The ability to keep track of one’s problem-solving success or failure, and to identify and correct mistakes during behaviors.
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The ability to set a goal and determine the best way to reach that goal, often through a series of steps.
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The ability to bring order to information and to appreciate main ideas or key concepts when learning or communicating information.
ADHD Diagnosis Process
A formal neuropsychological assessment is often recommended to determine whether ADHD is present and to clarify how your brain processes information. This comprehensive evaluation typically includes measures of intellectual functioning, academic skills, attention and executive functioning, as well as social, emotional, and neurological factors. A structured assessment can be especially helpful if you are seeking academic or workplace accommodations, considering stimulant medication, or looking for diagnostic clarity when symptoms overlap with anxiety, depression, or other conditions.
You do not need a formal diagnosis to begin addressing executive functioning challenges. Many people benefit from therapy focused on improving work functioning, emotional regulation, and social skills without undergoing comprehensive testing. Treatment can help you better understand your unique patterns, identify barriers to follow-through, and develop practical systems that support your goals. Whether or not you pursue formal evaluation, support is available.
Treatment Options for ADHD Symptoms
Therapy for ADHD focuses on understanding you as a whole person, including your strengths and vulnerabilities. You identify the specific barriers interfering with your work, while also addressing the emotional impact of ADHD, such as chronic overwhelm, frustration, shame, or self-doubt. Treatment integrates practical skill-building with deeper self-understanding, helping you develop systems that align with how your brain works.
Therapy
Medication management for ADHD focuses on reducing core symptoms such as inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity so that daily life feels more manageable and sustainable. When appropriate, medication can help improve focus, task initiation, and emotional regulation, making it easier to use the behavioral strategies you’re learning in therapy or coaching.
Medication
Executive functioning coaching focuses on strengthening the practical skills needed to plan, organize, initiate, and complete tasks effectively. Through structured, goal-oriented support, you work on time management, prioritization, breaking down complex projects, and creating systems that reduce overwhelm and increase follow-through. Coaching is action-focused and collaborative, helping you translate insight into consistent habits while building accountability and momentum.
Executing Functioning Coaching
I’m a therapist who specializes in helping people with ADHD and executive functioning challenges.
Therapy for ADHD Can Help You:
Learn information about ADHD
Implement strategies to compensate for executive functioning challenges
Manage emotional reactions to difficulties with attention and executive functioning
Decrease procrastination and avoidance cycles
Overcome barriers to concentration
Identify emotions and understand their usefulness
Improve self-esteem
Foster genuine and vulnerable relationships
Therapist Book Recommendations for ADHD
ADHD 2.0: New Science and Essential Strategies for Thriving with Distraction-from Childhood through Adulthood
by Edward M. Hallowell, M.D. and John J. Ratey, M.D.
Delivered from Distraction: Getting the Most out of Life with Attention Deficit Disorder
by Edward M. Hallowell, M.D. and John J. Ratey, M.D.
The Mindfulness Prescription for Adult ADHD: An 8-Step Program for Strengthening Attention, Managing Emotions, and Achieving Your Goals
by Lidia Zylowska, M.D.
Therapist-Recommended Online Resources for ADHD
Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD) is the leading U.S. non-profit organization providing education, advocacy, and support for individuals with ADHD and their families.
ADDitude is a digital publication that offers individuals with ADHD resources, webinars, advice, and treatment information.
Therapist Aid is an online resource for mental health professionals that offers information sheets, worksheets, educational videos, and interactive activities.
Therapy is a tool that can help you be more productive and feel better about yourself.
You deserve to thrive in your career, relationships, and passions.