Having ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) isn’t always a plus or always a minus.  It’s more like being left-handed when most people in society are right-handed and most products are made for right hands.  We’re just a little different.  Everything can work fine, but others occasionally need to adjust to us and we constantly need to adjust.

By the way, when I say “we” and “us” I’m referring to the fact that I’m a counsellor who also happens to have ADHD.  Along with being a Canadian, a woman, and identifying as queer, it’s one part of my identity.  ADHD doesn’t determine what kind of lives we lead, but you and I probably have experienced similar peaks and valleys.  We’ve both felt the same changes of mood, the same urge to move quickly from this task to that task, and the same urge to pay attention to “little things” other people seem not to notice or care about.  As with other types of neurodivergence, life with ADHD can be both rewarding and vexing.

Whether you’ve been diagnosed with ADHD or you consider it the closest thing to describing your state of mind and how you’re wired, I can help.  You get to decide exactly what that help looks like: You’ll decide what kind of imprint ADHD should have on your life, and what your goals are.  I am simply here to help with the “how,” using research, personal experience, and occasional outside-the-box thinking to help get you there.

Why work with a counsellor who has ADHD, too?

You may be thinking, “I want help from someone who doesn’t have the same problems I do!”  Fair enough: everyone has different counsellors they click with.  But it’s worth realizing that most problems aren’t permanent or immutable.  I can help precisely because I’ve walked in your shoes.  As someone who has been a business owner, business coach, and yoga instructor, I’ve learned to adapt to the “hyper” factor and not be slowed down much by it.  You can do the same.

Without an understanding of how ADHD and other executive-functioning differences affect our day-to-day lives, we too often blame ourselves for things that aren’t our fault.  Too often we also fault ourselves when we’re not comfortable with things that are designed for people with brains organized a little differently from ours.  

If ADHD isn’t all bad, why seek counselling for it?

One word: balance.  You’re not trying to eradicate your ADHD, but certain aspects of it are creating genuine problems – perhaps at work, at school, among friends, or even when you’re by yourself.  You would like to keep those challenges as small as possible.

You may have noticed that I don’t list 14 different areas of practice here on my “bio” page: just this one.  Helping people navigate ADHD is why I’m here, and why I wanted to become a counsellor in the first place.

I can help you beat yourself up less, minimize the parts of ADHD that drive you crazy, and build on the parts of it that you consider strengths.

What to expect as we work together

Understanding and navigating your ADHD is a process.  There may not be one moment when everything falls into place (though sometimes that happens, too), but there will be signs that we’re “clicking” together and that our approach is working out for you.  Here are some of the moments or milestones you may experience:

• Start feeling heard and understood, perhaps for the first time.
• Get a safe environment in which you can be yourself and not need to keep your uniqueness under wraps.
• Learn more about ADHD and make more sense of why you do what you do, and why you do it the way you do it.
• Learn more about yourself and ADHD through metaphor and examples.
• Realize – or be reminded – that nothing is wrong with you.
• Start understanding your experiences as “normal” or normalized (i.e. therapy jargon for “it’s not your fault”)
• Identify your executive-functioning strengths and other strengths.
• Develop a genuine connection with a fellow traveler – someone who can lament with you and laugh with you about the same things.

Next step: a short, casual, complimentary discussion

If you’ve got ADHD and feel it’s time to strike a different balance – one that makes day-to-day life easier overall – we can schedule a complimentary ~20-minute chat about you and your goals.  I live in Guelph and am currently available for online therapy.  You can contact me today to schedule a time to talk.