CBT for ADHD grew out of a passion for supporting ADHDers to feel better about themselves and their lives. As a late diagnosed ADHDer myself I had learned many ways to get my ADHD to work for me but I still struggled with many aspects of my life and to this day have to be mindful to work within my limits and in line with my values, the things that are truly important to me, like supporting other ADHDers. I am all too aware of the impact undiagnosed ADHD can have on mental wellbeing, often because of how others have repsonded to our behaviour. Coming from a strongly neurodivergent (ADHD, autism etc.) family as far as I was concern I was "normal" - which I was/am - within my family but I am not neurotypical (the majority of people - the non-ADHD, autistic etc). I had wondered why I had found it so hard to fit in and perform like those around me at work and in social situations. I tried therapy, which I enjoyed because it was interesting, but at times felt invalidating, triggering and frustrating - treatment for depression or anxiety never really hit the spot. Then one day I was asked "you do know you almost certainly have ADHD right?" and in true ADHD style I researched and ate up every bit of information on ADHD I could find, now I could see it, but was it true, did I really have ADHD? That's what boys have, and surely I would have been diagnosed by now and people would have noticed and told me because I work in mental health? Felling I had nothing to lose I made an appointment to see my GP - after talking with them and completing some forms they were happy to refer me for assessment. After a wait of several months I was given an appointment date. As it drew closer I started to feel very anxious that I would be laughed at, told I was being lazy and that I needed to "just try harder", everyone else manages - familiar?

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I was diagnosed with combined presentation ADHD two weeks before my 50th birthday and my life finally made sense. When I started medication, which I had not been keen to do, due to what I know appreciate as myths around addiction, I cried. For the first time in my life I could "see". My mind was not trying to do everything at once. I could walk away from a task and come back to it again. I didn't have to be hyper focused to clean the house (don't get me wrong tidying and de-cluttering is still an issue, but not one of my life's priorities). I was even less anxious. I realised then that I had relied on anxiety my whole life to motivate and direct me. Without it I had to learn new ways of "driving" my ADHD brain. As a fully qualified CBT therapist I used my skills and knowledge to build myself a toolkit. I have since helped many other ADHDers build their own toolkits, whether they have been diagnosed, self-identifying as ADHD, undiagnosed, on medication and not. I can help you to build yours too. But, even more than this, I can help you work through life experiences impacting your mental health and together we can break down the barriers to you living your best life.

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I am not neurotypical, I am neurodivergent, I am an ADHDer and I would never choose to be anything different. I use medication because it helps me, but medication alone is not effective. Alongside tailored CBT based techniques and strategies that work with my ADHD brain I am now able to live my life guided by the things that are genuinely important to me, maintain relationships with people who share my values, unmask and be my true self, living the life I want to live.

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I believe that to provide the highest quality therapy to ADHDers, and those around them, it helps to know how it feels to have ADHD. Whilst we all experience our ADHD differently, I am able to appreciate the challenges it brings for you and genuinely understand how hard it can be, but most importantly I know and appreciate the amazing strengths and personal qualities ADHDers have. I have discovered how to live my best life with my ADHD, together we can work with your ADHD and help you start to live your best life too!