5 ways to engage with therapy if you have ADHD

It’s not always easy to engage with therapy, and with ADHD there can be additional challenges. So whether you have ADHD or are wondering if you do, here are a few ways you can engage with therapy, that may help you work with your symptoms.

Disclaimer: This list is a presentation of tools to try, which you can use if they are helpful - but if they don’t feel good to you, don’t do them. Masking ADHD can be an uncomfortable experience, and this list is not built to help you present differently to others, but to give ideas to help you do what you want to.

Also, letting your focus run wild can be an interesting and useful way to explore. So you may want to unmask, wander around your brain and see what comes out. Therapy is a space for you to do what makes sense to you, and I’m here for it.

1. Setting out therapeutic goals or topics with your therapist

ADHD can bring trouble focusing, and sometimes it feels like you spend time talking about topics that don’t seem relevant. By working with your therapist to set out certain topics or goals, you can improve your focus and bring yourself back to the things that matter most to you.

So you may say to your therapist ‘I’d like to talk about my relationship with my parents, my stress at work, and my sleeping habits.’ This can help focus the work and keep you on track, especially if you check in every week about what you’re working on. 

1. Keeping notes

   
   

ADHD can have impacts on your ability to recall information. By keeping notes during your sessions, or by requesting your notes from your therapist, you can look back on the work and reflect during the week. This can also help your focus - you may notice key topics that you want to work on next week.

I've found this so useful when I am a client - I always take notes in my own sessions, so that I can journal later about the key themes I'm noticing in my thoughts and feelings. As a therapist, I take notes for each session, and my clients are always welcome to read these. Taking your own notes means you can capture what is meaningful to you. It could be scribbling some words, drawing diagrams or pictures, or recording a short voice note.

1. Therapist check ins

You can ask your therapist to help you keep focused, by regularly checking in when you’re going off topic. Sometimes the ‘off topic’ stuff can be very rich and relevant to your core issue! By checking in, you can notice whether you’re exploring relevant material, or whether you’re off track.

1. Playing background music

For some people with ADHD, playing certain types of background music can enhance their concentration, and quiet the additional things happening in their mind. People regularly talk about using white noise or classical music, but I’ve found that lo-fi works best for me, and for some of my clients. By playing around with different music, you may find a genre that works for you. Many therapists will let you play music in the session, and I certainly welcome it.

1. Fidgeting

ADHD can cause difficulties in emotional regulation, and can cause a lot of movement in the body. Fidget toys have become a common tool to help you move, self-soothe, and enhance focus. This means that they can fit well in your therapy session! You might try a few to find one that helps you. 

You may prefer to sit in certain ways, or to walk around the room while you talk. Fidgeting is welcome in my practice, as it’s important for you to feel comfortable and that you can be yourself. So give it a go, and see if it works for you!

I hope you’ve found this list useful. It’s great to try a few things in different contexts - conversations, home, coffee shops - to see what works for you. 

As ADHD literature develops, I am finding more and more tools to work with symptoms. By listening to the community, we can continue to enhance our knowledge and find specific tools that work for each client. 

If you’d like to work with me in an ADHD-friendly way, drop me a line or book a free intro at www.cosytherapy.com . If you’d like to find more ways to work with ADHD, have a look at How To ADHD on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/howtoadhd 

You’re welcome to email or call to discuss ways that I could accommodate your access needs, whether for ADHD or other needs. I’m always ready to research to help me accommodate you, so we can work out a plan together. Talk to me at cosytherapy@gmail.com or on 07835 986 178

Warmth and wishes,

April ✨🌈☀️