Adults with ADHD and/or autistic spectrum traits

This Training Video captures all the key learning points from our live seminar with Dr Phil Mollon on understanding adults with ADHD and/or autistic spectrum traits.

Traits of both ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and Autistic Spectrum are common, and often occur together. Many of those who seek help from psychotherapists experience such issues – but often neither they, nor their therapists, are aware of these brain-based conditions. Despite the misleading emphasis upon attention in the name, ADHD is essentially a disorder of impaired self-regulation, including affect regulation.

Associated with emotional instability, storms of affect, impulsivity, novelty-seeking, rage, panic, volatile relationships, and general chaos, ADHD is often a hidden core in ‘borderline’ or ‘emotionally unstable’ personality disorder. The person with such a neurobiologically-based condition has an enhanced need for Kohutian self-object responses from others, to help regulate his or her brain state – and will tend to experience, and express, rage when these needs are not met.

By contrast, a person with predominantly Autistic Spectrum traits will tend to experience the world of other people as overwhelming and disorganising, and so will tend to turn to non-human or inanimate objects and systems for soothing and affect-regulation. ADHD and Autistic Spectrum constellations are vivid examples of the interplay of the neurobiological, the psychodynamic, and the interpersonal – and, as such, are of intense interest to the psychotherapist.

In his one-day presentation renown author and psychotherapist Dr Phil Mollon considers the key characteristics and functions of both ADHD and Autistic traits in-depth, and considers how psychotherapy can helpfully (and unhelpfully) understand and respond to clients and patients who present with these characteristics.

Please note that the “handout” that Phil refers to in the video is in reference to a print out of the presentation slides, which were made available to the delegates who attended the live workshop. These slides are included in the video, but are not available for download.