This comprehensive workshop will provide counsellors and psychotherapists with essential knowledge and skills to work effectively with ADHD clients. It will cover the fundamental concepts of ADHD, practical therapeutic strategies, and techniques to support ADHD individuals in therapy.

The day will cover:

1. An Introduction to ADHD
2. The ADHD Treatment Pyramid
3. Sensory Awareness
4. Beliefs about Self and the World
5. Managing Emotional Overload
6. Managing Everyday Struggles
7. Procrastination, Masking and Shame
8. Revisiting the ADHD Treatment Pyramid

At the end of this workshop therapists can expect to better understand how to recognise and support neurodivergent clients effectively, adapt therapeutic approaches to accommodate neurodiverse needs, and develop strategies to help manage sensory, emotional, and executive functioning challenges. This workshop will help therapists to create a neurodivergent-affirming therapy space. A resources list is provided at the end of the video.

The post Understanding and Working with ADHD in Psychotherapy first appeared on Therapy Education Online.

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.

Testimonials:

“I found it very thorough in theory and feel better equipped to help clients with Autism and ADHD.”

“Reached beyond my expectations. Phil was very thorough.”

“Great sensitivity and insight, combined with specific knowledge, displayed by Dr Mollon.”

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.

The post Adults with ADHD and/or autistic spectrum traits first appeared on Therapy Education Online.