As a therapist practising in Adelaide I’ve had the privilege of walking alongside many individuals navigating the complexities of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). If you’re reading this, perhaps you’ve been struggling with focus, emotional overwhelm, or a persistent sense that your brain works differently from those around you. I want you to know: you’re not alone, and there is genuine hope for meaningful change through therapy.

Recognising ADHD: Signs and Symptoms That Matter

ADHD manifests uniquely in each person, but certain patterns consistently emerge in my therapy room. Research identifies core symptom clusters involving inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity that impact daily functioning across multiple life domains (Faraone et al., 2021). However, I’ve learnt that textbook criteria often miss the lived experience of ADHD.

Inattention symptoms I commonly observe include difficulty sustaining attention during tasks, frequent careless mistakes despite best efforts, appearing not to listen during conversations, struggling to follow through on instructions, avoiding tasks requiring sustained mental effort, frequently losing important items, becoming easily distracted by external stimuli, and forgetfulness in daily activities.

Hyperactivity and impulsivity symptoms may present as fidgeting or squirming, difficulty remaining seated when expected, feeling internally restless, difficulty engaging in leisure activities quietly, talking excessively, blurting out answers before questions are completed, difficulty waiting one’s turn, and frequently interrupting others (Faraone et al., 2021).

What many people don’t realise is that ADHD in adults often looks different than childhood presentations. You might not be bouncing off walls, but you may experience chronic overwhelm, time blindness, emotional dysregulation, or exhausting yourself trying to appear “normal” which can be described as masking or trying to be neurotypical.

The Hidden Aspects: Stimming and Rejection Sensitivity

Two aspects of ADHD that deserve particular attention are stimming and rejection sensitivity—experiences that profoundly impact daily life yet remain underrecognised.

Stimming: Your Brain’s Self-Regulation Strategy

Stimming, or self-stimulatory behaviour, involves repetitive movements or sounds that help regulate sensory input and emotional states. While often associated with autism, stimming is remarkably common in ADHD (Kapp et al., 2019). In my practice, clients describe leg bouncing, pen clicking, hair twirling, skin picking, nail biting, humming, or finger tapping as unconscious attempts to manage understimulation or overwhelm.

From a trauma-informed perspective, I view stimming not as a problem to eliminate but as your nervous system’s adaptive response to dysregulation. Research suggests these behaviours serve important functions in managing arousal levels and can actually improve focus and emotional regulation (Kapp et al., 2019). Rather than suppressing these behaviours, we work together to understand their purpose and develop a compassionate relationship with your body’s natural regulatory mechanisms.

Rejection Sensitivity: The Emotional Amplifier

Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria, or more broadly, rejection sensitivity, represents one of the most painful yet overlooked aspects of ADHD. This involves experiencing intense emotional pain in response to perceived criticism, rejection, or failure (Dodson, 2022). You might find yourself catastrophising after minor social missteps, avoiding situations where you might disappoint others, or experiencing emotional reactions that feel disproportionate to the trigger.

Research demonstrates that individuals with ADHD show heightened sensitivity to negative feedback and social rejection compared to neurotypical peers (Meinzer et al., 2016). This isn’t weakness or oversensitivity—it’s a neurobiological difference in how your brain processes emotional information. In our therapeutic work, we honour this reality while building skills to navigate these intense experiences with greater ease.

Therapy for ADHD

You might wonder whether talking therapy can genuinely help with what feels like a biological brain difference. The scientific evidence is clear and encouraging.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy adapted for ADHD has demonstrated significant effectiveness in reducing ADHD symptoms and improving functioning in multiple randomised controlled trials (Knouse & Safren, 2010; Solanto et al., 2010). These approaches help you develop practical strategies for organisation, time management, and emotional regulation while addressing the negative thought patterns that often accompany years of ADHD-related struggles.

Mindfulness-based interventions have also shown promising results, with research indicating improvements in attention, executive function, and emotional regulation (Cairncross & Miller, 2020). In my practice, I’ve witnessed how cultivating present-moment awareness helps clients create space between impulse and action, reducing reactivity and increasing intentional choice.

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy skills, particularly those targeting emotional regulation and distress tolerance, have proven valuable for managing the emotional intensity that accompanies ADHD (Fleming et al., 2019). These evidence-based approaches provide concrete tools for navigating overwhelming emotions and improving interpersonal effectiveness.

A Trauma-Informed Lens: Understanding Your Whole Story

I approach ADHD through a trauma-informed framework because many clients carry wounds from years of being misunderstood, criticised, or labelled as “lazy,” “careless,” or “too much.” These experiences create secondary emotional pain that compounds the primary challenges of ADHD itself.

Trauma-informed practice means I recognise how past experiences shape your present struggles. Perhaps you developed hypervigilance around making mistakes after repeated criticism. Maybe you learnt to mask your natural ways of moving and thinking, creating exhausting internal tension. Understanding this context allows us to address not just ADHD symptoms but the relational and emotional injuries that have accumulated over time.

Research increasingly recognises the connection between ADHD and trauma, with studies showing higher rates of adverse childhood experiences amongst individuals with ADHD (Brown et al., 2017). This doesn’t mean ADHD is caused by trauma, but trauma can exacerbate symptoms and create additional barriers to wellbeing. By creating a safe, non-judgmental therapeutic space, we can process these experiences while building new neural pathways towards self-compassion and effective coping.

What Therapy Looks Like in My Goodwood Practice

When you walk into my Adelaide office, you’ll find a space designed for comfort and authenticity. ADHD brains often thrive with novelty and engagement, so our sessions blend conversation, practical skill-building, creative exploration, and body-based approaches as fits your needs.

We might work on executive function strategies one week, process painful memories of rejection another, practise mindfulness techniques, or simply create space for you to be understood without judgement. Therapy isn’t one-size-fits-all, and your ADHD brain deserves an approach as unique as you are.

I recognise that traditional therapy formats—sitting still for 50 minutes, remembering appointments, following through on homework—can themselves feel ADHD-unfriendly. We’ll collaboratively adapt our work to honour your neurological reality, whether that means movement during sessions, flexible scheduling, or creative alternatives to traditional “homework.”

Moving Forward: Your Next Steps

If you recognise yourself in these descriptions, I encourage you to reach out. ADHD responds well to integrated treatment approaches, and psychotherapy offers a space to understand yourself more deeply, heal old wounds, develop practical skills, and build a life that works with your brain rather than against it.

Living with ADHD in our neurotypical world presents genuine challenges, but it also brings gifts: creativity, hyperfocus on passions, emotional depth, spontaneity, and unique problem-solving abilities. Therapy helps you navigate the difficulties while honouring the strengths that make you who you are.

You don’t need to have everything figured out before reaching out. You don’t need to be “sick enough” or “struggling enough” to deserve support. If you’re curious about whether counselling might help, that curiosity itself is enough reason to explore.

I’m here in Goodwood, Adelaide, ready to support your journey towards greater understanding, self-compassion, and wellbeing. Your ADHD brain isn’t broken—it’s simply wired differently. Together, we can build a life that celebrates that difference while creating the support structures you need to thrive.

References

Brown, N. M., Brown, S. N., Briggs, R. D., Germán, M., Belamarich, P. F., & Oyeku, S. O. (2017). Associations between adverse childhood experiences and ADHD diagnosis and severity. Academic Pediatrics, 17(4), 349-355. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acap.2016.08.013

Cairncross, M., & Miller, C. J. (2020). The effectiveness of mindfulness-based therapies for ADHD: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Attention Disorders, 24(5), 627-643. https://doi.org/10.1177/1087054715625301

Dodson, W. (2022). Rejection sensitive dysphoria. In T. E. Brown (Ed.), ADHD report (Vol. 30, pp. 1-8). Guilford Press.

Faraone, S. V., Banaschewski, T., Coghill, D., Zheng, Y., Biederman, J., Bellgrove, M. A., Newcorn, J. H., Gignac, M., Al Saud, N. M., Manor, I., Rohde, L. A., Yang, L., Cortese, S., Almagor, D., Stein, M. A., Albatti, T. H., Aljoudi, H. F., Alqahtani, M. M. J., Asherson, P., … Wang, Y. (2021). The World Federation of ADHD International Consensus Statement: 208 evidence-based conclusions about the disorder. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 128, 789-818. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.01.022

Fleming, A. P., McMahon, R. J., Moran, L. R., Peterson, A. P., & Dreessen, A. (2019). Pilot randomised controlled trial of dialectical behaviour therapy group skills training for ADHD amongst college students. Journal of Attention Disorders, 23(3), 270-281. https://doi.org/10.1177/1087054714535951

Kapp, S. K., Steward, R., Crane, L., Elliott, D., Elphick, C., Pellicano, E., & Russell, G. (2019). ‘People should be allowed to do what they like’: Autistic adults’ views and experiences of stimming. Autism, 23(7), 1782-1792. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361319829628

Knouse, L. E., & Safren, S. A. (2010). Current status of cognitive behavioural therapy for adult attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 33(3), 497-509. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psc.2010.04.001

Meinzer, M. C., Hartley, C. M., Hooley, J. M., Pettit, J. W., & Chronis-Tuscano, A. (2016). Responses to negative affect by adults with ADHD: An exploration using ecological momentary assessment. ADHD Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorders, 8(4), 219-229. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12402-016-0204-x

Solanto, M. V., Marks, D. J., Wasserstein, J., Mitchell, K., Abikoff, H., Alvir, J. M., & Kofman, M. D. (2010). Efficacy of meta-cognitive therapy for adult ADHD. American Journal of Psychiatry, 167(8), 958-968. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2009.09081123

Medical and Mental Health Disclaimer: This content is provided for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical or mental health advice. It is not intended to replace professional mental health care from qualified healthcare providers. If you have concerns please consult with a credentialed mental health professional, such as me, and schedule an intake session, or seek care from other qualified healthcare providers.

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