Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

One out of every 10 adult psychotherapy clients—or more—probably has attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). When psychotherapists miss the ADHD, treatment is frustrating and less effective. This book is for the general mental health professional who wishes to learn how to recognize, assess, and treat adult ADHD. Adults with ADHD are very different, developmentally and symptomatically, from children. ADHD affects adults of all races, gender identities, and backgrounds, and obvious hyperactivity is rarely part of the adult clinical picture. This book provides a full description of adult ADHD symptoms, based on the most current research, including executive functioning problems, emotional dysregulation, atypical reward sensitivity, and problems with time perception. Complete guidance to recognizing adult ADHD is provided, including behavior displayed during psychotherapy, developmental issues, educational challenges, and adaptive functioning problems. Depression, anxiety, self-image issues, and substance abuse are addressed, since these mental health problems are commonly associated with adult ADHD. Guidance is provided to help the mental health practitioner provide psychoeducation about cognitive differences in ADHD, which is essential for client self-acceptance and adaptive functioning. Common psychotherapy problems with ADHD clients are addressed, including chronic lateness to sessions, missed appointments, motivation problems, difficulties with homework, and tangentiality. The principles of cognitive-behavioral treatment of ADHD are provided, along with case examples to illustrate the implementation of these techniques. An overview of medications for ADHD is provided, including their benefits, contraindications, and side effects. Nontraditional treatments are reviewed for their effectiveness.Less

The treatment program outlined in this book is designed for use by a therapist who is familiar with cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). The program helps adult clients with ADHD learn skills to help them cope with their symptoms. Core modules on organizing and planning, reducing distractibility, and adaptive thinking are included, as is an optional module on reducing procrastination. An informational meeting can also be included with a spouse, partner, or family member. The guide concludes with a discussion of how to help the client handle slips and maintain the gains made in treatment. This revised version of the therapist guide incorporates many changes from the first edition, including an enhanced discussion of how to incorporate technology into the treatment and new “signposts of change” sections in each chapter.Less

This client workbook is an accompaniment to the therapist guide for the second edition of Mastering Your Adult ADHD. The treatment and manuals are designed for clients to complete with the help of a therapist who is familiar with cognitive-behavioral therapy. The program helps adult clients with ADHD learn skills to help them cope with their ADHD symptoms. Core modules on organizing and planning, reducing distractibility, and adaptive thinking are included, as is an optional session on reducing procrastination. The book also provides information regarding holding an informational meeting with a spouse, partner, or family member. The workbook concludes with a discussion of how the client can maintain the gains made in treatment. This revised version of the client workbook incorporates many changes from the first edition, including an enhanced discussion of how to incorporate technology into the treatment and revised worksheets.Less

Parenting any pre-schooler can be challenging, but when hyperactivity and impulsivity are extreme, parenting requires extraordinary effort and skill. Children who are hyperactive are at risk for developing emotional or behavioral disorders, and research suggests that helping parents to provide firm and consistent limits in a nurturing environment can significantly reduce hyperactivity and associated difficulties. Parenting Hyperactive Preschoolers provides therapists with a 14-week parent training and emotion socialization program that aims to help preschoolers who have symptoms of ADHD by teaching parents new ways of interacting with their children. This clinician's manual outlines each session and includes homework forms and handouts for parents and children. The treatment includes behavior management strategies and tips on emotion regulation, and the program is designed to be conducted in a group setting in 90 minute sessions, which also allows parents to receive support and input from each other, but can be easily adapted to sessions with individual parents.Less