Counselling clients with ADHD

Mary Lynn Trotter MSW RSW

• Clinical social worker

• EAP provider

• Parent of young child with ADHD

What is ADHD?

• Attention Deficit (Hyperactive) Disorder

• Mental health disorder

• Learning disability

Who has it?

• Children

• Teens

• Adults

How do they know?

• Red flags at school

• Performance issues at work

• Relationship issues everywhere

How is it diagnosed?

• Physician/specialist such as a pediatrician, psychiatrist

• Psychologist – school board, private, university

Treatment options

• First-line: medication

• Exercize – cardio

• Counselling/coaching

Traits

• Inattentive

• Distractible

• Impulsive

• Forgetful

More traits

• Disorganized

• Hyperactive

• Emotionally over-reactive

• Poor motivation

Impact on work

• Poor time management

• Doesn’t finish things

• Gets bored easily

More challenges at work

• Quits/gets fired

• Underemployed

• Can’t follow instructions

Strengths at work

• Often right-brained/creative

• Good at sales, crises, high energy, novelty

• Suited to self employment

Interpersonal issues

• Too talkative, scattered

• Resistant to authority

• Can have oppositional traits

Counselling ADHD’ers

• Short, regular meetings

• “Chunk” information into pieces

• Reminders of appointment times

• Help with accountability

Key issues to address

• Motivation

• Focus more on strengths, less on areas of challenge

• Commitment/perserverence

Supports that work

• Hire an ADHD coach

• Identify workplace

accommodations

• Recommend assistive devices

Ready for more?

Thank you!