Virtual Therapy
ADHD Counselling
From Chaos to Clarity
Adults, especially females, are frequently surprised to learn they have Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). It is often not until their children are diagnosed that they begin to make a connection to their own lived experiences.
Though this realization can feel overwhelming, it can also come with a sense of relief, recognizing that many traits that were previously internalized and attributed to laziness or poor self-control are actually a result of ADHD and its impact on executive functioning.
In ADHD, impaired executive functioning can make tasks requiring planning, organization, time management, and impulse control particularly challenging. This impacts daily functioning, work performance, and relationships.
Occupational therapists (OTs) excel in treating
adult ADHD due to their deep understanding of how executive functions impact daily life
alongside sensory, environmental,
emotional, and social factors!
Core Domains OTs
Assist Those with ADHD
Day-to-Day Functioning
Counselling with an occupational therapist involves addressing functional impairments associated with ADHD. This may include strategies to improve executive functioning skills, time management, organization, and self-regulation abilities. Through counselling sessions, individuals learn practical techniques to navigate daily tasks and responsibilities more effectively.
Social Skills Development
Counselling sessions with OTs often incorporate social skills training to address challenges in interpersonal relationships and social interactions. OTs support adults with ADHD to learn effective communication, problem-solving, and conflict resolution skills. By improving social skills, individuals can build stronger relationships and navigate social situations more successfully.
Emotional Regulation
Many individuals with ADHD experience difficulties with emotional regulation, including impulsivity, mood swings, and frustration tolerance. Occupational therapists provide counseling interventions aimed at enhancing emotional awareness, coping skills, and stress management techniques. By addressing emotional regulation, OTs help individuals with ADHD better manage their emotions and reduce the impact of emotional dysregulation on daily functioning.
Education
OTs help you to understand the nature of ADHD, including its neurobiological basis, common symptoms, and potential impact on daily functioning. How to communicate your needs to family members and employers can also be explored to ensure your needs are uniquely met in a variety of environments.
Sensory Regulation
Many individuals with ADHD experience sensory processing difficulties, such as sensory overload or seeking behaviours. OTs are trained in sensory integration techniques, which involve activities designed to regulate sensory input and improve attention, focus, and self-regulation in individuals with ADHD.
Adaptive Aids
From fidgets, to headphones to utilizing timers, OTs are uniquely positioned to prescribe equipment and discuss how modifications to one's environment can impact the severity of one's symptoms.
Do I Really Need Therapy?
Everyone chooses to come to therapy for different reasons.
You do not need a clinical diagnosis to "need" therapy.
Mental Health America offers a free ADHD screen to help determine the number of inattention and hyperactivity symptoms you experience
Whether or not the results suggest further ADHD testing, if you are feeling impacted by these symptoms and wanting guidance on how to better manage them on your own, it is worth it to connect with an occupational therapist
If you are curious whether or not how
you've been feeling in general falls within normal ranges,
you can visit BC's "Here to Help" Online Screening Page
which allows you to answer questions around mood, anxiety and substance use and to share your results with a practitioner.
If you want to talk about your results or have general concerns and want to learn more about how occupational therapy can help, reach out to schedule a free phone call.
What's the difference between an occupational therapist and a psychologist?
Occupational therapists and psychologists are both regulated mental health professionals in Alberta for which private health insurance often covers.
Both offer screening, assessments, and therapeutic interventions, however, an occupational therapist does not provide a formal diagnosis.
While a diagnosis can provide certain insights, an individual is always treated as just that.
Occupational therapists often have a heavier focus on utilizing activity breakdown and goal setting as strategies to promote an individuals re-engagement in day-to-day functioning.
Occupational therapists can also be more often found supporting individuals with their goals in the community e.g., for exposure therapy.
Ultimately, while both occupational therapists and psychologists may have training in CBT, DBT, MBSR, ACT, IFS and other therapeutic interventions, each is unique in the approach they take to assisting their clients which is why it's often best to reach out to a few different therapists to see who you connect best with.
Where and who do we offer online therapy to?
Any Alberta resident living in: Calgary, Airdrie, Okotoks, Cochrane, Chestermere, Strathmore, Canmore, Banff, Red Deer, Lethbridge, Fort McMurray, Medicine Hat, Grand Prarie, Spruce Grove, Leduc, Lloydminster, Fort Saskatchewan, Beaumont, Camrose, Stony Plain, Sylvan Lake, Brooks, High River, Lacombe, Wetaskiwin, Morinville, Blackfalds, Whitecourt, Hinton, Olds, Taber, Coaldale, Edson, Grand Centre, Cold Lake, Ponoka, Innisfail, Drayton Valley, Devon, Slave Lake, Rocky Mountain House, Drumheller, Wainwright, Bonnyville, St. Paul, Stettler, Redcliff, Vegreville, Langdon, Didsbury, Westlock, Peace River, Barhead, Jasper, Raymond, Carstairs, Crossfield, Vermillion, Cardston, Pincher Creek, High Level, Claresholm, Penhold, Fort Macleod, Grande Cache, Gibbons, La Crète, Three Hills, Coalhurst, Clairmont, Black Diamond, Turner Valley, Diamond Valley, Grimshaw, Fairview, Magrath, Sexsmith, Rimbey, Beaverlodge, Hanna, Lac la Biche, High Prarie, Westlake, Nanton, Heritage Pointe, Calmar, Millet, Provost, Bow Island, Tofield, Picture Butte, Redwater, Sundre, Vulcan, Springbrook, Blairmore, Bon Accord, Coleman, Nobleford, Wembley, Fox Creek, Elk Point, Two Hills, Lamont, Vauxhall, Valleyview, Bowden, Lancaster Park, Swan Hills, Bassano, Athabasca, Mayerthorpe, Legal, Irricana, Stirling, Carriage Lane Estates, Cardiff, Manning and everywhere in between!