Treatment Options for ADHD Part II: Behavioral Strategies

Author: Erika Kawamura, Psy.D

If you have read “Treatment Options for ADHD Part I: Medications,” you have become familiar with how medications work and how it can be helpful for addressing certain symptoms. However, there are limitations as to what medications can and cannot do, and that is where behavioral strategies and therapy can come to the rescue!

 

Here are some ways in which behavioral interventions and therapy can help close the gap where medication cannot address: 

 

• What task or activity to focus your attention
• What task or activity to prioritize, and how to determine those priorities
• TIme management (e.g. being on time, how much time to spend on tasks, when to start and stop tasks/activities, how to use your time effectively, minimizing procrastination)
• Organization and planning skills, whether that be your day or long term projects
• Strategies for decreasing forgetfulness or misplacing things
• Interpersonal skills (e.g. gaining self-awareness & managing impulses to decrease interrupting others or excessively talking)
• Emotion regulation
• Improving self-talk, self-esteem, and confidence because these areas may be negatively impacted after years of struggling with ADHD.

 

You may be wondering, “That sounds great, but how does that work and how do I know what treatment is the best for me?” The following are treatment approaches that can be effective in helping you to learn how to improve and manage these above concerns:

 

• Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy can help a person learn how to identify, manage, and modify unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors contributing to not just ADHD, but also other issues that commonly co-occur with ADHD including anxiety, mood, and self-esteem. It can also teach a person various behavioral skills and strategies to manage one’s ADHD symptoms.
• Social Skills Training can help a person develop skills for improving relationships, navigating social interactions and situations, and improving communication.
• Mindfulness-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy combines cognitive behavioral therapy (see above) and mindfulness practices. It can help a person improve awareness of thoughts and feelings without judgment and with acceptance, thereby working to improve attention, decreasing rumination, improving emotion regulation, and decreasing impulse behaviors/reactions by learning to respond more effectively and intentionally.
• Family therapy and Psychoeducation can help parents learn effective strategies for managing their child’s ADHD and related behaviors and issues, as well as address conflicts and stress within the family related to ADHD.
• Couples therapy can help a couple understand how ADHD can impact their unique dynamics, recurring patterns and themes of conflicts and relationship concerns, and learn strategies to improve their communication, conflict resolution skills, and other relationship issues.
• ADHD Coaching is helpful for a person whose primary goal is to learn strategies and skills to improve executive functioning. It tends to be more helpful for those who are functioning relatively well in other areas of one’s life but need assistance in this area. For those who are also struggling with additional stressors, issues, and mental health concerns, whether related to ADHD or not, it is typically more beneficial to pursue the individual therapy route. However, in some instances where a person may already have an established relationship with an individual therapist to address personal and/or mental health concerns, supplementing that work with ADHD coaching may also be appropriate.

 

In your search for a therapist to help you manage your ADHD and alleviate the impairments that it has contributed to in various areas of your life, it is also important that your therapist has adequate experience and knowledge in the treatment of ADHD. Our therapists who are a part of Equilibria’s ADHD Center of Excellence have obtained, or in the process of obtaining, the ADHD Certified Clinical Services Provider certification, which requires extensive training and direct client service hours specific to ADHD.

 

Equilibria is a group of licensed mental health professionals in Pennsylvania and New Jersey with multiple specialties to serve all aspects of our diverse community’s mental, emotional, and behavioral needs. We provide in person and telehealth services to individuals of all ages, families, and those in relationships. Click here to schedule an appointment today.