Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for adult ADHD is an empirically supported treatment that introduces and helps clients practice skills to improve self-regulation when experiencing symptoms of ADHD. Key components of this treatment include psychoeducation about ADHD and its symptoms, understanding how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors interact to create impairment in one’s functioning, and improving one’s ability to use skills in the moment.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for adult ADHD is an empirically supported treatment that introduces and helps clients practice skills to improve self-regulation when experiencing symptoms of ADHD. Key components of this treatment include psychoeducation about ADHD and its symptoms, understanding how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors interact to create impairment in one’s functioning, and improving one’s ability to use skills in the moment. The treatment can be offered individually or in a group format.
The experience for many adults with ADHD may be a sense that one’s intended goals have not been achieved. CBT for adult ADHD aims to improve organization, including management of time or materials, promote more realistic thinking, and enable an increased ability to reduce distractions in the service of one’s goals.
Some skills that are introduced may include those to improve time awareness, scheduling, breaking down of tasks, prioritization, the ability to challenge one’s thinking, visualization, management of belongings, or project planning.
Home exercises are a key component of this work, including review and troubleshooting of how to use skills in the moment when they are needed. CBT for ADHD treatments continue to be expanded to help other populations, such as college students with ADHD.
About the Author
Dr. Maria Tsepilovan Edman, a licensed clinical psychologist, offers Cognitive Behavioral Therapy groups for adults, college students, and graduate students with ADHD through the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Resources
- Knouse, L. E. (2015). Cognitive-Behavioral Therapies for ADHD. In Barkley, Russell A. (Ed.), Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: A handbook for diagnosis and treatment, fourth edition (pp. 757-773). The Guilford Press.
- Ramsay, J. R. (2020). Rethinking adult ADHD: helping clients turn intentions into actions. American Psychological Association.
- Safren, S. A., Sprich, S. E., Perlman, C. A., & Otto, M. W. (2017). Mastering your adult ADHD: a cognitive behavioral treatment program, second edition, client workbook. Oxford University Press.
- Safren, S. A., Sprich, S. E., Perlman, C. A., & Otto, M. W. (2017). Mastering your adult ADHD: a cognitive behavioral treatment program, second edition, therapist guide. Oxford University Press.
- Solanto, M. V. (2011). Cognitive-behavioral therapy for adult ADHD: targeting executive dysfunction. The Guilford Press.