Holistic & Compassionate
ADHD Therapy for Women in Fort Collins
Empowering Neurodivergent Women to Find Confidence, Connection, and Focus
ADHD can manifest uniquely in females and members of the LGBTQIA+ community, often making it less recognizable.
ADHD therapy is not just about addressing these challenges; it's also about celebrating and affirming your unique way of thinking and interacting in the world. I offer a safe space where you can feel understood, valued, and supported in your journey of healing, transformation, and growth.
You May Be Wondering
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ADHD, or Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects how the brain regulates attention, impulse control, and behavior. It is commonly associated with differences in the brain's executive functions, particularly in areas involved in focus, decision-making, and behavioral regulation.
Neuroscientifically, ADHD is linked to irregularities in neurotransmitter systems, particularly dopamine, which plays a crucial role in attention and motivation. Imaging studies have shown that people with ADHD often have structural and functional differences in brain regions such as the prefrontal cortex, which helps control attention and impulse regulation. These brain differences contribute to challenges with focus, organization, and task completion.
ADHD is classified into three main types according to the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders):
ADHD, Inattentive Type: This type is characterized primarily by symptoms of inattention, such as difficulty focusing on tasks, forgetfulness, disorganization, and trouble following through with instructions.
ADHD, Hyperactive-Impulsive Type: Individuals with this type exhibit signs of hyperactivity and impulsivity, including fidgeting, difficulty staying seated, excessive talking, and making impulsive decisions without thinking of the consequences.
ADHD, Combined Type: This type includes a mix of both inattention and hyperactive-impulsive symptoms. Individuals with this subtype experience challenges in both maintaining focus and controlling impulsive behaviors.
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Women with ADHD often experience symptoms like forgetfulness, disorganization, procrastination, and emotional dysregulation. However, many women develop coping strategies, such as perfectionism and people-pleasing, to mask these symptoms, meet societal expectations, manage feelings of inadequacy, and earn respect. These strategies can make a diagnosis more challenging. High-achieving women with ADHD, for example, may appear "on top of things," but internally, they are struggling. These coping behaviors, which often serve as survival mechanisms to avoid rejection and criticism, can only be sustained for so long before burnout inevitably sets in.
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Cultural conditioning and societal expectations have a significant impact on how ADHD manifests in women. Women are often expected to be organized, multitask efficiently, and maintain emotional control, which may lead to the masking or suppression of ADHD symptoms. This is particularly true for hyperactivity and impulsivity, which are less socially accepted in women.
Here’s how ADHD may be influenced by cultural factors:
Masking Symptoms: Women may hide behaviors like fidgeting, interrupting, or impulsively speaking out of fear of judgment, leading to internalized symptoms like anxiety and self-doubt.
Multitasking Pressure: Societal expectations place a high value on women managing multiple roles, such as being a caregiver, professional, and homemaker. This constant juggling may exacerbate ADHD symptoms like disorganization and forgetfulness.
Higher Emotional Sensitivity: Cultural norms often expect women to be emotionally attuned and regulated. This can make emotional dysregulation associated with ADHD more pronounced and harder to differentiate from other mental health issues.
Risk of Burnout: Women with ADHD may try to overcompensate for their symptoms, leading to excessive effort and eventual burnout, especially when they feel pressure to meet external expectations.
Cultural conditioning makes it essential for women to receive ADHD assessments that take these gendered experiences into account.
Psychologically, past experiences, personality traits, and cognitive patterns influence how individuals perceive and respond to stress. Traumatic events or chronic stress can create a predisposition to anxiety. Environmental factors, such as high-pressure situations, relationship conflicts, or societal expectations, also contribute to anxiety.
Importantly, anxiety is not a personal failing; rather, it is an adaptive response that can sometimes become maladaptive. While it serves a protective purpose, helping us navigate potential threats, it can also lead to problems when it becomes chronic. Understanding anxiety through a compassionate lens helps us recognize its legitimacy and encourages effective coping strategies and support for those who experience it.
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ADHD and anxiety share overlapping symptoms like difficulty concentrating, restlessness, and feeling overwhelmed, but they have key differences. ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder marked by persistent struggles with attention, focus, organization, and impulse control across all areas of life. Anxiety, on the other hand, is typically triggered by worry or fear about future events or specific stressors, leading to temporary difficulty concentrating and emotional distress.
ADHD and anxiety can also coexist, which is known as comorbid anxiety and ADHD. When both conditions are present, the symptoms can intensify, causing more difficulty with task completion, decision-making, and emotional regulation. Understanding whether you have ADHD, anxiety, or both is crucial for finding effective therapy for ADHD in women. A professional evaluation can help determine the right treatment plan tailored to your needs.
The frustration often arises not from anxiety itself but from feeling trapped in a constant state of hyperarousal. This prolonged state can lead to burnout and depression, which many people with anxiety experience. Instead of aiming to eliminate anxiety, I encourage my clients to reframe their understanding of it. By exploring the root causes of your distress and cultivating compassion for how anxiety has tried to protect you, you can learn to identify when it’s helpful and when it’s time to shift back to a more regulated state.
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Executive dysfunction refers to difficulty with cognitive processes like planning, organizing, time management, and decision-making. It is a core feature of ADHD and can contribute to symptoms like procrastination, forgetfulness, and impulsivity. For women with ADHD, executive dysfunction can be compounded by anxiety, which may intensify feelings of overwhelm and lead to avoidance behaviors. Addressing both ADHD and anxiety is essential to improving executive functioning and overall well-being.
HOW ADHD THERAPY CAN HELP
ADHD therapy can help work toward building a life that feels more balanced, focused, and fulfilling.
Through a holistic approach, we aim to help you:
Understand how ADHD uniquely affects your life, from emotions to relationships to work.
Learn how to manage feelings of stress, anxiety, frustration, and shame that often accompany ADHD.
Build a deeper understanding of your nervous system and emotional responses, so you can better manage ADHD symptoms.
Create ADHD management strategies that fit your lifestyle and help you stay organized, focused, and motivated.
Cultivate self-compassion and self-trust, so you can feel empowered to tackle cognitive challenges and manage emotional highs and lows with confidence.
WHAT WE’LL DO TOGETHER
ADHD therapy is about empowering you with tools that truly fit your unique mind and needs.
Together, we’ll develop practical strategies for managing challenges like organization and time management while also addressing the emotional patterns often tied to ADHD. Using mindfulness, somatic practices, and Polyvagal Theory, we’ll help you manage stress and calm overwhelm. We’ll also explore how ADHD impacts your sense of self, confidence, and relationships. By working with IFS (parts work), we’ll uncover the roots of your reactions and shift old patterns, breaking free from cycles of shame and self-criticism. With greater self-awareness and compassion, you’ll gain the confidence to face life’s challenges with balance and empowerment.
This integrative approach goes beyond just skills, addressing the emotional and relational layers of ADHD to foster lasting change and deep self-understanding.
My Commitment to You
As a Neurodivergent Affirming Provider
I am dedicated to understanding and supporting you on your ADHD journey, especially as a woman, mother, or femme. I offer validation, guidance, and saftey to explore and process challenges without fear or judgment or rejection, helping you foster greater self-acceptance, connection, and wellbeing. In embracing neurodiversity and addressing the issue of undiagnosed ADHD, I strive to break down barriers, challenge stereotypes, and create a world where you are celebrated for your unique ways of thinking and experiencing the world.
Ready to Get Started with ADHD Therapy?
Reach out today to schedule a free consultation to see if we’d be a good fit.
ADHD Therapy in Fort Collins, Colorado
Learning to Embrace Your Differences
The unique ways ADHD presents in females and members of the LGBTQIA2S+ community can oftentimes make it less recognizable, leading to many individuals struggling without proper support. ADHD therapy is not just about addressing these challenges; it's also about celebrating and affirming your unique way of thinking and interacting in the world. I offer a safe space where you can feel understood, valued, and supported in your journey of healing, transformation, and growth.
Understanding ADHD Challenges:
Living with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) presents unique challenges. I understand that as a woman, mother, or teen girl with ADHD and neurodiversity, you face a complex journey, often marked by undiagnosed or misunderstood ADHD. Below are some of the key challenges you might be facing:
Internalizing Symptoms: You may find yourself internalizing your ADHD symptoms, which can lead to self-doubt and low self-esteem. Societal expectations and neurotypical norms may amplify these feelings.
Masking & Coping Strategies:: Many individuals with ADHD adopt masking behaviors and coping strategies, where they consciously or unconsciously hide their symptoms in social, academic, and/or professional situations. Masking can be mentally exhausting, conflict with you values, and even contribute to confusion around your identity, as you may feel compelled to conform to societal expectations while suppressing your authentic self.
Perfectionism & Self-Criticism: Some may lean toward perfectionism as a way to compensate for perceived shortcomings. This tendency may intensify the challenges associated with ADHD, such as procrastination, stress, anxiety, low mood, and engaging in relentless self-criticism. You may hold yourself to impossibly high standards, fostering a constant fear of failure and magnifying the impact of setbacks.
Academic & Professional Impact: Undiagnosed ADHD can result in academic underachievement, performance anxiety, and workplace difficulties. Striving for perfection may have become a way of proving yourself but can also lead to burnout, heightened stress, procrastination, and even complete paralysis.
Difficulty with Social Norms: Understanding and adhering to social norms might be challenging, sometimes leading to misunderstandings or strained relationships.
Difficulty Managing Multiple Roles: If you're a mother with ADHD, balancing family, work, and social life can be overwhelming. This juggling act can strain relationships both within and outside the family unit.
Strained Parent-Child Relationships: As a young person with ADHD, you may experience strained relationships with parents or guardians due to communication challenges related to your neurodiversity. As a neurodivergent parent, you may struggle to remain regulated with your children and tend to care tasks.
How ADHD Therapy Can Help?
Through a tailored and supportive approach, therapy can be a safe and supportive space for self-discovery and identity exploration. Here, you have the opportunity to delve into the unique ways ADHD has shaped your self-perception, uncovering strengths and values that may have been obscured by cultural expectations and the many challenges of being neurodivergent in a neurotypical world. An experienced therapist can guide you in developing practical skills and effective coping strategies, fostering a deeper understanding of your core Self and aligning your actions with personal beliefs and priorities.
The emotional and relational aspects of ADHD therapy equips you with invaluable tools to navigate the emotional and social complexities often linked with ADHD. By addressing the challenges of managing frustration, impulsivity, and emotional sensitivity, therapy can empower you to foster greater self-esteem and self-acceptance. As you explore social skills training, therapy becomes a resource for enhancing your ability to connect with others, improve communication, and build healthier relationships. Moreover, family and relationship support within the therapeutic context addresses the unique challenges neurodiverse families may face, facilitating improved communication, understanding, and cooperation. ADHD therapy serves as a comprehensive guide, navigating you toward a more resilient and authentic version of yourself, capable not only of managing individual challenges but also fostering positive and meaningful connections within your social and relational spheres.
Why Neurodivergent-Affirming Care Matters:
Neurodivergent affirming care matters because it recognizes and respects your unique neurodiversity, helping you thrive by fostering self-acceptance, reducing stigma, and providing tailored support. It is an essential step toward building a more inclusive and understanding society where your unique way of thinking and experiencing the world is celebrated.
Validation and Recognition: Neurodivergent affirming care validates your experiences. It acknowledges that there's no one "normal" way for brains to function and that your differences are not deficits but unique strengths.
Reducing Stigma: It helps reduce the stigma often associated with conditions like ADHD. You may have felt misunderstood or marginalized for years. Neurodivergent affirming care affirms that your experiences are real, valid, and deserving of respect.
Fostering Self-Acceptance: Affirmation fosters self-acceptance. You can begin to recognize that your neurodiversity is a part of your identity, something to be proud of. It's about embracing and celebrating your unique way of being.
Tailored Support: Neurodivergent affirming care provides support tailored to your specific needs. Instead of trying to fit you into a one-size-fits-all approach, it celebrates your strengths and helps you navigate challenges in ways that work for you.
Empowerment: It empowers you to advocate for yourself. When you understand and accept your neurodiversity, you can confidently seek the accommodations, support, and therapy that you need.
My Commitment To You:
As a neurodivergent-affirming provider, I am dedicated to understanding and supporting you on your ADHD journey, especially as a woman, mother, or teen girl. We provide the validation, guidance, and therapy needed to navigate these challenges, fostering self-acceptance, reducing anxiety, and promoting personal growth. In embracing neurodiversity and addressing the issue of undiagnosed ADHD, I strive to break down barriers, challenge stereotypes, and create a world where you are celebrated for your unique ways of thinking and experiencing the world