Managing ADHD With Therapy

Have you wondered how therapy helps manage ADHD? I’m sure your first thought when your child was diagnosed was about medication. True, medication can and will more than likely help your child manage their ADHD. Combining therapy with medication will help even more so, and could even help to the point where your child may not even need as much or any medication. Remember, there is no “cure.”

Learning your child has been diagnosed with ADHD can be scary for a parent. You may be worried your child will be stigmatized or put into a “category.” Sometimes the diagnosis can open up doors to resources you may not have been able to access before. Knowing there are options out there for you and your child may be calming for you and may help relieve the stress you could be feeling.

Therapy is a wonderful tool to help manage ADHD. There are many treatment goals an individual could have. These would be goals worked on all involved would want to reach. You do not want to set up an individual to fail, which is why it is important to make sure the goals set are realistic and reachable. A therapist would definitely want to work on a long-term behavior goal that could be broken down into different short-term specific goals. There could be various monitoring activities, such as behavior charts, checking-in/out, daily goals, incentives, etc. The monitoring activities should be observable and ones an individual could count. An important piece with ADHD treatment is psychoeducation on ADHD, such as learning about diet, schedules, medications, etc. It is possible to collaborate with providers, such as schools, parents, and other caregivers involved with the child; essentially the child’s “team.” Individual as well as family therapy are options for children with ADHD as those who are caring for them need to understand how to manage behaviors as well as become educated on ADHD.

Are you ready for you and your child to take the next step in their ADHD journey? Maybe you are wanting more than your child being on medication without addressing their mental health in another way as well. Maybe you and your child want to learn more about ADHD together and learn how to manage it as a family. Call or make an appointment today.

Kristi Quattrochi, MSW, PLMHP, PCMSW
AdultSpan Counseling
1001 South 70th St. Suite 225
Lincoln, NE 68510 Phone: 402-325-0117 Ext. 14