🧠 ADHD & Counselling: Finding Balance, Strength and Support
Living with ADHD can feel like juggling fire – intense, fast-moving, and at times overwhelming. Whether it’s struggling to stay organised, managing your sleep and energy levels, or feeling misunderstood by others, the day-to-day challenges of ADHD are real – and deeply personal.
At Aberdeen Bespoke Counselling, I work with clients who are navigating ADHD in all its forms – whether diagnosed or self-identified, newly exploring it, or living with it for years. This blog is here to explore how counselling can help you develop practical tools, emotional resilience, and most importantly, a stronger relationship with yourself.
💬 How Counselling Helps with ADHD
ADHD isn’t just about attention – it’s about emotion, identity, energy, time, and relationships. Counselling can offer a safe and structured space to explore these overlapping areas and support you in managing common struggles like:
Difficulty with planning, focus and time blindness
Overwhelm, procrastination and decision fatigue
Emotional sensitivity and feeling misunderstood
Rejection sensitivity dysphoria (very popular with a great number of my clients)
Sleep and energy struggles – including burnout
Relationship challenges and communication differences
Through therapy, we can begin to untangle what’s going on, validate the very real difficulties, and identify what’s in your control. Together, we work toward self-acceptance, rather than shame or "fixing."
🌙 Sleep and Daily Rhythm: Reclaiming Rest
Many of my ADHD clients struggle with:
Getting to sleep due to racing thoughts or overstimulation
“Revenge bedtime procrastination” – putting off sleep for a sense of control
Difficulty getting up in the morning, especially with low dopamine levels
Some helpful strategies we explore in counselling include:
Creating gentle, tech-free wind-down routines that work with ADHD brains
Using sleep-friendly anchors like lighting, scent, or specific audio
Managing overstimulation in the evening and honouring the ADHD need for interest
Breaking the all-or-nothing “productive day” mindset to reduce burnout
We also explore how your internal narrative around sleep might be adding pressure rather than peace.
📅 Organisation & Executive Functioning Tips
When you live with ADHD, it’s not just “laziness” or disorganisation – it’s an executive functioning difference. That means working memory, time estimation, initiation and planning all work differently. We look at:
Body doubling: using accountability or silent companionship to get started
Timers and visual planning tools: finding tools that you actually like using
Externalising memory: getting things out of your head and into systems
Routine anchors: using rhythm, not rigid schedules, to build structure
Practical reminders: white boards, calendars, reminders and much more
No two brains are the same, so part of the counselling journey is exploring what works for you without judgment.
💡 How I Work with ADHD Clients
I’ve developed a bespoke coaching-counselling tool that draws from various evidence-based frameworks, but is designed to be intuitive, empowering and practical. It helps clients:
Deepen self-understanding of how ADHD uniquely shows up in their life
Build self-acceptance, breaking cycles of guilt or shame
Recognise and protect against burnout, a common but often hidden risk
Identify personal strengths and how to work with them
Navigate relationships, work, and everyday struggles with clarity
Learn about and the importance of self-care and self-compassion
Develop a practical ADHD life guide tailored to their needs
Support within the Workplace setting
Provide assistance with Diagnosis (offer referral to private practice) or general support if self-identified
And finally, to help you feel more understood and less alone
This isn’t one-size-fits-all – it’s about you getting to know yourself in a new way and learning how to live with more compassion and confidence.
❤️ A Healthier, Happier Way of Being
Living with ADHD doesn't mean you're broken – it means your brain works differently, and that difference comes with both challenges and strengths. Through our work together, you can find better ways to manage daily life, make sense of your patterns, and move from self-blame to self-trust.
If you or someone close to you is navigating ADHD and seeking supportive, tailored guidance, I’d be happy to help.
📩 Get in touch with Aberdeen Bespoke Counselling to book a free introductory call or ask more about my ADHD support sessions click on the link below: