Starting is the hard part.
Support for starting tasks, managing time, and easing the shame around both.
ADHD and Executive Functioning
Marie Sarte, LCSW
You know what to do. Starting is the hard part.
The task sits there for days, then gets done in a panic the night before. People call it laziness. You know it isn’t, but you’re tired of feeling behind.
Your brain isn’t broken. It needs systems built for how it actually works.
What We Focus On
Therapy here is about daily life: getting started, keeping track, and handling the frustration that builds when things slip.
“I can’t get anything done without procrastinating. I get super anxious and stressed any time I have to get stuff done.” If that is you, the anxiety and the ADHD are usually tangled together, and we work on both.
I provide screening to see if you may have ADHD. I can help connect you with a psychologist for a comprehensive psychological evaluation, or a psychiatrist for exploring medication options.
- 01
Getting unstuck
Breaking tasks into first steps small enough to actually begin.
- 02
Time you can see
Simple ways to make time and deadlines visible before they turn urgent.
- 03
Routines that bend
Structure that survives a bad day instead of collapsing at the first miss.
- 04
Less shame
Working on the harsh inner voice so mistakes become information, not proof.
Who This Is For
Students, young adults, and adults who are tired of catching up.
High school and college students who do their best work at 2 a.m. the night before. Young adults in a first job where no one is handing out deadlines. Adults who have built a career on last-minute brilliance and are worn out by it.
You do not need a diagnosis to start. If follow-through is the problem, that is enough.
What Can Shift
Do the things, and turn the anxious brain down.
Taking care of what needs doing while the anxious brain gets quieter, not louder. Skills you actually practice between sessions: a first step small enough to start, time you can see, routines that bend without breaking.
The shame tends to ease once the system works, because mistakes become information instead of proof.
Consultation
Free, 15 minutes
A short call to see whether working together makes sense.
Sessions
50 minutes, weekly
Online in Oregon; In person at 1125 SE Market St, Portland, OR 97214. Rates are on Services and Rates.
Cancellations
48 hours notice
Rescheduling within the same week counts as a reschedule, not a late cancellation.
FAQ
Questions About ADHD Work
Can you diagnose ADHD or prescribe medication?
I don’t do testing or prescribe medication, but I do provide screening for ADHD. I can help connect you with a psychologist for a comprehensive evaluation, or a psychiatrist to explore medication options. Therapy works alongside medication if you take it.
What if I forget the homework?
Then we learn something about the system, not about you. We make the next step smaller or more visible and try again.
Do you work with college students by video?
Yes, for students in Oregon; Many students prefer video between classes.
Let’s build something that works for your brain.
A free 15-minute consultation is a good place to begin.