Making Sense of an ADHD Diagnosis as an Adult

Expect Mixed Reactions

Many adults describe feeling validated and frustrated in the same week. It can be a relief to have a name for patterns you have fought for years, and it can also bring up questions about school, jobs or relationships that might have gone differently. Both reactions make sense. Therapy does not ask you to settle on one feeling. It gives you room to look at the story you have told about yourself and decide which parts still fit.

Separate the Label From the Story

Old explanations like lazy, careless or not trying hard enough tend to stick around after a diagnosis. In CBT, you can look at those beliefs the same way you would look at any other thought: where it came from, what evidence supports it, and what a more accurate version might be. The goal is not to replace criticism with forced positivity. It is to describe your behavior honestly, including the effort you were already putting in.

Start With One Real Problem

A diagnosis can make it tempting to overhaul everything at once: new planners, new apps, a new morning routine. That burst of energy often fades. A more workable starting point is one specific friction, such as paying bills on time or getting out the door for work. Marie's practical approach focuses on small, testable changes you try during the week and review together, adjusting based on what actually happened. Once one change holds up, the next one usually feels less daunting to try.

Keep Medical Questions With Your Prescriber

Formal ADHD testing and medication questions belong with a qualified evaluator or prescriber. If you are already working with a prescriber or evaluator, therapy can sit alongside that care and focus on habits, thinking patterns and emotions. If you are still wondering whether ADHD fits, you can ask during a consultation how therapy might help while you pursue an evaluation elsewhere. Keeping those roles clear helps each part of your care do what it does best, and it keeps therapy focused on the parts of daily life you can practice changing.

Talk About Getting Started

Marie offers a free 15-minute consultation to talk through what is happening and whether her practical, collaborative CBT approach seems like a fit. Sessions are 50 minutes, and individual sessions are $200. Online therapy is available anywhere in Oregon, and you can ask about current Portland office availability if meeting in person matters to you. Bringing one or two concrete examples to the call is usually more useful than a full history.

Questions You May Have