“Can ADHD be treated with psychotherapy?”
My daughter was diagnosed with ADHD. Can ADHD be treated with psychotherapy?
5 Answers
Yes
Yes, but usually in conjunction with medication management. What psychotherapy is best for ADHD? Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is essentially brain training for ADHD. It aims to change negative patterns of thinking and reframe the way a patient feels about themselves and their symptoms of ADHD. Behavior therapy can also be helpful. Increasing motivation, coping skills, organization, and executive function coaching all help improve symptom presentation in ADHD.
I appreciate you seeking help for your daughter. Millions of Americans struggle with ADHD and many have difficulty with choosing an individualized form of treatment. Psychotherapy is an effective way of managing ADHD. It won't eliminate it but therapy can help with developing coping skills, identifying factors that exacerbate ADHD, and improve communication regarding ADHD symptoms. If medication is off the table, then psychotherapy can be helpful.
Psychotherapy that includes only individual treatment sessions with the child (without parent involvement) is not effective for managing ADHD symptoms and behavior. This type of treatment is more likely to be effective for treating symptoms of anxiety or depression that may occur along with ADHD.
Yes, psychotherapy can help with organization skills, problem solving skills, behavioral aspect and time management. If no improvement, you can try medicine.
