"I've tried medications, supplements, and neurofeedback, but I'm still struggling with ADHD symptoms."

This is something we hear from many of the people that come to us for help. They have spent lots of money, time, and energy trying to improve their symptoms, yet many of their challenges remain. Why?

ADHD is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder that involves a range of factors. While neurofeedback or stimulant medications might yield improvements in attention or hyperactivity, they typically do not fix all of the issues that can come with ADHD. For example, besides attention and/or hyperactivity, there may also be challenges with executive functioning skills (e.g., organization, time management, prioritization, decision making, etc.), anxiety around certain tasks which leads to avoidance, or challenges with delayed gratification. These difficulties require targeted treatment, and we typically suggest a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy and cognitive rehabilitation therapy.

On the flip side, some characteristics of ADHD can be considered strengths which allow people to thrive in certain situations. We never want to change who people are at their core; we simply want to enhance their best characteristics and help them succeed in the areas that are important to them. Our goal is to help people understand their patterns of behavior, capitalize on their strengths, and establish systems and strategies to compensate for the challenges that are impeding their ability to succeed in specific areas of their lives. In our experience, no to individuals present exactly the same, and therefore treatment is most effective when it is tailored specifically to each individual.

To be clear, we are not suggesting that neurofeedback, supplements, or medications are not tools worth exploring. Many people find them to be helpful. We are simply noting that these tools will work best in conjunction with functional cognitive rehabilitation therapy.