Become the Best Version of Yourselves with ADHD-Focused Couples Counseling in Columbus, Ohio
You feel like you’ve lost your partner to constant distractions. You want to be back on the same page, communicating well and finding better ways to organize your lives. You’re not alone. If one or both partners have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), your relationship does have a unique set of challenges. With or without ADHD, pretty much all couples struggle with managing life together in one way or another: feeling understood, planning for the future, managing conflict, sharing how you feel when the other person lets you down, etc. However, ADHD couples struggle with those plus even more unique challenges related to ADHD. That is why ADHD-focused couples counseling is the most effective recommendation when a relationship is struggling and one or both partners have ADHD.
You may already know that ADHD impacts a person’s ability to stay organized and get things done, but it also influences their ability to communicate effectively. This leads many ADHD couples to get stuck in endless cycles of stress overload and disconnection.
Luckily, ADHD-focused couples counseling is proven to help couples with ADHD manage life better and navigate their relationship more successfully through practical solutions and improved communication.
Common Ways ADHD Impacts Daily Life
- Chronic forgetfulness
- Disorganization
- Excessive procrastination
- Sensitivity to rejection or being criticized
- Emotional dysregulation
- Overpromising and under-delivering
- Time blindness and struggles with scheduling
Common Ways ADHD Impacts Couples
- Tension around keeping the house organized and different styles of organization
- Not knowing how to talk about ADHD without the other person taking offense
- A breakdown in empathy, particularly around how hard the other person is trying
- Sensitivity to rejection and negative feedback (which leads to shutting down).
- A lack of awareness of how ADHD works in the first place and how it impacts the relationship
- Feeling chronically misunderstood
- The loss of qualities that “made us…us,” leading to “what happened to the person I fell in love with?”
- Breakdowns in trust fueled by covering up mistakes rather than taking accountability (often due to fear of being criticized)
In addition, the more life stressors increase (promotions, job loss, children), the more both partners feel unsupported by the other. In fact, some ADHD couples don’t even notice issues with the relationship until they reach an ADHD tipping point.
Couples Counseling Can Help ADHD Relationships
Countless studies show therapy works, as long as both parties are motivated to make the relationship better. Here are some ways ADHD-focused couples counseling helps:
Increased Self-Awareness
The first step to any therapy is developing a better understanding of the problems. ADHD-focused couples counseling helps couples identify and better understand their own thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. ADHD can influence how individuals and their partners respond to their emotions, ADHD-focused couples counseling helps deepen that understanding. Through improved self-awareness, individuals can learn their triggers for strong emotions, gain insight into their actions, and then develop strategies for managing their feelings.
Improved Communication
When a couple has a better awareness of how they respond to their emotions, they begin to learn more effective communication skills. For example, couples will learn to express their needs, wants, and feelings in a safe and more respectful way. Every couple is different, but they often seek out therapy because the way they are connecting with one another is not working.
Improved Problem Solving
ADHD couples often get stuck problem solving. Okay, we can share how we feel, but seriously…how can we solve the budget? How can we develop a schedule that works for everyone? What do we do when the other person doesn’t have enough time to finish what they promised (which has a direct impact on my life)? Many ADHD couples are surprised to realize that there are concrete strategies they can use to more effectively navigate life with ADHD. Having a third party to help work through the challenges of everyday life and develop a problem-solving plan with you can alleviate a lot of suffering in ADHD couples.
Better Understanding of ADHD
Many of our clients tell us lots of stories about how their previous couples therapist didn’t seem to understand ADHD. Unfortunately, this leaves many couples feeling hopeless and broken about how to improve life. ADHD-focused couples counseling offers a solution to this problem, as our highly skilled couples therapists understand the brain-based nuances of ADHD.
However, ADHD never impacts two people the exact same way. So, raising an understanding of the exact ways ADHD impacts an individual’s life leads to more personalized solutions.
Stronger Relationship Bond
One of the main goals many of our couples have is to increase understanding for one another. They know empathy is a two-way street, but they are in a traffic jam. Couples can create a stronger and more trusting relationship bond by increasing connection with one another. Couples counseling focuses on what a couple can do to improve their emotional bond.
The Focused Mind Approach to ADHD-Focused Couples Counseling
Every treatment experience starts with a comprehensive assessment. This allows us to learn more about your unique relationship and how ADHD is impacting connection. Once an assessment is done, we will create a treatment plan specifically tailored to your relationship and offer a personalized approach to meeting your goals. Our practice understands that ADHD couples need both practical solutions for improving day-to-day life and help improving communication, connection, and an understanding of one another.
What is Holding You Back from Beginning ADHD-Focused Couples Counseling?
“As an ADHD person, I’ve struggled with feeling understood in previous counseling.”
We get it. At Focused Mind ADHD Counseling, we’re all too aware of the invalidation that can happen when the ADHD’s impact on life is ignored or poorly understood. The types of tips and tricks that work for neurotypical couples often fall short for this reason. Being ADHD means seeing and moving through the world differently, requiring an ADHD specialist to unlock the key to progress.
“I’m worried the focus will only be on my ADHD, as if I’m the only problem…”
At Focused Mind ADHD Counseling, we believe in creating a safe space for counseling where no one person is going to “get fixed” or is “the problem.” Everyone’s wants and needs are valid, and often, couples simply need better tools for identifying and expressing them, and in turn, managing life better.
Begin ADHD-Focused Couples Counseling in Columbus, Ohio
You don’t have to live your life feeling disconnected and stressed. You can be the best version of yourselves, together. ADHD-focused couple’s counseling can help you find solutions, build a stronger bond, and improve your ability to feel understood. Our ADHD counseling clinic in Columbus, Ohio has caring therapists who specialize in ADHD-focused couples counseling.
To start your counseling journey, follow these simple steps:
- Fill out the contact form to reach out and schedule a
- Meet with one of our caring therapists.
- Stop feeling disconnected. Start feeling on the same team.
Other ADHD Services Offered at Focused Mind ADHD Counseling
ADHD-focused couples counseling is not the only service we offer at our Columbus, OH counseling practice. At Focused Mind ADHD Counseling, we offer a variety of mental health services including ADHD testing. As an adult with ADHD, we know you may also benefit from anxiety treatment for ADHD, counseling for men with ADHD, or depression counseling for ADHD. You can also view our blog for more resources and helpful info!
