Full Course Description

Why Adults with ADHD Feel “In Trouble” in Relationships and How to Create Safety, Security, and Connection

Details coming soon!

Copyright : 12/09/2026

Interoception, State Shifts & Follow-Through: When “I Know What to Do” Is Not Enough

ADHD treatment often leans hard on insight, structure, calendars, reminders, and beautifully reasonable plans. Those strategies matter - and they can still fall apart the moment a client's internal state changes. Many clients are not failing because they do not understand what to do. They are losing access to follow-through when attention, working memory load, emotional salience, and autonomic activation shift faster than the plan can keep up. The result can look like procrastination, avoidance, inconsistency, stimulation chasing, shutdown, or defiance. Clinically, it is often a predictable state-access problem: the nervous system changes the rules mid-game.

In this experiential workshop, clinicians will learn how to help clients detect state shifts earlier, name what is happening with greater accuracy, and choose a next micro-action that fits the nervous system they actually have in that moment. They will leave with tools that can use the next day to strengthen task initiation.

Program Information

Objectives

Differentiate ADHD-related noncompliance, avoidance, and procrastination from state-dependent loss of executive access using an applied neuroscience formulation.
Use interoceptive tracking tools to pace interventions and improve client access to regulation, agency, and next-step behavior.
Design Select state-matched between-session micro-practices that support task initiation, planning, organization, emotional regulation, and sustainable follow-through for clients with ADHD.

Outline

ADHD and State-Dependent Executive Access

Symptoms as predictive, protective adaptations rather than character flaws
State-dependent access to choice, initiation, inhibition, and flexible planning
The "something happens" sequence: prediction, body shift, attention shift, action loss
Clinical question: "What is the brain predicting right now?"

Interoception as the Missing Data Point in ADHD

Interoception as inner climate data for regulation and action readiness
Insula, salience, anterior cingulate, prefrontal integration, and threat appraisal
Faint, noisy, late, or distorted body signals in ADHD follow-through patterns
Urgency, avoidance, stimulation seeking, collapse, and shame loops

Practice Integration and Clinical Cautions

Interoceptive tracking for pacing and enhancing adaptive state access
Translation of insight into repeatable between-session micro-practices
State-contingent planning for initiation, organization, emotion regulation, and follow-through
Limitations of the research and potential risks

Target Audience

Counselors
Social Workers
Psychologists
Educators
Occupational Therapists
Speech Language Pathologists
Marriage and Family Therapists

Copyright : 12/09/2026

Beyond RSD: Treating Rejection Sensitivity Through Regulation, Unmasking & Relational Repair

Many ADHD clients are not simply "emotionally reactive." Beneath the shutdowns, people-pleasing, masking, perfectionism, relationship ruptures, and shame spirals often lies a profound fear of rejection that has been reinforced through years of misunderstanding, criticism, invalidation, and nervous system overwhelm. Yet rejection sensitivity dysphoria (RSD) remains one of the most clinically misunderstood aspects of ADHD — frequently minimized, mislabeled as personality pathology, or treated solely through cognitive interventions that fail to address the underlying nervous system and relational wounds driving the presentation.

Join Amelia Kelley, PhD as we move beyond surface-level discussions of RSD and into a practical, integrative framework for understanding rejection sensitivity through the lenses of:

Executive functioning — how dysregulation at the neurological level sets the stage for emotional flooding and rejection hypervigilance

Attachment — the early relational patterns that shape how ADHD clients anticipate and respond to perceived rejection

Masking — the exhausting performance of "okayness" that deepens shame and disconnection over time

Trauma — how chronic invalidation and misattunement create relational wounds that look like personality pathology

Emotional regulation — building the nervous system capacity that cognitive interventions alone can't reach

Relational repair — practical pathways for rebuilding trust, safety, and authentic connection

You’ll learn how to differentiate ADHD-related rejection sensitivity from shame-based relational trauma and personality presentations, while gaining immediately applicable interventions that support regulation, self-compassion, boundary development, unmasking, and healthier relational functioning. Leave with deeper confidence in recognizing the hidden drivers of emotional dysregulation in ADHD — and practical tools they can begin using with clients right away.

You'll also be introduced to an emerging group-based framework for ADHD unmasking and relational recovery designed to reduce shame, increase authentic self-expression, strengthen co-regulation, and support healthier interpersonal functioning in individuals experiencing chronic rejection sensitivity.

Program Information

Objectives

Differentiate ADHD-related rejection sensitivity from attachment trauma, personality pathology, and generalized emotional dysregulation presentations.
Identify regulation-based and executive functioning-informed interventions to reduce emotional flooding and relational distress in ADHD clients.
Utilize clinical strategies that support unmasking, relational repair, shame reduction, and nervous system stabilization in individuals experiencing rejection sensitivity.

Outline

Understanding Rejection Sensitivity in ADHD

Emotional dysregulation and executive functioning deficits
Nervous system activation and perceived social threat
The role of chronic criticism, masking, and invalidation from childhood forward
ADHD, shame, and rejection-based identity formation
Differences between RSD, attachment trauma, and BPD presentations

The Clinical Impact of Masking and Relational Adaptation

People-pleasing, perfectionism, and fawn responses
Social monitoring and hypervigilance
Burnout, emotional exhaustion, and identity confusion
Gendered expectations and missed diagnosis in women
Introduction to group-based unmasking and relational recovery models

Treatment Approaches for Rejection Sensitivity

Regulation-first interventions for emotional flooding
Executive functioning support as emotional treatment
Somatic and nervous system stabilization strategies
Relational repair and shame-reduction interventions
Group process as co-regulation and corrective relational experience
Supporting authentic identity development and safe unmasking

Applied Clinical Integration

Case conceptualization through a W-CAT lens
Identifying hidden rejection triggers in sessions
Supporting unmasking without destabilization
Clinical risks, limitations, and differential considerations
Limitations of the research and potential risks of emerging frameworks related to RSD and neurodiversity-informed care
Explain how group-based relational and unmasking interventions may support shame reduction, co-regulation, and interpersonal healing in ADHD clients experiencing chronic rejection sensitivity

Target Audience

Licensed Clinical/Mental Health Counselors
Marriage & Family Therapists
Psychologists
Social Workers
Case Workers
Occupational Therapists
Occupational Therapy Assistants
Speech-Language Pathologists
Teachers/School-Based Personnel

Copyright : 12/09/2026

Making SENSE of ADHD: Sensory Awareness, Nervous System Regulation & Real-World Function

ADHD is often understood through attention and behavior, yet sensory processing and nervous system regulation significantly shape emotional regulation, self-awareness, and everyday functioning.

This session applies the SENSE Framework to help clinicians understand ADHD beyond behavior and performance, reframing dysregulation as a nervous system and sensory-informed experience occurring within real-world environments that often challenge a person’s capacity to function.

As persons experiencing ADHD become more self-aware and articulate their needs, practitioners are increasingly called to support not just insight but regulation, sustainability, and function under the demands and stressors of society.

Program Information

Objectives

Identify how sensory processing and nervous system regulation influence emotional regulation, executive functioning, and daily participation in individuals with ADHD.
Select sensory-informed, evidence-based, non-medication strategies to support regulation, self-awareness, and functional participation across school, workplace, community, and daily life contexts.
Differentiate ADHD-related sensory and regulatory presentations from co-occurring or overlapping conditions — including anxiety, ODD, and learning disorders — to support accurate case conceptualization and individualized, environment-sensitive treatment planning across the lifespan.

Outline

Neuroanatomy, Nervous System Regulation, and Sensory Processing in ADHD

Brain networks involved in attention, regulation, and executive functioning
Autonomic nervous system and stress response patterns
Sensory processing and executive functioning in ADHD

Differential Considerations and Professional Reasoning

ADHD, anxiety, ODD, and learning disorders
Co-occurring conditions and overlapping symptoms
Sensory-informed decision-making

Evidence-Based Regulation Strategies and Clinical Applications

Self-regulation and nervous system support strategies
Environmental modification and task adaptation
Executive functioning supports and compensatory approaches

Supporting Participation Across the Lifespan

School-based supports and accommodations
Workplace and community participation strategies
Daily routines, habits, and occupational performance

Limitations of the Research and Potential Risks

Evidence and considerations for sensory-informed approaches
Importance of individualized assessment and intervention
Ethical and clinical considerations in implementation

Target Audience

Licensed Clinical/Mental Health Counselors
Marriage & Family Therapists
Psychologists
Social Workers
Case Workers
Occupational Therapists
Occupational Therapy Assistants
Speech-Language Pathologists
Educators

Copyright : 12/09/2026

Inside the ADHD Experience in Kids: Using Story to Understand the Emotional Life of ADHD

What does ADHD feel like from the inside?

Most clinical training focuses on what ADHD looks like — the fidgeting, the impulsive outburst, the missed instruction, the child staring out the window. But the child living it experiences something else entirely: a buzzing motor they can't switch off, a mind that drifts into imagination before they even realize the directions have started, and the slow accumulation of correction, confusion, and the quiet belief that something is wrong with them.

Join Merriam Saunders, author of My Whirling, Twirling Motor and My Wandering, Dreaming Mind, for a training that brings the lived experience of ADHD into the clinical room. Through the emotional worlds of two very different children — one who is too much, one who disappears — you'll explore how chronic correction, peer rejection, invisible executive functioning struggles, sensory overwhelm, and repeated failure shape identity, attachment, emotional regulation, and the therapeutic relationship itself.

Emotionally rich and clinically practical, this session moves between the child's inner world and your work with them. You'll leave with concrete language, metaphors, reframing strategies, and interventions you can use immediately with children, parents, and families — and a deeper understanding of what it actually feels like to live inside an ADHD mind.

Program Information

Objectives

Differentiate outward behavioral symptoms from underlying experiences of nervous system overwhelm, executive functioning impairment, shame, and social disconnection.
Apply evidence-informed therapeutic interventions that reduce shame, improve emotional regulation, and strengthen caregiver-child attunement in children with ADHD.
Integrate metaphor, storytelling, and emotionally validating language into psychoeducation, treatment planning, and clinical interventions for children and families affected by ADHD.

Outline

The “Whirling Motor”: Understanding Hyperactive ADHD from the Inside

The buzzing motor as a metaphor for chronic nervous system activation
“I can’t turn it off”: the child’s experience of loss of control
Impulsivity followed by shame, regret, and social fallout
Repeated correction and the development of “bad kid” identity
Recess rejection, classroom struggles, and relational consequences of behavioral overflow

The “Wandering Dreaming Mind”: Understanding Invisible ADHD

Daydreaming, drifting attention, and invisible executive functioning struggles
Quiet ADHD presentations and under-identification in girls
Missing information without realizing it happened
The emotional impact of hearing thousands of corrective messages
Internalized beliefs: “lazy,” “careless,” “not smart enough”

Rewriting the Personal Narrative Through Therapeutic Intervention

Externalizing ADHD without removing accountability
Avoiding the “Super Power” trap
Replacing shame-based narratives with emotionally attuned language
Helping caregivers shift from frustration to nervous-system understanding
Building competence, resilience, and positive identity through strength-based reframing

Translating Emotional Insight into Clinical Practice

Using children’s literature therapeutically in sessions and parent work
Interventions for emotional regulation, self-esteem, and co-regulation
Case conceptualization through the lens of internal experience rather than outward behavior
Limitations of the research
Potential risks of oversimplification or overgeneralization

Target Audience

Licensed Clinical/Mental Health Counselors
Marriage & Family Therapists
Psychologists
Social Workers
Case Workers
Occupational Therapists
Occupational Therapy Assistants
Speech-Language Pathologists
Educators

Copyright : 12/09/2026

Co-occurring Conditions

Details coming soon!

Copyright : 12/10/2026

Diagnosing ADHD Accurately: Neurobiology, Emotional Dysregulation & the Noise of the Mainstream

Details coming soon!

Copyright : 12/10/2026

Rethinking Coping Skills for Kids & Teens with ADHD: Matching Strategies to the Nervous System

Details coming soon!

Copyright : 12/10/2026

CBT for Adult ADHD: Turning Intention into Action

"I use all the recommended skills with my adult ADHD clients but they still don't get any better at using them! They're still struggling and so am I...help!"

Sound familiar? ADHD is not a knowledge problem – it's a performance problem. The real challenge isn't teaching clients what to do; it's helping them actually do it. And that gap leaves even the most dedicated clinicians feeling helpless.

This session translates neuroscience into practice and cuts to the heart of that gap. You'll walk away with:

A clear understanding of the braided core of disruptive mindsets, avoidant behaviors, and emotional reactions
Implementation-focused tactics that help clients finally put the skills they already know into practice
CBT strategies to reduce procrastination, improve time management, and support lasting well-being

Program Information

Objectives

Analyze the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral patterns that interfere with task initiation and follow-through in adults with ADHD.
Differentiate between knowledge-based skill deficits and performance-based implementation barriers to guide targeted CBT interventions.
Develop implementation-focused CBT strategies that improve procrastination, time management, and consistent skill use in daily functioning.

Outline

Introduction: What Is ADHD? Why Is It Important

Current statistics on ADHD
Contemporary Definition of ADHD
Adult ADHD Impairments That are Targets for Treatment

CBT Model Adapted for Adult ADHD

Premises and Adjustments
Domains of CBT for Adult ADHD and Main Therapeutic Targets
Limitations of the research and potential risks

Practice-Relevant Intervention Examples

Procrastination: Lessons Learned from Procrastivity
Cognitive Domain
Emotion Regulation Domain
Behavior-Implementation Domain
Social-Interpersonal Domain
Time Management

Summary and Miscellaneous Clinical Issues

Therapeutic Alliance
Recommended Supports for Adults with ADHD

Target Audience

Licensed Clinical/Mental Health Counselors
Marriage & Family Therapists
Psychologists
Social Workers
Case Workers
Occupational Therapists
Occupational Therapy Assistants
Speech-Language Pathologists
Teachers/School-Based Personnel

Copyright : 12/10/2026

ADHD, Emotional Contagion & Repair: When Feelings Take Over the Family

Emotional contagion is often overlooked in ADHD family systems. Stress, overwhelm, irritability, defensiveness, and dysregulation can quickly spread among family members, shaping how they interact, make decisions, communicate, and recover from conflict. Parents may feel worn out as they try to manage executive function challenges. Children can become more reactive and have difficulty calming down. Partners might unintentionally perpetuate cycles of overfunctioning, withdrawal, criticism, rescuing, or reactivity. Even clients who understand these patterns can find it hard to use coping skills when emotions run high, so you often end up dealing with the fallout rather than the root causes.

This session provides you with a practical framework for understanding emotional regulation, executive function strain, and nervous system activation, and for supporting repair in ADHD family systems. You’ll learn to spot escalation patterns, help clients recognize when they are approaching dysregulation, create personalized recovery plans, reduce shame, and guide families through conflict repair. Through case discussions and hands-on strategies, you will leave with practical tools they can apply immediately in their work with ADHD families and other relationships.

Program Information

Objectives

Examine how emotional contagion, executive function strain, and nervous system activation interact to drive escalation patterns in ADHD-affected family systems.
Apply the "emotional pool" framework to help clients recognize emotional proximity, identify escalation triggers, and increase awareness of dysregulation patterns.
Select regulation-first interventions and individualized "pool plans" that support emotional recovery, strengthen coping strategies, and reduce relational escalation.

Outline

Understanding the Emotional Pool

Emotional contagion in family systems
ADHD and emotional intensity
Executive function and emotional regulation
Amygdala activation and emotional signaling
The “pool” metaphor as a psychoeducational framework

Recognizing Pool Patterns in Clients and Families

Emotional proximity awareness
Common pool-entry patterns
Hyperarousal and hypoarousal responses
Emotional impulsivity and family escalation
Shame, defensiveness, and emotional contagion

Interventions for Regulation and Repair

Regulation-first interventions
Helping clients develop “pool plans.”
Identifying effective coping strategies
Supporting emotional ownership without blame
Repair conversations and emotional debriefing (pool stories)
Limitations of the research and potential risks

Family Systems and Emotional Boundaries (Pool rules)

“No pulling others into the pool”
Overfunctioning and emotional rescuing
Co-regulation vs emotional fusion
Parent-child emotional modeling

Target Audience

Licensed Clinical/Mental Health Counselors
Marriage & Family Therapists
Psychologists
Social Workers
Case Workers
Occupational Therapists
Occupational Therapy Assistants
Speech-Language Pathologists
Educators

Copyright : 12/10/2026

ADHD at Work: Practical Strategies & Deep Therapy to Help Clients Succeed

Details coming soon!

Copyright : 12/11/2026

Not An Either/Or Approach to ADHD & Trauma: A Regulation-First Framework for Integration

Details coming soon!

Copyright : 12/11/2026

Procrastination and Mental Blocks

20+ movement and sensory strategies to spark attention and action
Turnkey solutions to enhance motivation and executive functioning
Client handouts to teach self-talk, if/then plans & more to replace avoidance with action

I can’t count how many times I’ve heard it: “I want to … I just can’t get myself to do it.”

They’ve got the insight. The plan. The support.

But still – no follow-through.

I’ve been there too. As both a clinician and a coach, I’ve worked with neurodiverse kids, teens, and adults who had the insight, the goals, and even the support – but still couldn’t move forward. And no amount of “try harder” advice ever helped.

That gap between knowing and doing used to frustrate me, too. Until I realized the problem wasn’t discipline – it was how we define and activate motivation.

This training was born out of the challenges I’ve faced with neurodiverse clients who were labeled “lazy” or “unmotivated” – when in reality, their brains just needed a different approach.

In this workshop, I’ll show you what traditional models miss – how sensory processing, dopamine dysregulation, and executive dysfunction are at the heart of shutdowns, procrastination, and stuckness. And I’ll give you brain-based, body-informed strategies that actually work.

You’ll learn how to:

Leverage brain-body strategies to prime the brain for action
Teach discipline as a scaffolded skill, not a personality trait
Rewire self-talk and shift inner narratives to support sustainable change
Boost task initiation and follow-through with behavioral neuroscience-based tools

Whether you’re a mental health clinician or a rehab professional, you’ll walk away with clear, practical techniques you can use the next day – no fluff, no shame, and no cookie-cutter advice. Just real tools for real brains.

Justin Lyons, MS, OTR/L

Program Information

Objectives

Differentiate the functional roles of mesolimbic and mesocortical dopamine pathways in regulating motivation, valuation, and task initiation.
Evaluate how dopamine dysregulation contributes to motivational challenges in ADHD and other neurodiverse populations.
Choose sensory-motor and movement-based interventions to regulate arousal and dopamine signaling, to promote motivation and persistence in ADHD and other neurodiverse populations.
Integrate neurolinguistic strategies, including growth mindset and internal dialogue reframing, with movement-based approaches to strengthen motivation and executive functioning outcomes.

Outline

Neurobiology of Motivation

Dopamine and reward pathways in ADHD and executive dysfunction
Executive functioning deficits – the hidden culprit behind motivation and persistence struggles
Limitations of the research and potential risks

Mindset, Self-Talk & Neurolinguistic Strategies

Growth mindset principles applied to motivation and discipline
Identify and reframe self-defeating language
Coaching scripts for shifting client narratives around effort and failure
Neurolinguistic habits that can lead to lasting change and develop grit in clients
Experiential activity: “Rewiring Self-Talk” client worksheet

Behavioral Tools for Initiation and Persistence

ABC goals-setting framework: scaling goals to energy and motivation levels
Implementation intentions to overcome procrastination
Habit scaffolding and environmental cueing to support discipline
System supports: Tips for healthy family and educator involvement
Experiential activity: “If/Then Plan” client handout

Brain-Based Sensory & Movement Tools to Jumpstart Motivation

Sensory-motor input and movement as motivation activators
Regulate arousal through vestibular, proprioceptive, and tactile input
Sensory “primers” ‘to prep for cognitive or behavioral tasks
10+ sensory strategies to prime attention and engagement
10+ movement-based activation techniques for task initiation
Experiential activities: Task Tension Sprint and Brain-Body Start-Up Sequence

Target Audience

Counselors
Social Workers
Addiction Counselors
Therapists
Occupational Therapists
Physical Therapists
Art Therapists
Physicians
Marriage and Family Therapists
Case Managers
Nurses
Health Coaches
Other behavioral health and rehab professionals

ADHD in Women: Hormonal Influences Across the Lifespan

Join Dr. Jane Indergaard, expert in ADHD and women (with a focus on hormones) where she’ll equip you with actionable strategies to improve care for women and girls with ADHD and stay ahead in the evolving research and treatment landscape.

Program Information

Objectives

Identify the implications of divergent patterns of ADHD in girls and women on treatment.
Determine the impact of hormonal influences on ADHD symptom expression.
Choose strategies for improved management of symptoms for women with ADHD in menopause.

Outline

ADHD in Girls & Women: The Problem

Sex Disparity in ADHD – Overview of facts contributing to referral and diagnostic bias
Symptom Presentation in Girls & Women – Differences in symptom expression leading to missed diagnoses
Hiding in Plain Sight – Masking in females, its emotional toll, and impact on delayed diagnosis
Comorbidity in Females – Common comorbidities contributing to ADHD misdiagnosis and underdiagnosis
Consequences of Delayed Diagnosis – A preventable public health issue

Etiology of Divergent ADHD Patterns in females: Possible Mechanisms Involved

Gonadal Hormone Effects on Brain Development – Gender differences in fetal brain development and their role in ADHD onset and symptom variation
Hormonal Influence on Brain and Behavior – Estrogen’s impact on brain function and attentional systems and its relevance to ADHD

Hormone Fluctuations and ADHD: Research & Clinical Findings

Prepuberty: Early puberty's link to riskier ADHD behaviors
Adolescence/Young Adulthood: Menstrual cycle impact on ADHD symptoms; management strategies
Pregnancy/Peripartum: Obstetric risks, stimulant safety, and treatment recommendations
Postpartum: Executive function challenges, hormonal shifts, and mood disorder risks in ADHD
Menopause: Hormonal drops worsening ADHD symptoms; management approaches.
Old Age: ADHD in older adults, screening, and diagnosis considerations
Evidence Limitations – Limited research, case studies, emerging evidence for life stages

Emerging Research on Estrogen’s Role in ADHD:

Part of a Larger System

Pharmacotherapy and Gender:

Medication efficacy for women from a recent systematic review

Recommendations for Improved Clinical Practice and Future Research

Target Audience

Medical Providers
Nurses/ Nurse Practitioners
Licensed Clinical/Mental Health Counselors
Psychologists
Social Workers
Marriage & Family Therapists
Occupational Therapists
Teachers/School-Based Personnel
Speech-language Pathologists

Providing Culturally Competent and Neurodiversity-Affirming Care

In this session, neurodivergent therapist, psychologist, and trainer, Dr. Tasha Oswald will teach you crucial insight that care providers need to know to help clients with autism. Topics covered in this training include:

History of the Neurodiversity Movement
Autistic Identity and Autistic Culture
Neurodiversity-Affirming Approach is Culturally Responsive
Evaluating and Addressing Your Own Ableist Biases
Alternatives to Ableist Language

Program Information

Objectives

Explore the evolution of the neurodiversity movement and Autistic culture.
Assess cultural competence through self-reflection exercises on neurotypical biases and ableism.

Outline

History of the Neurodiversity Movement
Autistic Identity and Autistic Culture
Neurodiversity-Affirming Approach is Culturally Responsive
Evaluating and Addressing Your Own Ableist Biases
Alternatives to Ableist Language

Target Audience

Addiction Counselors
Counselors
Marriage & Family Therapists
Nurses
Occupational Therapists
Physicians
Psychologists
Speech-Language Pathologists
Social Workers
Teachers/School-Based Personnel
Other Mental Health Professionals

Neurodiversity-Affirming Therapy: Principles and Strategies

What Autistic Clients Need From a Therapist
COMPASS Mnemonic for Neuro-Affirming Therapy
Neuro-Affirming Principles and Strategies
Applying a Neuro-Affirming Approach to Case Examples
Overcoming Treatment Barriers

Program Information

Objectives

Analyze research on neurodivergent adults’ perspectives on therapy and identify what they need from a therapist.
Integrate neurodivergent-affirming principles, strategies, and clinical applications using the COMPASS model.
Identify treatment barriers for autistic clients, and strategies to overcome these barriers.

Outline

What Autistic Clients Need From a Therapist
COMPASS Mnemonic for Neuro-Affirming Therapy
Neuro-Affirming Principles and Strategies
Applying a Neuro-Affirming Approach to Case Examples
Overcoming Treatment Barriers

Target Audience

Addiction Counselors
Counselors
Marriage & Family Therapists
Nurses
Occupational Therapists
Physicians
Psychologists
Speech-Language Pathologists
Social Workers
Teachers/School-Based Personnel
Other Mental Health Professionals