Misunderstood- Signed Paperback

Misunderstood: A Therapist’s Journey Through ADHD, Autism, and Self-Acceptance



What happens when the person trained to help others finally faces the truth about her own mind?

Misunderstood is a therapist’s deeply personal memoir of navigating mental health, misdiagnosis, and the lifelong search for clarity. With honesty, humor, and heart, Lisa Giles shares what it’s really like to live with ADHD and autism—long before she had the words for either.

For nearly four decades, Lisa battled executive dysfunction, sensory overload, and shame while being repeatedly misunderstood by others and by herself. After years of confusion and medical gaslighting, uncovering her ADHD and AuDHD diagnoses finally brought everything into focus.

Blending memoir, education, and advocacy, Misunderstood invites readers to explore neurodivergence through curiosity rather than judgment. Through her lens as a therapist and Level 3 Certified IFS practitioner, Lisa helps readers understand the parts of themselves that struggle, protect, and long to belong.

If you’ve ever felt “too much,” “too sensitive,” or simply different, this story will remind you that being misunderstood doesn’t mean being broken—it might just mean being human.