ADHD Mini Manual for Therapists

ADHD: A Clinician's Mini Manual

A plain-language guide for new therapists

You have an ADHD client on your schedule. You've read the textbook. You still don't know what to actually do in the room.

I wrote this manual because I needed it when I was a new therapist. After more than 30 years of specializing in ADHD, especially in women, this is the guide I wish someone had handed me. It's evidence-based, written in plain English, and built so you can pull it up before a session and know what to do next.

What's inside (50 pages):

• ADHD across the lifespan: what it is, where it comes from, and what doesn't cause it
• A short history of ADHD: from 1775 to today, including every DSM name change and why so many adults still say "I have ADD"
• How neurodivergent people see ADHD: the neurodiversity paradigm, affirming language, and a balanced view
• Emotional regulation: the missing piece of the diagnosis, and what actually helps
• Girls and women: why they're missed, late diagnosis, misdiagnosis, and how hormones affect ADHD from puberty to perimenopause
• Teen girls: the years most often missed, the real risks, and how to help
• Assessment and misdiagnosis: how to tell ADHD apart from anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and borderline personality disorder
• Co-occurring conditions: what to look for and what to treat first
• Medication: what therapists need to know, including how a woman's needs can change across her life cycle
• Child and teen therapy: parent training, school supports, 504 Plans and IEPs, and how to honor difference in children
• Adult therapy: a step-by-step approach, a session roadmap, and how to adapt therapy for ADHD brains
• Also included: scripts for real conversations, common novice mistakes, safety guidance, two case vignettes, a glossary, and full references

Who it's for: graduate students, new therapists, clinicians in supervision, and any therapist who wants a clear, affirming ADHD refresher.

Format: instant PDF download. Clean, easy-to-read layout with color-coded boxes for key ideas, practice tips, safety notes, and scripts.

Part of the Clinician's Mini Manual A–Z Library. This manual is an educational resource. It is not medical advice and does not replace clinical supervision.