ADHD Therapy and Support London

Recognised by our specialists. Understood from the inside out.

Many people live for years — sometimes decades — not knowing that ADHD is the explanation for their struggles. They have been told they are bright but inconsistent, capable but chaotic, sensitive but overreacting. They have tried harder, organised more carefully, apologised repeatedly for things they could not fully control. They have internalised the narrative that they are somehow not enough — when in reality their brain simply works differently.

If any of that resonates, you are not alone — and you are in the right place. Our specialists understand ADHD not just as a clinical entity but as a lived human experience. Several members of our team are neurodivergent themselves. They know what it is to have an ADHD brain in a world that was largely not designed for it — and they bring that understanding into every assessment, every session, and every conversation.

Find out about our private ADHD assessment and support programme

Our Practitioners Who Work with ADHD

What Is ADHD? Understanding the Condition

ADHD — Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder — is a neurodevelopmental condition affecting the brain’s executive function systems: the networks responsible for regulating attention, impulse control, working memory, emotional regulation, motivation, and time perception. It is not a lack of intelligence, willpower, or effort. It is a difference in how the brain manages certain cognitive functions — one that varies significantly between individuals and that interacts with personality, environment, and life circumstances in complex ways.

ADHD is classified into three presentations: predominantly inattentive, predominantly hyperactive-impulsive, and combined. In practice, these distinctions describe clusters of traits rather than neatly separate conditions — and many people with ADHD experience significant elements of all three, with the balance shifting across different contexts and life stages.

Despite affecting an estimated 5% of adults and being one of the most researched neurodevelopmental conditions in existence, ADHD continues to be significantly under-diagnosed — particularly in adults who were never assessed as children, in women and girls whose presentations differ from the predominantly male model that historically shaped diagnostic criteria, and in highly intelligent individuals whose cognitive abilities masked their difficulties until the demands of adult life outpaced their capacity to compensate.

Our ADHD Reviews

4.86 rating based on Google and Trustpilot reviews

D N

2026-03-27

I walked in dreading another conversation about my ADHD, which I'd never had properly understood or supported. Instead, Tina made it feel possible, drawing on somatic therapy, which made the difference, more than I expected it to. Most days, things finally feel manageable — something I wasn't sure was possible.

I H

2026-06-12

The moment I sat down with Karima to talk about my ADHD, which I'd never had properly understood or supported, I knew it was different, bringing mindfulness into every session, which respected exactly where things were at. A year on, I feel far more like the person I was before all this started, and that alone was worth it. I couldn't have asked for a better fit.

T V

2026-05-19

Emma helped me finally deal with my ADHD, which I'd never had properly understood or supported, working in a neurodiversity-informed way, which felt structured without ever feeling clinical. In hindsight, the panic has quietened right down, and I'm grateful for that every day.

P T

2026-05-21

I recently had an ADHD assessment at London Trusted Therapy. I really liked the fact that they start with QB Check, which gives you a good indication if you need to proceed with the full assessment. Ardavan sent me a comprehensive report after my QB Check test, I was happy to proceed with the complete process which was completed promptly and highly efficiently. It's important to say that students get a significant discount. Speedy and highly professional assessment helped me hugely with applying for access arrangements with my uni. I can't be grateful enough. Thank you hugely London Trusted Therapy. They are definitely the best in the market for price and quality.

J P

2026-01-10

Dr Mahen conducted a very thorough ADHD assessment for me. He took the time to understand my full history and explained everything clearly. The assessment process was comprehensive and supportive, and I finally have clarity about my symptoms. Really appreciate his expertise in this area.

ADHD in Adults — Signs That Are Often Missed

The popular image of ADHD — a hyperactive young boy who cannot sit still in class — describes only a fraction of the ADHD population. In adults, and particularly in women, ADHD frequently presents in ways that are far less visible and far more internalised.

Adults with ADHD commonly describe a pattern of functioning that is inconsistent and difficult to explain — capable of extraordinary focus and creativity in some contexts, and profoundly unable to initiate or sustain effort in others. They may find that routine, repetitive, or low-stimulation tasks are almost impossibly difficult to begin, whilst a genuinely interesting problem can hold their attention for hours without any effort at all. This is not laziness or selective motivation — it is a neurological feature called interest-based nervous system functioning, which is characteristic of the ADHD brain.

Other frequently missed signs of ADHD in adults include chronic time blindness — a genuine difficulty perceiving and managing time that is neurological rather than organisational — alongside emotional dysregulation, rejection sensitivity, significant difficulties with working memory, and a persistent sense of underperformance relative to one's actual capabilities. Many adults with ADHD also experience cycles of intense productivity followed by complete overwhelm, which can look like burnout or anxiety when the underlying ADHD has not been identified.

ADHD in Children and Teenagers

Whilst this page focuses primarily on understanding ADHD as an experience, it is worth noting that our specialists work with children and teenagers as well as adults. ADHD in younger people presents particular challenges in educational settings, where the demands for sustained attention, compliance with routine, and consistent performance directly conflict with many ADHD traits. Children with unidentified or unsupported ADHD frequently experience significant impacts on self-esteem, peer relationships, and academic confidence well before formal support is in place.

What’s It Like to Live with ADHD

Living with an ADHD brain

Living with ADHD can feel like your brain has 20 tabs open at once – and three of them are playing music. You might find yourself starting projects with enthusiasm only to lose focus halfway through, or perhaps you can hyperfocus so intensely on things you love that hours disappear. Maybe you've been told you're "too much" or "not trying hard enough," when the truth is your brain simply processes the world differently.

Daily challenges of ADHD

The daily challenges are real: remembering appointments, managing time, staying organised, or sitting through meetings without feeling like you might burst. You might struggle with emotional regulation – feeling things deeply and intensely – or find that simple tasks everyone else seems to handle easily feel overwhelming.

When it’s your child

For parents, watching your child struggle with homework, friendships, or self-esteem while knowing how bright and capable they are can be heartbreaking.

Strengths behind ADHD

But here's what's also true: ADHD often comes with remarkable creativity, out-of-the-box thinking, spontaneity, and passion. With the right support and strategies, you can work with your brain instead of against it. Understanding your ADHD isn't about fixing what's "wrong" – it's about discovering what works for you.

ADHD in Women: Why It’s So Often Missed

Women with ADHD are diagnosed significantly later than men — often not until their thirties, forties, or beyond. There are several reasons for this. Girls with ADHD are more likely to present with predominantly inattentive symptoms rather than hyperactivity, which are less disruptive in classroom settings and therefore less likely to prompt concern from teachers. Girls are also more likely to develop sophisticated masking strategies — working extremely hard to appear organised, attentive, and socially fluent, at enormous personal cost. Anxiety, perfectionism, people-pleasing, and chronic self-criticism in women and girls are frequently misidentified as primary conditions when they are in fact consequences of unidentified ADHD.

Our practitioners have specific experience in recognising how ADHD presents differently in women and in those who have learned to camouflage their symptoms. If you’ve spent years wondering why everything feels harder than it should, you deserve an assessment that sees the full picture.

ADHD and Co-occurring Conditions

ADHD rarely presents entirely on its own. It commonly co-occurs with anxiety, depression, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, and autism — and the interaction between these conditions can create a complex and highly individual presentation that makes diagnosis more challenging and support more nuanced. Understanding the full picture of your neurodevelopmental profile is important both for accurate diagnosis and for ensuring that your support is genuinely tailored to you rather than to a generic ADHD presentation.

ADHD Strengths — The Other Side of the Story

A genuinely complete understanding of ADHD must include its strengths. The same neurological profile that creates challenges with routine tasks, time management, and sustained attention also underpins some of the most valued human qualities: creativity, lateral thinking, hyperfocus on areas of genuine interest, high energy, warmth, spontaneity, and an ability to make unexpected connections across disparate ideas. Many of the world's most innovative thinkers, entrepreneurs, artists, and leaders are or were neurodivergent.

CBT for ADHD Adults

Our ADHD support goes beyond diagnosis. We offer evidence-based therapeutic approaches including CBT for ADHD (cognitive behavioural therapy adapted specifically for the ADHD brain), ADHD performance coaching, and tailored strategies for adults navigating work, relationships, and everyday life. CBT helps you identify the thought patterns and avoidance cycles that ADHD creates, while coaching builds the practical systems – time management, prioritisation, external structure – that work with your neurology rather than against it.

ADHD and Emotional Wellbeing

ADHD is not only a cognitive profile — it carries a profound emotional and psychological dimension that is often the most significant aspect of the lived experience. The condition is closely associated with emotional dysregulation, including what is known as Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria (RSD) — an intense, often overwhelming emotional response to perceived criticism, rejection, or failure that is neurologically rooted rather than psychologically fragile.

Many people with ADHD also carry significant emotional legacies from years of being misunderstood — shame about their inconsistency, frustration at the gap between their potential and their achievements, damaged confidence from academic or professional settings where their difficulties were visible but unexplained. These emotional dimensions are not peripheral to the ADHD experience — they are central to it, and they are as worthy of attention and care as the cognitive profile itself.

Our specialists approach ADHD with this full picture in mind. Whether you are coming to us at the point of wondering whether ADHD might apply to you, following a recent diagnosis, or years into living with a condition that has only recently been identified, we are here to support all of it

Frequently Asked Questions — Understanding ADHD

Do I really need a formal diagnosis as an adult?

Many adults find that a formal diagnosis is the “missing piece” of their life story. Beyond self-understanding, a diagnosis is essential if you wish to access evidence-based medication, request reasonable adjustments at work, or seek specialized ADHD coaching. It moves you from “wondering” to a clear, actionable treatment plan.

What is the difference between ADHD and just being busy or stressed?

While everyone experiences moments of forgetfulness, ADHD is a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition. The key difference lies in the persistence and pervasiveness of symptoms. If your challenges with focus, organisation, or emotional regulation have been present since childhood and impact multiple areas of your life (work, home, relationships), an assessment is recommended.

Can I have ADHD if I was never hyperactive as a child?

Absolutely. This is a common misconception. Many people, particularly women, have the Predominantly Inattentive presentation. Instead of physical restlessness, you may experience “internal hyperactivity” – a mind that never shuts off – or struggle with chronic daydreaming and mental fog rather than running around.

Will I have to take medication?

Medication is a personal choice and only one part of a “multimodal” treatment plan. While highly effective for many, our ADHD Complete programme also focuses heavily on therapeutic support and practical coaching. We work with you to find the combination of strategies that feels right for your lifestyle and goals.

Could I have ADHD if I was never diagnosed as a child?

Yes. Many adults reach adulthood — and well beyond — without a diagnosis, particularly if they were intelligent, female, or developed strategies that masked their difficulties in educational settings. Adult ADHD is well established and a formal assessment at any age is entirely valid. If reading about ADHD makes you feel recognised for the first time, that recognition is worth exploring.

How is ADHD different from just being disorganised or easily distracted?

ADHD involves specific, neurologically rooted difficulties with executive function that are consistent across time, present in multiple areas of life, and disproportionate to what would be expected given a person’s intelligence and opportunity. The key distinction is the degree, the pervasiveness, and the neurological basis. Everyone is occasionally distracted or forgetful — people with ADHD experience these difficulties at a level that significantly and consistently affects their daily functioning.

Can ADHD look like anxiety or depression?

Frequently, yes. Anxiety and depression are very commonly the presenting symptoms when ADHD has not been identified — they develop as secondary responses to the chronic stress, underperformance, and self-blame that undiagnosed ADHD produces. This is one reason why accurate assessment matters: treating anxiety or depression without identifying the underlying ADHD often produces limited or temporary results.

Is ADHD a real condition — or has it been over-diagnosed?

ADHD is one of the most extensively researched conditions in psychiatry and psychology, with a robust evidence base spanning decades of neuroimaging, genetic, and longitudinal studies. It has a strong heritability and clear neurobiological underpinnings. The question of over-diagnosis tends to conflate two separate issues — the existence of the condition (well established) and the quality of individual assessments (variable, which is precisely why thorough, multi-method assessment by qualified professionals matters).

What is Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria?

Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria (RSD) is an intense, often overwhelming emotional response to perceived or actual criticism, rejection, or failure that is common in people with ADHD. It is neurologically rooted — not a sign of emotional weakness or psychological fragility — and can be one of the most disruptive aspects of adult ADHD, affecting relationships, professional life, and self-esteem profoundly. It is also one of the least discussed aspects of the condition, and many people do not realise it has a name until they encounter it in the context of an ADHD assessment or therapeutic work.

What is the difference between this page and the ADHD Complete service page?

This page is for people who are exploring and trying to understand whether ADHD might apply to them or someone they care about. The ADHD Complete service page describes our assessment programme, diagnostic process, QbCheck technology, and integrated support pathway in detail — and is the right place to go when you are ready to take the next step.

Ready to take the next step towards clarity?

Explore Our Private ADHD Assessment and ADHD Complete Programme

No GP referral needed. Appointments available within days. Harley Street clinic and online.

Three Central London Locations and Online

Harley Street

Pinero House
115A Harley Street
London W1G 6AR

Welbeck Street

30 Welbeck Street
London W1G 8ER

Chancery Lane

1 Quality Court
Chancery Lane
London WC2A 1HR

Online Therapy

UK-wide
and internationally

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Should you feel that your first session did not meet your expectations or that your therapist wasn’t a good fit, we will provide another session completely free of charge with a different practitioner.

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We are proud to work in partnership with major UK and global insurers, as an approved mental health provider, supporting various clients in their therapy journey around the globe.