ADHD Therapy for Artists and Creatives in Los Angeles
ADHD Therapy
Are you an artist who always feels behind?
It’s a daily routine, feeling overwhelmed with how much there is to do. Always behind on classwork, unfinished projects, creative goals—the hopes you set for yourself months ago seem to have hit a wall. You let your schedule dictate your life, rather than the other way around.
Do you find yourself dependent on the outside world to give you structure, a deadline, or a push because generating it from the inside feels impossible? If this resonates, you might be living with ADHD.
Many artists with ADHD struggle with
- Motivation: knowing what you want to do but not being able to start
- Doomscrolling: spending hours on the phone while priorities loom
- Procrastination: feeling pulled toward anything but the important thing
- Emotional overwhelm: stress and deadlines feel like too much
- Impulsivity: rash decisions and sometimes saying too much without realizing
ADHD and the artist
For artists, ADHD can bring real strengths: connecting ideas in novel ways, openness to new experiences, visionary thinking, and an intensity and originality that others are drawn to.
But you probably know the other side too: impulse purchases, ideas that light you up and disappear just as fast, and daydreaming while stress piles up. Creativity can be both the stressful thing and the escape from everything else.
Being an artist can compound the struggles of ADHD. High-stakes creative work can lead to comparisons, shame, and feeling frozen. Once you understand your ADHD, you begin to see how much shame has been carried around this part of your experience—and that changes everything.
Neurodivergence
ADHD isn’t a character flaw or a lack of willpower. It affects how your brain manages time, emotion, attention, and motivation. Things start to make sense as we understand how your neurodivergence operates.
What ADHD actually feels like
Time disappears. Time blindness is not a lack of care. Hours vanish, deadlines sneak up, and projects sit half-finished because momentum stopped.
The future can feel invisible. When the present has no connection to a larger reward, the nervous system looks for stimulation right now.
Emotions hit harder. Stress and negative experiences can feel intense, while finishing an important project may feel strangely flat.
Daily life reflects the inaction inside. The home, inbox, and to-do list can fill with things that are nearly—but never quite—finished.
Social situations get complicated. Missed cues, interrupted conversations, or saying the wrong thing can create shame that is hard to explain.
The shame we inherit
Messages from school, family, grades, and feeling misunderstood can turn neurodivergence into a private experience. ADHD also has a strong genetic component, so many people grew up without modeled routines or language for what their household was experiencing.
For many people—particularly in families where academic performance is expected and mental health is not discussed—family honor, achievement, and ADHD can create compounded layers of shame.
What therapy actually changes
When we build compassion around ADHD, we change the signals the brain receives. Therapy can increase self-understanding and help you perform in ways that are authentic.
The goal isn’t to conform your ADHD to neurotypical standards. It’s to build enough structure and self-understanding to access what’s already there: creativity, hyperfocus, originality, and novel ways of thinking. We build a map around your experience, connect the present to the future, notice the small steps, and rework your relationship with ADHD.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a diagnosis to work with you?
You don’t. We’ll discuss your current experience and may use brief questionnaires for a clearer picture. A formal evaluation can also be a liberating first step, and I’m happy to recommend local resources.
What are your fees?
Sessions are $175 for a 50-minute hour. A sliding scale is available for artists and creatives who need it.
Do you offer in-person or online sessions?
Yes. I offer both, and we can discuss what works best when we connect.
How is therapy different from coaching?
Therapy offers a structured, evidence-based CBT approach with relational and depth-oriented work. We can also work with ADHD alongside OCD and trauma.
I’ve tried therapy before and it didn’t help. How is this different?
I use a multi-modal approach that considers ADHD, neurodivergence, lived experience, culture, identity, family roles, and childhood trauma together.
How long does therapy take?
Structured CBT for ADHD typically runs 12 to 16 sessions, while deeper work around shame, identity, and lived experience may unfold over longer. We’ll move at a pace that’s right for you.