Understanding adult ADHD: How Solution Focused Hypnotherapy can help
Living with Adult ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) can be overwhelming. For many adults, the diagnosis comes after years of struggling with poor time management, impulsivity, low self-esteem, emotional sensitivity, relationship issues and a feeling of never quite meeting their potential. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone - and there is support available.
In this article, we’ll explore how Solution Focused Hypnotherapy (SFH) can help adults with ADHD thrive by improving focus, reducing overwhelm, and promoting self-compassion. We’ll also look at common co-occurring challenges such as executive dysfunction, rejection sensitivity dysphoria (RSD), social anxiety, and how tools like guided relaxation, visualisation, positive psychology, and mindfulness techniques used in SFH can make a lasting difference.
What Is Adult ADHD?
ADHD in adults is a neurodevelopmental condition characterised by difficulties with attention, organisation, emotional regulation, and impulse control. While often thought of as a childhood condition, many people reach adulthood without a diagnosis, despite clear signs.
Common Symptoms of Adult ADHD:
Trouble staying focused or completing tasks
Chronic disorganisation
Forgetfulness and distractibility
Impulsivity in speech or actions
Restlessness or mental hyperactivity
Struggles with time management
Difficulty regulating emotions
Low tolerance for frustration
Exhaustion, overwhelm
These symptoms are often misunderstood as laziness or lack of discipline, which can significantly impact self-worth and confidence.
Co-Occurring Challenges in Adults with ADHD
1. Executive Dysfunction
People with ADHD often struggle with executive function skills—the mental processes that help us plan, prioritise, initiate, and complete tasks. This can lead to missed deadlines, chaotic mornings, or the inability to follow through on intentions, creating a cycle of frustration and shame.
2. Time Management Issues
ADHD brains tend to perceive time differently. Tasks may take much longer than expected, or time may “slip away” while hyperfocusing on something unrelated. This often leads to procrastination, lateness, and difficulty sticking to routines.
3. Low Self-Esteem
Years of perceived underachievement can erode self-confidence. Many adults with ADHD internalise a belief that they’re “not good enough,” leading to a harsh inner critic and self-doubt.
4. Impulsivity
Impulsive decisions, whether financial, verbal, or behavioural, can cause significant problems in relationships, work, and overall wellbeing.
5. Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria (RSD)
RSD is a common but lesser-known feature of ADHD. It causes intense emotional pain in response to perceived criticism or rejection, often leading to avoidance, anxiety, or emotional outbursts.
6. Social Anxiety
Struggling to “fit in,” keep up with conversations, or remember social cues can lead to anxiety in social settings. Many adults with ADHD mask their symptoms to cope, which is exhausting and reinforces a sense of disconnection.
7. Poor Work Performance
Despite being bright and capable, adults with ADHD may feel they’re always underperforming. Difficulty focusing, following instructions, or managing time can lead to chronic underachievement or burnout.
8. Weight and Eating Issues
Impulsivity, emotional dysregulation, and poor interoception (awareness of internal signals like hunger or fullness) can lead to emotional eating, erratic meal patterns, or issues with body image.
How Can Solution Focused Hypnotherapy Help Adults with ADHD?
Solution Focused Hypnotherapy is a modern, evidence-based approach that draws on elements of positive psychology, neuroscience, Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) and clinical hypnosis. It’s gentle, forward-looking, and empowering—making it particularly effective for individuals with ADHD.
Here’s how it can help:
1. Shifting the Focus from Problems to Solutions
Unlike traditional therapy that may dwell on past struggles, SFH helps you focus on what’s going well, and how you’d like things to be instead. For adults with ADHD, this can be life-changing. It breaks the cycle of negative self-talk and helps develop a mindset of possibility and progress.
You’re not labelled as “broken” or “disordered”—you’re seen as resourceful, capable, and full of potential. Together, we look at your strengths, what’s already working, and build from there.
2. Reducing Stress and Cortisol Levels
Chronic stress can worsen ADHD symptoms. When we’re overwhelmed, our brain goes into survival mode—making it even harder to focus, plan, or regulate emotions. SFH uses deep relaxation and guided trance to calm the nervous system, reducing stress hormones and restoring access to your rational, problem-solving mind.
This is particularly helpful for executive function challenges, as it supports the prefrontal cortex—the part of the brain responsible for attention, planning, and emotional regulation.
3. Improving Sleep, Focus and Energy
Many adults with ADHD struggle with poor sleep, whether due to racing thoughts, inconsistent routines, or co-existing anxiety. Hypnotherapy promotes better sleep by calming the mind and supporting healthy sleep cycles, including REM sleep, which plays a key role in emotional processing.
Regular sessions can lead to improved concentration, mood, and energy—making it easier to stick to goals and routines.
4. Enhancing Motivation and Positive Habits
SFH taps into the brain’s reward system, reinforcing small wins and helping to create sustainable habits. Visualisation techniques used in trance help the brain rehearse new behaviours—such as starting tasks on time, taking breaks, or eating more mindfully—making them feel more achievable in real life.
Many clients report feeling more motivated, more productive, and more in control—even after just a few sessions.
5. Supporting Emotional Regulation and RSD
Hypnotherapy provides a safe space to develop emotional resilience. Through positive suggestion and guided relaxation, we build your capacity to self-soothe, set boundaries, and respond thoughtfully instead of reacting impulsively. This is especially valuable for managing rejection sensitivity, reducingthe emotional pain of perceived criticism, and fostering a more compassionate inner dialogue.
6. Improving Confidence and Self-Esteem
Solution Focused Hypnotherapy helps reframe how you see yourself. Instead of focusing on past failures or limitations, we celebrate your strengths and help you reconnect with your unique potential. Confidence grows naturally when you're no longer constantly fighting yourself. You begin to trust your instincts, appreciate your efforts, and recognise your worth.
7. Addressing Social Anxiety and Burnout
With ADHD, social interactions can feel exhausting. SFH helps by reducing anxiety, boosting self-acceptance, and giving you the tools to navigate relationships with more ease and authenticity. By regulating your nervous system and building resilience, SFH also helps prevent ADHD burnout, the emotional and mental exhaustion that can result from constant overcompensation and masking.
8. Encouraging Mindfulness Without Overwhelm
Many people with ADHD find traditional mindfulness difficult—sitting still and “emptying the mind” can feel impossible. SFH uses mindfulness- inspired tools like focused attention, breathwork, and body awareness within guided trance, making it easier to stay engaged.
Clients often describe these sessions as deeply calming and pleasantly surprising—they didn’t realise they could feel that relaxed.
What to Expect in a Solution Focused Hypnotherapy Session
Your first session includes an initial consultation, where we’ll talk about your goals and how hypnotherapy works. From there, sessions typically follow a gentle, structured format:
1. Positive conversation – Focusing on what’s going well and what’s possible
2. Goal setting – Creating a picture of how you’d like things to be
3. Trance work – A deeply relaxing guided experience using visualisation and positive suggestion
4. Progress review – Reflecting on what’s improved and what’s next You remain fully in control and aware throughout. Hypnosis is simply a natural, focused state—like being absorbed in a book or daydream. In this state, your mind becomes more open to helpful, constructive ideasthat support your goals.
SFH: A Complement to ADHD Coaching, Therapy, or Medication
Solution Focused Hypnotherapy works beautifully alongside other treatments. Whether you’re taking ADHD medication, seeing a coach or therapist, or simply exploring your options, hypnotherapy can offer powerful support without conflict or judgment. Many clients say it enhances their other efforts—helping them integrate strategies, feel more emotionally balanced, and stay on track.
Is SFH Right for You?
If you:
Struggle with overwhelm, disorganisation, or procrastination
Are constantly criticising yourself or feeling like you’re not enough
Want to sleep better, feel calmer, and get more done without burning out
Are seeking a gentle, forward-looking approach that celebrates your strengths
…then Solution Focused Hypnotherapy could be a transformative step for you.
You are not broken - you are wired differently
ADHD isn’t a personal failing. It’s a different brain wiring that comes with both challenges and strengths—creativity, curiosity, empathy, and a unique way of seeing the world. With the right support, you can harness your brain’s potential and live with greater ease, confidence, and clarity.
Ready to Get Started?
I offer a calm, supportive space to explore your goals and begin positive change. Whether you’re newly diagnosed or have lived with ADHD for years, Solution Focused Hypnotherapy can help you take meaningful steps forward—at your pace, in your way.
To book your initial consultation or find out more, please get in touch here or book online. Sessions are available in-person in Bristol and North Somerset (Clifton and Backwell) or online across the UK and worldwide.