ADHD Therapist

Therapy for teens and adults who are tired of trying harder and ready to work with their brain instead of against it.

If you're an ADHD sufferer, you've likely experienced situations like unfinished projects, reminders that don't stick, late-night bursts of focus, and days of difficulty with simple tasks. Perhaps you've been labeled lazy, disorganized, or "too much." Perhaps the hacks you've developed over the years are starting to break.

I'm Gabriela Breton, a licensed marriage, family, and ADHD therapist in Redwood City, CA. I work with teens and adults to help them understand their ADHD brain, find practical tools to help them function in the world, and reduce stress, shame, and overwhelm. I blend skills-based therapy (CBT and DBT) with somatic/mind-body work, caring for your daily habits and your nervous system.

I meet with clients in my office at Veterans Blvd in Redwood City and via video anywhere in California in English or Spanish.

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Signs ADHD May Be Affecting Your Daily Life

ADHD manifests in many different ways and often is not the picture of a child who can't sit still. If you feel you are one of the following, you might benefit from ADHD treatment:

  • Deadlines, bills, emails, and appointments go by, even if they are important to you.
  • It's hard to start boring or overwhelming tasks.
  • You tunnel your focus on what you are interested in and have trouble with everything else.
  • Frustration, irritability, or tears appear quickly and are larger than the moment.
  • Negative feedback or even a whiff of rejection lingers in your mind for days.
  • Restlessness in the body or mind, even when you're trying to rest.
  • You experience periods of productivity followed by periods of burnout.
  • People think you're not paying attention or are careless when you're not.
  • You appear all right on the outside but feel like you're barely keeping your head above water.

You don't have to tick every box, and you don't have to have a formal diagnosis to start.

What Is ADHD Therapy?

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a condition that affects the brain's development. It impacts attention, impulse control, and executive functions—the brain's ability to plan, prioritize, remember, and follow through. It's not a bad trait; it's not a lack of effort.

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ADHD therapy supports you in three ways:

  • Understanding your brain. You discover how ADHD presents to you, what exhausts you, and where you're strong.
  • Building practical skills. We develop systems for time, tasks, organization, and follow-through systems that work for you.
  • Healing the emotional layer. We relieve stress, guilt, and self-blame that can accumulate over years of feeling misunderstood.

Therapy helps on its own and in combination with medication. Medication can help to focus better, and therapy can help to develop the routines, emotional resources, and self-understanding that medication cannot.

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How ADHD Shows Up at Different Stages of Life

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ADHD in Adults

Many adults are just finding out they've got ADHD. A 2024 CDC report estimates that 15.5 million U.S. adults were diagnosed with ADHD in 2023, with half being diagnosed as adults. When career, relationships, parenting, and a fast-paced, bustling life in the Bay Area combine, the tools that helped in school don't work in the adult world for many of my clients. Therapy can help you process your past and create systems that work for you in the present.

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ADHD in Women

The ADHD symptom of inattention can manifest as daydreaming, disorganization, chronic overwhelm, or anxiety and can go unnoticed in women and girls. The same CDC data also revealed that women were more likely to get their diagnosis as adults than men. For many years, women may be denying that there is something wrong and may be feeling that they are to blame for their symptoms. Therapy provides you with time to reflect on the discovery of ADHD, with compassion, if you have been diagnosed later in life or if you believe you may have ADHD.

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ADHD in Teens and Preteens

Homework, missing assignments, screen time, and emotional outbursts are all challenges that teens with ADHD face, and home can become a place of constant negotiation. Being an expert ADHD therapist, I currently work with teens and their parents. We develop concentration and organization, enhance emotional management, and help your teen's self-esteem. For more info, check out my Teen Support page.

Stories from Our Redwood City Community

Many people have sat exactly where you are sitting. They felt unsure but took a brave step forward. Here are a few experiences they have kindly shared:

★★★★★

“Finding an ADHD Therapist who understands the nervous system helped. It truly changed my entire world for the better. I finally feel comfortable in my own skin again.”

- G., Former Client

★★★★★

“I was tired of being told to try harder. Working with this ADHD specialist gave me actual tools. I understand my body sensations now much more clearly.”

- K., Former Client

★★★★★

“Therapy used to feel like a very heavy chore. Now it feels like a wonderful safe haven. I have more peace of mind at work now.”

- S., Redwood City

(To protect client confidentiality, names are abbreviated. Your privacy is always protected here.)

ADHD, Emotions, and the Nervous System

This is the aspect of ADHD that is easily ignored. Emotional dysregulation is when feelings come in quickly, are intense, and do not go away for a long time a common symptom of ADHD. You've felt the sting of rejection sensitivity before that feeling that a brief message, an invitation, or a comment from your boss could send you into a tailspin of self doubt. Rejection-sensitive dysphoria is not a formal diagnosis, but many people with ADHD report it is a good description of their experience.

Pushing yourself to look organized, calm, and "normal" for years also takes its toll on the body. It may manifest stress, fatigue, bad sleep, or a nervous system that is stuck in fight-or-flight. That is why I include the body in the therapy for ADHD. A more relaxed nervous system makes it easier to concentrate, make choices, and respond rather than react.

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Banner image Stories from the Redwood City community with an ADHD Therapist

My Approach to ADHD Therapy in Redwood City

No two ADHD brains are the same and being an ADHD therapist, I do not have a one size that fits all programs. I integrate evidence-based skills with gentle mind/body exercises, and our work is paced at a level that works for you.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for ADHD

One of the most-researched treatments for adult ADHD is CBT. We explore some thoughts that tend to stop us from getting started, such as "If I can't do it perfectly, why start?" and develop strategies for planning, prioritizing, time management, and getting started on difficult tasks.

DBT Skills for Emotional Regulation

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) offers specific skills training in a concrete manner to teach ways to regulate large emotions, tolerate distress, and communicate clearly. These abilities are particularly beneficial when it comes to coping with the frustration, impulsivity, and rejection sensitivity that often accompany ADHD.

Somatic Therapy

Somatic work helps you become aware of tension, restlessness, or shutting down in the body before it gets overwhelmed. You will gain some simple somatic strategies to calm your nervous system and refocus on the task, conversation, or moment in front of you. Additionally, some clients will combine therapy with Trauma-Informed Yoga classes to provide additional support through the body.

EMDR and Parts Work

Numerous individuals have suffered from being criticized, punished, or left out as a child because of their ADHD. The emotional charge of those experiences can be lessened by using the technique of EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). Parts work allows you to become familiar with each of the parts of yourself, such as the procrastinator and the hard worker, so that they can function together rather than in opposition.

ADHD, Anxiety, Depression, and Relationships

ADHD doesn't just happen by itself. The symptoms of ADHD can overlap with anxiety, depression, trauma, and burnout, with many of those with ADD/ADHD also having one of these disorders. ADHD, an anxious mind, or both may cause difficulty focusing. We untangle what's driving what in therapy, and you'll receive support for the big picture.

ADHD affects relationships, too, with plans forgotten, conversations that are interrupted, chores that are not done, and arguments that flare out of control. I help people and couples develop understanding, effective communication, and suitable routines. Learn more about Individual and Couples Therapy.

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What Progress in ADHD Therapy Can Look Like

Each journey is unique, and clients frequently strive on the journey to changes such as these:

  • Starting tasks with less dread and finishing more of what matters
  • Morning, work, and home routines that actually stick
  • Recovering from emotional overwhelm faster
  • Replacing "What's wrong with me?" with a real understanding of how your brain works
  • Asking for what you need at work, school, and home
  • Feeling calmer and more at home in your own body

Frequently Asked Questions About ADHD Therapy

No. Many people come to me because they suspect ADHD, or simply know that focus, organization, or emotions are getting in the way. We start with what feels hardest for you right now.

Yes. We'll explore your history, your daily challenges, and patterns that may point to ADHD or to something that can look similar, such as anxiety, depression, or trauma. If you need a formal evaluation for medication or for work or school accommodations, I can refer you to trusted psychiatrists and psychologists.

Yes. Medication and therapy work well together. Medication can make focus easier, while therapy helps you build routines, manage emotions, and understand yourself in ways medication can't.

Both can cause restlessness, trouble focusing, and overwhelm. With ADHD, attention tends to drift because of how the brain regulates focus. With anxiety, attention gets pulled toward worries. Many people have both, and therapy can help you tell them apart and address each one.

Yes. I work with teens and involve parents when it helps, so home, school, and therapy support each other. Visit my Teen Support page to learn more.

Yes. I offer secure video sessions for clients anywhere in California. Many people with ADHD find online therapy easier to fit into a busy week.

Yes. Sessions are available in English and Spanish.

It depends on your goals. Therapy usually starts with weekly sessions, and many people notice meaningful changes within the first few months as new skills become habits. Some clients come for focused, shorter-term work; others stay longer to address anxiety, trauma, or relationship patterns alongside ADHD.

I'm an out-of-network provider. Depending on your plan, you may be able to get partial reimbursement through your out-of-network benefits. A sliding scale is available for some clients.

We get to know each other, talk about what brings you in, and look at what's working and what isn't. There's no pressure to share everything at once. You'll leave with a clearer sense of your goals and how we can work together.

Take the First Step Toward Calmer, More Focused Days

You've spent a long time trying harder. Therapy is a chance to try differently, with support. Whether you're newly diagnosed, still wondering, or parenting a teen who's struggling, you don't have to figure this out alone.

Book your free 20-minute consultation today, or call (415) 407-1513.

Book Your Free 20-Minute Consultation
BEGIN WHERE YOU ARE

You do not need to have everything figured out to start.
Therapy is simply a conversation, one that can open
new ways of relating to yourself and the world around you.

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Integrative Therapy & Mind-Body Healing
Supporting individuals and teens with compassion and clarity.

Phone: (415) 407-1513

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