ADHD Therapy for Adults in Orlando to Transform Your Daily Life
Living with adult ADHD can feel draining, especially when your mind moves fast, tasks stack up, and no matter how hard you try, it still feels like you’re falling behind. Many adults carry a quiet sense of feeling “different” or “not enough,” even though they’re giving everything they have.
It’s frustrating when others don’t see the effort you put in. Struggles with focus, forgetfulness, emotional swings, or staying consistent can build up over time and leave you overwhelmed. If you’ve wondered why life feels harder than it should, you’re not alone. Many adults reach this exact point before finally getting the support they deserve.
Total Life Counseling’s role is to make this process easier. We’re here with warmth, support, and strategies that truly make daily life feel more manageable. With the right support, you can manage symptoms more confidently, feel more grounded day to day, and start experiencing life with less stress and more control.
You don’t have to manage ADHD alone.
A Closer Look at Adult ADHD
Adult ADHD is more than trouble focusing. It can affect how you manage your day, handle emotions, stay organized, and keep up with responsibilities. Many adults spend years wondering why things feel harder for them, never realizing their struggles have a name.
Symptoms can look different for everyone. You might feel easily overwhelmed, forgetful, restless, or pulled in a hundred directions at once. Or you may find it hard to finish tasks, stay consistent, or manage frustration. These challenges can impact work, relationships, and your confidence in ways that feel discouraging.
ADHD also presents differently from person to person, which is why the DSM recognizes three main types:
- Predominantly Inattentive Type: Challenges with focus, organization, and details, often without noticeable hyperactivity.
- Predominantly Hyperactive Impulsive Type: Restlessness, impulsive decisions, and difficulty slowing down.
- Combined Type: A blend of inattentive and hyperactive impulsive symptoms that impact daily functioning.
The good news is that ADHD is manageable, and you don’t have to do this alone. With the right support from TLC counselors, you can build healthier routines, reduce stress, and feel more in control of your life again. We’re here to help you get there.
What is Adult ADHD/ADD?
Diagnostic & Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM-V) provides criteria for diagnosing ADHD. The criteria are presented here in modified form in order to make them more accessible to the general public. They are listed here for information purposes and should be used only by trained health care providers to diagnose or treat ADHD. DSM-V Criteria for ADHD I. Either A or B:
- Six or more of the following symptoms of inattention have been present for at least 6 months to a point that is disruptive and inappropriate for developmental level:
Inattention
- Often does not give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes in schoolwork, work, or other activities.
- Often has trouble keeping attention on tasks or play activities.
- Often does not seem to listen when spoken to directly.
- Often does not follow instructions and fails to finish schoolwork, chores, or duties in the workplace (not due to oppositional behavior or failure to understand instructions).
- Often has trouble organizing activities.
- Often avoids, dislikes, or doesn’t want to do things that take a lot of mental effort for a long period of time (such as schoolwork or homework).
- Often loses things needed for tasks and activities (e.g. toys, school assignments, pencils, books, or tools).
- Is often easily distracted.
- Is often forgetful in daily activities.
B. Six or more of the following symptoms of hyperactivity/impulsivity have been present for at least 6 months to an extent that is disruptive and inappropriate for developmental level:
Hyperactivity
- Often fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in seat.
- Often gets up from seat when remaining in seat is expected.
- Often runs about or climbs when and where it is not appropriate (adolescents or adults may feel very restless).
- Often has trouble playing or enjoying leisure activities quietly.
- Is often “on the go” or often acts as if “driven by a motor”.
- Often talks excessively.
Impulsivity
- Often blurts out answers before questions have been finished.
- Often has trouble waiting one’s turn.
- Often interrupts or intrudes on others (e.g., butts into conversations or games).
- Some symptoms that cause impairment were present before age 7 years.
- Some impairment from the symptoms is present in two or more settings (e.g. at school/work and at home).
- There must be clear evidence of significant impairment in social, school, or work functioning.
- The symptoms do not happen only during the course of a Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Schizophrenia, or other Psychotic Disorder. The symptoms are not better accounted for by another mental disorder (e.g. Mood Disorder, Anxiety Disorder, Dissociative Disorder, or a Personality Disorder).
Based on these criteria, three types of ADHD are identified:
- ADHD, Combined Type: if both criteria 1A and 1B are met for the past 6 months
- ADHD, Predominantly Inattentive Type: if criterion 1A is met but criterion 1B is not met for the past six months
- ADHD, Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Type: if Criterion 1B is met but Criterion 1A is not met for the past six months.
American Psychiatric Association: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision. Washington, DC, American Psychiatric Association, 2014.
Untreated ADHD can create challenges that build over time and impact emotional health, relationships, school, and overall well-being. While every individual is different, research shows some common patterns that may appear without proper support.
Here are some of the difficulties that can develop if ADHD symptoms are not addressed:
- 80% of teenagers still show ADHD symptoms, although hyperactivity is usually improved
- 25% begin to develop major depression symptoms
- 25%-40% show ODD and Conduct Disorder symptoms
- 30-58% failed at least one grade
- Significantly higher incidence of traffic violations and accidents
- More Accidents/Citations (speeding) and Worse Accidents (2-3x $ & injuries)
- Higher incidence of other legal offenses during adolescence, including drug and sexual offenses
Let’s look at how untreated ADHD can affect friendships, dating, and social development:
- Fewer Close Friends
- Shorter Dating Relationships
- Greater Use of Alcohol & Marijuana
- More use of cocaine and speed (300%-400% greater risk)
- Behind Socially and Emotionally 25-30% according to Dr. Russell Barkley, MD
Here is how ADHD can influence academic performance and school experience if left untreated:
- 25-35% Retained
- 60% Suspended (18%)
- 14% Expelled (5%)
- 30-40% Drop out (9%)
- Lower GPA (1.7/2.6)
Research also highlights higher risks related to sexual behavior and long-term outcomes:
- 38% of teen pregnancies vs 4% of the national average
- 54% Do not have custody of offspring
- 16% Treated for STDs vs. 4% of the national average
How Total Life Counseling Helps You Navigate Life With ADHD?
When ADHD leaves you feeling overwhelmed, disorganized, or constantly behind, it can be hard to know where to start. Many adults come to us feeling exhausted from trying so hard on their own and relieved to finally have someone who truly understands what they are going through.
At Total Life Counseling, we offer support that meets you where you are, with guidance that feels practical, compassionate, and designed for your real life.
Here’s What Makes TLC’s Approach Unique:
- Practical Tools for Daily Living: Our Adult ADHD counselors teach real-world organization strategies such as using phone calendars, reminders, and simple systems that make tasks and routines easier to manage.
- Collaboration With Your Healthcare Providers: If you are interested in alternatives to medication, our team can help you talk with your doctor about FDA-approved supplements and integrative options. Many adult clients have found success with these supports. We also refer to integrative psychiatrists who understand how vitamins and lifestyle changes may complement or reduce the need for medication.
- Support for Your Work and Relationships: ADHD touches every area of life. When helpful, our therapists involve partners, family members, or employers to understand your challenges and strengthen communication and support at home or at work.
Our goal is to help you feel more grounded, more capable, and less burdened by the everyday challenges ADHD brings. Connect with our team and start your journey toward real change.
Total Life In The News
Total Life Counseling Subject Matter Experts Have Been Featured On Multiple TV Networks and News Stations:
Our subject matter experts have participated in over 150 national & local news interviews and they are here for you!
At Total Life Counseling Center our Counselors are Experts for National and Local TV, Radio and Print Media. We have an excellent reputation amongst graduate & private schools, attorneys, doctors, therapists, providers and corporations. We strive to ensure our therapists have diverse clinical backgrounds, to allow us to match each client to the therapist that will best meet his or her needs.
What ADHD Treatment Looks Like in Real Life?
Understanding how to manage ADHD begins with learning how your brain works and developing tools that make daily life feel easier and less overwhelming. Treatment is a collaborative, supportive process focused on practical change, emotional relief, and real progress that fits your lifestyle.
During sessions, you and your counselor work together to:
- Identify the specific challenges that make everyday tasks feel harder than they should
- Build simple and realistic strategies for focus, organization, planning, and consistency
- Strengthen emotional regulation and coping skills to reduce frustration, stress, and burnout
- Improve communication and relationship skills so you feel more understood and connected
- Create routines and structure that bring calm and confidence to your day
- Support long-term growth that helps you feel more capable and in control
Treatment may also include holistic approaches such as nutrition support, sleep improvement, exercise, or supplements if you choose, along with medical care when appropriate. Many adults find that combining multiple strategies leads to the most effective and lasting results.
Therapy moves at your pace, and every step forward matters. You do not need to have everything figured out before you start. Reaching out for help can be the moment when life begins to feel more manageable and hopeful again.
If you are ready to talk with someone who understands ADHD, we are here for you.
What Positive Changes Can ADHD Counseling Bring?
Imagine what life could feel like with the right support. Many adults describe a sense of relief when things begin to make sense and everyday challenges become easier to manage. Our ADHD treatment is designed to help you experience that kind of change in a way that feels realistic and attainable.
With guidance that is tailored to your strengths and needs, you can expect to:
- Feel calmer and more in control instead of constantly overwhelmed
- Experience more clarity and direction when tackling tasks and decisions
- Build confidence and self-trust as you learn strategies that actually work for your brain
- Enjoy more supportive and connected relationships with the people who matter most
- Create routines that feel doable rather than frustrating or impossible to maintain
- Handle emotions with more steadiness instead of feeling pulled in every direction
- Find motivation and momentum where you once felt stuck
- Rediscover the energy and creativity that ADHD often masks rather than removes
Most importantly, you will not be doing any of this alone. You will have someone in your corner who understands the unique challenges of ADHD and celebrates your progress along the way.
You deserve a life that feels lighter, more balanced, and filled with possibility. Treatment can help you get there.
Take the first step with a simple conversation. Book a Free 15 Minute Consultation.
What to Expect from ADHD Counseling and Coaching?
Many people looking for adult ADHD counseling near me want to know what the experience will be like, so here is a quick overview of what happens during ADD counseling for adults:
- An initial assessment and a plan by the end of your first meeting.
- ADHD Parent Coaching – Our innate parenting skills work with 95% of kids, but students with ADHD are in the other 5%.
- Simple Behavioral Plans & Positive Reinforcement – Behavior Charts fail for 3 main reasons: All or Nothing rewards, Long Term Rewards, and Inconsistency.
- Food for Thought – Learn how Diet and Vitamin deficiencies can exacerbate ADHD symptoms, and 85% of our clients do not need medication for ADHD or ADD. Some students may need additional support and can be referred to specialists who can assess neurotransmitters or food sensitivities to work toward a goal to treat ADHD symptoms without medication. Our staff works with psychiatrists as well, who use the least amount of medication if the diet and supplements do not give a therapeutic response.
- Our experts know your students’ rights to receive an IEP or 504 Plan, and we will advocate for the schools to give accommodations for your child.
- Career Assessment if needed.
- Social Skills Groups, Day Camps, and Summer Camps to help close the social and emotional gap with most ADHD teenagers.
- Help parents to get on the same page and more.
Leadership Social Skills Support Group
- Social Delays | 60% of ADHD Students are behind socially by up to 25%. Jim leads a social skills group for ages 6-10, 11-13, and 14-17.
- This group covers anger management, social skills, dealing with perceptions, greeting people, starting conversations, resolving conflicts, apologizing, etc.
- The group utilizes interactive games focusing on building trust, focusing, not interrupting, etc.
- Utilizes short PowerPoint presentations to maintain attention and focus.
- The group also processes appropriate ways to express feelings of frustration or hurt.
Anger Management in Central Florida
ADHD teens struggle with mood regulation, and as a result, they feel everything intensely. Intense excitement and intense frustration! Therefore, anger management groups or tips might be helpful, so we offer teen anger management groups in Florida.
Licensed Counselors & Therapists
Meet Our Team of Certified & Experienced Professionals
Total Life Counseling Center consists of Licensed Counselors, Masters Level Therapists, Espanol Counselors, Licensed Mental Health Counselors, Business Coaches, Image Enhancement Coaches who provide counseling for emotional, mental, physical and spiritual care including marriage, individual, family, substance abuse and more. Our team of certified and experienced professionals, dedicated to serving a comprehensive spectrum of mental health and relationship issues such as couples, women and men’s issues, children and teens with oppositional defiance, video game addiction, ADHD, ASD, anxiety, depression, and trauma survivors, is here to support and guide you through your journey towards healing and navigating life transitions. This approach not only enhances the effectiveness of the counseling provided but also builds trust within the community and among potential clients, who may be seeking support.
We offer next level counselors specialized in areas such as relationships, video game & drug/alcohol addictions, abuse, trauma, depression, and ADHD. Our Therapists are EMDR (eye movement desensitization) trauma therapy trained, cognitive behavioral therapy, specialize in ADHD and Oppositional Defiant Children, and are also professional Gottman method marriage couples counselors to give the best results to couples and to provide the best comprehensive spectrum of mental health and relationship care for our clients.
Struggling with Anger? We offer 8 hour anger management group therapy!
Discounted Rates and the president of Total Life Counseling Center Jim West does not want to turn people away and we have counselors at various levels of experience at a discounted rate that are trained by our next level counselors!
Jim West
MA, LICENSED MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELOR, national certified counselor
President, Counselor, Guest Speaker, Author, Social Skills, ADHD, ODD, ASD, children, teens, and more!
Dana West
MSW, Licensed clinical social worker
Vice President, Counselor, Guest Speaker, Addictions, Trauma, Couples, Abuse, and more!
Mathew Martin
MS, LICENSED MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELOR
Counselor, Coach, Guest Speaker, Marriage, Individual Males, Substance Abuse and more!
Brandon Feinberg
MS, LICENSED MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELOR
Male Counselor, Licensed Mental Health Counselor specializing in ADHD, Asperger Syndrome, Autism Spectrum Disorders, and more!
Lyris Steuber
MS, licesned marriage & family therapist
Counselor, Coach, Marriage & Family, Play Therapy, Divorce, Adolescent and more!
Valerie Ware
Psychologist and Behavioral Specialist
Psychological Evaluator, Autism, ADHD, Learning Disabilities, Anxiety, Gifted, Career Pathways, and emotional assessments.
Gemima McMahon
MA, LICENSED MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELOR
Licensed Mental Health Counselor specializing in Women’s issues, Trauma, Anxiety, Depression, Cutting, Couples, Children and Teenagers and more!
Pedro Michael Valdez IV
MA, LICENSED MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELOR
Licensed Mental Health Counselor specializing in personality disorders, trauma, depression, and anxiety for individuals, families, and couples.
Audrey DeBruler
MS, LMHC, Licensed Mental Health Counselor
Children, Adolescents, Young Adults, Faith Based Counseling, Trauma Recovery, Anxiety and more!
David Duany
MA, LICENSED MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELOR
Licensed Mental Health Counselor specializing in ADHD, Social Skills, and Anger Management counseling for children, young adults, and families.
Katherine Waldheim
MS, Registered Mental Health Counseling Intern
Trauma, anxiety, couples counseling, and child & adolescent counseling services and more!
Struggling with ADHD, ASD or Defiance?
It’s Time to Stress Less!
Everyone knows someone struggling with ADHD, ASD or Defiance. So, Jim West Developed the StressLess Educational Series as a comprehensive video program to help people all over the world! StressLess Now or Book Jim as a Guest Speaker Today! Click for more info and free video tips.
Frequently Asked Questions
What type of therapy is best for adult ADHD?
The most effective treatment often includes behavior therapy, cognitive therapy, skills training, and executive functioning support. These therapeutic approaches help improve focus, impulse control, and work performance while reducing adult ADHD symptoms and improving quality of life.
How can adults manage ADHD without medication?
Many adults benefit from lifestyle changes, ADHD supplements, regular exercise, time management, mindfulness meditation, and organizational skills training. These treatment strategies support emotion regulation and improve daily tasks, helping reduce impulsive behavior and strengthen long-term management of ADHD.
How are you guys dealing with adult ADHD?
We create personalized support plans that focus on practical coping skills, emotional balance, daily structure, and long-term confidence. Through therapy, skill-building, and a compassionate approach, we help adults understand their ADHD, reduce overwhelm, and feel more in control of their everyday life.
What is a gold standard treatment that actually works?
A combination of behavioral therapy, executive functioning support, and lifestyle strategies is considered highly effective. These approaches help improve focus, consistency, and emotional regulation while empowering adults to manage challenges, build strengths, and improve overall well-being in a sustainable way.
How to find adult ADHD counselors near me?
You can start by searching local mental health directories, reading reviews, and checking credentials and specialties. Look for a provider experienced with adult ADHD. A therapist adult ADHD Orlando specialist can offer support tailored to your unique needs and daily challenges.
What should I look for when researching ADHD therapy for adults near me?
Look for licensed clinicians who specialize in ADHD, offer structured treatment plans, and use evidence-based approaches. Choose someone you feel comfortable with. Many people search for ADD/ADHD therapy for adults near me to access personalized care and long-term growth.
Total Life Blog
ADHD and ADD Tips From our TLC Therapists
Southwest Orlando Office Location
Our Total Life Counseling Center Southwest Orlando location is conveniently located at Metro West Professional Plaza near Dr. Phillips & Windermere 2 miles off the 408 off Hiawassee. Surrounded by shops and beautiful sceneries, our main office location provides counseling, therapy, coaching, camps and career services for relationships, addictions, abuse, trauma, depression, ADHD, and more!
Total Life Counseling Center Metro West (Main Office)
Metro West Professional Plaza
1507 South Hiawassee Road, Suite 101
Orlando, FL 32835
