Mike Keaveny, Psy.D.

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Therapy for ADHD

Mike Keaveny, Psy.D.

Living with ADHD is more than just being “distracted.” It can affect almost every part of life. You may want to focus on things that matter to you—work, school, relationships—but your attention keeps slipping away. Tasks pile up, deadlines get missed, and important things fall through the cracks. The result is often frustration, guilt, and shame.

ADHD isn’t just about attention—it’s the downstream effects. Losing things. Finances in disarray. Strained relationships. Feeling constantly “behind.” You know you’re capable, yet you feel stuck, scattered, or lazy—even when you’re not. Maybe you’ve tried medications or productivity systems, and they helped for a while, but nothing seems to stick. Watching others thrive only makes the gap feel worse. Over time, this cycle can lead to anxiety, depression, or hopelessness.

But ADHD doesn’t define your worth. It’s not about being lazy or broken—it’s about your brain working differently. And with the right strategies and support, you can create structure, manage symptoms, and build a life that feels less overwhelming and more fulfilling.

An ACT Approach to Healing

My work is grounded in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which helps people manage difficult thoughts and emotions while taking steps toward what matters most. With ADHD, ACT gives us tools for both the emotional toll (shame, frustration, self-doubt) and the practical challenges (focus, organization, consistency).

Values – ADHD often makes you feel disconnected from what you care about. We’ll identify your values and use them to guide motivation and direction.
Acceptance – It’s easy to fight against ADHD or blame yourself for symptoms. Together we’ll work on self-compassion, accepting what’s hard, and moving forward anyway.
Present Moment Awareness – ADHD pulls attention everywhere but here. Mindfulness practices can help bring focus back to the task or interaction in front of you.
Cognitive Defusion (Thought Distancing) – Thoughts like “I’m lazy” or “I’ll never get it together” don’t have to run the show. We’ll practice seeing them as just thoughts, not truths.
Self-as-Context (Identity) – You are not your ADHD. We’ll strengthen your sense of identity beyond “the person who’s always behind.”
Committed Action – Change happens through consistent steps. We’ll build small, practical actions into your routines, and keep momentum going even when motivation dips.

Practical Structure and Support

In addition to ACT, I also incorporate strategies often used in ADHD coaching—things like organizational systems, breaking down tasks, setting reminders, and building sustainable habits. The difference is that I bring both the behavioral tools and the psychological insight to help you address the emotional and cognitive roadblocks that get in the way.

We’ll figure out what systems work for you (not cookie-cutter productivity hacks) and keep you accountable to sticking with them. When setbacks happen—as they inevitably do—you won’t find judgment here. Instead, we’ll explore what happened, adjust, and keep moving forward.

What to Expect in Session

Therapy with me is collaborative and compassionate. We’ll talk about your struggles openly, without judgment, and make sense of both the emotional and practical sides of ADHD. Sometimes we’ll focus on building skills and structure; other times we’ll slow down to explore the shame, frustration, or hopelessness that ADHD creates.

I’ll encourage you to take small, practical steps outside of session to experiment with new strategies. My role is to keep you accountable without being punitive—to help you stick with changes long enough for them to become habits, and to be patient when progress isn’t linear. Over time, this combination of emotional processing and behavioral change helps reduce suffering and build confidence.

Thriving with ADHD

ADHD doesn’t disappear, but it doesn’t have to run your life. With support, you can stop living in cycles of guilt and chaos and start building systems that work for you. More importantly, you can reconnect with what actually matters—relationships, passions, and goals that ADHD has pulled you away from.

Therapy won’t make you perfect or turn you into someone else, but it can help you find compassion for yourself, reduce shame, and create a way of living that feels sustainable, balanced, and authentic.