About the Book
One out of every 10 adult psychotherapy clients likely has ADHD. Due to high comorbidities with depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and other mental disorders, along with considerable behavioral dysfunction, adult ADHD is even more common in clinical populations than the general public. When an ADHD diagnosis is missed, psychotherapy is often frustrating and less effective.Could it be Adult ADHD? is for mental health professionals
who wish to learn how to recognize, assess, and treat adult ADHD. Written in a style maximally accessible to the practicing mental health professional, this book educates early-career psychotherapists and
experienced professionals alike on the disorder and its treatment. Author Jan Willer provides a full description of adult ADHD symptoms, based on the most current research, including executive functioning problems, emotional dysregulation, atypical reward sensitivity, and problems with time perception. Recognizing patterns of dysfunction is essential to identify ADHD, so two detailed composite cases are presented, along with supplemental case material. Strengths that may be associated with
ADHD are described. Willer offers guidance on providing psychoeducation about cognitive differences in ADHD, which is essential for client self-acceptance and adaptive functioning. Common psychotherapy
problems with ADHD clients are addressed, including chronic lateness to sessions, missed appointments, motivation problems, difficulties with homework, and tangentiality. Willer also discusses medications for ADHD, including their benefits, contraindications, and side effects, and reviews the effectiveness of non-traditional treatments.
Table of Contents:
Foreword by J. Russell Ramsay
Acknowledgments
Section I: Recognition
1. Meet Clara and Troy: Two Adults with ADHD
2. Adult ADHD Symptoms
3. Hidden ADHD: Presenting Problems and Comorbidity
4. Recognizing Strengths
Section II: Assessment
5. A Framework for Assessment
6. Medical Problems and ADHD: Comorbidity and Mimics
7. Assessing Family History, Childhood and Adult Development
8. Assessing Adaptive Functioning
Section III: Treatment
9. Psychotherapy Goals, Structure and Challenges
10. Psychoeducation about Cognitive Differences
11. Skills Training
12. Comorbid Conditions, Emotional Distress and Dysfunctional Cognitions
13. Medications
14. Review of Other Treatments for ADHD
Afterword: Some Final Thoughts
Appendix 1: Psychological Assessment of ADHD
Appendix 2: The Quick Delay Questionnaire
Appendix 3: Omega-3 Fatty Acids Client Handout
Recommended Reading
References
About the Author
Index
About the Author :
Jan Willer, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist in independent practice in Chicago, Illinois. Could it Be Adult ADHD? is her second book; the first was The Beginning Psychotherapist's Companion. She enjoys teaching, lecturing, writing and working with psychotherapy clients.
Review :
"Authoritative, easy-to-read, and eminently practical, Could It Be Adult ADHD? is masterful. Through case examples, sound evidence-based information, and clear guidance, this book's thorough yet digestible coverage and wisdom shine through on each page. Highly recommended!"--Stephen P. Hinshaw, PhD, Professor of Psychology, UC Berkeley, Professor of Psychiatry, UC San Francisco, and co-author, The ADHD Explosion and ADHD: What Everyone Needs to Know
"Jan Willer's comprehensive book provides clinicians with the tools they need to recognize ADHD in their adult patients. It includes a wealth of information about diagnosing ADHD, comorbidity, associated impairments, as well as psychosocial and medication treatments. This book provides a much needed resource aimed at helping the underserved population of adults with ADHD."--Susan Sprich, PhD, Director, CBT Program, Director, Postgraduate Psychology
Education, MGH Psychiatry Academy, Massachusetts General Hospital, and co-author, Mastering Your Adult ADHD
"This book contains a wealth of useful information about the wide variety of ways ADHD emerges in adults along with specific suggestions for how to provide effective treatments not just with medication, but also with practical, empathic psychotherapy and psychoeducation." --Thomas E. Brown, PhD, Director, Brown Clinic for Attention & Related Disorders, Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Keck School of
Medicine, University of Southern California, and author, Smart but Stuck: Emotions in Teens and Adults with ADHD
"This is a fantastic book! It's up to date, well written, and abounds with clinical insights about all aspects of care for adults with ADHD. Rarely has a clinical text succeeded so well in knitting together the latest scientific research with sound, detailed, nuanced and practical clinical guidance. This comprehensive guide for mental health professionals addresses every aspect of assessment and treatment of adult ADHD. Of particular value are the many
illustrative dialogues that give the flavor of the difficulties faced by these clients and the types of intervention by the therapist that are helpful and effective... Dr. Willer's book represents a
tremendous contribution to the field - one that should be required reading for all those who work with adults with ADHD."--Mary Solanto, PhD, New York University, and author, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Adult ADHD: Targeting Executive Dysfunction
