ADHD Testing & Assessment
ADHD testing is a comprehensive, clinically rigorous evaluation designed to give you accurate answers — and a clear path forward.
What is ADHD Testing?
ADHD or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder — commonly known as ADHD — is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by persistent patterns of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity that significantly affect daily functioning across multiple areas of life. It is one of the most common and most misunderstood mental health conditions, often dismissed as a lack of effort or willpower when it is, in fact, a neurological difference in how the brain regulates attention, motivation, and executive function.
ADHD does not look the same in every person. For some, it presents primarily as difficulty sustaining attention, following through on tasks, and managing time. For others, it manifests as restlessness, impulsivity, and difficulty regulating emotional responses. And for many — particularly women and girls, who are significantly underdiagnosed — it presents quietly, internally, as chronic overwhelm, self-criticism, and the exhausting effort of masking difficulties that others seem to navigate effortlessly.
ADHD at TrueMe® Counseling
At TrueMe® Counseling, ADHD therapy goes beyond symptom management. We work with the whole person — addressing the practical challenges of executive dysfunction alongside the emotional and relational impact of living with an often-misunderstood condition. Using CBT, psychoeducation, skills-based coaching strategies, and where relevant, EMDR to process the shame and self-worth wounds that frequently accompany a lifetime of ADHD, we help clients build a genuinely sustainable relationship with their own minds.
Common signs ADHD testing may be for you:
- Persistent difficulty sustaining attention
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Chronic disorganization and time blindness
- Underperformance relative to apparent ability
- Working harder than others for equivalent results
If you identify with 2 or more of these, you may be a good candidate for our testing and assessment.
OUR CLINICAL APPROACH
How we treat you — and why it works
Most therapy fails because it’s generic. At TrueMe® Counseling, our licensed therapists use a structured, evidence-based framework built around your specific needs, history, and goals — not a one-size-fits-all program.Whether you’re across the street or across the state, we’re here — in person or virtually throughout California.
Clinical Assessment & Root-Cause Mapping
We begin with a thorough clinical assessment — identifying your specific challenges, personal history, thought patterns, and underlying triggers. This isn't a generic intake form. It's the diagnostic foundation that everything else is built on.
Cognitive Restructuring
Using CBT and other evidence-based modalities, we help you identify and challenge the distorted thinking patterns keeping you stuck — whether that's anxiety, depression, low self-worth, or relationship difficulties. You learn to respond to life differently, from the inside out.
Behavioral Intervention
Insight alone doesn't create change — behavior does. We use structured techniques to help you break the cycles, habits, and avoidance patterns that have been holding you back. This is where meaningful, real-world transformation begins.
Personalized Treatment Planning
No two people are the same — and neither are their treatment plans. Your therapist builds a roadmap tailored specifically to your needs, goals, and pace. Every session is purposeful, intentional, and designed to move you forward.
Progress Tracking & Plan Adjustment
Healing isn't linear — and your therapist knows that. Progress is regularly reviewed and your treatment plan is adjusted in real time to ensure you're always moving in the right direction at the right pace for you.
Resilience Building & Long-Term Independence
The final stage equips you with a personalized, lifelong toolkit — regulation strategies, early warning recognition, and sustainable coping skills — so that when life gets hard, you have everything you need to handle it. The goal is independence, not dependency on therapy.
YOUR THERAPY JOURNEY
What to expect in therapy
Starting therapy can feel intimidating — especially when you’re already carrying so much. Here’s exactly what the process looks like, step by step.
Free consultation call
Before anything else, you’ll have a brief, no-pressure call to share what you’re going through and ask any questions you have. There’s no commitment — just a conversation to make sure we’re the right fit for you.
Your first session
Your first session is a relaxed, open conversation — not a test. Your therapist will take time to understand your history, your current experience, and what you’re hoping to achieve. Many clients leave their first session already feeling a sense of relief just from being heard.
A personalized treatment plan
Your therapist will work with you to create a plan tailored specifically to your needs — not a generic program, but a personalized roadmap designed around your unique history, goals, and what you’re going through right now.
Ongoing sessions & real tools
Each session builds on the last. Using CBT and other evidence-based methods, your therapist will help you identify the thought patterns and behaviors holding you back — and equip you with practical tools you can use in real life between sessions.
Tracking your progress
Healing isn’t always linear — and your therapist knows that. Progress is regularly reviewed and your plan is adjusted as needed to ensure you’re always moving in the adirection at the right pace for you.
Life beyond anxiety
The goal of therapy isn’t just symptom relief — it’s lasting transformation. You’ll finish therapy with a deeper understanding of yourself, a toolkit you carry for life, and the confidence to face whatever comes next.
Meet Our Therapists
TrueMe® Counseling is a team of licensed MFTs and PhDs with decades of combined clinical experience.
Marina Edelman LMFT #51009
Founder of TrueMe® Counseling | Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist
Cheryl Baldi,
LMFT #39801
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist
Dr. Rachel Chistyakov, PsyD, LMFT #150001
Licensed Psychologist
Sharalee Hall,
LMFT #135374
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist
Chris Calandra, AMFT#129479
Associate Marriage & Family Therapist
Suzanne Perry,
AMFT #132904
Associate Marriage & Family Therapist
Hayley Willis, AMFT #132776
Associate Marriage & Family Therapist
Jasmine Johnson, AMFT #137660
Associate Marriage & Family Therapist
Kylee Garfield, AMFT #145651
Associate Marriage & Family Therapist
Sean Palmer, AMFT #
Associate Marriage & Family Therapist
FAQ - ADHD
Frequently Asked Questions About ADHD
Honest answers from our licensed therapists — before you take the first step.
1. Can therapy actually help with ADHD — or is medication the only effective treatment?
Therapy is a highly effective component of ADHD treatment — and for many clients, it addresses dimensions of the condition that medication alone cannot reach. Medication can reduce the neurological intensity of ADHD symptoms, but it does not teach the executive function skills, emotional regulation strategies, or organizational systems that many people with ADHD have never had the opportunity to develop. It also does not address the significant emotional impact of a lifetime spent struggling with an unidentified condition — the shame, the self-doubt, the damaged self-concept. The most effective approach combines medication with skilled therapeutic support, and at TrueMe® Counseling, we work collaboratively with psychiatrists and prescribers when a combined approach is clinically indicated.
2. What does ADHD therapy actually look like in practice — and does it involve homework?
ADHD therapy at TrueMe® Counseling is structured, practical, and skills-based. Sessions combine psychoeducation about how ADHD affects the brain with the development of specific, personalized tools for executive function, time management, emotional regulation, and self-advocacy. Like CBT, ADHD therapy does involve between-session practice — applying new strategies to real-life situations and building sustainable habits. Every strategy is tailored to your specific profile of strengths and challenges rather than applied as a generic protocol.
3. Is it possible to have ADHD as an adult if I was never diagnosed as a child?
Yes — and adult diagnosis is far more common than most people realize. ADHD has historically been underdiagnosed in girls and women, in individuals whose intelligence masked their difficulties, and in those whose ADHD presented primarily as inattention rather than visible hyperactivity. Many adults receive their first diagnosis in their thirties, forties, or beyond. A late diagnosis is an opportunity to finally understand the neurology behind a lifetime of experiences that never quite made sense.
4. How does ADHD affect emotional regulation — and can therapy help with that specifically?
Yes — and at TrueMe® Counseling, it almost always is. Brainspotting works particularly well in combination with CBT, somatic therapy, EMDR, and talk therapy approaches, each addressing different dimensions of the same presenting concern. For example, CBT may be used to address the cognitive patterns maintaining anxiety, while Brainspotting processes the underlying neurological activation driving it. Your therapist will integrate Brainspotting thoughtfully within a broader treatment plan — using it where it is most likely to be effective and combining it with other approaches to address the full clinical picture.
5. Can ADHD therapy be combined with other therapeutic approaches at TrueMe®?
Absolutely — and in our practice, it almost always is. ADHD rarely presents in isolation. CBT is particularly well-suited to the cognitive and behavioral dimensions of ADHD, EMDR addresses emotional wounds from years of being misunderstood, and somatic approaches help clients whose ADHD includes significant emotional dysregulation. Your therapist will design an integrated approach that addresses the full clinical picture — not just the ADHD symptoms, but the whole person experiencing them.
