I've been a social worker for over forty years. I've worked in mental health and developmental disabilities much of my life. Diagnosed with ADHD in 1994, I began to specialize in serving adults with attention disorders. I learned from listening to ADHD experts and researchers, and hundreds of clients, that the disorder was not a deficit of attention, and more likely a surplus of attention. I began to see how the attention deficit label contributed to the notion that individuals with ADHD simply were unable to focus. Such a narrow conceptualization of this complex disorder limited effective treatment and support. Attention management disorder more aptly describes this neurological difference.
I believe the symptoms of ADHD are less of a problem than inaccurate notions about ourselves, self-limiting thoughts, avoidance of vulnerability and uncomfortable feelings, fear of failure, and rejection sensitivity. I know many successful people who refuse to allow their "disabilities" to be disabling, including one successful colleague with cerebral palsy and ADHD.
Over the years, my private practice evolved into multiple services. Psychotherapy was not sufficient to meet the diverse needs of this population, and not always necessary. I started a support group for adults with ADHD in 2005 and a workshop for ADHD couples two years later. I developed a meditation workshop for adults with ADHD. I learned about other professionals who provided what I was not trained and equipped to provide. I consulted neuropsycholoists, professional organizers, ADHD coaches, marriage experts, career coaches, evaluators, psychiatrists specializing in ADHD medicines, nutritionists, mediation teachers, and trauma specialists.
I wrote a book to promote a healthy perspective on ADHD, based in acceptance and wise effort. My appeal was to the inherent resourcefulness and creativity of individuals in the ADHD family. I wanted to extend my efforts beyond the walls of an office, the support group meetings, and workshops. Writing the book was a labor of love and an act of defiance.
I'm a published author, poet, retired social worker, and advocate for adults with ADHD. I began studying and writing poetry before retiring my psychotherapy practice in 2021. I earned a certificate in creative writing at MTSU Write, mentored by poet Denton Loving (Crimes Against Birds, Tamp, and Feller).
I wrote Living Well With ADHD (Specialty Press, 2015) to expand my reach beyond psychotherapy clients to help others. The book remains relevant and timeless, as it focuses on understanding accepting the neurological differences in order to live well with them. It's more about cultivating mindful awareness than following prescribed strategies that too often run a short course before they're abandoned.
Writing poetry is my art form, a labor of love and an exercise in discovery. When not writing, I'm reading contemporary poets and writers, and studying with other writers whose ancestral roots are Appalachian. Some of my poetry can be found in Salvation South, MicroLit, Main Street Rag, Streetlight Magazine, and the Anthology of Appalachian Writers.
My advocacy and support for adults with ADHD continues. I collaborate with current co-leaders of ADDNashville, a support group I founded in 2005, and I lead meditation workshops for adults living with ADHD or anxiety. The support group meets twice monthly online. The workshops are offered through One Dharma Nashville (onedharmanashville.com).