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February Train & Gain "Adult ADHD Through a Neurodiversity Affirming Lens: What Therapists Need to Know"
Dr. Priyanka Rao is a Licensed Psychologist and the founder of Asha Mental Health, a neurodiversity affirming therapy and assessment practice in Minneapolis. She specializes in working with late-diagnosed ADHD and autistic adults, with a clinical emphasis on trauma, identity development, and the lifelong impact of masking and chronic self-blame. Dr. Rao is known for her strengths-based, culturally responsive approach that helps clients rewrite internalized narratives and develop sustainable, shame-free systems that reflect how their brains work. In addition to her clinical practice, she leads Asha Coaching & Consulting, where she supports ADHD professionals and entrepreneurs in building executive function skills and creating work lives aligned with their neurodivergent wiring. Dr. Rao brings both lived experience and deep clinical expertise to her work, making her a trusted voice in adult ADHD, neurodiversity, and compassionate behavior change.
Adult ADHD is often misunderstood in clinical practice, leading many clients to be overlooked, misdiagnosed, or unsupported until well into adulthood. This presentation reframes ADHD through a neurodiversity affirming lens and equips therapists with evidence-informed strategies to recognize diverse presentations and support clients before and after diagnosis. We will address the shame, trauma, and identity shifts common among late-diagnosed adults and demonstrate how targeted psychoeducation can dramatically improve insight and functioning. Attendees will leave with concrete tools they can implement immediately in therapy, including energy mapping, interest-based planning, externalized executive function supports, and flexible habit-building strategies.
Learning Objectives
1. Describe key principles of a neurodiversity affirming approach to adult ADHD and differentiate this framework from deficit-based models.
2. Identify common but underrecognized ADHD presentations in adults, particularly among women, BIPOC clients, and high-achieving individuals.
3. Explain the emotional and psychological impact of late ADHD diagnosis, including shame, grief, trauma responses, and identity shifts.
4. Apply relationship-based strategies to support clients experiencing rejection sensitivity dysphoria and internalized narratives shaped by years of masking.
5. Implement at least three practical, evidence-informed tools (such as interest-based planning, energy mapping, and externalized executive function supports) to help clients improve daily functioning and reduce overwhelm.
Please note that many regulatory boards accept AAMFT course attendance to fulfill CE requirements, but do not have a pre-approval process. If in doubt, check with the board.
Dr. Priyanka Rao is a Licensed Psychologist and the founder of Asha Mental Health, a neurodiversity affirming therapy and assessment practice in Minneapolis. She specializes in working with late-diagnosed ADHD and autistic adults, with a clinical emphasis on trauma, identity development, and the lifelong impact of masking and chronic self-blame. Dr. Rao is known for her strengths-based, culturally responsive approach that helps clients rewrite internalized narratives and develop sustainable, shame-free systems that reflect how their brains work. In addition to her clinical practice, she leads Asha Coaching & Consulting, where she supports ADHD professionals and entrepreneurs in building executive function skills and creating work lives aligned with their neurodivergent wiring. Dr. Rao brings both lived experience and deep clinical expertise to her work, making her a trusted voice in adult ADHD, neurodiversity, and compassionate behavior change.
Adult ADHD is often misunderstood in clinical practice, leading many clients to be overlooked, misdiagnosed, or unsupported until well into adulthood. This presentation reframes ADHD through a neurodiversity affirming lens and equips therapists with evidence-informed strategies to recognize diverse presentations and support clients before and after diagnosis. We will address the shame, trauma, and identity shifts common among late-diagnosed adults and demonstrate how targeted psychoeducation can dramatically improve insight and functioning. Attendees will leave with concrete tools they can implement immediately in therapy, including energy mapping, interest-based planning, externalized executive function supports, and flexible habit-building strategies.
Learning Objectives
1. Describe key principles of a neurodiversity affirming approach to adult ADHD and differentiate this framework from deficit-based models.
2. Identify common but underrecognized ADHD presentations in adults, particularly among women, BIPOC clients, and high-achieving individuals.
3. Explain the emotional and psychological impact of late ADHD diagnosis, including shame, grief, trauma responses, and identity shifts.
4. Apply relationship-based strategies to support clients experiencing rejection sensitivity dysphoria and internalized narratives shaped by years of masking.
5. Implement at least three practical, evidence-informed tools (such as interest-based planning, energy mapping, and externalized executive function supports) to help clients improve daily functioning and reduce overwhelm.
Please note that many regulatory boards accept AAMFT course attendance to fulfill CE requirements, but do not have a pre-approval process. If in doubt, check with the board.