ADHD Therapist in Los Angeles, CA
Casen Psychology | Sara Casen, PhD
Clients with ADHD often describe…
A frustrating gap between what they know they are capable of and what they are consistently able to do.
Routine tasks may take far more effort than expected. Starting an important project can feel surprisingly difficult. Interruptions can make it hard to regain momentum. Some clients have tried multiple productivity systems, planners, apps, and strategies but continue to struggle with follow-through.
I provide ADHD and academic/career performance therapy for adults in their 20s and 30s, particularly college students, graduate students, and professionals working in demanding environments.
Sessions are available in person in West Los Angeles, CA and by telehealth throughout California and New York. I am a licensed psychologist with a doctorate from Fordham University, and my approach may include CBT, psychodynamic psychotherapy, psychoeducation, and Executive Function work.
Why can starting a task be so difficult?
Task initiation can be challenging for people with ADHD, even when the task is important and they care a great deal about the outcome.
Clients may describe sitting in front of a project without being able to begin, delaying until a deadline becomes urgent, or feeling mentally exhausted before meaningful progress has been made.
External interruptions can add another layer of difficulty. Some clients find that resuming a task requires significant Executive Function, making a short interruption feel much longer in practice.
This can be especially confusing for people who are capable and motivated in many other areas of life.
It is also one reason I do not assume that chronic procrastination is simply a problem of discipline.
For people who are frequently procrastinating or struggling to start tasks, therapy can help us explore what is happening around task initiation rather than simply adding another productivity system.
Does ADHD become more noticeable in college or at work?
Some clients first begin questioning whether ADHD may be relevant when the demands of school or work become more complex.
Strategies that worked adequately in high school, earlier college years, or entry-level positions may become less effective when responsibilities require more independent planning, sustained attention, prioritization, and task management.
For some people, undergraduate or graduate education is when this becomes particularly noticeable. For others, it emerges after taking on greater professional responsibility.
This does not mean increased demands caused ADHD. Rather, a more complex environment may make existing attentional or Executive Function difficulties easier to recognize.
What does ADHD therapy involve?
ADHD therapy is not limited to productivity strategies.
CBT can help us examine thoughts and behaviors that accompany avoidance, perfectionism, difficulty beginning tasks, and other patterns that may interfere with follow-through.
Psychodynamic psychotherapy may involve exploring the emotional experiences that have developed around these struggles. Some people have spent years describing themselves as lazy, inconsistent, or incapable despite repeatedly putting significant effort into functioning.
Psychoeducation can help clients develop a more accurate understanding of ADHD and Executive Function.
Executive Function work may involve exploring practical systems for planning, prioritizing, starting, and completing tasks in ways that better fit the individual.
Strategies are not treated as one-size-fits-all. The goal is to understand what has and has not worked before and develop approaches that are more sustainable for the person's actual circumstances.
Is this therapy or ADHD coaching?
My practice provides therapy in West Los Angeles, CA.
Our work can include practical strategies, but therapy also allows us to address emotional and psychological concerns that may accompany attentional and Executive Function difficulties.
Clients may bring in frustration, shame, anxiety, perfectionism, or longstanding beliefs about their abilities. These concerns can be explored alongside practical work on task initiation and self-management.
The purpose is not to position therapy as a replacement for every other form of support. It offers a different setting in which both practical and emotional aspects of the problem can be considered.
What can I expect from the first few therapy sessions?
The first sessions help me understand your academic and work history, current responsibilities, previous strategies, and the situations in which functioning becomes most difficult.
We also look at times when things have gone more smoothly. Understanding both can help us identify where to focus.
My background and training include a doctorate from Fordham University and clinical experience in a college counselling centre as well as public and private school settings. That experience informs my work with clients navigating demanding academic environments and transitions into professional life.
We set goals collaboratively and reflect on movement toward them as therapy progresses.
Questions people ask before booking
-
No. Some of my clients have a formal diagnosis, while others come to therapy because ADHD seems like one possible explanation for patterns they have been experiencing. If those patterns are affecting your functioning, we can discuss them further.
-
People often seek therapy when there is a consistent gap between what they feel capable of and what they are able to produce day to day, or when managing that gap is taking a significant amount of energy and affecting stress or self-esteem.
-
Many people already know a great deal about what they "should" do. Therapy can help explore why making those changes has remained difficult and what conditions may make desired goals more attainable.
-
It varies. Some concerns may begin shifting relatively early in therapy, while others require more time. We set goals and continue reflecting on progress as the work develops rather than assigning a universal timeline in advance.
Finding the right support is a journey.
If any of this resonated, a consultation call is a low-pressure way to continue to explore if my approach feels like the right fit for you.