Mastering Your Adult ADHD

A Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment Program, Therapist Guide

Second Edition

Steven A. Safren, Susan E. Sprich, Carol A. Perlman, and Michael W. Otto

Treatments That Work

Together, the Therapist Guide and Client Workbook contain all the information and materials necessary to deliver CBT for adults with ADHD
Empirically tested and effective CBT intervention for adults with ADHD and residual symptoms not fully treated by medication alone
Also provides options for "high-tech" and "low-tech" strategies, depending on the needs or preferences of the client

New to this Edition:

Updated to cover current technology and optional strategies for incorporating it into treatment to help with organization and planning
Clinical components are updated based on research team's experiences
Optional sessions with partner or spouse has more focus on providing education about ADHD to the partner or spouse, therefore minimizing disharmony

Mastering Your Adult ADHD

A Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment Program, Therapist Guide

Second Edition

Steven A. Safren, Susan E. Sprich, Carol A. Perlman, and Michael W. Otto

Description

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in adulthood is a prevalent and impairing disorder. While medications have been effective in treating adult ADHD, the majority of individuals treated with medications still have symptoms that require additional skills and symptom management strategies.

This Second Edition of Mastering Your Adult ADHD is thoroughly updated to present the most current, empirically supported treatment strategies in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for coping with symptoms of adult ADHD. The Therapist Guide provides clinicians with effective means of teaching adult clients skills that have been scientifically tested and shown to help them cope with ADHD. The program has been updated to include the optional use of technology and smart phones to improve organization and planning. Core modules cover the development of systems for keeping track of appointments and tasks, reducing distractibility, and improving adaptive thinking skills, and there's an optional module on reducing procrastination. Information is also provided regarding holding an informational meeting with a spouse, partner, or family member. The step-by-step, session-by-session descriptions are a practical resource for therapists who deliver the treatment. The companion Client Workbook contains all of the necessary information for participating in the practical CBT intervention. It includes worksheets, forms, and a link to an assessment measure that can be used to gauge progress during treatment.

Mastering Your Adult ADHD

A Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment Program, Therapist Guide

Second Edition

Steven A. Safren, Susan E. Sprich, Carol A. Perlman, and Michael W. Otto

Treatments That Work

INTRODUCTORY INFORMATION FOR THERAPISTS

MODULE 1 - PSYCHOEDUCATION, ORGANIZING AND PLANNING

Session 1:
PSYCHOEDUCATION AND INTRODUCTION TO ORGANIZATION AND PLANNING

Session 2:
INFORMATIONAL SESSION WITH SPOUSE, PARTNER OR FAMILY MEMBER (IF APPLICABLE)

Session 3:
ORGANIZATION OF MULTIPLE TASKS

Session 4:
PROBLEM-SOLVING AND MANAGING OVERWHELMING TASKS

Session 5:
ORGANIZATIONAL SYSTEMS

MODULE 2: REDUCING DISTRACTIBILITY

Session 6:
GAUGING THE CLIENT'S ATTENTION SPAN AND TEACHING DISTRACTIBLITY DELAY

Session 7:
MODIFYING THE ENVIRONMENT

MODULE 3: ADAPTIVE THINKING

Session 8:
INTRODUCING A COGNITIVE MODEL OF ADHD

Session 9:
ADAPTIVE THINKING

Session 10:
REHEARSAL AND REVIEW OF ADAPTIVE THINKING SKILLS r

MODULE 4: ADDITIONAL SKILLS

Session 11:
APPLICATION OF SKILLS TO PROCRASTINATION (OPTIONAL)

Session 12:
HANDLING SLIPS

Appendix: Forms and Worksheets

References

About the Authors

Mastering Your Adult ADHD

A Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment Program, Therapist Guide

Second Edition

Steven A. Safren, Susan E. Sprich, Carol A. Perlman, and Michael W. Otto

Treatments That Work

Author Information

Steven A. Safren, Ph.D., is Professor of Psychology at the University of Miami. His grant-funded work related to ADHD includes being the principal investigator of a 5-year NIMH R01 to study the efficacy of CBT for ADHD in adults. Dr. Safren has over 250 publications in the areas of cognitive behavioral therapy, psychopathology, and their application to a variety of clinical problems in adults.

Susan Sprich, Ph.D., is Director of the Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Program at Massachusetts General Hospital and an Assistant Professor in Psychology at Harvard Medical School. She also serves as the Director of Postgraduate Psychology Education at the MGH Psychiatry Academy at Massachusetts General Hospital. She served as the project director of a 5-year study of CBT for adult ADHD and as co-PI of a 3-year study of CBT for adolescent ADHD, both funded by NIMH.

Carol A. Perlman, Ph.D., is a Cognitive Behavioral Therapist who specializes in the treatment of mood disorders, anxiety disorders, and adult ADHD. She is a national workshop presenter on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Dr. Perlman is the owner of Perlman Psychology Associates, LLC and maintains a private practice in Medway, MA.

Michael W. Otto, Ph.D., is Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Boston University. He specializes in the cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT) of anxiety, mood, and substance use disorders. Dr. Otto has over 370 publications spanning his research interests, and he was identified as a "top producer" in the clinical empirical literature.

Mastering Your Adult ADHD

A Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment Program, Therapist Guide

Second Edition

Steven A. Safren, Susan E. Sprich, Carol A. Perlman, and Michael W. Otto

Treatments That Work

Reviews and Awards

"As a clinician who works with the adult ADHD patient population on a daily basis, I understand the need for innovative and efficacious treatment interventions beyond standard pharmacotherapy. The authors of this breakthrough CBT methodology for treating this population have introduced just such a needed and novel approach. This new step-by-step clinician's manual and companion client workbook are destined to become the new standard of care for adult ADHD. I am very excited about this book and I highly recommend it to anyone who is searching for a new, highly effective, nonpharmacological treatment modality for adult ADHD." -- Doody's