Christian Counseling for ADHD

Is concentrating, focusing, or finishing tasks difficult for you? Have you ever found yourself running from task-to-task-to-task without taking care of other responsibilities? Maybe you have a difficulty staying engaged in important meetings or remaining free from distractions. If you resonate with these examples, you may want to get tested for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). ADHD is more prevalent in children, but it can also found in adults, potentially hindering both your professional and academic efforts.

At Santa Monica Christian Counseling, we desire to help you reach your goals for success. Get in contact with one of our counselors who can help you learn to manage ADHD symptoms, so you can take control of your life. Call us at (424) 361-6197.

Get connected with a Christian Counselor
Please contact our reception team at
424-361-6197

Schedule an Appointment

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:7

ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is a condition marked by things like impetuousness, hyperactivity, and inattention (though each person will display these symptoms to varying degrees and in varying intensities). Mostly found in children, ADHD is also an issue for adults. Regardless of your stage in life, Christian counseling can teach you how to manage your ADHD symptoms, and most importantly, it will direct you to Jesus Christ,the Great Physician.

Get connected with a Christian Counselor
Please contact our reception team at
424-361-6197

Schedule an appointment

Diagnosing ADHD is no simple task and a standardized test to assess the problem does not currently exist. That being said, your doctor will carefully consider a number of factors that include your health, stress or difficulty you are experiencing, and relevant events in your past. Once the physician is able to eliminate other conditions, which often mimic ADHD, then a more definitive diagnosis will be made.

The typical criterion used when diagnosing ADHD are:

  • A pattern, recurring for a minimum of six months, of hyperactive, impulsive, and/or inattentive symptoms, that adversely affect your academic, occupational, or social activities.
  • Multiple symptoms existing before the age of 12 years old.
  • Symptoms that cannot be explained more adequately by another cause.

Currently, ADHD has been diagnosed in near epidemic numbers.Over six million U.S. children (between 4-17) have been diagnosed with this problem. Even though it is common for children to outgrow this issue, about 60% of children will continue with ADHD into their adult life, which works out to around 5% of American adults that have ADHD.

If you think your child might struggle with ADHD, don’t hesitate to contact us. Santa Monica Christian Counseling will give you a safe place to open up about your concerns. We can help you work through any family factors that could be triggering the symptoms, and we can provide any treatment needed.

Signs Your Child May Have ADHD

Raising a child with ADHD is a difficult task. Seeing them have a hard time focusing, forgetting simple things, and becoming distracted by almost anything, will take its toll on parents. Even though ADHD affects children differently, with varying levels of intensity, the pain is universal. The symptoms typically can be grouped into three main categories: hyperactivity,inattention, and impulsivity.

Hyperactive children may:

  • Wiggle and move while seated
  • Struggle to stay seated
  • Run or climb at inappropriate times
  • Be unable to play quietly
  • Talk too much
  • Become angry quickly

Inattentive children may:

  • Struggle noticing details
  • Seem to not be listening when spoken to
  • Have difficulty obeying instructions
  • Become easily bored and have difficulty completing tasks
  • Frequently lose items like homework and toys

Impulsive children may:

  • Act before considering the consequences
  • Cross boundaries by entering other people’s personal space or ask inappropriate personal questions
  • Struggle to wait patiently
  • Emotionally overreact
  • Speak over others
  • Intrude when other children are playing
  • Guess at answers before trying to solve problems

If these sound like your child, please call and set up a preliminary assessment with a counselor at Santa Monica Christian Counseling. Our desire is to give your family the tools you need to manage ADHD. By doing so, we hope to build up family relationships and make your home a more peaceful place.

About 33% of adults who have ADHD did not experience impulsive behavior or hyperactivity as kids. It often goes unnoticed because other psychological conditions can mimic its symptoms. Stress can lead to the onset of ADHD for adults. All of these factors make an accurate diagnosis very important.

Before a diagnosis of ADHD, mental health professionals should determine the symptoms aren’t:

  • The product of a learning disability.
  • The product of trauma, for example, the death of a loved one or relocation.
  • The result of other psychological conditions like depression, anxiety, or other mood or behavior disorders.
  • Related to other medical conditions, such as epilepsy, sleep disorders, and thyroid disease.

Physicians testing adults for ADHD should not rule out:

  • Sleep disorders
  • Sensory processing disorders
  • Autism spectrum disorders
  • Bipolar disorder

Symptoms of inattention in adults include:

  • Being easily distracted
  • Disorganization
  • Struggles with focus
  • Frequent careless mistakes
  • Difficulty remaining on topic
  • Not abiding by accepted social rules
  • Forgetfulness
  • Characteristic procrastination

Symptoms of hyperactivity in adults include:

  • Frenetic movement between tasks
  • Restlessness
  • Stimulants (caffeine, for example) producing in a calming effect

Symptoms of impulsivity in adult include:

  • Lack of patience
  • Talking over others, out of turn, or blurting out answers.
  • Beginning conversations at inappropriate times
  • Rash decision making and impulsive purchasing

ADHD is difficult to cope with because the symptoms often negatively influence our social lives, work, and meaningful relationships. You may feel like your life is defined by chaos and that you are unable to achieve freedom and pursue your calling. Christian counseling for ADHD rejects this belief because you bear the image of God, and as a result have intrinsic self-worth.

The recovery process isn’t one size fits all. Typically, ADHD is treated with a blend of medication and counseling, although some will be able to recover with counseling alone. It all depends on the severity of the symptoms.Often, the symptoms of ADHD decrease with age, sometimes to the point where medication is no longer needed. Then counseling can become the sole focus of treatment.

Your counselor may talk with your doctor to establish a treatment plan for your individual needs.This will likely be a combination of counseling and medication.

ADHD Medications

ADHD medication can be broken into two major groups: stimulants and non-stimulants.

Stimulants: Stimulants are by far the most commonly prescribed. Some of the most popular are Adder all, Dexedrine, and Ritalin. Negative connotations surround these medications due to reports of over-prescription, abuse, overuse,and addiction. It’s crucial to research the risks, potential side-effects, and success rates before making any decision. Consult a trusted doctor who specializes in ADHD to prevent the chance of misuse of ADHD medication or misdiagnosis.

Non-Stimulants: Common non-stimulants for adults are Strattera, Catepres, and occasionally Effexor. Children are more likely to be given the non-stimulant Intuniv.

Counseling for ADHD

Medication is not always enough to treat ADHD. Great strides have been made over the last 20 year to treat ADHD through counseling methods such as parental counseling, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and behavior modification therapy. Christian ADHD counseling:

Equips and prepares parents

Watching your child struggle to complete school work, make friends, and function, in general, is difficult. Raising kids is hard enough, and ADHD makes it that much more difficult. You may even feel torn about treatment because you don’t want your child to lose their energy, enthusiasm, and creativity.

While ADHD is not brought about by bad parenting, parenting strategies exist to help resolve the problem behavior. Christian ADHD counseling can help parents to teach their children how to manage their symptoms, without destroying their natural imagination and energy.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy

Children and adults suffering from ADHD can benefit from cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Using these techniques can change your perspective, and reshape how your thoughts affect feelings and behavior. CBT can help children and adults by showing them how to become more focused, self-controlled, and organized.

Behavior modification therapy

The most common method for treating children with ADHD is Behavior Modification Therapy (BMT) which has proven to be very successful.The parents, the child, and the counselor work in unison to alter the child change his or her behavior with positive and negative reinforcement. BMT can help your son or daughter to control their impulsiveness and inattention.

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:7

Everyone struggling with ADHD needs someone they can trust. Santa Monica Christian Counseling seeks to be a safe place for people to work toward recovery

Santa Monica Christian Counseling offers:

  • Trusted ADHD Treatment Options – Santa Monica Christian Counseling has plenty of resources for dealing with ADHD. Whether you personally wrestle with ADHD or are close to someone who does, we can provide Christian ADHD counseling to help manage the impact of ADHD on your life.
  • Reliable ADHD Testing – The skilled professionals at Santa Monica Christian Counseling use the most advanced methods of psychological testing and technology. A proper diagnosis, from a trusted source, is key to getting the proper treatment.
  • Faith First – Santa Monica Christian Counseling rests on more than secular therapy. In faith, we call on the Great Physician. Only Christ can heal, where other methods have failed. We want people of faith to have a place where they can recover surrounded by the grace, wisdom, and promises of Jesus.
  • Christian Psychiatry – People come first. While medication can be effective in treating ADHD, there is no simple solution to the problem. We diagnose the specifics of your situation and provide you with the viable options, while you walk the road of recovery.

We believe that all people are “fearfully and wonderfully made,” including those with ADHD. As a result, Santa Monica Christian Counseling endeavors to nurture your unique life and circumstances, while giving you access to practical tools to live a more peaceful, productive, Christ-filled life.

If you want freedom from the seemingly inescapable symptoms of ADHD, then please call us at (424) 361-6197 to schedule your risk-free consultation.

Get connected with a Christian Counselor
Please contact our reception team at
424-361-6197

Schedule an appointment