ADHD and Art Therapy

Who am I?  Why ADHD? 

My name is Lauren, and I’m a neurodivergent Art Therapist.  Neurodivergence has impacted my life in so many ways, some very positive and many negative.  Art has been a primary language for me over the years, and when I make art, I feel more comfortable being myself and exploring the world in ways that make sense to my mind and body.  When I was diagnosed with ADHD after completing grad school, I began a slow process of making sense of the ways my brain works and holding compassionate space for the person inside me who had been struggling so hard (at the detriment of sleep, relationships and a core sense of self) to pretend I could “succeed” like everyone else while holding a deep sense of shame and a sense of not being “acceptable” the way I naturally was.   

Art Therapy, in some ways, is an excellent fit for a therapist with ADHD.  It has helped me to celebrate my out-of-the box thinking, willingness to challenge “rules”, love for (deep) meaningful conversations, and love of novelty.  It has also highlighted tools that I need to learn to be more present and supportive with clients, due to my ADHD.  Practicing Art Therapy has helped me to work on healing my relationship with myself, opening a tremendous amount of healing space in me to hold that compassion for others and to be curious, even delighted, about each of our differences and co-creating a world that works for all of us.

Why is it important for people with ADHD to have neurodiversity-affirming therapy?

According to William W. Dodson, MD and other researchers, children with ADHD receive 20,000 more negative comments about themselves by age 7-10 than neurotypical children do. This level of criticism (which doesn’t stop at that age and is often delivered by parents, peers, employers, and in general a system that thrives on schedules, conformity and consistency) often results in lower self-esteem, increased anxiety and depression, avoidance of help, people-pleasing behaviors, difficulty maintaining friendships and other relational struggles on top of those that directly correlate with the diagnosis. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, ADHD-ers are 6 times more likely to contemplate suicide than those who are neurotypical, and more likely to complete suicide. Self-medicating with drugs and alcohol is more common among those with ADHD than in the general population, for many complex reasons.   

A common complaint described by many people with ADHD is that of feeling as if they are capable/have tremendous potential, try very hard, and yet chronically fail - this cycle of experience can result in despair after years of attempts to “get it together” and not understanding why others seem to be moving ahead while we struggle to take care of tasks that others find inconsequential. “There’s something wrong with me”, “I’ve messed up again”, “I must be lazy”, “I don’t deserve success”, “I’m too difficult to love” are all internalized criticisms that we have taken in from the feedback we get, as a way of explaining these painful conundrums to ourselves and at times apologizing to others. These negative beliefs couldn’t be further from the truth. 

If you look at any area of society, People with ADHD are changing the world and have been for a long time. Many people with ADHD are natural entrepreneurs, innovators, creatives and athletes. The same traits that cause suffering in some environments, can also result in incredible success: undying optimism despite multiple failures, the ability to hyperfocus on a project we are passionate about, the willingness to take risks that others wouldn’t, big-picture thinking, unconventional problem-solving - the framework in which our skills are applied makes a difference. Not to mention, many of us are hilarious (thank you people-pleasing combined with rejection-sensitivity). What would happen if each of our lives was designed to support our individual neurotypes and needs for support, rather than trying to train us in performing tasks valued in our culture? I want art therapy to be a place where ADHD-ers can find a place to celebrate who we are (and maybe grieve a little bit while unmasking, maybe rest a little, maybe get a little mad and a little impulsive - with support and validation.) 

How can Art Therapy and ADHD work together? 

There are many ways that Art Therapy can be used to support ADHD-ers.  Here are some examples: 

• Art Therapy’s nonjudgmental approach can support decreasing feelings of shame and judgment. Art making allows us to express ourselves without having to fit our ideas into a linear form. It helps to slow us down.  Completion of an art piece and the resulting satisfaction encourages a lot of us who are struggling with self-esteem and the object permanence-related feeling of never accomplishing anything. 

• Art Therapy provides a space to channel creative energy, which boosts dopamine and helps us feel more grounded (exercise and meditation are also great ways to move this energy.) 

• Art Therapy can support us with balancing stimulation for our sensory systems. It can incorporate movement, smell, touch, sight, and sound, and can be adapted to suit the needs of each person. Art Therapy can be used to gain awareness of how we are feeling in our bodies.  

• Some art materials require more impulse control than others and can provide a pleasurable way of engaging and practicing challenging skills.

How do I adapt Art Therapy when working with clients who have ADHD? 

Unconditional Acceptance and Validation: A lot of us have been told that the way we are isn’t acceptable, and that specific belief really needs to be challenged to support emotional safety and the opportunity to unmask and share ourselves. There is also a phenomenon with ADHD that is known as “Rejection Sensitivity” meaning many of us are quick to perceive rejection from others and find it dysregulating. I listen to any ideas my clients bring in for what they would like to do in session and am prepared to join them as a witness and collaborator. I trust clients of any age to know what is best for them, even if they can’t verbalize it, and I actively attune to the desires, creativity and instincts that are shared in their ideas. That’s where we invest our energy in sessions. 

Respecting Counter-will and Following the Focus: Some people like to have a theme or idea to start with, and I always have those available with the compassionate awareness that clients may (likely) not take my advice, even if they ask for it. Counter-will is a powerful instinct for many of us, and respecting it helps support and validate individual growth. I support clients who want to change topics or activities in session, utilizing these changes as an opportunity for self-awareness without judgment about “unfinished” projects, timelines, or “wasting” materials. Important themes or thoughts always come back up, and following the focus brings us into collaboration and helps provide information about attention. 

Structure: Depending on the individual and their goals, I offer a visual timer and support with planning our activities at the beginning of sessions. Transitions (starting and ending the session) are lengthened to allow time for terminating a moment of hyper-focus, and for preparing for whatever comes after the session. I keep track of specific “activators” that might come up in session (perfectionism, failure, rejection, etc.) and try to ensure that those topics are encountered in a way that is tolerable for the individual. We also provide a variety of fidget toys and sensory materials in sessions as well as additional seating for folks who need more physical space or movement.

I have ADHD, How can I make time for my art? 

• Start with a self-check-in. How are you feeling? If you need to ground, choose a medium that helps you center in your body.  Consider making something abstract, rather than focusing on a detailed drawing. If you need something “satisfying” and quick to finish, choose smaller paper and larger materials (such as a pastel or paint vs. colored pencil). If you have the time, space and energy for a large piece, consider how long it will take to gather the materials and set up the space (this step often gets overlooked by people with ADHD and then we use all our creative time organizing). Consider ways to incorporate your body into your work - do you need a large piece of paper for movement, or a small piece of paper to focus on? 

• Use a Timer. Time blindness is a factor for a lot of us with ADHD. If I think, “I’m going to create a painting in 1 hour” I’m very likely to be wrong about how long the painting will take and feel rushed the entire time. If I re-frame this to “I am going to paint for 1 hour” then the only thing I need to do is have my materials ready to go and stop when the timer goes off. 

• Find a place to set up your art materials so that they are easy to access and visible. Object Permanence can affect how connected you are to a project. If you have the space in your place to leave a project out without disturbing yourself or your housemates, then consider having a designated art-making area. That way you will a) see your art and be inspired to continue adding to it b) reduce the amount of transition time and steps that it takes to get back to your art.   

• Leave your Tech on “Do Not Disturb” / Create Boundaries for your art time: Anything that distracts us adds exponential transition time and deducts from the opportunity to get into a deep, relaxed flow. This might include telling others you are unavailable for the time you have set aside for art. 

• Art on the Go / Art as Fidget: Find a way to make your art portable. Many of us are natural doodlers, and I find that crocheting during meetings helps me to focus.  Sketchbooks are easy to carry around and provide a consistent container for a wide variety of marks and big ideas or emotions. 

• Multi-step process: Some art projects (such as printmaking, photography, and fabric arts) can be broken down into shorter tasks. That way you can complete one step of the project at a time, feel satisfied with the results, and put away the supplies until you are ready to return to the project.   

• Consider having an “Unfinished Projects” category of art supplies when you organize your materials, so that you can check that section and possibly return back to projects you already started rather than spending more money on new supplies and feeling disappointed that you “never finish anything.” 

• Make Novelty Happen by using familiar art supplies in new ways. Dip objects in paint and use them as a paintbrush, turn the drawing around halfway - there are lots of ways to use supplies in unconventional ways to generate surprising new creative challenges. 

Written by EBAT Art Therapist: Lauren Chester, MPS, ATR-BC, LCAT (she/they)