Getting Help When You Feel Low

The Different Forms of Psychotherapy Used To Manage ADHD

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a mental condition that affects a number of Australians. This disorder is characterised by durations of distraction coupled with a lack of control over impulsive behaviour. And if your child has been diagnosed with this condition, you may be wondering what treatment options are available to you. While prescribed medication is one of the ways of managing this disorder, you may also want to consider psychotherapy as a treatment alternative. This type of treatment is carried out via counselling sessions and is regarded as an active form of remedial therapy. This article outlines the different kinds of psychotherapy that are employed to manage ADHD.

Physical therapy

This form of psychotherapy focuses on trying to keep your child mentally and physically alert. When your child engages in exercises, their brain will release hormones such as norepinephrine and dopamine, both of which function to increase alertness. As a result, your child can experience a spike in their ability to focus on individual tasks, which in turn will boost normal functioning in environments that they are required to be productive. It should be noted that both stability and routine engagement are essential for physical therapy to work effectively.

Cognitive therapy

Cognitive therapy is a form of counselling that focuses on behavioural conditioning. A typical approach used in cognitive therapy is having the child write down whatever is distracting them as it occurs, rather than allowing the distraction to take their attention away completely. In addition to this, cognitive therapy will also integrate sessions that focus on mastering their skills, prioritising their responsibilities, improving their organisational capabilities and even improving problem-solving skills. Cognitive treatment requires regularly scheduled sessions to be successful. Thus, parents and children alike should try to be patient with this form of treatment for it to work for the long term.

Natural therapy

This form of counselling for the treatment of ADHD entails the use of visual arts to hold the attention of the child. In fact, natural therapy has shown to be highly successful in managing children who may be autistic and present with symptoms of attention deficiency. By using images, crafts and other forms of art therapy, the child is put in a situation where a singular task occupies them. This approach limits external distractions, as the child will be focussing their energy on creativity. Natural therapy has also been known to enhance communication from children with ADHD, as they do not have to utilise verbal communication to express their feelings.