Why I Chose to Specialize in Girls and Women with ADHD
For years, I’ve worked in a variety of clinical settings such as schools, community agencies, outpatient practices, and family-focused programs. No matter where I went, one pattern kept showing up over and over again:
Girls and Women with ADHD were being missed.
Not because they weren’t struggling, but because their struggles didn’t fit the picture of ADHD that therapists, psychiatrists and doctors all were taught to notice. When I opened Insight Mental Health Services in 2024, this became impossible to ignore.
The Problem: Girls Present ADHD Differently
When most people think of ADHD, they often imagine the stereotypical “hyperactive boy” bouncing around a classroom or simply think of ADHD as a school only disorder. What we don’t often see is how ADHD can show up in girls:
Quiet daydreaming instead of loud impulsivity
High-achieving perfectionism that masks overwhelm
Sensory and emotional dysregulation
Deep exhaustion from masking and people-pleasing which lead to further depression
Internalized anxiety, shame, or self-criticism
Social difficulties framed as “being sensitive” or “dramatic”
Over and over again, I encountered girls and young women who were misunderstood, mislabeled, or overlooked entirely because they were high achieving or able to complete tasks by deadline. Teachers and caregivers would say things like, “She just needs to focus,” “She’s too emotional,” or “She’s so smart—she’ll be fine.”
But underneath those comments, I was witnessing real struggles with executive functioning, emotional regulation, self-esteem, and identity formation.
What I Saw Across the Places I Worked
In each setting, it became clearer that girls with ADHD weren’t getting the targeted support they needed:
School settings: Girls who were silently overwhelmed were praised for being “good,” even when they were falling apart internally.
Community mental health: ADHD in girls was often overshadowed by anxiety or mood concerns, leading to incomplete treatment.
Family agencies: Parents were desperate for answers but weren’t given education tailored to how ADHD presents in girls.
Outpatient practice: Teenage girls especially came in confused about why everything felt “so hard,” despite their best efforts.
It wasn’t that anyone lacked care, it’s that the information about ADHD has lacked clarity.
There were limited resources, minimal psychoeducation in grad school, and almost no gender-informed frameworks readily available. Girls were slipping through the cracks, and I kept meeting them once they were already burnt out, anxious, or questioning their worth.
Why This Became My Mission
Somewhere along the way, it stopped being something I noticed and became something I could not ignore.
I decided to specialize in girls with ADHD because:
They deserve to be understood through the lens of how their brains actually work.
They deserve support that honors their strengths, sensitivity, creativity, and resilience.
They deserve early intervention that prevents years of shame, confusion, or self-blame.
They deserve clinicians who see beyond the stereotypes.
They deserve to learn how to regulate themselves.
And most importantly—they deserve spaces where they feel seen, supported, and empowered.
Working with girls with ADHD isn’t just a professional focus for me. It’s a commitment to filling a gap I’ve watched for years. A commitment to giving girls the tools, language, and validation they should’ve received long before entering therapy.
Where This Work Is Going
This specialization has grown into something bigger than I expected: education for families, workshops, digital resources, ADHD-specific programming, and clinical work rooted in emotional regulation and empowerment.
Every girl and young woman who walks into my office reminds me why this work matters—and why it’s necessary.
