Why Lived Experience Matters

One of the questions I’m asked most often is:

“Does it make a difference that you have ADHD yourself?”

For many people, the answer is yes.

Alongside my clinical training and professional experience, I also live with combined-type ADHD. I received my diagnosis as an adult after years of trying to understand why certain aspects of life felt more difficult than they appeared to be for other people.

Like many late-diagnosed adults, my diagnosis brought both relief and reflection. It explained experiences that had never fully made sense and changed how I understood my own life.

That personal journey continues to shape the therapist I am today.

Understanding From Both Perspectives

Every therapist brings something unique to the therapy room.

What I bring is both:

professional expertise as an IACP-accredited psychotherapist specialising in ADHD, autism and neurodivergence
lived experience of navigating life as an adult with ADHD

These are two very different forms of knowledge.

Clinical training helps me understand research, assessment, therapy and evidence-based interventions.

Lived experience helps me understand the reality of living with an ADHD brain every day.

Together, they provide a perspective that many clients tell me they have struggled to find elsewhere.

The Things That Often Go Unseen

Many neurodivergent adults spend years believing they are simply not coping as well as everyone else.

I understand experiences such as:

constantly analysing conversations afterwards
working much harder than other people just to appear organised
masking difficulties until exhaustion becomes burnout
feeling overwhelmed while appearing calm on the outside
living with Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD)
struggling with executive functioning despite being highly capable
questioning your own judgement after years of being misunderstood
the emotional impact of receiving a diagnosis later in life

These are experiences that textbooks can describe.

Living them is something different.

Why Clients Often Feel Understood

Many clients tell me they spend less time trying to explain themselves.

Not because our experiences are identical—they never are—but because I already understand many of the patterns that are common in ADHD and autism.

That means we can often move more quickly towards understanding what is happening now and identifying practical ways forward.

Clients frequently tell me they feel:

understood rather than judged
validated rather than dismissed
accepted without needing to mask
supported in developing strategies that work for their own brain rather than trying to fit someone else’s expectations

Lived Experience Doesn’t Replace Professional Training

Having ADHD does not automatically make someone an ADHD therapist.

Equally, professional qualifications alone do not necessarily provide an understanding of what neurodivergence feels like from the inside.

I believe the greatest value comes from combining both.

Alongside my lived experience, I have undertaken extensive specialist training in ADHD, autism and neurodivergence, including an MSc in Neurodivergence & Autism.

Every recommendation I make is informed by current research, clinical practice and the realities of everyday life.

Beyond the Therapy Room

My lived experience also influences the training and presentations I deliver to professionals and organisations.

When I speak about masking, burnout, executive functioning or sensory overwhelm, I draw on:

current evidence
years of clinical work
conversations with hundreds of neurodivergent adults
my own lived experience

This combination allows me to bridge the gap between theory and practice, helping professionals better understand what life is actually like for many ADHD and autistic people.

A Neurodivergence-Affirming Approach

Receiving a diagnosis should never be about reducing someone to a label.

It should help them better understand themselves.

My approach is based on helping clients recognise both their strengths and their challenges without shame.

Together we explore:

how your brain works
what contributes to overwhelm
why certain patterns keep repeating
practical strategies that fit your life
ways of reducing self-criticism and increasing self-understanding

The aim is not to make you appear less neurodivergent.

The aim is to help you build a life that works better for you.

Working Together

If you’re looking for a therapist who specialises in ADHD, autism and neurodivergence, I’d be pleased to support you.

Therapy is available:

In person in Limerick
Online throughout Ireland
Internationally via secure online sessions

Whether you’ve recently received a diagnosis, are exploring whether you may be neurodivergent, or simply want to better understand yourself, therapy offers a space to explore your experiences without judgement.