ADHD Shouldn’t Be This Hard!
Discover How To Transform Life In Your Livingroom!

ADHD & ADD Counseling in Tustin, CA

Let Steve Cuffari, MFT be your guide.

It's no secret that parenting a child with ADHD is challenging.

Like most parents, you want to raise your child to become an independent young person who thrives, but trying to help your child with organization, planning, and time management can be exhausting.

A child watches something with his hands over his mouth and cheeks. This image shows how a child may be feeling before parents go to ADHD counseling in Tustin CA.
A teenager holds a sign reading "help". This image represents the struggle in a home before going to ADHD therapy in Tustin CA.

So, why does your child strugle so much?

Research shows that 1 in 5 children have learning and thinking differences. Unfortunately, this group of neurodivergent children are poorly understood.  

Parents, teachers, and public-school systems typically believe these kids misbehave to get or avoid things. They are thought to be manipulative, unmotivated, and disrespectful. As a result, reward and punishment programs are used to motivate these kids to act “normal,” try harder, or behave better.   

Sadly, these methods focus on reducing the “misbehavior” at the expense of the stress-behavior that drives these kids.  

As a result, these loving adults accidentally and unintentionally solve the wrong problem.

Meanwhile, the real problem is never addressed.  As time marches on, these kids develop a profound sense of feeling misunderstood, blamed, or defeated, making their challenging behavior(s) worse. 

Yes… You've tried it all:

Collaborating with teachers and administrators in the shchool system can leave you feeling embarrassed, overwhelmed, disrespected, or even crazy.  

At home, everything feels like a battle. You tried rewards, consequences, and talking until you were blue in the face, and things continue to get worse!

A mom is on the phone while a daughter waits to do her homework. ADHD counseling in Tustin, CA can help your child learn in a way that works for them.
A dad holds his head looking tired. ADHD counseling in Tustin, CA can help you reclaim harmony in your home.

There must be a better way!

No parent wants to worry about their child’s future or lay in bed at night and wonder, “Am I ruining my kid?  Am I raising them to hate me?”  

No parent wants to question, “Is something wrong with my child? Or, am I just crazy?”  

Let’s face it.  You should do something different to break this painful cycle and protect your precious family.  

Discover what’s possible when you’re finally understood.

Research shows that everyone thrives when a child’s learning and thinking differences are fully recognized and embraced!  

A teen boy smiles as he exits a school bus. This represents how a child can thrive when parents seek ADHD counseling in Tustin CA and coaching to help their kids thrive.
A mother scolds her children, representing how a home can feel chaotic and frustrating without the proper tools to help your kids, such as ADHD therapy in Tustin.

You are not alone.

For the past 22 years, I’ve helped loving parents in Tustin, CA—just like you—who felt the same pain, worry, and desperation you’re feeling right now.   

I functioned as their guide and gave them a step-by-step plan to end all the drama and reclaim their family harmony! 

So, rest assured, I’m here to help, and it’s easier (and less stressful) than you think! 

ADHD Counseling in Tustin can teach you a better way!

We live in a neurotypical world where things may not always be ADHD-friendly.  Think of it like having a left-handed child in a right-handed world.  

As a therapist who has ADD, I have an insider’s understanding of how best to help your family recognize the superpowers of creativity, curiosity, energy, and passion so you can relate with each other with more confidence and less effort.  

Regardless of your difficulties, I want you to feel empowered with the knowledge and skills you need to break free from those agonizing cycles and discover your family’s potential, take control, and maintain a positive course with each other! ADHD therapy in Tustin can help.

A smiling black family. ADHD counseling in Tustin can help your children thrive and bring back harmony to your family.
A smiling couple. The man gives the woman a piggy back ride. This image represents how ADHD therapy in Tustin, CA can help you find joy in your home.

This is Your Moment

Schedule your free clarity call and take the first step toward transforming life in your living room. That brief call helps us get to know one another.

Once you experience how eager I am to help, you can relax and decide on the best way to calm the chaos, raise emotionally intelligent kids, and nurture a family that thrives! 

ADHD Counseling in Tustin, CA: Take this critical first step

You’ve waited long enough. Call now to learn more about ADHD counseling. I’ll handle the rest because I only need to know your first name—that’s it! 

Afterward, I can be your permanent go-to resource for ADHD help when you feel the timing is appropriate. 

A smiling happy family. ADHD counseling in Tustin CA can help you find tools to help your children thrive.

9-PART ARTICLE SERIES:

Parenting ADHD Kids: How To Unlock Your Kids Potential With Collaborative Problem Solving

If you’ve been parenting ADHD kids, odds are you are tired of feeling overwhelmed and frustrated by the chronic behavioral challenges you encounter each day.

I’m excited because, in this 9-part blog series on parenting ADHD, I will demonstrate using Collaborative Problem Solving® or CPS to help a loving couple develop a simple plan to help their 15-year-old son, who struggles with ADHD and chronic behavioral challenges.

Frequently Asked Questions About ADHD Counseling in Tustin, CA

As a therapist diagnosed with ADHD, I aim to help individuals and families navigate the unique landscape of life with neurodiverget loved ones.  During our time together, I will help you recognize your superpowers and hidden forces like creativity, curiosity, energy, and passion so you can relate with one another with more confidence and less effort! 

In addition, I help those diagnosed with ADD or ADHD improve common issues like self-confidence, self-esteem, and frustration tolerance.  Together, we will help you improve life skills like organization, planning, impulse control, and time management.

Although I’ve been seeing clients for more than 22 years, my experience has taught me the importance of starting fresh with each individual or family. I like to keep therapy simple, effective and well thought out. First, I help you identify measurable and observable goals. It gives me a better sense of your relationship’s unique values and qualities. For example, it’s not uncommon for family members to say, “We want to improve our relationship.”  Or, “By the end of therapy, we want to help our son overcome his academic challenges and thrive.”  Or,  “We want to become more united in our parenting so our kids will follow our lead.”  Identifying and then understanding those types of objectives helps me develop a treatment plan so together, we can help you accomplish those goals as fast as possible. 

I offer family therapy rooted in the collaborative problem-solving (CPS) approach. The CPS approach is a research-based framework that has proven to be highly successful in working with young people with challenging behaviors that have not been responsive to traditional discipline methods. For example, when young people present with problematic behaviors, most parents and schools believe they “chose” to act that way to either get or avoid something. They believe that “kids do well if they want to.” As a result, reward and punishment programs are used to motivate children to act “normal,” try harder, and comply with adult expectations.   As most parents report, when these methods are used on kiddos with ADD or ADHD, things usually get worse, not better! 

Thankfully,  the neurosciences explain why this problem is so predictable and how best to address it. 

The CPS approach assumes that “kids do well if they can.” Research shows that human behavior is not always a choice. For example, challenging behaviors will follow when there is a gap between adult expectations and the skills a child can access to meet your expectations.

In response, parents and caregivers who use the CPS approach assume that when kids aren’t doing well, it’s our job to understand what’s getting in the way—and help build their problem-solving abilities so they can become independent young people who thrive.

As a result, when challenging behaviors arise, family members learn to adjust their perspective by thinking they (your child) are not giving you a hard time as much as they are having a hard time. This new perspective helps us become curious instead of furious. It also changes how you think about, influence, and relate to kiddos.  This simple shift generates more constructive problem-solving skills for the entire family!   

In the end, you get what you came for—a reduction in conflict as well as an increased sense of empathy, acceptance, and understanding in your family. 

If you are skeptical, see for yourself.  Watch this brief YouTube video demonstrating the basic ideas behind this powerful evidence-based approach. 

Most people search for “ADHD counseling near me” because they want help dealing with the signs and symptoms of ADD or ADHD.  Simply put, people with ADHD tend to struggle with focus. Even so, some people are impulsive and hyperactive. With children and teenagers, this is especially true.

It’s unclear just how many Americans have ADHD. Yet, estimates range from 5 to 11 percent.  People with ADHD struggle with a grouping of critical skills known as executive function, including skills like:

  • Paying attention
  • Organizing and planning
  • Starting tasks and being able to complete them
  • Frustration tolerance and delaying gratification
  • Keeping track of what you are doing

Unfortunately, when our executive functioning skills are limited or deficient, it impacts many facets of life, including employment, school, and meaningful relationships.  

ADHD counseling is needed when you, or someone you know, may want to change the behavior and thought patterns that make life with ADHD difficult.

Because people with ADHD primarily struggle with focus, parents and teachers do not always recognize their difficulties. Simply put, they could come across as timid, “daydreamy,” or a person who is a loner. Focus issues, however, have various effects on both children and adults. These symptoms can appear as:

  • Leaving projects unfinished
  • Not following instructions
  • Being easily sidetracked and coming across as careless
  • Struggling to sort through information and rank what’s most important.
ADHD Myths

One of the big myths surrounding ADHD is that it is a product of a person’s unwillingness, lack of willpower, or laziness. Contrary to popular belief, the opposite is true.  People with ADHD are usually those in the room trying their hardest to focus, manage a specific task, and control their urges.

The problem? There is a gap between the environmental expectations at school, work, or family life and the skills they can access to meet those expectations.  Even more, several studies show that brain development plays a critical role in the signs and symptoms of ADHD.

Even though ADHD is a functional problem, it’s connected to something structural in our brains.

Another myth surrounding ADHD is that you will grow out of it.  Several studies suggest that a people enter adulthood, ADHD doesn’t magically disappear. For example, when a child reaches their teen years, hyperactivity and impulsivity usually decrease or vanish. However, focus issues typically persist with emerging adults and continue into and throughout adulthood.  The difference?  Some adults learn (through trial and error) how to adapt to their brain’s neurodiverse way of functioning.  Unfortunately for some adults, the deficits that come with ADHD tend to be the driving forces in their life. 

I’m here to help!

Regardless of the difficulties in your life, I want you to feel empowered with the knowledge and skills you need to break free from the agonizing signs and symptoms of ADHD and discover your family’s potential, take control, and maintain a positive course with each other!  

Schedule your free clarity call today for ADHD counseling in Tustin, CA.

ADHD counseling can make a big difference in your life. The healing you experience and the changes you can make will impact you, your family, and future generations. Although ADHD counseling in Tustin can seem expensive, when it is understood as an investment, it is truly an investment in you, the health of your family, and the future with those you call important!

Feel free to check out my fee structure.

The short answer? I take pride in doing good therapy. I like to work myself out of a job. The long answer? Every person’s circumstances are unique to them. The length of time it takes to achieve your goals depends on your desire for personal development, your commitment to therapy, and the social factors that can interfere with treatment—things like work, parenting, and life.  Put another way, it depends on your needs and varies from one family to another. For example, some families feel they get most of the value after just a few weeks, while others prefer to stay with ADHD counseling much longer. The duration of time for ADHD counseling is entirely up to you.

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