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Carlsbad · Encinitas · Vista

ADHD Therapy in North County San Diego

For anyone who's tried every system and still feels like they're working against their own brain. Our goal is to help you work with the grain of who you are, and get back to the things you love.

Book a free consultation Or call (760) 334‑6262

4.9 on Google · 90+ reviews across our three offices

Two psychologists talking on a couch in a warm North County San Diego office used for ADHD therapy
Who we see
Teens–adults
College students & kids too
In person
North County
Carlsbad · Encinitas · Vista
Online
Telehealth
Anywhere in California
Start with
A free call
15 minutes, no pressure

Something different

Beyond strategies, systems, and hacks.

Our psychologists offer ADHD therapy in Carlsbad, Encinitas, and Vista for teens, college students, and adults, and we see children too. If you're tired of hearing about strategies, systems, and hacks, you're in the right place. Maybe you've tried some of them. Maybe they helped for a while. But you're here because something deeper isn't working, in your relationships, your work, your sense of yourself, or all three.

We offer something different from coaching or symptom management. We want to understand you: how your brain works, what gets in the way, and what it's cost you to navigate a world that wasn't built with you in mind.

We're a private-pay, out-of-network practice, and we provide superbills you can submit to your insurance for potential reimbursement. Many clients with PPO plans are reimbursed for a meaningful portion of their sessions. See our Cost + Info page for current rates.

Who we work with

You might recognize yourself here.

We work with teens, college students, and adults with ADHD and other neurodivergent experiences, and we see children as well. Some of the people we work with:

  • 01 Were recently diagnosed and are still making sense of what it means
  • 02 Have known about their ADHD for years but feel like they're still fighting it
  • 03 Were diagnosed in childhood but never got real support
  • 04 Suspect they have ADHD but haven't been formally evaluated
  • 05 Have spent years being told they’re “too sensitive,” “scattered,” or “not trying hard enough”
  • 06 Are high-achievers who found ways to compensate, until recently

We also work with students in IEP and 504 programs, gifted students with attention challenges, adults managing ADHD alongside demanding careers or relationships, and families looking for support for a younger child.

Our approach

We work with the whole picture.

ADHD therapy at Coastal Therapy Group isn't coaching, and it isn't just symptom management. It's psychotherapy, which means we're interested in the whole picture.

We want to understand how ADHD shows up in your specific life: in how you relate to yourself, to other people, and to the parts of you that have never quite fit. We're curious about what's underneath the frustration, the avoidance, and the cycles that keep repeating. And we work as partners in that, not as experts handing down a treatment plan, but as two people figuring out what's actually going on and what would actually help.

That might mean building a clearer picture of your own patterns, healing the shame and self-doubt that tend to pile up around ADHD, communicating better in your relationships, or learning to advocate for yourself in ways that hold. Often it means all of these at once.

What it helps with

Therapy for ADHD can help with:

  • 01 Focus, productivity, and follow-through
  • 02 Emotional regulation and frustration tolerance
  • 03 Relationships, communication, and self-advocacy
  • 04 Low self-esteem and internalized criticism
  • 05 The anxiety and depression that often travel alongside ADHD
  • 06 Building a life that reflects your values, not just your to-do list
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Women & late diagnosis

A name for something you've always felt.

A lot of the women we see weren't hyperactive kids, so nobody thought to look. They were the ones who daydreamed, over-prepared, or held it together until they couldn't. Many arrive after a partner, a burnout, or their own child's diagnosis finally put a name to something they'd felt their whole lives.

Late diagnosis comes with its own weight: years of wondering why everything felt harder than it seemed to be for everyone else, and a habit of blaming yourself for it. Therapy is a place to set that story down and understand what was actually happening, without the shame. If you're not sure whether ADHD is part of the picture, our psychological testing team can help you find out.

A calm, light-filled Carlsbad therapy room where clients meet with an ADHD psychologist

ADHD & relationships

It doesn't stay in one part of life.

ADHD doesn't stay in one area of life. It shows up in partnerships, friendships, parenting, and work. If the people closest to you are frustrated, or if you're frustrated with yourself around them, therapy can help you untangle what's ADHD, what's history, and what's simply a mismatch in how you and the people around you are wired. We also offer couples therapy for partners navigating ADHD together.

What to expect

Getting started is simple.

  1. 01

    Reach out

    Call, email, or book a free 15-minute consultation. Our care coordinator will listen to what’s bringing you in and answer your questions.

  2. 02

    Get matched

    We’ll pair you with a psychologist whose approach and experience fit what you’re looking for, based on your needs, schedule, and goals.

  3. 03

    Begin the work

    You’ll meet weekly, in person in Carlsbad, Encinitas, or Vista, or online anywhere in California, and go at a pace that works for you.

Not sure yet?

Not sure if you have ADHD?

If you haven't received a formal diagnosis, or you've wondered whether what you're experiencing is really ADHD, our psychological testing team offers comprehensive ADHD evaluations for teens and adults. A clear diagnosis can be the first step toward understanding yourself in a completely different way.

Questions

Frequently asked questions.

01 Does therapy actually help ADHD?

Yes, especially for adults. Medication can be useful for managing symptoms, but therapy addresses the relational, emotional, and self-concept sides of ADHD that medication doesn't touch. Research supports psychotherapy as an effective treatment for ADHD, particularly when it focuses on emotional regulation, self-understanding, and interpersonal patterns.

02 Do I need a diagnosis before starting therapy?

No. Many people start therapy while they're seeking an evaluation, or while exploring whether ADHD might be part of what they're experiencing. If you'd like formal testing, our team can help with that too.

03 What's the difference between ADHD coaching and therapy?

Coaching tends to focus on productivity systems, accountability, and goal-setting. Therapy goes deeper, into the emotional and relational dimensions of ADHD, including its effect on self-esteem, identity, and relationships. Both can be valuable. They're just different tools.

04 Do you work with women and adults diagnosed later in life?

Yes. A large part of our practice is adults who were diagnosed later, and women whose ADHD was missed in childhood. We have particular experience with the shame and self-doubt that often come with a late diagnosis, and with sorting out what's ADHD from what's simply years of trying to compensate.

05 Do you take insurance, and how much does it cost?

We’re a private-pay, out-of-network practice. We provide detailed superbills you can submit to your insurance for potential out-of-network reimbursement, and many clients with PPO plans are reimbursed for a meaningful portion of their sessions. You can find current rates on our Cost + Info page.

06 What ages do you work with?

We work with children, teens, and adults. Most of our current availability is for teens and adults, including college students, adults diagnosed later in life, and women with ADHD, and we do see younger children as well. Reach out and our care coordinator can let you know current availability for your situation.

07 Where are you located?

We have offices in Carlsbad, Encinitas, and Vista, and we offer online therapy throughout California. Many clients come to us from Oceanside, San Marcos, Escondido, Solana Beach, and the surrounding North County communities.

Meet the team

Meet our ADHD therapists.

Every clinician on our team holds a doctorate in psychology. These are the psychologists who work most with ADHD across our Carlsbad, Encinitas, and Vista offices.

Ready when you are

Ready to get started?

You don't have to keep working against yourself. ADHD therapy in North County San Diego, at our Carlsbad, Encinitas, or Vista offices or online, can help you understand your brain, build on your strengths, and create a life that fits who you actually are.

Book a free consultation Call (760) 334-6262

4.9 on Google · 90+ reviews · Serving North County since 2018

Our offices

In-person therapy in Carlsbad, Encinitas, or Vista.

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A client in session with a psychologist at Coastal Therapy Group in North County San Diego
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