One out of eleven couples has one partner with ADHD which can impact not only the individual, but also makes certain relationship dynamics more likely—and makes these couples more likely to show up in your office. Unfortunately, if the one partner’s ADHD isn’t addressed directly, the therapist will get stuck in the same traps as the partners do. We will begin with a more useful conceptualization of how ADHD impacts an individual’s abilities to meet daily demands. We will then discuss how this sets up the dynamics that commonly develop in these couples, so that you can help these clients break free of the disempowering tug of war and create a more balanced and satisfying relationship. This will include how ADHD impacts a couple’s sex life and how to make yet another area of discontent into a shared activity that adds energy to the relationship. This presentation will be full of practical strategies you can use with your next client.

Learning Objectives:

1. Apply a more useful model of ADHD to help clients better understand and manage it.

2. Explain the many ways that ADHD can impact both partners in a couple and the common dynamics that ensue.

3. Integrate a deeper understanding of ADHD, relationship dynamics, and sexuality to work more effectively with these clients to improve both their relationship and sex life.

4. Help clients create more sustainable solutions to differences and disagreements.