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Digital Seminar

ADHD and the Mindful Path


Faculty:
Merriam Sarcia Saunders, LMFT, ADHD-CCSP
Duration:
1 Hour 29 Minutes
Copyright:
09 Mar, 2023
Product Code:
POS059318
Media Type:
Digital Seminar
Access:
Never expires.


Description

What do you do when medication and traditional therapies stop working for your clients struggling with ADHD? Utilizing the practice of mindfulness and specific exercises based in neuroscience can help you break through your roadblocks and help clients regain their focus. This session will give you an in-depth look at the truths and misconceptions of using mindfulness to help treat ADHD, as well as the neuroscience that informs the practice and the evidence-based treatments that are available for your clients, from children to adults and even parents.

CPD

Planning Committee Disclosure - No relevant relationships

All members of the PESI, Inc. planning committee have provided disclosures of financial relationships with ineligible organizations and any relevant non-financial relationships prior to planning content for this activity. None of the committee members had relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies or other potentially biasing relationships to disclose to learners.  For speaker disclosures, please see the faculty biography.



CPD

PESI Australia, in collaboration with PESI in the USA, offers quality online continuing professional development events from the leaders in the field at a standard recognized by professional associations including psychology, social work, occupational therapy, alcohol and drug professionals, counselling and psychotherapy. On completion of the training, a Professional Development Certificate is issued after the individual has answered and submitted a quiz and course evaluation. This program is worth 1.5 hours CPD for points calculation by your association.



Handouts

Faculty

Merriam Sarcia Saunders, LMFT, ADHD-CCSP's Profile

Merriam Sarcia Saunders, LMFT, ADHD-CCSP Related seminars and products


Merriam Sarcia Saunders, LMFT, ADHD-CCSP, is a licensed marriage and family therapist and Certified Clinical Services Provider with deep clinical experience supporting people with ADHD and neurodivergence across the lifespan. She brings over 15 years of practice in private, school, and community settings, with specialized expertise in ADHD, autism, and ADHD coaching.

Merriam is widely recognized for her work translating complex ADHD research into practical, compassionate strategies. She is the author of ADHD-focused children’s books such as My Whirling, Twirling Motor and My Wandering, Dreaming Mind, as well as adult non-fiction including Divorce and the ADHD, Autistic, Anxious Child and Mindfulness Meditation for ADHD, which reflects her commitment to strength-based, mindful approaches for neurodivergent brains.

In addition to her books, Merriam co-founded A Novel Mind, a widely used database and resource hub for neurodiversity-affirming literature, and serves as an adjunct professor of psychology, bringing evidence-informed practice into both clinical and educational spaces.

Known for blending mindfulness, behaviorally grounded support, and real-world insight, she teaches clinicians how to help clients and families build self-regulation, resilience, and effective routines that honor the unique strengths and challenges of ADHD.

 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Merriam Saunders maintains a private practice and has an employment relationship with Dominican University. She receives royalties as a published author. Merriam Saunders receives a speaking honorarium from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Merriam Saunders has no relevant non-financial relationships.

 


Objectives

  1. Differentiate between ADHD and other disorders in relation to assessment and treatment planning.
  2. Analyze the common misconceptions regarding ADHD as related to clinical treatment.
  3. Integrate the neuroscience of ADHD into mindfulness interventions.
  4. Demonstrate knowledge of the various evidence and mindfulness-based treatments for ADHD to inform the clinician’s choice of treatment interventions.
  5. Employ numerous mindfulness exercises and interventions targeting the emotional and executive functioning impacts of ADHD in clients to improve treatment outcomes.

Outline

The Mindful ADHD Clinician
  • Understanding symptoms of ADHD
  • How is it diagnosed?
  • What is executive functioning?
The Neuroscience of ADHD and Mindfulness Explained
  • Why the brain does what it does
  • What we need it to do
  • Why mindfulness works for ADHD
Differentiate fact from fiction
  • Common myths about ADHD
  • Assessing for co-occurring disorders and other causes
  • Client misconceptions regarding mindfulness for ADHD
Understand the impact of ADHD on children, adults and parents
  • Are you treating ADHD or its emotional impact?
The Mindful Treatment of ADHD
  • Medication Options
  • Evidence-based treatment for ADHD
  • Evidence-based efficacy of alternative approaches
Mindfulness Psychoeducation for ADHD
  • Making mindfulness accessible
  • Differentiating between mindfulness and meditation
  • Explaining the benefits of mindfulness for ADHD
Mindfulness-based Tools for the Clinician
  • Exercises to:
    • Increase attention and impulse control
    • Calm the mind, body and emotions
    • Increase organization, memory and planning
    • Manage Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria
    • Increase self-compassion
    • Reduce ADHD-related anxiety
    • Increase emotional regulation ability
Mindful Parent-Behavior Therapy for ADHD
  • Why we treat the parent and not the child
  • Essential elements of Parent-behavior Therapy
Appropriate Referrals for the child or adult with ADHD

Target Audience

  • Counsellors
  • Educators
  • Marriage and Family Therapists
  • Nurses
  • Psychologists
  • Social Workers
  • Other Mental Health Professions

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