Living Well With “Now-Brain”:

A Virtual Skills and Support Group for ADHD and Executive Dysfunction

Are you a lifelong procrastinator, putting off everything from doing the dishes to actualizing your greatest passion project?

Are you chronically embarrassed and self-critical about forgetting appointments, missing deadlines, and losing important items? 

Do you find yourself highly sensitive to feeling rejected, judged, or controlled, so that even little emotional injuries can send you spiraling?

If you answered yes, chances are, you’re living with “Now-Brain”. Now-Brain is a new, non-pathologizing term for what has traditionally been called Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder or executive dysfunction. Rather than thinking of it as an illness, in this group we’ll be talking about ADHD as a brain type, with it’s own particular strengths and challenges.

So what’s a Now-Brain??

Every brain type has certain strengths and weaknesses, skills that it’s naturally good at and skills we need to put in extra effort to develop. What are some of the common strengths of Now-Brain? To name a few: Creativity, innovation, empathy, sensitivity, spontaneity, humor, willingness to take risks…I could go on. Basically, it’s things that involve the ability to tune in to what’s right in front of you or right inside you at this moment, to discern what would feel good/relaxing/exciting/interesting for you and everyone around you right NOW. 

But as you know too well, there are other parts of being a person that don’t come as naturally with Now-Brain. And they just about all relate to the ability to take care of things that will set us up to feel good in the FUTURE. These are the what are often called the brain’s executive functions:

  • Mobilizing yourself for important tasks that seem boring, effortful, too long, or overwhelming

  • Sticking to projects or routines even once they are no longer new and exciting

  • Paying close attention to what you’re hearing or reading, so that you’ll have the memory when you need it later

  • Bothering to organize rooms, bags, notes, desktops, inboxes, calendars etc, so that you can find what you need later 

  • Sitting with or tolerating hard emotions rather than diving for whatever will make me feel better NOW - whether it’s a different project, email, TV, food, social media, or drugs and alcohol - which don’t solve the problem and very often make it worse

Deciding to get on top of these issues is a way of honoring yourself and your right to live happily and comfortably. In Living Well with Now Brain, you’ll join a community of fellow travelers, learning, sharing and working together to create a more joyful and less stressed way of living. 

 Here’s what you can expect as a part of this group:

  • Learn about your brain - what makes it different from neurotypical brains, and how to work with its specific needs to create stability and purpose in your life

  • Develop new tools and strategies that draw on your natural strengths and compensate for natural weaknesses

  • Find healing and compassion for the parts of you that have felt most broken, sitting with a community that understands your experiences from the inside out 

  • Cultivate practices to soothe your nervous system and be less susceptible to chronic overwhelm, using embodied mindfulness, movement, and self-compassion

  • Experience the power of mutual accountability - see what happens when we stop trying to tackle life alone, and instead let friendly companions encourage us to make the changes we seek. The relationships you form in this group can continue being of service for years to come!

This unique offering combines evidence-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) with body-centered relaxation training and interpersonal support. A stressed nervous system is by nature defended and closed, and not easily able to learn new habits and let go of old ones. Deep psychological change takes risk and resilience, and depends on our feeling safe, grounded and open. By doing this work in a container of warm, supportive relationships, and with the help of self-soothing techniques that bring balance and flow, our efforts to learn and integrate new skills will be much more fruitful. 

Group Details:

Length: 12 sessions

Session time: 1 hr 30 min

Timing: Mondays at either 10:00 am or 1:00 pm, depending on response (eventually both)

Start date: Rolling

Cost per session: $80

Click the button below to get started and mention in your message that you are interested in this group.