by admin | Jan 23, 2026 | EMDR, Mental Health, Positive, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Trauma |
We’re deeply honoured that S has chosen to share part of her healing journey and what EMDR has meant for her, even 70 years after a profoundly painful event in her life. It’s an incredible act of trust—and a privilege we don’t take lightly. Thank you, S!
In the Spring of 2022, I was diagnosed in a pain clinic with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and the clinic’s Psychologist encouraged me that EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) would be worth pursuing.
I contacted Alongside You, and soon was paired with Kathryn Priest-Peries, a Registered Clinical Counsellor and Registered Social Worker who offered EMDR sessions.
Talk therapy was helpful in my past to deal with my mental health issues and abusive relationships, but having a skilled, experienced therapist use this light therapy (and talk therapy as well) was life-changing for me. Over time, it has explained so much of my life’s journey to me.
My first two appointments with this experienced, caring therapist at Alongside You were about reliving my life’s journey, in which she assessed me.
As a little 4-year-old girl, along with my 7-year-old sister, I was present at the scene where our 9-year-old brother had a tragic accident, which took his life. He was the oldest child in our family. Back then, as an adult, every time I talked about my brother, I cried, and after my EMDR sessions, I understood why. It was indeed PTSD. The memory of seeing him writhing in pain was just as vivid 70 years later.
The painful, hard work began weekly. I expected and was mentally prepared to accept it, but I learned far more than I could have imagined. New feelings I hadn’t been aware of were exposed. They were terrified and alone, and the tears came in abundance. Our family life had changed completely, and as a child, I thought I must have been at fault for something; for one thing, my mother was no longer affectionate. Since my father drove the farm machinery that caused the accident, I carried the guilt I thought he must have felt, or I thought he did. After all, I saw him carrying my brother in his arms and taking him to the hospital.
Fortunately, I escaped the substance abuse addiction of so many with a trauma history, but I had a different addiction. All my life, I tried to figure out how to make myself feel better when I felt others were hurting or sick. Thus, I may have learned to be compassionate and kind, but at times it was unwanted, and it also caused me to feel pain I didn’t need to carry. I suffered from anxiety disorder and depression off and on.
After working through the weeks of EMDR, it was clear to me what I had done, and all of a sudden, I felt much freer. Others noticed, including my daughter, how much I had changed in a short time.
I understand that EMDR is considered a very effective treatment for PTSD, and I agree. What I can say is that it possibly works well if you are willing to deal with mental pain and ready to work through it.
After a month of therapy, I told Kathryn the vision I now had of my brother was him lying at rest alongside my parents and grandparents, and I knew he was safe and not in pain. The scene of the cemetery I had of a dusty, windy place wasn’t the same. My visit to that place a few years before this therapy was to a green, serene, beautiful place, which is what I now see. He is lying safe and pain-free beside his family. My new memory of his last time with us changed thanks to the work of the EMDR sessions, and I do not cry every time I speak of Freddie*. Kathryn told me the therapy was working and doing what it is meant to do.
On occasion, I slip back to old habits. Now, I know that although my old thoughts are still there, my response can be and is different. I am grateful to access appointments with Kathryn because of the Step Forward Program. I still struggle, and the little girl surfaces, but help is available for my situation and is also affordable. EMDR has been a life-changing, invaluable experience, and I am forever grateful. In fact, we still use it in some sessions today.
– S
*Names have been modified to uphold the client’s privacy, as well as their family’s.
If you would like help on your own journey of healing, please connect with us. We’re here to help and it really can feel better, even decades later.
by Tracy Mortensen | Dec 22, 2025 | Children, Family, Mental Health, Parenting, Tips
When children struggle with big emotions like anger, anxiety, or frustration, our instinct as adults is to introduce strategies like deep breathing, distractions, calm-down corners, or mindfulness exercises.
These tools can be helpful, but tend to be more successful after something deeper develops first: awareness.
Awareness is the ability to notice what is happening in the current moment. This includes (and is not limited to) a child’s ability to name what they feel in the moment, where they feel it, and what might have triggered it. This awareness becomes the bridge between emotion and regulation.
Without a child’s awareness, using other strategies is a bit like giving them a toolbox but not teaching how to know when a particular tool should be used, and will keep these other strategies from being as effective.
Awareness Before Regulation
Developmental psychologist Dr. Gordon Neufeld reminds us that children don’t learn regulation by being taught techniques, but that they develop it as their brains mature and they feel safe and connected. Emotional regulation grows from the inside out, not from external strategies.
Awareness, then, isn’t just a cognitive skill; it’s an emotional unfolding. When a child can feel and notice their emotions, the prefrontal cortex (the “thinking brain”) begins to integrate with the limbic system (the “feeling brain”), and this integration is what allows true self-regulation to form.
As Neufeld often says, children must first feel their emotions before they can manage them.
How Counselling Helps Build Awareness
Counselling provides a space for children to slow down, reflect, and notice – something they might not have access to in their everyday environments.
In counselling, awareness grows through gentle guidance and connection.
A counsellor helps a child:
- Name what they feel without judgment or shame.
- Build a language for their inner world, so they can communicate what they feel inside.
- Notice and discuss body signals, tightness, warmth, fidgeting. This shows how emotions live and show up in their body.
- Understand patterns, what situations spark certain feelings and what helps them settle.
For younger children, this often happens through play, storytelling or creative expression. Through therapeutic play counsellors can help children express what they can’t yet verbalize, and begin to see connections between thoughts, feelings, and actions.
For older children and teens, counselling can help make sense of confusing emotions and normalize that all feelings have a purpose – even anger or anxiety. Over time, awareness becomes the foundation for healthier coping and more confident emotional expression.
Ultimately, counselling isn’t about “fixing” behaviour; it’s about helping a child understand themselves. Counselling first provides a safe space to lay the foundation of awareness, building the scaffolding that later strategies will need to be effective.
Need parenting help when it comes to your child’s awareness of emotions? We can do that – connect with us today.
by Fiona Scott | Dec 15, 2025 | Communication, Family, holiday, Mental Health, Parenting, Seasonal, Self Care, Teens, Tips
Let’s face it: for every Hallmark movie and overly-sentimental advert on our tv showing happy families enjoying together time in peace and harmony – there’s a very stressed-out parent, grandparent or family member trying to figure out a way for a group of people with their own issues, needs, wants and opinions to all be in the same place, at the same time, without World War III erupting …
If you add in a 2SLGBTQIA+ family member into the mix, there are many opportunities for accidental (or deliberate) offense to be given, feelings to be hurt, and opinions to be shared (whether everyone wants to hear them or not). So, if you have a 2SLGBTQIA+ teen or young adult in your family, how can you make sure to be the support they need at this time of year?
Firstly, I think it’s important to recognize that, with the current state of the world as it is, being a young 2SLGBTQIA+ individual is an extremely vulnerable place to be. And so our kiddos need adults in their life who are willing to ensure that they are protected, supported and encouraged. That is one of the reasons that the Step Forward Society has financially enabled Alongside You to start a mental health support group for 2SLGBTQIA+ youth, so that there are even more adults in these young peoples’ lives who are there to be part of their ‘team’.
In order to be the best ally you can for a young 2SLGBTQIA+ person, here are some hints, tips and suggestions. These are by no means the only things we can do – but it’s a start to the conversation.
Understand uniqueness
Please remember that every situation is different, every person is different, and every person on earth has their own set of needs to be met in order to thrive. So that’s the first tip – don’t assume! ASK. Here’s just a couple of examples: ask family members you haven’t seen for a while or don’t know well what pronouns they prefer – this normalizes the expectation that peoples’ pronouns will be respected, and makes it more likely that others in the family will follow suit. If you are organizing a family outing, ask if anyone will need access to universal/non-gendered bathroom. If you’re not sure, ask!
Help is only helpful if it’s helping!
Ask what YOUR 2SLGBTQIA+ young person would like help with – are they willing to stand up to homophobic Uncle Zebediah* when he goes on a rant or do they need you to intervene? Do they want you to engage in a stand-up fight for their rights, or would that make them want to melt into the carpet, and they’d rather just be rescued and avoid that particular discussion for another year? In our desire to be our kiddos’ dragon-slayer, and show our pride for them, it can be easy to lose track of the fact that what we’d like to do may be less important right now than what they need us to do.
‘My House, My Rules’
If you have family members who cannot be relied upon to ‘play nice in the sandbox’ around your 2SLGBTQIA+ young person, you can absolutely set the tone if you are hosting. Some families have rules around ‘no politics’, or ‘no religion’ at family gatherings – and if your kiddo is not in a good place to be questioned (or doesn’t feel like educating others, which is absolutely their right) then it is your right to set that expectation with guests in your home.
In order to save everyone embarrassment, and stop feelings running high, I would suggest that you gently and kindly bring this up prior to any large family gathering, so that the expectation is set. You could even have some allies in your family who are willing to spot any potential tinder-points and rush in to ‘deal’ with Uncle Zebediah (eg get him talking about his antique shoe polish collection).
The Great Escape
No, not the 1963 Steve McQueen movie (although that is a good flick!). I’m talking about giving the young 2SLGBTQIA+ person you are supporting options – this could look like asking them to help with younger family members (so that they’re simply not free to engage in a conversation with Uncle Zebediah). Obviously, if they enjoy kids, that’s great – but whatever plan you come up with (together with them, of course) – should be something that they enjoy, too.
Maybe this looks like a family hike, or trip to a Christmas village or lights installation, so that people are walking around, splitting into groups, having something else to focus on (and there is an opportunity for them to ‘disappear’ and gather themselves for a few minutes if they’re getting overwhelmed). Or a trip to the theatre or movies so that opportunities for conversation are naturally limited.
This could also look like making sure that your kiddo has opportunities to get out of the house and visit with their friends over the holiday, so that they have a pressure valve built in to their break. Same goes for you! Try to make sure you get opportunities to have a break, so that you can fully appreciate the holidays.
Comfort and Joy
Comfort clothing, comfort foods, comfort shows … there are many ways in which we use comfort items to help us regulate our emotions. You may have an expectation that the whole family dress up in matching Christmas PJs for photos and be frustrated if your kid doesn’t want to comply. But perhaps they’re experiencing body dysphoria and this make them feel worse about themselves, but their vintage Metallica hoody makes them feel OK.
Or perhaps you want everyone to watch ‘A Christmas Story’ and it’s frustrating that someone in your family wants to watch Brooklyn 99, or the Gilmore Girls, or a Studio Ghibli movie, again. Slaving for hours over the perfect holiday meal, only to have your kiddo rummage in the pantry for ramen noodles? I bet that raises some hackles!
My point is that we seek comfort because it helps us to cope with our emotions and, in higher stress times, the tendency is to look for the things we know well, so there are no surprises, and nothing new for our brains and nervous systems to have to adapt to. So, if you’re noticing these comfort-seeking behaviours in your 2SLGBTQIA+ child, it’s a sure sign that they’re feeling stress in some way. At this point, it’s worth asking yourself what your intention for the holiday is – do you want it all to ‘look’ the way you imagined in your mind, regardless of whether everyone is happy or not? Or do you want to make people feel at ease, encourage each member of the family to join in by meeting their needs – and in the process, have a chance to experience real joy.
Summary
There are as many options to support your young 2SLGBTQIA+ loved ones as there are colours in the Pride rainbow! But the take-away is that validating our kiddos’ feelings, paying attention to their needs and asking what truly would help them the most are all good ways to make sure that everyone has a peaceful, happy and fulfilling holiday.
All of us at Alongside You and Step Forward Society wish you a very happy, healthy and peaceful holiday season, whatever and however you celebrate.
*our apologies to anyone actually named Zebediah! No offense intended.
by Andrew Neufeld | Dec 15, 2025 | Grief, holiday, hope, Mental Health, Seasonal
It’s been a while since I wrote for our blog, and as usual, it’s motivated by what I’m noticing in my own experience leading up to the holidays. The title of the blog is a bit tongue-in-cheek – anyone who knows my reading habits well knows that I love C.S. Lewis, who has a particularly brilliant book called Surprised By Joy. Surprised By Grief, however, is my attempt at humanizing the holidays, with a nod to my own discoveries of grief this year.
There are many definitions of grief, and certainly, many definitions amongst professionals. We were fortunate to have a grief expert, Dena Moitoso, do a lunch-and-learn with our team this year and it was very helpful (and yes, she is in fact, the mother of our very own Marcia Moitoso!). She highlighted so many important things about grief, but one of the most important in my mind, is that the experience of grief by an individual is heavily influenced by how their grief comes to be, and how it’s treated by those around them. I have to admit that through the course of my life I haven’t really given my own grief a lot of attention, understanding, or even acknowledgement. Perhaps it’s that German-Ukrainian Mennonite upbringing again, perhaps it’s my personality, or likely all of the above that has lead to this. Perhaps it’s neurodivergence – I know my ADHD certainly impacts how I see, and process many things. Whatever the case may be, I’ve been intentional this year to pay attention, mainly because I haven’t really had much of a choice because it’s made itself known in ways that weren’t particularly considerate of my desire to engage.
How It Started
It started with the loss of our dog, Buttercup, this past May. She was 4 days short of her 15th birthday when she passed. Understandably, it was heartbreaking for our kids, and for my wife. My kids can’t remember a time without Buttercup, and Buttercup was a constant companion for Meg, particularly in the early years post-accident. Buttercup could always tell how Meg’s pain was each day without Meg ever having to say anything. What I didn’t expect was how hard it hit me. I wrote a couple of posts on LinkedIn about it here, and here. Don’t get me wrong, I loved our dog, but I’m very much a dog owner who differentiates between dogs and humans. I didn’t think it would hit me as hard as it did, but here we are. What was different this time around was that I let it. I shared openly about it, with people in my life, with clients (as it seemed appropriate to do so), and publicly. I let myself cry, and that does not come easily to me, though I’m getting better at it.
Then, I was confronted with the grief of my own mental health journey. It’s still something I’m unpacking, but between my therapist not letting me off the hook, and me intentionally creating some space in my own life to pay attention, I’m starting to understand just how impactful it’s been on my life. Long story very short, I’ve started to grieve for the kid who discovered what depression was at age 6. I’ve started to grieve the terror he felt for the next 20 years, and all of the things he felt he had to do or not do in dealing with it.
This was amplified recently when we lost a client to suicide at the clinic. It always hits therapists hard when they lose a client, and it’s why we work as a team here, not in isolation. What surprised me about this recent experience was that, while of course I was heartbroken for the family and for our therapist who had worked with them, I immediately connected with my own experience earlier in life where it very well could have been me. That’s when the grief hit like a freight train – for myself, and for the client, and for their family.
Most recently, grief hit while I was experiencing a lot of joy. My wife and I don’t give each other gifts really, we don’t want more stuff – so we give each other time. We do our best to get away for a night together and eat good food, do things we enjoy, all without the myriad of distractions that go on in our daily life. We ended up at the Good Noise gospel choir concert downtown, directed by our dear friend, Warren Dean Flandez. It was phenomenal, and full of so much joy. And the grief hit me big time in the middle of the concert, and surprise would be an understatement. And then it was book-ended by joy.
All this to say, grief is complicated. Joy can also be complicated in that it can co-occur with grief and often does (in my experience). The Christmas story and the holidays bring both front and centre to me, particularly this year, and it happens for so many. We recently collaborated with Heron Hospice Society, Estuary Church, and Ladner United Church to put on an event called Circle of Light for community members who have lost loved ones. It was a chance to acknowledge the dialectic that are the holidays – so much joy, and often, so much grief.
How It’s Going
Christmas is a time I’ve struggled with a lot over the years with my depression – feeling like we’re supposed to be happy, when sometimes we’re just not. Or maybe we are happy, but it’s complicated with sadness, or grief, or both. It struck me this week as I was reflecting on the Christmas story, that the first Christmas was likely full of these things too. If you’ve read the story, Mary and Joseph were travelling many miles, with a pregnant Mary riding a donkey, to comply with the Roman census. When we read that “there’s no room in the Inn,” it doesn’t mean that they couldn’t stay at the Four Seasons and had to settle for the Holiday Inn Express. No, it means they found a cave, full of dirty animals that smelled like something most of can’t even imagine, and gave birth to a baby that in the Christian tradition, was to be the saviour of the world. Not how I would have planned it, and I’m pretty sure there were some complicated emotions.
What often amplifies this for me (and this is my belief, not something I am trying to push on anyone else), is that according to the Bible, Jesus would grow up and become a sacrifice for humanity to restore the relationship between humanity and an all-knowing, all-powerful God. Those last bits are important. What this means is that God knew what would happen to this baby before it was born, and He chose to send Him anyways. The part that gets me, is that He made this choice, knowing who I am and all of my imperfections, and did it anyways. I can’t image the level of grief, and the level of joy He experienced in this part of the story.
I tell you all of this, not because I’m trying to preach in a non-religious blog for a non-religious mental health clinic. I’m telling you this because it’s necessary in order for you to understand my experience and what I’m trying to share with you – because my depression, my anxiety, some of the hard things I’ve experienced in life, some of the things I’ve done to try to deal with these things in unhealthy ways, have often led me to believe that I’m unworthy, that I’m a hopeless case, that I’ll never feel better, and many other things.
This is why this Christmas story is so important in my own journey of grief – it helps me know that I’m loved, that I’m worth it, and that there’s hope, and it can get better.
Hope For The Future
What I’m hoping for in sharing this with you, is that you’ll hear me saying, “However you’re feeling going into the holidays is ok.” If you’re grieving, I’m with you. If you’re experiencing joy, I’m with you. If you’re wondering how you’re going to survive the holiday mayhem, I’ve been there and I’m with you. If you’re looking forward to it, I’m with you.
Feelings are complicated. We don’t get to choose them, we just have them. If you’re human, you’ve experienced things that lead to grief and it’s ok to feel that too. The good news is that we’re capable of holding seemingly opposite feelings at the same time. We can experience joy, sadness, hope, and grief together. That’s not you being a mess, or a screwup, or “too much,” that’s you being human with the rest of us. You just don’t usually see it on a Christmas card.
If you’ve made it this far, I appreciate the effort and I hope it’s been worth it. Since this is my last chance to do so before the end of the year, I want to say thank you for letting us take care of you here at Alongside You. We’re far from perfect, and we’re human just like you, but we do always, and will always do our best to be both human, and helpful in caring for you.
My hope is that whatever traditions you have over these holidays, that you’ll be kind to yourself, that you’ll know that grief doesn’t take a holiday and if it shows up for you that you’re not alone, and that there’s hope. I appreciate every client who trusts us to take care of them, and I’m excited for what 2026 holds for all of us.
Merry Christmas, happy holidays, and Happy New Year to you and all of your loved ones.
by Kole Lawrence | Dec 8, 2025 | Communication, Family, holiday, Mental Health, Seasonal, Self Care, Teens, Tips
The holiday time is supposed to be this stretch of (often, freezing cold) time of laughing and warmth and horribly-corny-but-at-the-same-time-wonderfully-campy movies. And for many of us queers, parts of that holiday stretch are the best. But the holidays can also bring a sort of pressure that really isn’t normally talked about—it’s the pressure of going to, or being in, “home” environments that don’t always understand or show up for the you you.
This time of year can be, complicated. There’s often excitement and love mixed in, and also a lot of emotional navigating. For many queer youth, the holidays aren’t just holidays. They can be a kind of performance season where we try and pretend the only ugly part is our sweaters (which are actually just cute btw).
The unseen stuff queer & trans youth carry into December
Everyone’s experience is different. But some of our experiences are actually common. Here’s what we hear:
- Feeling watched. Not necessarily in a negative way. But even good intentions and genuine curiosity can feel like a lot when it’s nonstop. “What name should I call you?” can be fine, but who wants to answer it over and over and over, let alone to the same few people.
- Being asked questions you didn’t prepare for. “Do you have a boyfriend? Girlfriend?” “What pronouns, champ?” “What is the whole gender thing anyway?” Hey, I like talking about myself as much as the next person, but dare we chill? Since when are deeply personal and complex sexuality and gender identity transformations small talk? Sometimes it’s okay to just want to talk about Taylor Swift’s new album or Kris Jenner’s plastic surgery.
- Dealing with traditions that don’t fit anymore. Traditions can be such a mixed bag. Lots of us have really wonderful memories of traditions we did with our families, but often times traditions weren’t designed with queer and trans identities in mind. What’s important to remember though is if it doesn’t feel like we can be authentic in them, it’s okay to accept them as memories instead of rules.
Some quick tips if the holidays feel like… a lot
Here are just a few things that can help when the holiday energy starts feeling heavy. No “magic” here, just actual and doable things that may work for you:
- Use the bathroom as a breather. Okay, it sounds wild, but taking a few-minute break to breathe, text a friend, just chill out, can totally help just rest your nervous system which can make the next hour feel lighter.
- Have a couple of “neutral response” lines ready. Things like “I’m not getting into that today,” or “It’s a long story, but I’m okay,” can shut down uncomfortable questions without creating more chaos.
- Keep a comforting object in your pocket. Are Tamagotchis still a thing? Think about keeping something in your pocket that that you can fidget with if you want to or something that will just maybe help make you feel more grounded generally.
- Decide ahead of time what topics are off-limits for you. If someone wanders into something you’ve already decided is just not your preference to get into, remember to just not get into it if you can.
- Let yourself keep some things private. It’s not your job to educate everyone! You don’t have to justify language or identity. Privacy isn’t necessarily avoidance—things are allowed to feel and be personal.
The reality is that a lot of queer and trans youth head into December carrying stuff that isn’t always obvious. And sure, this time of year can be stressful or awkward or just… a lot. But it can also make space for embodying the version of yourself that feels honest that day. Remember: you are allowed to protect your peace. Keep honouring yourself, no less this month than any other month. You are okay. <3
Resources
LGBT National Help Centre
Free, confidential peer-support for 2SLGBTQ+ folks. Multiple lines including Youth, Seniors, and Coming Out support (not 24/7).
Website: https://lgbthotline.org
988 Suicide Crisis Helpline
Call or text for immediate support (not queer- or trans-specific).
Dial 988
Trans Lifeline
Peer-run support line for trans and nonbinary people (call only).
Phone: 877-330-6366
Website: https://translifeline.org
by Kole Lawrence | Nov 10, 2025 | ADHD, Assessments, Counselling, Executive Function, Mental Health, Mental Health Disorder
Could ADHD Be Part of Your Story?
Have you ever wondered whether ADHD might be affecting your life, even though you were never diagnosed as a child? If so, you’re not alone. I’m Kole, a clinical psychology doctoral student completing my practicum at Alongside You, and I want to share why adult ADHD assessments and therapy might be worth considering, especially if you’ve always had this feeling like you were working harder than others just to keep pace with everyone else.
ADHD Often Gets Missed in Childhood
For a long time, ADHD was seen as something that affected “hyperactive little boys.” Teachers and parents looked for kids who were constantly in motion or couldn’t stop talking. But that’s only one ‘presentation’ of ADHD—there are many, many more. Many kids, like those with inattentive symptoms, experience things like daydreaming, losing track of assignments, or constantly leaving their hoodie in their locker at school (not just me?) These children often flew under the radar because they weren’t viewed as disruptive and their challenges were maybe not quite as obvious as others to those around them.
ADHD Often Gets Missed in Girls
There’s a gender factor, too. Girls and quieter children are more likely to mask their struggles, working hard to appear organized and capable (Holden & Kobayashi-Wood, 2025). Because inattentive symptoms are more common in girls, they’re often identified later—around age 12 instead of age 7 for boys (Young et al., 2020). Many women only recognize their ADHD as adults, sometimes after years of being labeled “anxious,” “disorganized,” or “too sensitive” (Kok et al., 2020). Understanding that ADHD can look different in women and inattentive types helps explain why so many people are discovering it later in life.
Discovering ADHD as an Adult
ADHD is a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition that continues into adulthood (Adamis et al., 2022). For many adults, symptoms shift from visible hyperactivity to inner restlessness, distraction, and difficulty managing time or focus (APA, 2022). You might appear successful on the outside but feel scattered or overwhelmed behind the scenes. Life transitions (think new jobs, becoming a parent, or relocating) can often unmask symptoms that were once manageable. Recognizing ADHD in adulthood can bring really huge relief for folks.
What an Adult ADHD Assessment Looks Like
If you’re curious about an assessment, Alongside You offers comprehensive Adult ADHD Assessments conducted by our doctoral students and registered psychologists. These include questionnaires, an in-depth interview about your life history (including childhood signs), and tests that assess attention and executive functioning. We may also seek input from someone close to you and screen for conditions like anxiety, depression, or sleep issues that can mimic ADHD. Whether or not the results confirm ADHD, you’ll leave with clarity and personalized recommendations for support.
Help Is Here
It’s never too late to understand your brain and find strategies that work. Alongside You provides both assessment and therapy for adults with ADHD-related challenges. Getting answers can be a really huge thing for people. And hopefully a step toward more confidence and self-compassion in what life throws at us.
If this resonates with you, reach out to our team at Alongside You in Ladner. We’re here to walk alongside you on your journey toward understanding and thriving with ADHD.
References
American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed., text rev.; DSM-5-TR). American Psychiatric Publishing.
Adamis, D., Flynn, C., Wrigley, M., Gavin, B., & McNicholas, F. (2022). ADHD in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Prevalence Studies in Outpatient Psychiatric Clinics. Journal of Attention Disorders, 26(12), 1523–1534. https://doi.org/10.1177/10870547221085503
Holden, E., & Kobayashi-Wood, H. (2025). Adverse experiences of women with undiagnosed ADHD and the invaluable role of diagnosis. Scientific Reports, 15, 20945. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-04782-y
Kok, F. M., Groen, Y., Fuermaier, A. B. M., & Tucha, O. (2020). The female side of pharmacotherapy for ADHD: A systematic literature review. PLOS ONE, 15(9), e0239257. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0239257
Young, S., Adamo, N., Ásgeirsdóttir, B. B., et al. (2020). Females with ADHD: An expert consensus statement taking a lifespan approach providing guidance for identification and treatment. BMC Psychiatry, 20, 404. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-020-02707-9
