SABBIR AHMED · Registered Psychotherapist (UKCP) & Therapeutic Coach
Evidence-based, structured therapy to help you manage overwhelm, build focus, and leverage DBT therapy for your ADHD neurology, not against it.
Do you struggle with executive dysfunction, emotional dysregulation or burnout that feels bigger than ‘just ADHD’? I offer DBT-informed neuroinclusive therapy based upon practical skills which actually stick, whether you’re newly diagnosed, self-identified, or have known so for years.
SABBIR AHMED · Registered Psychotherapist (UKCP) & Therapeutic Coach
If any of the following sounds familiar to you, do not think that you are broken, lazy or ‘not trying hard enough.’ ADHD is a neurological condition that affects how your brain regulates attention, emotion, and motivation. DBT is a form of structured psychotherapy which gives you structured, practical skills to work with ADHD neurological patterns instead of striving against them.
Minor frustration can spiral into a major emotional shutdown. You snap at someone you love, then spend hours in blame, guilt and self-sabotage. Emotional dysregulation in ADHD is not a character flaw, but is caused by your nervous system responding faster than your prefrontal cortex can manage your emotions.
You know exactly what you need to do, and you still can’t bring yourself to start. Tasks pile up, deadlines pass, and the shame spiral begins. This isn’t laziness, but a dopamine-regulation issue that affects task initiation, prioritisation, and follow-through.
You’ve spent years compensating; building systems, masking and performing ‘normal’, and now your body is keeping the score. Burnout in ADHD (and AuDHD) isn’t just tiredness, but represents the collapse of unsustainable coping strategies.
A short reply feels like abandonment; constructive feedback lands like an attack. You over-explain, over-apologise, and reshape yourself to avoid the pain of perceived rejection. Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD) is one of the most under-discussed aspects of ADHD, AuDHD and autism.
DBT interpersonal effectiveness skills help you to build stability and set boundaries through mindfulness and values-led choices, and tolerate uncertainty without spiralling.
When your sensory threshold is crossed, everything – from noise, light, texture, even to social demands – become too much. This is particularly common in people with both ADHD and autism (AuDHD), where sensory processing differences compound emotional dysregulation.
You’ve changed careers, hobbies, and friendship groups more times than you can count. Novelty-seeking is how your brain chases dopamine, but it can leave you feeling like you have no consistent identity. Late-diagnosed adults often describe feeling ‘behind’ peers or living the wrong life.
I can help you overcome the fears and obstacles in your life.
Psychotherapist (UKCP) & Therapeutic Coach (EMCC)
My name is Sabbir, and I am a UKCP-registered psychotherapist and EMCC-accredited therapeutic coach with over a decade of experience working with neurodivergent adults. I specialise in DBT and CBT therapeutic approaches for ADHD and autism, working from both my Harley Street practice and City Road clinic in London, as well as offering online therapy across the UK.
My approach is neuroinclusive from the ground up, not neurotypical therapy with ADHD bolted on as an afterthought. I understand how emotional dysregulation, executive dysfunction, rejection sensitivity dysphoria (RSD), and sensory differences interact, and I adapt the pace, structure, and delivery of every session to how your brain actually works. Whether you were diagnosed at 8 or 38, I’m here to help you build skills that fit your life.
Conventional therapy is designed for neurotypical brains; sitting still, talking linearly, and doing simple 'homework' between sessions.
I provide DBT sessions adapted to ADHD processing, including shorter check-in loops, visual aids and flexible pacing. I teach skills that you can use immediately, rather than techniques which require sustained executive function you may not have.
With more than a decade of experience as a psychotherapist in London across NHS and private practice, I bring deep clinical expertise to every session. I am UKCP registered and trained in DBT and CBT, with specialist knowledge of how ADHD and autism affect emotional regulation, identity, and relationships.
Up to 70% of autistic adults also meet criteria for ADHD. I understand how the AuDHD profile creates unique challenges, including sensory overload amplifying emotional dysregulation, competing needs for novelty and routine, and social exhaustion layered on rejection sensitivity. My approach accounts for your whole neurotype, not just one specific label.
I work with clients from all backgrounds, cultures, and identities, including late-diagnosed professionals, students navigating university, parents managing household chaos and founders or entrepreneurs burning out. Whether you’re 22 or 52, my DBT approach is adaptable to your context and your goals.
ADHD is underdiagnosed in women and BAME (Black and Ethnic Minority) groups. I integrate cultural awareness and an understanding of systemic barriers into therapy, ensuring that your experience isn’t pathologised or dismissed because it doesn’t match with a narrow diagnostic stereotype of a given condition.
I set specific, ADHD-friendly goals from the start; not vague ‘feel better’ targets, but concrete outcomes that you can track. I use regular reviews to allow you to see what’s changing, what’s working, and what we need to adjust. Progress isn’t linear with ADHD, and that’s built into how we measure it at Kind Soul Psych.
Choose the format that works best for you. I offer ADHD-focused therapy face-to-face at my City Road Therapy and Harley Street practices, alongside secure online sessions for clients situated anywhere in the UK. Many clients with ADHD prefer online therapy due to its reduced sensory load and transition time. However, both formats deliver the same structured DBT approach.
Locations (in-person):
Online: Secure video sessions UK-wide and globally
Map your brain
In my practice, I start with a thorough assessment of your ADHD profile, co-occurring conditions and diagnoses (autism, anxiety, depression), emotional patterns, and therapy goals.
This isn’t about labelling you, but about understanding which DBT skills will have the fastest impact for your specific challenges. Your free discovery call is the first step.
Learn skills that stick
Sustain skills without the emotional mask
With Sabbir’s support, my confidence soared and within six months my income had grown fivefold
Clients who commit to DBT-informed therapy for ADHD consistently report meaningful, lasting changes. Here’s what working together can look like:
I teach practical DBT skills to help you recognise emotional surges before they escalate. You’ll learn to pause, regulate, and respond rather than react, even when rejection sensitivity dysphoria (RSD) or frustration spikes.
Break the self-deprecating cycle from avoidance to shame to last-minute panic. I teach opposite-action and distress tolerance skills as part of DBT which help you start tasks, before the deadline forces your hand.
I help you defaulting to ‘yes’ out of guilt or people-pleasing. DBT teaches you interpersonal effectiveness skills which help you communicate your needs clearly without fear of conflict or rejection.
I help you build sustainable routines that don’t require performing neurotypicality. DBT teaches mindfulness and self-validation, which replace the exhausting cycle of compensation and collapse.
I help you know who you are as a person, beyond the ADHD, AuDHD or neurodivergent label(s). I deliver values-based work, helping you build a coherent sense of self which doesn’t shift with every new interest or relationship.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects how the brain regulates attention, emotion, and executive function. It’s not a deficit of attention, but rather a difference in how attention is allocated, often characterised by difficulty sustaining focus on low-stimulation tasks alongside an ability to hyperfocus on high-interest activities.
ADHD is now understood to be far more than a childhood behavioural issue. It persists into adulthood in the majority of cases and affects an estimated 3–4% of UK adults, though many remain undiagnosed, particularly women, people from Black and Minority Ethnicity (BAME) groups, and those whose presentation doesn’t match the hyperactive stereotype (NICE, 2018).
This condition involves differences in dopamine and noradrenaline signalling, primarily affecting the prefrontal cortex – the brain region responsible for planning, impulse control, working memory, and emotional regulation. ADHD isn’t just about focus: it’s fundamentally an emotion-regulation condition, which is exactly where DBT skills become powerful.
ADHD presents differently in adults than in children, and differently again in those who also have autism. The most common signs include:
Intense emotional reactions which feel disproportionate to the trigger, for example frustration, excitement, sadness, or anger that arrives fast and lingers. This is now recognised as a core feature of ADHD, not a separate problem (Brandstetter et al., 2024).
Difficulty with planning, organising, starting tasks, switching between tasks, and managing time. Often experienced as ‘brain fog’ or feeling paralysed despite knowing what needs to be done.
Intense emotional pain triggered by perceived criticism, rejection, or failure. This can drive people-pleasing, perfectionism, or social withdrawal.
This presents as an ability to concentrate intensely on engaging tasks, while struggling to sustain attention on ‘boring’ but necessary ones. Often this is misportrayed as ‘you can focus when you want to.’
Heightened or reduced responses to light, sound, texture, temperature, or social stimulation. Especially pronounced in people with both ADHD and autism.
Difficulty waiting, interrupting conversations, making snap decisions, or feeling an internal restlessness that isn’t always visible externally.
Forgetting instructions, losing track of conversations, difficulty holding multiple pieces of information in mind simultaneously.
Difficulty falling asleep (often due to racing thoughts), inconsistent sleep patterns, and non-restorative sleep. This can affect mood, focus, and emotional regulation the following day.
Experiencing disconnection from reality or paranoid thoughts during stressful periods (American Psychiatric Association, 2013)
DBT was originally developed for Borderline Personality Disorder, but its core skill modules map directly onto the daily challenges of ADHD. Emerging evidence suggests that DBT-informed approaches significantly improve emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal functioning in adults with ADHD (Brandstetter et al., 2024).
Here’s how the four DBT skill modules apply to ADHD:
Research suggests that up to 50–70% of autistic people also meet diagnostic criteria for ADHD, and vice versa. When both conditions co-occur – often called AuDHD – the challenges compound in ways that neither diagnosis alone explains:
My approach is designed for the full neurotype. I use adapted DBT skills that account for sensory needs, processing style, and the interaction between ADHD impulsivity and autistic rigidity. The Neurodivergent Workbook of DBT Skills (2025) provides a framework for this integration, and I draw on it directly in session planning.
Living with ADHD presents unique challenges, but evidence-based strategies can significantly improve daily functioning and emotional wellbeing:
Your environment is your executive function. Use visual timers, body-doubling, time-blocking, and environmental cues to compensate for working memory and time-blindness challenges – don’t rely on willpower alone.
Forget 20-minute meditation – ADHD-friendly mindfulness means 2-minute grounding exercises, sensory check-ins, and intentional pauses throughout the day (Linehan, 1993, adapted for ADHD in Lederman et al., 2026).
Recognise that masking, socialising, and sensory environments all draw from the same limited energy pool. Schedule recovery time as seriously as you schedule work.
ADHD brains are novelty-driven. The temptation to drop therapy when the initial insight wears off is real. Consistent attendance, even when it feels ‘boring,’ is where the lasting change happens.
Help partners, family, and employers understand that ADHD is neurological, not motivational. Psychoeducation reduces conflict, increases accommodation, and builds genuine support.
Borderline Personality Disorder is a complex but treatable mental health condition. Through evidence-based BPD therapy London services including DBT, CBT, Schema-Focused Therapy, and Mentalization-Based Therapy, individuals with BPD can effectively manage symptoms and lead meaningful, fulfilling lives.
Recovery involves commitment to ongoing therapy, building a supportive network, and practicing self-care strategies. With the right borderline personality disorder treatment and professional support available throughout London, healing is not only possible—it’s achievable.
Recovery involves commitment to ongoing therapy, building a supportive network, and practicing self-care strategies. With the right borderline personality disorder treatment and professional support available throughout London, healing is not only possible—it’s achievable.
If you or someone you know is living with BPD, don’t hesitate to seek help from qualified mental health professionals. A BPD therapist in London can guide you on the path toward emotional stability, healthier relationships, and lasting recovery.
ADHD can create unique challenges in personal relationships. Effective strategies include:
ADHD can make you interrupt, forget commitments, or respond emotionally before you’ve processed what was said. Practising structured communication – repeating back what you heard, flagging when you’re dysregulated – protects connection.
Learning to say ‘I need to recharge’ without guilt. ADHD (and especially AuDHD) means your social battery depletes faster than people expect – healthy relationships make space for that.
Working with a therapist who understands ADHD relationship dynamics can transform patterns of frustration, criticism, and withdrawal into mutual understanding.
When partners understand that forgetfulness isn’t disrespect and emotional intensity isn’t manipulation, the dynamic shifts. I offer resources and guidance to help loved ones understand your neurodivergence.
If you or someone you know is struggling with ADHD, consider seeking professional support if you notice:
When partners understand that forgetfulness isn’t disrespect and emotional intensity isn’t manipulation, the dynamic shifts. I offer resources and guidance to help loved ones understand your neurodivergence.
When searching for ADHD-informed therapy in London, look for:
ADHD is a lifelong neurological difference, but the emotional dysregulation, executive dysfunction, and relationship challenges it creates are highly treatable. DBT provides a structured, skills-based framework that addresses the aspects of ADHD that medication alone often can’t reach; the emotional intensity, the rejection sensitivity, and corresponding burnout cycle.
Progress with ADHD isn’t about becoming neurotypical. It’s about building skills that work with your brain, reducing the suffering that comes from unsustainable coping, and creating a life that fits your neurology rather than fighting it.
If you’re ready to stop white-knuckling through life and start building genuine, sustainable skills, I’m here to help. Book a free discovery call and let’s talk about what DBT for ADHD could look like for you.
DBT was originally developed for BPD, but emerging research shows it’s highly effective for ADHD emotional dysregulation. Brandstetter et al. (2024) found that DBT skills training significantly improves emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal functioning in adults with ADHD. The four core DBT modules – mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness – map directly onto ADHD’s core challenges.
Progress with ADHD isn’t about becoming neurotypical. It’s about building skills that work with your brain, reducing the suffering that comes from unsustainable coping, and creating a life that fits your neurology rather than fighting it.
If you’re ready to stop white-knuckling through life and start building genuine, sustainable skills, I’m here to help. Book a free discovery call and let’s talk about what DBT for ADHD could look like for you.
Yes, I specialise in working with neurodivergent adults, including those with co-occurring ADHD and autism. I understand how the AuDHD profile creates unique challenges that neither diagnosis alone explains, and I adapt my DBT approach accordingly, accounting for sensory needs, processing style, and the interaction between impulsivity characteristic to ADHD and rigidity characteristic to autism.
Absolutely. Many adults are self-identified or awaiting NHS assessment (which can take 2–5 years). You don’t need a formal diagnosis to benefit from DBT skills for emotional dysregulation, executive dysfunction, or rejection sensitivity. We work with your lived experience, not just a diagnostic label.
Most clients begin to notice meaningful changes within 8–12 sessions, particularly in emotional regulation and distress tolerance. A full course of DBT-informed therapy typically runs 16–24 sessions, though this varies based on complexity, co-occurring conditions, and your goals. We review progress regularly so you always know where you stand.
No. Standard mindfulness advice often doesn’t work for ADHD brains. My approach uses micro-mindfulness (2-minute exercises, not 20-minute sits), visual and body-based grounding, and skills adapted for how ADHD attention actually works. If traditional approaches haven’t worked for you, that’s information about the approach, not about you.
Yes. I offer secure online therapy sessions for clients anywhere in the UK. Many ADHD clients prefer online sessions for the reduced sensory load, elimination of travel time, and ability to be in a comfortable, familiar environment. The quality and structure of therapy is identical to in-person sessions.
Yes; rejection sensitivity dysphoria (RSD) is one of the most impactful and under-treated aspects of ADHD. DBT interpersonal effectiveness skills help you tolerate perceived rejection without spiralling, set boundaries without people-pleasing, and build more secure relational patterns. Combined with mindfulness and emotion regulation, most clients report significant improvement in how they experience and recover from rejection.
Most therapists offer standard CBT or counselling with ADHD accommodations bolted on. My practice is neurodivergent-informed from the ground up: session pacing, skill delivery, homework design, and therapeutic goals are all structured for how ADHD and autistic brains process information. I draw on adapted DBT protocols (Lederman et al., 2026) and the Neurodivergent Workbook of DBT Skills (2025) to ensure every session works with your neurology.
