ADHD Parent Behavior Training & Executive Functioning Support
Move from constant nagging, arguments, and exhaustion to stepping into your parental authority, daily cooperation, and independence for your child
A Clinical, Evidence-Based Shift in ADHD Care
Traditional talk therapy rarely works for childhood ADHD because ADHD is not a deficit of knowledge—it is a struggle with self-regulation and execution at the point of performance. The American Academy of Pediatrics designates Parent Behavior Training (PBT) as the gold-standard non-pharmacological treatment for pediatric ADHD. By equipping parents with predictable scaffolds, clear communication, and earned privileges, kids learn the skills they need to navigate everyday life successfully.
Does Life at Home Feel Like a Daily Battle of Wills?
Parenting a child or teen with ADHD often feels like walking through an emotional minefield. You find yourself repeating simple instructions half a dozen times, waiting for the next explosive meltdown, and carrying the entire mental load of keeping their life on track.
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The Argument & Negotiation Vortex
Basic requests like shutting down video games, picking up shoes, or starting homework turn into drawn-out debates, defensive bargaining, or explosive pushback.
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Mornings, Bedtimes & Routine Chaos
Assignments are missing, shoes can't be found, and transitions take twice as long as they should. You are exhausted from acting as your child's permanent external brain.
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The "Fine Everywhere Else" Confusion
Teachers, coaches, or relatives report your child is charming and cooperative. Yet the moment they walk through your front door, they release a day’s worth of dysregulation directly at you.
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Parental Depletion & Second-Guessing
You switch between blowing up in frustration and feeling overwhelming guilt. You want to support their neurodiversity, but current patterns are running your family into the ground.
High Empathy + High Expectations = Long-Term Capability
Understanding ADHD is one thing—knowing how to help your child get through their day without constant battles is another. That means removing harsh punishments that leaves everyone angry, and not letting behaviors slide out of fear of a meltdown. Just clear expectations, steady support, and tools that actually work.
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Confident Parental Authority
Stepping out of emotional reactivity. Learn how to lead your home with steady presence, clear expectations, and warm certainty that disarms power struggles before they begin.
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Point-of-Performance Scaffolding
Kids with ADHD are nearsighted in time. We implement visual, environmental cues where the behavior actually occurs - helping them bridge knowing what to do with actually executing it.
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Currency-Based Daily Privileges
Screens, phones, and leisure time are privileges, not automatic rights. We structure daily expectations so privileges are unlocked through cooperation and building intrinsic motivation.
What You and Your Child Will Gain
When ADHD drives constant dysregulation, the whole family feels it. Parent Behavior Training doesn't just manage behaviors—it restores peace to your home and teaches your child how capable they truly are..
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An End to the Argument & Negotiation Loop
Learn how to disengage from power struggles without escalating hostility. You'll gain clear, direct communication strategies that stop endless debates and establish calm authority your child can count on.
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Realistic, Step-by-Step Daily Expectations
Trade nagging and hovering for predictable routines. Your child learns to follow morning, homework, and bedtime schedules, knowing what is expected before privileges are unlocked.
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Build Self-Awareness & Daily Independence
Build self-awareness skills so your child can recognize when they are off track, manage their own time, and initiate tasks without constant prompting. Help them monitor their focus, and take genuine ownership of daily responsibilities.
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Proactive Accountability (Not Punishment)
Move away from reactive explosions and arbitrary punishments. We establish transparent, predictable cause-and-effect structures that build self-regulation.
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Emotional Regulation & Meltdown Prevention
Gain actionable tools to handle anger, disrespect, and low frustration tolerance without giving in or always accommodating.
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A More Connected Household
When expectations are predictable, tension drops for everyone. Parents step out of survival mode, and your relationship with your child shifts from exhausting management to more connected.
Is ADHD Parent Behavior Training Right For Me?
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Research shows that traditional therapy is rarely effective for children with ADHD. ADHD is an executive function deficit—a challenge of doing what you already know how to do in real time. Because parents control the home routines, screen access, and environmental expectations, supporting parents is most effective for actual behavioral progress.
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I work with parents of children and adolescents ages 4 through 18. For younger children (ages 4–7), we focus heavily on routine scaffolding, reducing defiance, and meltdown management . For older kids and teens (ages 8–18), our focus expands to personal accountability, screen/gaming limits, school organization, and preparing teens for the demands of adulthood.
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The core work is completed directly with you, the parents. This eliminates the pressure on your child, prevents resistance to therapy, and gives us the space for honest, uninhibited strategizing. As routines and communication shift at home, executive functioning skill based session may be scheduled depending on your teen or child’s age and developmental needs.
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Every child is different, but many families notice positive shifts within a few weeks to a couple of months. Small changes like reduced avoidance or increased confidence are often early signs that your child is building the skills they need to manage their anxiety.
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Gentle parenting often falls into the trap of over-validating behaviors and avoiding boundaries, which unintentionally feeds inflexibility and entitlement in neurodivergent kids. On the other hand, traditional strict discipline relies on reactive punishment, which breeds shame and defiance. This approach pairs high empathy with high expectations - understanding your child's brain while holding them to clear, age-appropriate standards of capability.
Helping Kids Face Worry and Find Resilience
Using evidence-based strategies, anxiety therapy helps kids develop the tools to tolerate uncertainty and manage uncomfortable feelings. Rather than focusing on eliminating anxiety, we teach kids how to respond to it differently, building skills like flexibility and problem-solving.
Through playful exercises, engaging conversations, and step-by-step challenges, your child will learn how to:
Face worries without avoiding them.
Practice being uncomfortable in a safe, supportive environment.
Build confidence in their ability to handle tough situations.
Anxiety or OCD doesn’t have to be the boss of your child’s life.. With the right support, they can discover their inner bravery and thrive, even when things feel hard.
Let’s Help Your Child Rediscover Their Bravery and Joy
With evidence-based, compassionate care, your child can learn that worries and intrusive thoughts don’t have to call the shots. Together, we’ll help them build the resilience they need to step out of worry and back into the ease and wonder of simply being a kid.
Child and teen therapy is available in-person at my San Diego office as well as online throughout California. Please contact me for more information.