Hannah Mckenny- Therapist & ADHD Specialist

31/03/2026

Thoughts are like waves 🌊

You don’t have to stop them.
You don’t have to fight them.
You don’t have to dive into every single one.

They rise.
They peak.
They pass.

Some are loud and crashing.
Some are small and barely noticeable.
Some feel like they’ll pull you under if you get too close.

But they all move.

The problem isn’t the wave.
It’s when we forget we are standing on the shore.

You are not the thought.
You are the one watching it come and go.

And no wave, no matter how big, stays forever.

15/03/2026

Mother’s Day can be complicated.

For some, it’s a day of celebration.
But for others, it can bring grief, anger, guilt, or a deep sense of loss.

You might be navigating:
• A strained or fractured relationship with your mum
• The decision to go no contact to protect your wellbeing
• Grief for the mother you never had
• Memories of neglect, criticism, or hurt
• The quiet ache of wishing things had been different

Days like this can amplify feelings that are already difficult to carry.

If today feels heavy, please know this:

You are allowed to protect your peace.
You are allowed to hold boundaries.
You are allowed to grieve the relationship you needed but didn’t receive.

Mother’s Day does not have to look like the version portrayed on cards and social media.

However you are feeling today is valid.

Be gentle with yourself. 🤍

08/02/2026

The most frequent thing I say to my ADHD clients who are struggling with the intense overwhelm and paralysis it causes is….”Make it smaller”

Are you telling yourself you have so much to do, need to clean the whole house or go for a long walk?….but you’re unable to face any of it and then beat yourself up and call yourself a useless loser?

MAKE IT SMALLER 🤏🏼 - tear up the rule book handed to you by other people, especially when you’re in burnout 🔥

🚶‍♀️ Swap a long walk for standing outside your back door for a few minutes and getting some fresh air, when that starts to feel manageable then slowly increase it.

🧼 Swap “I have to do all of these things” to trying to move one thing, wash up one plate.
It may lead to more once you’re moving but if it doesn’t then you have still achieved that one thing….well done ✔️

Notice how you talk to yourself and gently start to interrupt and change that voice to one of compassion.
I’m sure you’re saying “I should be able to empty the dishwasher it’s easy!”
I challenge that, if it was easy for you then you would be doing it, your brain makes these things really hard for you.

Once you accept that and start to make small changes the more comfortable you’ll be.

💜 You cannot shame yourself into action

💜 Your brain needs regulation and low stress or executive function becomes even harder

💜 there’s no medal for doing things in hard mode, make it easier, MAKE IT SMALLER.

And remember our value isn’t based on how productive other people are, or even how productive you may have been in previous parts of your life.

Right now if you are struggling, when your brain and body signal that something is overwhelming…make it smaller, praise and reward yourself for those things.

Whatever small step you take today is a win, be proud of that 💜

08/02/2026

Regulating an ADHD and/or Autistic brain isn’t about “fixing” yourself.
It’s about creating safety, rhythm, and kindness for a nervous system that feels more.

If your brain runs fast, deep, loud, or scattered, regulation often looks different. Try thinking less about control and more about support.

✨ Gentle ways to regulate:

🧠 Reduce overwhelm
Lower demands. Fewer tasks. Less pressure. Your brain calms when it feels safe, not judged.

🌿 Ground the body first
Slow breathing, stretching, rocking, pressure, or sensory input can settle your system faster than “thinking it through.”

⏳ Create predictable rhythms
Routines, visual plans, and structure reduce mental load and decision fatigue.

🎧 Use sensory tools intentionally
Music, noise cancelling, fidgets, weighted items, or quiet time can help your system reset.

💬 Externalise your thoughts
Write it down. Say it out loud. Use notes or reminders. Your brain doesn’t need to hold everything.

💜 Replace shame with compassion
You’re not broken. Your nervous system is wired for intensity, creativity, pattern, and depth.

Regulation is about feeling supported, steadier, and more yourself.

24/12/2025

✨ As the festive period arrives, I want to wish you a peaceful and gentle holiday, whatever that looks like for you.

This time of year can bring a wide range of experiences.
For some, it’s connection, warmth and tradition.
For others, it can feel heavy, with grief, loneliness, overwhelm, exhaustion, or pressure to show up in ways that don’t feel right.

If you’re not celebrating, or if you’re finding this season difficult, please know you’re seen.
There is no right way to do the festive period.

You are allowed to:
• say no to plans
• leave early
• rest instead of socialise
• do things differently
• protect your energy

Those are not failures, they are boundaries.

And if all you’ve done is make it through, that matters.
Getting to the end of the year can take a huge amount of strength.

Wherever you are, however you’re feeling, I hope you can meet yourself with compassion.
You’ve made it through and that deserves recognition 🤍

09/12/2025

ADHD is not a trend, don’t be that person that dismisses something you don’t fully understand.

10/11/2025

ADHD mornings 🥶☕️🥱🐢

Mornings can look very different for many ADHDers and even if they appear “typical” from the outside, there’s often a high chance that person is masking to appear neurotypical.

Here’s what an average morning looks like for me:

☀️ Wake up: The moment I open my eyes, my brain floods with noise a jumble of thoughts about everything I didn’t manage to do yesterday, mixed with a huge list of everything that needs to be done today.

🥶 Freeze: Those thoughts can be paralysing. Even if I manage to sit up, you’ll often find me perched on the edge of the bed (like I am now), unable to move to the next step. The freeze often comes from having to make decisions, even simple ones like what to wear.

🐢 Slow: My mornings are slow. Coffee doesn’t energise me; if anything, it makes me more tired. Getting into any kind of rhythm takes a huge amount of effort and some days, it just doesn’t happen.

Sound familiar?

Accepting ADHD can be really difficult. Many of my clients feel deep frustration about it… and honestly, so do I at times.
That frustration usually shows up when we’re trying to live in a way that doesn’t align with how our brains actually work.

If you spent your day squinting and straining instead of putting on your glasses, you’d end up frustrated and exhausted. This is no different, you don’t need fixing; you just need to live in a way that fits you.

Start exploring what works better for your brain and begin to see yourself more clearly 👓

How do your mornings usually go?

29/10/2025

Supporting Neurodivergent Clients: Finding Clarity, Connection & Self-Acceptance

Working with neurodivergent clients is something deeply close to my heart. Many of the people I see come to therapy carrying years of shame, confusion, and unhelpful habits that have built up from a lifetime of masking or trying to fit into a world that wasn’t built with their brains in mind.

My approach is integrative, a blend of therapy that holds space for both the present and the past. Together, we explore the patterns and experiences that shaped you, while also looking at what you need right now to live more authentically and comfortably in your own skin.

Alongside therapy, I bring in elements of coaching, not in the traditional sense of pushing for productivity or rigid goal-setting, but as a way to help you reconnect with yourself. Coaching, for me, is about peeling back the layers of “shoulds” and unwritten rules that have guided so much of life before diagnosis. It’s about rediscovering who you are beneath the mask, and learning to live in alignment with your true identity.

The work we do together is never scripted. I don’t plan sessions, I show up with trust: in my clients, in myself, and in the process. The sessions unfold organically, and that’s where the magic happens. I meet you exactly where you are, not to tell you what to do, but to help you discover what you want to do and how to get there in a way that feels safe, empowering, and sustainable.

This process is not one-sided. My clients’ courage and vulnerability are powerful mirrors that deepen my own self-awareness and remind me, session after session, of the strength that comes from being fully seen and accepted as we are.

Together, we work towards understanding, clarity, and acceptance gently unpicking years of self-doubt and learning to build a life that truly fits.



🌿 www.hannahmckenny.com

24/10/2025

In today’s edition of conversations had with acceptance of my neurodivergent brain….

Daughter: what time are you going to the gym tomorrow?

Me: today’s me is going to get up and go straight out to the gym in the morning so I feel productive and don’t talk myself out of it.

Daughter: ok cool

Me: however tomorrows me may get up and sit around procrastinating for several hours and then go.

Also me: I also may eventually go later in the day

Also me: Or I may not go at all

Also me: I may even go both tomorrow and Sunday

Also me: So basically I have no idea, it’s out of my control….but in this moment going is a good idea

Daughter:…..ok, let me know when you know 🫤

Me: I will if I remember this conversation

💜 So accepting how my brain works hasn’t changed how I struggle to make decisions….but it has changed how mean I am to myself about it.
Now I own my struggles and try to find some humour in it when possible.
It’s ok to be really honest about how hard these fairly simple things can be to us 💜

21/10/2025

ADHD is Brutal

It’s not quirky.
It’s not “just being distracted.”
It’s a lifelong challenge that many people will never truly understand.

It can steal your focus, your time, your energy and sometimes your hope.
It can shake your confidence, strain your relationships, and make everyday life feel like a constant uphill climb.

ADHD isn’t just about forgetting things or missing appointments,
it’s about feeling lost in the noise and chaos of your own mind.

You try to do better. You plan, you set goals, you mean well.
but your brain doesn’t always follow through.
And every stumble chips away a little more at your self-worth.

It’s exhausting.
It’s lonely.
It’s overwhelming.

People say, “Everyone’s a little ADHD,”
but not everyone lives in a brain that argues with them every single day.

ADHD can lead to burnout, shame, depression, and self-doubt.
It can make you question your worth, your abilities, your future.

But if you’re still here, still showing up, still trying,
you’re not failing.
You’re surviving something most people can’t see.

Living with ADHD isn’t easy
it’s learning to fight a battle that happens inside your own mind,
and still finding ways to keep going.

29/09/2025

Many of us carry wounds from childhood, sometimes they’re the result of obvious trauma, abuse, or neglect. But often, they’re formed in more subtle ways too: a lack of emotional support, positive communication, or being left to manage big feelings alone.

As adults, these wounds can show up in how we react to situations. Instead of responding from our grounded, adult self, we may find ourselves reacting from the hurt and frightened child within us.

Therapy offers a safe and compassionate space to reconnect with your inner child, to listen to their pain, and to begin offering the comfort and care they never received. Healing doesn’t erase the past, but it allows the “little you” to finally feel seen, heard, and nurtured.

✨ You don’t have to carry this alone. Together, we can begin the gentle process of healing.

29/09/2025

🌟 Living with autism in a world not tailored for you can be a challenging journey. In our latest blog, I explore the profound topic of autistic masking and share ways to navigate this experience with compassion—from practicing self-care to educating those around you. Let's take this step together toward understanding and acceptance. 💛 [Read the full post here]

Living with autism can sometimes feel like navigating a world that wasn’t designed with you in mind. You might find yourself constantly adjusting, adapting, and sometimes hiding parts of who you are just to fit in or avoid misunderstanding. This experience is often described as autistic masking. I...