Guidepost Counseling for Wellness

02/24/2026

ADHD Is About Regulation, Not Attention

ADHD is often described as a deficit of attention.

But in many ways, it is actually a challenge with regulating attention.
Someone with ADHD may struggle to focus on routine tasks — yet become deeply absorbed in activities that are interesting or stimulating. This is sometimes called hyperfocus.

The issue is not whether attention exists.
It is how consistently it can be directed.
Understanding this helps us move away from harmful assumptions like:
“If you can focus on that, you could focus on this.”
Brains are motivated by interest, novelty, urgency, and challenge — not simply by importance.

Support works best when we design environments and expectations with the brain in mind.

02/21/2026

If you have ADHD, this isn’t laziness.
It’s not lack of intelligence.
And it’s definitely not lack of effort.

ADHD brains are wired for:
⚡ novelty
⚡ urgency
⚡ interest
⚡ movement

Not long, boring, quiet tasks with zero dopamine payoff.

So instead of shaming yourself, let’s work with your brain.

Here are a few focus helpers:

🧠 Understand your wiring.
Your brain runs on interest-based attention, not importance-based attention. If it feels boring, your brain literally struggles to engage. That’s neurological, not moral.

⏱ Use artificial urgency.
Set a 10-minute timer. Race the clock. Tell yourself you only have to work until it goes off. Short sprints > long marathons.

📦 Make it visible.
Out of sight = out of mind. Keep the task in your visual field. Sticky notes, open planners, checklists where you can see them.

🎧 Add stimulation on purpose.
Instrumental music. A body double. Chewing gum. Standing desk. Movement breaks. Your brain may need more input to stay on track.

🧩 Shrink the starting point.
Don’t “write the paper.”
Open the document.
Don’t “clean the house.”
Put away five things.

Momentum builds motivation — not the other way around.

And if you got distracted three times while reading this…
I see you. You’re not broken. You just need strategies that match your brain.

At Guidepost, we believe understanding how your brain works is the first step toward helping yourself thrive

02/19/2026

02/19/2026

No one tells you that “working on yourself” sometimes feels like:

– learning emotional regulation at 32
– saying no without over-explaining
– sitting in discomfort instead of avoiding it
– realizing you might be part of the pattern

It’s overwhelming.

And also? Completely normal.

Growth isn’t about having all the answers.
It’s about being willing to ask better questions and not running when it gets uncomfortable.

If you’ve ever felt like Phoebe screaming “WHAT DO I DO?!” in your head… welcome. You’re human.

And you don’t have to figure it out alone.

02/19/2026

When we understand what a child is experiencing beneath the behavior, our response changes and so does the relationship.
ADHD isn’t a character flaw. It’s a different way the brain processes the world. And when children feel understood, they are far more likely to thrive.

02/18/2026

02/17/2026

When many people picture ADHD, they imagine constant movement, impulsivity, and high energy.
But ADHD is not one-size-fits-all.

Some individuals — especially girls and women — experience primarily inattentive symptoms. This can look like:
• frequent daydreaming
• quiet distractibility
• difficulty starting tasks
• mental overwhelm
• forgetfulness

Because these signs are less disruptive, they are often missed or misunderstood.
Many children grow up believing they are “lazy” or “not living up to their potential,” when in reality their brain simply processes information differently.
The more we broaden our understanding of what ADHD can look like, the better we can support those who may be struggling silently.

02/15/2026

We’re excited to introduce CALM (Co-Regulation • Awareness • Learning • Mapping) — a 2-Day Intensive designed for families with teens (ages 12–16).

This experience is structured as two 120-minute sessions over two days, bringing caregivers and kids together in a supportive, skills-based environment focused on nervous system awareness, emotional regulation, and practical tools families can immediately use at home.

CALM is a guided, experiential workshop for caregivers and kids that focuses on:

• Understanding neurodiversity
• Learning the Window of Tolerance
• Mapping meltdown cycles
• Exploring sensory needs
• Building practical regulation toolkits

02/14/2026

Stop Asking “Why Aren’t They Trying?”
It’s a question many caring parents ask — sometimes out loud, often silently:
"Why aren’t they trying?"
You see the unfinished homework.
The forgotten backpack.
The messy room.
The emotional outbursts.
And from the outside, it can look like a lack of effort.
But with ADHD, the real question is often not about trying.
It’s about capacity.
Children with ADHD are frequently trying much harder than we realize — while managing challenges with executive functioning skills like:
• starting tasks
• organizing materials
• regulating attention
• managing emotions
• remembering steps
• shifting between activities
When a brain is working this hard just to keep up, even everyday expectations can feel overwhelming.
So instead of asking:
“Why aren’t they trying?”
A more supportive question becomes:
“What might be making this hard right now?”
That small shift changes everything.
It moves us from frustration → curiosity.
From criticism → understanding.
From reaction → support.
Because when children feel understood, they are far more open to guidance.
ADHD is not a character issue.
It is a neurological difference.
And children don’t need more pressure to succeed.
They need strategies.
Structure.
Encouragement.
And adults who see the effort beneath the struggle.
At Guidepost Counseling for Wellness, we help families look beyond behavior to understand the brain — so children can grow with confidence instead of shame.

02/13/2026

Some signs of ADHD are easy to spot.

Others are much quieter — and often misunderstood.

ADHD doesn’t always look like constant movement or obvious distraction. Sometimes it shows up in ways that can be mistaken for personality traits, lack of effort, or even defiance.

Hidden signs of ADHD can include:

• Frequently losing things
• Difficulty starting tasks
• Seeming forgetful despite trying hard
• Emotional intensity or quick frustration
• Trouble transitioning between activities
• Avoiding tasks that feel overwhelming
• Daydreaming or appearing “elsewhere”
• Struggling with organization
• Hyperfocusing on preferred activities
• Becoming easily mentally fatigued

These behaviors are not character flaws.

They are often signals of a brain working differently — a brain that may need more support, structure, and understanding.

When we recognize these signs early, we can respond with compassion instead of criticism… and support instead of shame.

At Guidepost Counseling for Wellness, we help children, teens, and families better understand how the brain works so they can move forward with clarity and confidence.

If you’ve been noticing some of these patterns in your child — or even in yourself — you are not alone, and support is available.

Understanding is the first step toward growth.