Laura, healthy digital workplace consultant

The most profound moment came when I met my ADHD part

The work I’ve done with Tanya since receiving my ADHD diagnosis at 48 has been nothing short of transformative. I’ve had many forms of therapy throughout my life, but nothing has met me with the depth, clarity and affirmation that IFS has offered. 

Our sessions are warm, human, sometimes even full of little giggles that arrive at just the right moment - the kind that soften the edges and remind me that healing doesn’t have to be heavy to be real. 

Through this work, I’ve begun to understand the roots of my negative body image and long‑held financial anxiety, and I’ve finally been able to look back at my younger self with compassion rather than confusion. I can now see where those difficult emotions began, and I’m learning to bring kindness not only to those parts of me, but also to the people and experiences that shaped them.

The most profound moment in my work with Tanya came when I met my ADHD part. In one session, she invited me to see this part of myself. My immediate response was, “But I am the ADHD,” because for so long, my neurodivergence felt inseparable from my identity. And then, later in the session, after a moment of shared laughter that helped me loosen my grip on certainty, something shifted. In a moment of startling clarity, I saw a small, furry puppy in my mind’s eye. I knew instantly that this was my ADHD part.

Throughout my life, I’ve carried deep shame about the challenges I’ve faced and the ways I believed I “should” have coped better. My inner critic was relentless, and shame became my default state. But seeing my ADHD as a puppy - something that simply needs care, structure, nourishment, attention, and love - was profoundly moving. It reframed and softened everything.

That moment has stayed with me. Now, when I feel overwhelmed or flooded with emotion, the puppy appears. Not every time, but regularly, and I can summon it to mind when I need to. Not to scold, but to remind me to be gentle with myself and recognise that what I once labelled as failure or weakness was simply a part of me asking for support.

This shift has been invaluable as I learn to live with, understand and honour my neurodivergence.