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Creating ADHD treatment plans for adults

Here’s how to narrow down the treatments to apply and create an actionable ADHD plan.

August 6, 2025 • Updated on September 4, 2026

By Ryan DeCook, LCSW

8 min read

By Ryan DeCook, LCSW

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that starts in childhood and can extend into adulthood. Patterns of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity impact functioning in multiple areas of life. Despite the ways this can impact a person's daily life at work or in relationships, there are various ways it can be treated. This can be guided well by an effective ADHD treatment plan.

What to know

1

Medication is typically considered the frontline treatment for adult ADHD, but therapy, lifestyle tweaks, workplace accommodations, support groups, and other approaches can also help.

2

Every adult with ADHD is unique. Consider your client’s strengths, challenges, goals, and co-occurring conditions when you design their personalized treatment plan.

Understanding ADHD treatment options for adults

There are a variety of treatments for adults with ADHD that can help support their symptom management. The treatment will vary depending on the presentation of the client’s ADHD and their goals for treatment. Once these have been identified, you can start narrowing down the approaches to apply and include in the treatment plan. 

Medication

Medication is typically considered the frontline treatment for ADHD, especially with adults. The right medication at the right dosage can make a significant impact for clients with ADHD. These medications work by increasing activity in the prefrontal cortex as well as modulating dopamine and norepinephrine levels, helping to ease symptoms. Medication is often applied in conjunction with other treatments such as therapy. Note that all management, dosing, and titration should be handled by a psychiatric prescriber. 

Therapy

There is growing research supporting the use of therapy as a means of treatment for ADHD. It can support improved attention, impulse management, behavior change, emotion regulation, self esteem, coping skills, and daily functioning. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most well-researched treatment for ADHD that can provide benefits emotionally, mentally, and behaviorally. Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and mindfulness based cognitive therapy (MBCT) are also therapies with a growing body of research showing benefits for ADHD. 

Workplace accommodations

For those who feel that ADHD is impacting their work, reasonable accommodations can be made. These treatment approaches are protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and can be tailored to the needs of the client. Accommodations can relate to things such as environment modifications, task and time management support, structured routine and instruction, breaks, and time for movement. Often, documentation and support from therapists or other providers on the client’s healthcare team is needed to receive an accommodation approval.

Support groups

Joining groups has proven to be an effective intervention for ADHD. Whether therapist or peer-led, the support has proven to help clients ‌feel empowered, understood, and better able to manage their symptoms. Depending on the focus of the group, the benefits can include social support, practical coping skills, emotion regulation, accountability, expert guidance (from a therapist), and psychoeducation. 

Psychoeducation

Psychoeducation is a powerful tool for treating ADHD. It helps with client empowerment, treatment adherence, and better outcomes. When a client better understands their disorder, its impacts, and management strategies, they can proceed more effectively. Psychoeducation can also be extremely useful for loved ones of a client who is dealing with ADHD. You can provide this psychoeducation in session or make recommendations for books, courses, or online content that help educate the client and their loved ones.  

Lifestyle modifications

Changes to certain aspects of a client’s life can greatly help with ADHD management. Exercise, particularly aerobic exercise, helps to modulate neurotransmitters that can help with attention, emotion regulation, and impulse management. Increasing healthy food consumption and reducing foods that cause more dramatic changes in the body (like sugars) can be useful. Sleep hygiene and building structure around routines are also proven to be useful. 

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What to consider when creating a treatment plan for adult ADHD

Creating a treatment plan requires careful consideration of several components. This is particularly true for adult ADHD, as the treatment plan will guide your clinical work. A good treatment plan is a foundation for quality clinical work and good outcomes. 

Assessment and diagnosis 

It is important to complete a thorough assessment and diagnostic work as you create a treatment plan with the client. Providing an initial screening, comprehensive clinical evaluation, and standardized assessment tools are all essential. Besides the DSM-5-TR criteria, using validated assessments such as the ASRS is an essential piece of a proper diagnosis. It is also important to rule out any other disorders that might be causing the symptoms. This will give clarity on the diagnosis, the specific ADHD presentation, and the client goals, which will form the basis of the treatment plan. 

For master’s-level clinicians, it is important to check with state regulations and insurance company requirements to see if you are allowed to diagnose ADHD. While not common in some settings, master’s-level clinicians are not able to diagnose ADHD if the diagnostic tests to be administered require psychologist licensure. 

Individualized approach

Tailoring the treatment plan to the uniqueness of your client facilitates effective clinical work. Rather than applying the same approach to every client with ADHD, it is effective to individualize plans around the client’s challenges, preferences, strengths, and goals. This means organizing around the specific impairments, objectives, and strengths that the client has. Collaborate with clients to choose treatments that align with their needs and preferences. Individualized treatment plans also take into account things like the impact of co-occurring disorders and cultural influences. 

Treatment goal setting

One of the biggest components of an individualized treatment plan is the client’s goals. It is crucial to define exactly what the client is wanting from treatment. This gives direction and focus to treatment and taps into the client's implicit motivation. In a treatment plan, goals focus on symptoms and give general direction. Underneath each goal are objectives. It is essential to make sure those objectives are SMART: specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. This can take some work and follow-up questions with a client to make sure the objectives are realistic — and that there are tangible ways to measure them. SMART goals are also important for insurance payers who want to see these types of objectives in the treatment plans they are funding. 

Comprehensive treatment options 

Some of the most effective treatment plans take a comprehensive approach that includes multiple treatment approaches. An example of a common multimodal approach would include medication (managed by a psychiatrist), therapy, psychoeducation, and lifestyle modifications. It is important to target each chosen intervention to meet the challenges and goals of the client. Approaching treatment from different angles can enhance outcomes. 

Monitoring and adjustment 

A key aspect to having an individualized treatment plan is ongoing monitoring and adjustment. Ongoing monitoring ensures responsiveness to progress, changing needs, and emerging challenges. Monitoring and feedback to the client can also enhance motivation if they can see progress. Discussions, scheduled follow-ups, client self-reporting, and ongoing use of validated assessments are all helpful ways to track treatment plan progress. Based on the information gathered, appropriate adjustments can be made. 

Co-occurring conditions

Co-occurring conditions are common for people with ADHD. Anxiety and depression in particular have high co-occurring rates. Simultaneously treating these disorders can improve outcomes and quality of life. Treatment plans often only include one disorder, but some include all disorders. For a client with Major Depressive Disorder and ADHD, for example, there could be two separate treatment plans or they could be combined into one plan. It is part of your job as a therapist to keep in mind these treatment objectives and make sure you are treating both disorders in an integrated manner. At the top of the treatment plan, it should include the correct diagnosis and ICD-10 code for ADHD. 

ADHD treatment plan example

The following is an example of a treatment plan for an adult with ADHD. It has clear goals and SMART objectives that have clear measurements. It also includes evidence-based approaches, which insurance companies want to see in treatment plans.

Client Name: John Jones

Date of Birth: 02/01/1958

Therapist Name: Thelma Therapist, LMFT

Diagnosis Code/Name: F90.0 – Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Combined Type

Presenting Symptoms

  • Client presents with persistent symptoms consistent with ADHD, Combined Presentation, as outlined in DSM-5-TR criteria.
  • Inattention: Difficulty sustaining attention during tasks/activities, frequent lapses in task completion, disorganization and challenges in organizing activities, frequent misplacement of necessary items, forgetfulness in daily responsibilities.
  • Hyperactivity/Impulsivity: Persistent restlessness, frequent interrupting or intruding during conversations, difficulty remaining seated during activities requiring focus.
  • Functional Impact: Symptoms have persisted for several years and result in significant impairment in occupational and interpersonal functioning.
  • Additional Features: Emotional dysregulation, difficulty with time management, frustration and fatigue related to daily functioning and internalized expectations. Client desires improvement that aligns with personal values and neurodivergent identity.

Modality of Treatment

Individual psychotherapy

Session Frequency and Duration

Weekly 50-minute sessions

Estimated Length of Treatment

6 months (subject to reassessment)

Treatment Orientation and Philosophy

The integrated approach combines CBT, DBT, and MBCT, emphasizing neurodiversity-affirming principles.

Interventions focus on:

  • Skill development
  • Adaptive coping
  • Emotional regulation
  • Executive functioning support
  • Identity-affirming approaches (avoiding masking or suppression of neurodivergent traits)
  • Prioritizes functional adaptation, self-awareness, and value-congruent behavior

Treatment Goals, Objectives, and Interventions

Long-Term Goal #1: Enhance functional organization and task completion

Estimated completion date: 1/16/2026

Objective 1.1:

Within 3 months, client will implement a personalized task management system (e.g., digital tool, visual aid, voice notes) and report improved consistency in managing priority tasks at least 4 out of 5 weekdays for four consecutive weeks.

Interventions:

  • Provide psychoeducation on executive function differences in ADHD
  • Use CBT to co-create and reinforce organizational strategies aligning with client preferences
  • Monitor and adjust systems collaboratively
  • Incorporate ACT-informed (Acceptance & Commitment Therapy) values exploration for motivation

Objective 1.2:

Within 2 months, client will identify and use at least one time-structuring/work-initiation strategy (e.g., Pomodoro method, body doubling, interest-based sequencing) on 3+ workdays/week, as tracked in sessions/journaling.

Interventions:

  • Introduce time management strategies tailored to ADHD profiles
  • Use MBCT to build time-awareness and address avoidance
  • Apply CBT skills to overcome task initiation barriers
  • Encourage optional journaling/tracking for metacognitive awareness

Long-Term Goal #2: Improve emotional self-regulation and social interaction

Estimated completion date: 1/16/2026

Objective 2.1:

Within 6 months, client will implement at least two communication or co-regulation strategies to manage impulsive conversational shifts and emotional reactivity, reporting higher satisfaction and reduced relational tension.

Interventions:

  • Practice DBT interpersonal effectiveness skills for communication and emotional boundaries
  • Normalize ADHD communication traits; explore adaptive pacing/turn-taking tools
  • Roleplay and CBT-informed rehearsal for impulse control and self-monitoring
  • Cognitive restructuring to address internalized stigma/shame

Objective 2.2:

Within 12 weeks, client will consistently use one or more emotion regulation strategies (e.g., deep breathing, movement, grounding) at least 4 times/week, as reflected in session check-ins or self-report.

Interventions:

  • Psychoeducation about emotional dysregulation in ADHD
  • Apply DBT distress tolerance and MBCT mindfulness for regulation
  • Practice techniques in session, generalize to daily life
  • Encourage reflective awareness of emotional patterns and responses

How ICD-10 codes fit into your ADHD treatment plan for adults

Your treatment plan should include a diagnosis and an ICD-10 code for ADHD. Using the right code on your treatment plan and other documentation ensures you won’t run into billing issues, and that you’ve narrowed in on your client’s specific presentation so you can plan treatment accordingly.

ICD-10 codes for ADHD include:

  • F90.0: ADHD, predominantly inattentive
  • F90.1: ADHD, predominantly hyperactive
  • F90.2: ADHD, combined type
  • F90.8: ADHD, other type
  • F90.9: ADHD, unspecified

Careful assessment of your client’s symptoms will guide you toward the right ICD-10 code. Combined-type ADHD is the most common, but don’t assume your client fits into that category without verifying their presentation.

ADHD treatment plan FAQs

How often should an adult ADHD treatment plan be reviewed and updated?

Reviewing your treatment plan once a month is generally considered best practice (unless you’re required to follow a different schedule set by your client’s insurance plan, your practice, or your state board). If your client’s presenting problem, symptoms, or goals have changed, it may be time for an update.

Should ADHD and a co-occurring condition like anxiety or depression be one treatment plan or two?

In adults, ADHD commonly co-occurs with anxiety and depression. Some therapists choose to write separate treatment plans for each diagnosis, while others combine them. There’s no universally correct choice, so you’ll have to use your clinical judgment after assessing your client’s symptoms and treatment objectives.

Explore more treatment plan ideas from Headway

Build your best practice with Headway

Managing ADHD requires a flexible, comprehensive approach tailored to each individual’s unique needs. By integrating evidence-based treatment plans, adults with ADHD can achieve meaningful improvements in focus, organization, and emotional well-being. Using a platform like Headway can help with creating effective treatment plans, monitoring progress, and leveraging supportive resources. This empowers both providers and clients to overcome challenges and reach their fullest potential.

Headway streamlines practice management by minimizing administrative burdens, including insurance billing, scheduling, and documentation. Discover how Headway can support your ADHD care and simplify your workflow.

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This content is for general informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute clinical, legal, financial, or professional advice. All decisions should be made at the discretion of the individual or organization, in consultation with qualified clinical, legal, or other appropriate professionals.

© 2026 Therapymatch, Inc. dba Headway. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission.

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