ADHD Evaluation & Treatment
A thorough, structured evaluation for adults who suspect ADHD — or whose current ADHD treatment has never fully worked.
Insurance accepted · No referral required · Telehealth statewide
ADHD in adults is frequently misdiagnosed, undertreated, or missed entirely.
Adults with ADHD often present differently than children. The hyperactivity that defined the childhood picture may be less visible by adulthood — replaced by chronic difficulty with follow-through, time management, emotional regulation, and a persistent sense of underperformance that does not match effort or intelligence.
Many adults reach this practice after years of being told they have anxiety, depression, or a personality issue — when ADHD was the underlying driver that no one had formally evaluated. Others arrive with an ADHD diagnosis and a stimulant prescription that has been adjusted multiple times without a clear sense of why it is not working as expected.
Both situations call for the same thing: a careful evaluation from the beginning, with enough time to actually understand the clinical picture.
Adults who come for ADHD evaluation often describe:
Chronic difficulty with follow-through
Starting tasks is manageable. Finishing them — especially tasks that are not immediately rewarding — is where things fall apart, repeatedly.
Time blindness
Underestimating how long things take, losing track of time, arriving late, missing deadlines — not from carelessness but from a genuinely different experience of time.
Emotional dysregulation
Frustration or rejection that feels disproportionate to others. Quick to anger or deeply affected by perceived criticism, then fine again quickly.
Inconsistent performance
Capable of intense focus on things that engage them, but chronically unable to apply that same focus to things that matter professionally or personally.
Treatment that partially worked
A stimulant prescription helped somewhat — or helped at first and then stopped — without a clear explanation of why, or what to try next.
A diagnosis that never felt right
Been told it is anxiety or depression. Treated for those. Partial improvement at best. Something still feels unexplained.
What a thorough ADHD evaluation looks like
The initial evaluation is 60 minutes. ADHD in adults cannot be reliably assessed in a 20-minute intake — the presentation is too variable, the differential too broad, and the history too important to skip.
The evaluation covers:
- Current symptoms and how they affect daily functioning — work, relationships, finances, time management
- Developmental history — symptoms in childhood, school performance, early feedback from teachers or parents
- Prior diagnoses and how they were determined — including whether ADHD was ever formally assessed or just assumed
- Full medication history — what was tried, at what doses, for how long, and what happened
- Medical review — thyroid function, sleep quality, cardiovascular history, and other contributors that can mimic or worsen ADHD symptoms
- Mood and anxiety screening — because ADHD rarely travels alone, and treatment that ignores comorbidities rarely works fully
Prior records from previous providers are welcome and reviewed carefully before any recommendations are made. If you have prior testing, school records, or prior evaluations, bring them — they are useful.
Why dual board certification matters for ADHD
ADHD symptoms do not exist in a vacuum. Several medical conditions can produce or significantly worsen attention, focus, and executive function problems — and they are routinely missed when psychiatry and medicine are evaluated separately.
As a provider dual board certified in both psychiatric-mental health and family medicine, every ADHD evaluation at The MindCounsel includes a review of medical contributors:
A structured, explainable approach to ADHD medication
Stimulant medications — methylphenidate and amphetamine-based formulations — are the most studied and effective first-line treatments for ADHD when clinically indicated. Non-stimulant options including atomoxetine, viloxazine, guanfacine, and bupropion are also available and appropriate in specific clinical situations.
Every medication recommendation at The MindCounsel comes with a clear explanation: why this medication, at this dose, and what to expect. If a stimulant is prescribed, the decision includes a cardiovascular review, a discussion of appropriate use and monitoring, and a clear plan for follow-up.
If you have been on stimulants before and they did not work as expected — or worked at first and then stopped — that history is valuable clinical information, not a reason to give up on treatment. A structured medication history often explains what went wrong and what to try differently.
A note on stimulant prescribing via telehealth
Under current federal regulations, controlled substances including stimulant medications can be prescribed via telehealth when clinically appropriate. This does not mean stimulants are prescribed without a thorough evaluation — it means that for patients who genuinely need them, access is not limited to in-person care.
ADHD evaluation — what patients ask
Do I need prior testing or neuropsychological evaluation to be seen?
No. Formal neuropsychological testing is not required and is not routinely ordered. ADHD in adults is a clinical diagnosis — based on history, symptom presentation, functional impact, and ruling out other contributors. If prior testing exists, it is reviewed and helpful. It is not a prerequisite.
I was diagnosed as a child but never treated. Can I be evaluated now?
Yes. A prior childhood diagnosis can be part of the clinical picture, but the adult evaluation still starts from the beginning — current symptoms, current functioning, and current history. The childhood diagnosis informs but does not replace the evaluation.
Can you prescribe stimulants via telehealth?
Yes, when clinically indicated following a thorough evaluation. Prescriptions are sent electronically to your pharmacy. A cardiovascular review and structured compliance discussion are part of every stimulant prescribing decision.
My stimulant stopped working. Can you help figure out why?
Yes. This is one of the most common reasons adults come to this practice. A structured medication review — what was prescribed, at what dose, for how long, and what changed — often explains the pattern and points toward what to try differently.
I think I have ADHD but I also have anxiety and depression. Is that a problem?
Not a problem — it is the norm. ADHD rarely presents in isolation. The evaluation will assess all three and consider how they interact. Treatment that addresses only one piece of an overlapping presentation rarely produces lasting results.
Do you accept insurance for ADHD evaluations?
Yes. In California, scheduling is through Headway, which verifies your coverage automatically — accepted plans include Aetna, Cigna, United Healthcare, Anthem Blue Cross, and others. In Hawaiʻi, the practice is in-network with HMSA PPO, HMSA QUEST, and AlohaCare. No referral required.
Schedule an ADHD evaluation
Telehealth to adults in California and Hawaiʻi. Insurance accepted. No referral required.
California Patients
Aetna, Cigna, United Healthcare, Anthem Blue Cross, and others accepted through Headway. Insurance verified automatically at booking.
Schedule in California Have a question first?Hawaiʻi Patients
In-network with HMSA PPO, HMSA QUEST (Medicaid), and AlohaCare QUEST. Telehealth statewide. Self-pay available.
Schedule in Hawaiʻi Have a question first?