This is the therapy
you were looking for all along.

Individual ADHD therapy for women in chicago

Inclusive Therapist

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All Bodies, Identities and Abilities

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Inclusive Therapist ꕤ All Bodies, Identities and Abilities ꕤ

Samantha Skvaril, ADHD therapist in Chicago, sitting in front of a tan couch, representing her trauma-informed approach to ADHD therapy.

Inside My Approach: ADHD, Trauma, and Healing

I bring clinical expertise, lived experience, and a whole lot of empathy. In our work together, we’ll look at how ADHD and trauma shaped your identity, making sense of what’s truly you and what’s just survival mode. My approach uses Brainspotting, somatic tools, and parts work (IFS), all through a neurodivergent-affirming lens.

  • Exploring your story: Untangling ADHD, trauma, and identity.

  • Evidence-based tools: Brainspotting, IFS (parts work), and somatic strategies tailored for ADHD brains.

  • Neurodivergent-affirming and anti-shame: No “try harder” pressure — your brain is understood here.

  • An inclusive space: LGBTQIA+ affirming, body-neutral, trauma-informed.

  • At your pace: We’ll laugh when it helps, pause when you need to, and create a space where your authentic self gets to take up space.

WHY NEURODIVERGENT-AFFIRMING THERAPY MATTERS

Green tropical leaves representing growth and healing in neurodivergent-affirming ADHD therapy.

WHY NEURODIVERGENT-AFFIRMING THERAPY MATTERS

You don’t need to come to therapy for your ADHD for it to impact everything—how you relate, how you process emotions, how you experience shame, how you show up in the world.

Late diagnosed ADHD—especially for women and AFAB folks—often comes with years of masking, people pleasing, burnout, and feeling “too much” or “not enough.” If a therapist doesn’t understand that? You might find yourself explaining, defending, or even doubting your own experience in the therapy room.

This is why neurodivergent-affirming therapy isn’t just a bonus—it’s essential.

Here, your brain doesn’t need to be justified. You won’t be pathologized for needing tools that work differently. Whether you’re navigating relationships, anxiety, parenting, identity, or just trying to feel like yourself again—this space is designed to meet all of you, not just the parts that mask well.

  • Less judgement, more understanding: Therapy that meets your brain where it’s at.

  • Shame-sensitive: Because “try harder” never worked.

  • Affirming, not pathologizing: ADHD isn’t brokenness, it’s a difference.

  • Room to unmask: A space where your real self is safe to take up space.

(BECAUSE YOU MATTER)
Person wearing leopard print pants carrying shopping bags, symbolizing the everyday overwhelm and overstimulation that ADHD therapy can address.
Person lying upside down on a pink couch with a book resting on their neck, symbolizing ADHD overwhelm and the chaos of daily life.
One person lifting another, symbolizing the support and validation found in ADHD therapy.

Affirming therapy isn’t just about clinical approaches — it’s about values. I want you to know exactly what kind of space you’re stepping into. 

As a white therapist, I acknowledge the privilege I hold. I commit to ongoing reflection, humility, and accountability around systemic racism and bias.

  • Not a blank-slate therapist: I show up as a real person. Therapy with me is relational, collaborative, and grounded in genuine human connection. 

  • Culturally responsive and anti-oppressive: Therapy that honors your cultural context and the systemic realities shaping your life.

  • LGBTQIA+ affirming: An affirming space for all identities, genders, and expressions.

  • Poly + kink affirming: Respect for the full spectrum of relationships, orientations, and practices — without judgment.

  • Body-neutral and fat-positive: Your worth has nothing to do with your size, body, or appearance.

  • Trauma-informed and shame-sensitive: Healing begins with compassion, not pressure to “try harder.”

  • Neurodivergent-affirming: ADHD, autism, and other brain differences are not flaws to fix, but identities to understand and honor.

  • Social justice rooted: I believe personal struggles are deeply tied to systemic issues, and therapy must hold both.

What to Expect: Therapy FAQ

  • Each session is tailored to you. Sometimes we work on untangling shame or old patterns, sometimes we use Brainspotting or somatic tools, and other times it’s slowing down enough to notice what your body needs. Therapy isn’t one-size-fits-all — it’s built around you.

  • No. Many of my clients are late-diagnosed or self-identify as ADHD. You don’t need paperwork to be understood here. What matters is how your brain works and what support you’re looking for.

  • Individual ADHD therapy is designed for the way ADHD brains work. My approach is neurodivergent-affirming, shame-sensitive, and trauma-informed. I use tools like Brainspotting, IFS (parts work), and somatic strategies — all adapted for ADHD.

  • Common themes include overwhelm, shame, parenting stress, trauma, difficulty with focus or organization, and relationship struggles. Many clients come to me feeling like they’ve “tried everything” but nothing fits their brain — and that’s where this work begins.

  • I offer online therapy across Illinois.

  • The best way is to start with a consultation. Therapy is relational, not just clinical — and you deserve a therapist who feels like a good match. If I’m not the right fit, I’ll help connect you to another ADHD-affirming provider.

Reach out if you feel ready.

But if you need a little more time, that's okay too. Take a deep breath, bookmark this page, and come back when it feels right.