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What can you come to us with?
Neurodevelopmental conditions
A neurodivergent brain works differently - not worse. The difficulties usually appear where the environment expects everyone to function in one particular way. At the Unique Psychological Practice in Warsaw we help people with ADHD and on the autism spectrum understand themselves better and arrange life on their own terms.
Book a visitNeurodevelopmental conditions come from a different way the brain works and stay with a person for life. They are neither an illness to be cured nor the result of mistakes in upbringing. For many people diagnosed in adulthood it is a moment of relief - suddenly a great deal of earlier experience begins to make sense.
Neurodivergence brings real difficulties, but strengths too: hyperfocus, unconventional thinking, loyalty in relationships. Psychological work with people on the autism spectrum or with ADHD is about using that potential and reducing the costs.
Your way of functioning does not need fixing, but it certainly deserves to be better understood.
Do you recognise this in yourself?
If everyday life costs you more than it costs others, it is worth finding out why.
Talk to a psychologist- You lose the thread, your belongings and your deadlines, however hard you try to keep track.
- Despite good intentions and real time pressure, you struggle to start and to finish tasks.
- Social situations cost you a lot of energy and take conscious effort.
- Noise overwhelms you, or light, or crowds, or the texture of your clothes.
- Changes of plan and unexpected situations knock you off balance for a long time.
- After an intense day you need many hours of quiet to come back to yourself.
- For years you managed to fit other people's expectations, and now you feel burnt out.
- You received a diagnosis as an adult and you are wondering what comes next.
In which areas do we offer support?
ADHD
What it is
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a neurodevelopmental condition linked to a different way of working in the systems responsible for attention, impulse control and the regulation of activity. Contrary to popular belief, it does not go away with age.
How it may show up
In adults the symptoms include difficulty starting and finishing tasks, leaving things until the last moment, impulsiveness in decisions and in speech, fluctuating motivation and alternating periods of hyperfocus and complete standstill. In women ADHD is often recognised later, because it more often takes the form of forgetfulness, heightened emotional sensitivity and inner overload.
How therapy helps
We work on organising daily life in a way that matches how your attention actually behaves, and on the emotions that have built up over years of being told to simply try harder. We also address the effect of ADHD on relationships and work.
Autism
What it is
The autism spectrum is a different way of processing stimuli, communicating and building relationships. The word spectrum means that no two autistic people are alike. Some need constant support; others live independently their whole lives without knowing the reason for their difficulties.
How it may show up
A need for predictability and routine, sensory overload, hyperfixations, difficulty reading social signals and exhaustion after contact with people. Autism in adults, and especially in women, is often masked so effectively that those around never notice the cost.
How therapy helps
We help you recognise your own sensory and social limits and arrange life so that it is less draining and demanding. We also address the effects of years of masking and offer support in relationships, including closeness and intimacy.
Asperger's syndrome
What it is
For years Asperger's syndrome functioned as a separate diagnosis covering people on the autism spectrum without delayed speech development and with a typical or high intellectual level. In the current classifications (ICD-11 and DSM-5) the term is no longer used and has been folded into the autism spectrum.
How it may show up
Difficulties in relationships and non-verbal communication, a strong need for structure, narrow and intense interests, sensory sensitivity. People with this diagnosis often have years of functioning without support behind them and strategies they worked out themselves.
How therapy helps
We address both what causes difficulty and what is your strength: perceptiveness, consistency, deep commitment. The aim is a life that costs less energy, not one that resembles everyone else's.
Concentration difficulties
What it is
Trouble concentrating can be a symptom of ADHD, but it may also come from entirely different causes: chronic stress, anxiety, low mood, lack of sleep or overload.
How it may show up
Distraction, reading the same sentence over and over, losing the thread in conversation, a sense of brain fog, a drop in performance on tasks that require sustained effort.
How therapy helps
During the consultation we look at what lies behind your difficulties with attention. Sometimes that leads towards an ADHD diagnosis; sometimes the source turns out to be exhaustion or anxiety, and then we work on those.
What can you expect?
We do not have one programme for everyone with ADHD or for everyone who is autistic. We start by getting to know your daily life and only then establish what can genuinely help. We see adults and young people from the age of 15.
- 1
We get to know how you function
We talk about what causes you the most difficulty and what comes easily. We are interested in your specific experience, not only in an official diagnosis.
- 2
We look for solutions that fit you
We work out strategies that take your real capacity into account: organising the day, regulating stimuli, ways of resting.
- 3
We rebuild your sense of worth
We address what has built up over the years: guilt, negative beliefs about yourself and the exhaustion that follows years of adapting to your surroundings.
It is never too late to get to know yourself
If you want to understand why certain things are harder for you than for other people, a conversation with a psychologist is a good place to start. Book a consultation in person in Warsaw or online.
Pick a slot in our calendar here
The booking calendar is only available in Polish. Prefer to book in English? Call or write to us and we will arrange it.
The booking calendar is only available in Polish. Prefer to book in English? Call or write to us and we will arrange it.
Most frequent questions about neurodevelopmental conditions
Can I get an ADHD or autism diagnosis at the Unique Psychological Practice?
A diagnosis of ADHD or of the autism spectrum is made by a team of specialists, usually including a psychiatrist. We provide psychotherapy and consultations: we help you put your observations in order before the diagnostic process and support you in working on what makes daily life harder, whether or not you already have a diagnosis.
Are online ADHD tests reliable?
An online ADHD test can be a starting point for a conversation, but it is not a diagnosis. Questionnaires of this kind do not distinguish ADHD from other causes of attention difficulties, such as anxiety, exhaustion or sleep disorders. It is worth discussing the result with a specialist.
I was diagnosed as an adult. What now?
A late diagnosis of autism or ADHD often brings a mixture of relief and grief for the years without support. It is a good moment to begin therapy - it helps you work through your experiences so far, revise your beliefs about yourself and develop strategies based on real needs rather than other people's expectations.
Why are ADHD and autism so often recognised late in women?
For decades the diagnostic criteria rested on observations of boys. In women ADHD more often takes the form of inattention and emotional overload than of hyperactivity, and autism is often masked by social strategies developed over time. As a result many women are only diagnosed in their thirties or later.
What are masking and autistic burnout?
Masking is the conscious or automatic hiding of autistic behaviour in order to fit in. It can work, but it costs an enormous amount of energy. Prolonged masking leads to autistic burnout: exhaustion, the loss of previously held skills and heightened sensitivity to stimuli.
Can I have an online consultation instead of meeting in person?
Yes. Online consultations are sometimes the more convenient option, especially when travel, noise or a new place mean an extra sensory load. We run online sessions on the same terms as visits to our practice in Warsaw.