Transforming Trauma: A Journey Through ADHD and Emotional Healing
- Laura Horn
- Nov 18, 2025
- 9 min read
Updated: Dec 26, 2025
Have you ever felt like you were struggling against a battle that is not seen in the workplace? Starting a task can feel like taking a bath in cement. A coolly sarcastic remark in the office can ring in your ears all day, ruining your concentration.
If you have ADHD, you know this isn’t just a matter of being slightly distractible. It’s an ongoing, often exhausting negotiation with your own brain in an environment that wasn’t designed to accommodate it. When you carry the baggage of earlier trauma—whether from missed deadlines, social misinterpretations, or past life events—this daily negotiation becomes a struggle for your sense of safety and value.
But what if you could transform that struggle? Imagine entering not only accommodations but also a vast feeling of ability and serenity.
This transformation is possible through an effective, government-sponsored program known as Access to Work. It goes beyond standard coaching services to find permanent solutions to your challenges. As the director of Creating Change and the proud recipient of the “SME Awards Best ADHD Clinical Services Provider South West,” I specialise in guiding neurodivergent professionals on this transformative journey from merely surviving to authentically thriving.
Understanding the ADHD Brain in a Demanding World
To grasp the power of a trauma-informed approach, we must first understand the complexity of the ADHD experience. ADHD is not a personality defect; it is a neurological distinction.
Manager of the Brain: Executive Function
Think of your brain's executive function as an air traffic control system. In the ADHD brain, this control tower manages more traffic than it can handle, often facing power outages and interruptions. This can manifest as:
Time Blindness: This refers to the inability to perceive time accurately. Saying "just manage your time better" is often the most unhelpful advice. An hour may feel like a minute, and a deadline tomorrow can seem like a psychological mile away until the last minute.
Task Initiation & Activation: The neurological engine that starts tasks may be difficult to boot. This isn’t laziness; it’s a genuine struggle to bridge the gap between desire and action, often worsened by the fear of failure.
Emotional Dysregulation: Emotions can be intense and easily triggered. A win feels blissful, while a loss or perceived criticism can be devastating, affecting your entire day.
The Shadow in the Corner: How Trauma Enhances ADHD
Standard ADHD therapy often falls short because many bright and capable adults with ADHD have trauma lurking in the background, exacerbating their challenges.
What is "Trauma" in This Context?
We’re not just talking about major traumatic events. For neurodivergents, trauma can accumulate over time—a thousand cuts of shame, misunderstanding, and failure. It could be a teacher labelling you as lazy, a manager telling you that you’re not living up to your potential, or the social gaps that haunt you at night.
Your Body Keeps the Score: The Role of the Nervous System
Your nervous system acts as your natural anti-surveillance system, designed to ensure your safety. It activates when it senses threats, such as looming deadlines or harsh words. When hypersensitive, it can become stuck in a state of fight, flight, or freeze, especially if there’s a history of trauma.
Fight: This can manifest as impatience with coworkers and a constant feeling of being out of place.
Flight: You might engage in incessant activity or delay tasks by distracting yourself with other activities.
Freeze: This is the paralysis that leaves you staring at a screen for hours, unable to think or move.
No productivity app or planner can help when your nervous system is out of control. You may be alive physiologically, but you’re not productive psychologically.
A Lifeline for Growth: Demystifying the Access to Work Scheme
Hope becomes viable through Access to Work, a UK government grant aimed at removing barriers to employment. It’s not just an advantage; it’s an investment in your professional potential and your employer's success.
Who is Eligible?
You may be eligible if you have a disability or long-term health condition (including ADHD) that affects your work performance. This scheme offers more than just reasonable adjustments; it provides tailored support based on your needs.
What Can It Fund?
The scope of funding is broad and can be tailored to your specific needs:
Specialist Assistance: This includes mental health support, such as integrated ADHD and trauma-informed coaching and therapy.
Specialised Devices: This may cover noise-cancelling headphones, organisational software, or even standing desks.
Travel to Work Support: If anxiety or sensory overload makes commuting difficult, support can be provided.
Job Aids & Support Workers: Assistance can be offered for tasks you find challenging.
The application process can be daunting, requiring you to express your needs clearly. This is where the guidance of a specialist becomes invaluable.
My Award-Winning, Integrated Methodology: Healing the Root, Not Just the Symptom
Winning the award for “Best ADHD Clinical Services Provider South West” highlights the effectiveness of my integrated approach. We don’t just address symptoms; we help you heal the underlying wounds so that your natural strengths can flourish.
1. The Integral Eye Movement Therapy (IEMT): Rewriting the Emotional Code
As an Advanced IEMT Practitioner, I utilise this powerful modality to eliminate the residual impact of traumatic events. Here’s how it works:
Bypasses the Story: You don’t need to relive painful experiences in detail, unlike traditional therapy. IEMT works directly with emotional patterns.
Digests the "Charge": It dissolves the sick sensation in your gut when recalling past failures or criticisms, leaving the memory without its debilitating power.
Practical Application: We can specifically address workplace memories triggered by events like freezing during a presentation or rude comments that damaged your self-esteem, making them neutral or less intense in just a few minutes.
2. Nervous System Regulation: Building Your Internal Anchor
A physiological state cannot be thought out of. Therefore, I provide practical, body-based techniques to help you regulate your nervous system in real time.
Sensory Grounding: Simple exercises to perform when feeling overwhelmed can help bring your mind back to the present.
Breathwork & Polyvagal Theory: By consciously changing your breath, you can shift from a state of panic (sympathetic) to safety (parasympathetic).
Developing Window of Tolerance: We gradually increase your ability to manage stress and emotions, helping you remain resilient in everyday work situations.
3. Trauma-Informed Coaching & NLP: Repatterning Your Mind
In a trauma-informed approach, we re-code the software that runs your life using Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP).
Reframing Limiting Beliefs: We shift your self-perception from “I am fundamentally broken” to “My brain is uniquely wired with incredible strengths.”
Future Pacing & Anchoring: This involves mentally rehearsing success, instilling a sense of calmness and confidence that you can call upon during important moments.
Trauma-Informed Principles: Our work is grounded in safety, collaboration, transparency, and empowerment. You know what it’s like to be you, and I provide the mechanisms and structure to support your journey.
A Powerful Complementary Modality: Exploring Challenges Through Metaphor
As part of my commitment to delivering comprehensive tools to my clients, I collaborate with global professionals. One notable example is Dale Turnbull, a Metaphors of Movement Trainer and Coach.
The challenges we face in life and work are often symbolic, residing in the narratives and metaphors we unconsciously carry. Dale’s revolutionary work allows you to analyse your problems—feeling stuck, hitting a wall, or being in a rut—by perceiving them as concrete scenarios that can be transformed internally.
Dale's sessions are astonishing, and the changes my clients experience after working with him are incredible. I encourage everyone to take advantage of his unique offerings.
You can participate at no cost. Dale invites individuals to explore real business or personal challenges through metaphor. These sessions are filmed on his YouTube channel, allowing others to learn about the process. This opportunity to experience profound transformation for free is rare.
What Does Integrated Support Look Like in Your Day-to-Day Work Life?
Scenario 1: Taming the Email Beast and Starting Daunting Tasks
The Old Way: You open your inbox to find over 100 emails. Panic rushes in, and your first instinct is to surf the internet to escape this emotional state (flight response). Shame builds.
The New Way: You recognise the feeling of overwhelm. You adopt a 30-second breathing technique to manage your system. Then, you apply a systematic protocol we’ve created: Batch, Respond, Archive, Incubate, Next-action. Using an IEMT-based method, you dissolve the wall of dread surrounding a particular project, making task initiation smooth.
Scenario 2: Navigating Difficult Conversations and Feedback
The Old Way: Constructive criticism from your manager triggers Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD). You feel embarrassed (fight/flight), becoming defensive or going numb (freeze). The rest of your day is ruined.
The New Way: You’ve worked on your nervous system to build resilience. You reframe feedback as data, not destiny, using NLP. When criticism hits, you feel the first pang but remain present. You ask clarifying questions, collaborate on solutions, and leave the meeting empowered.
Your Journey with Us: A Step-by-Step Partnership
Embarking on this path with me is a structured, supportive partnership designed for your success.
The Discovery Connection: We start with a deep-dive evaluation lasting 90 minutes. This isn’t a checklist; it’s a joint journey to uncover your strengths, weaknesses, work environment, and family background. We identify the patterns that are holding you back.
The Co-Created Blueprint: Together, we construct a powerful, individualised Support Plan. This document clearly outlines your goals, the interventions I will provide (IEMT, Nervous System Regulation, NLP Coaching), and the expected outcomes. This plan will form the basis of your Access to Work application.
Seamless Application Advocacy: I provide professional advice and documentation for your Access to Work application. I help you articulate your needs in a way that aligns with the scheme requirements, maximising your chances of approval.
Implementation, Integration, Empowerment: After approval, we begin the transformation process. This involves reprocessing past hurdles, integrating new resources, and developing viable strategies. It’s an active, collaborative growth process.
Constant Improvement and Expertise: As you evolve, your needs will change. We continuously update your plans to ensure they remain relevant. The goal is to empower you to become your own greatest source of support, even after our work together concludes.
Why Settling for Standard Support Can Cost You Your Potential
Generic ADHD coaching or workplace mentoring often employs a one-size-fits-all approach. If you have experienced trauma, these strategies may not work, as they overlook the physiological and emotional barriers that undermine your best intentions.
What sets our integrated clinical approach apart is our recognition of a fundamental truth: You cannot think your way out of a survival state. By addressing trauma and managing the nervous system, we create the inner security that cognitive strategies need to be effectively implemented.
Take the First Step Toward a Work Life You Love
You have already shown remarkable strength and resilience in navigating a world that wasn’t designed for you. It’s time to invest in a working style that suits you.
You deserve to feel confident, relaxed, and valued as the creative and passionate professional you are. It’s not your fate to endure cycles of stress, shame, and struggle. Access to Work provides the structure, and our award-winning integrated approach offers the roadmap.
Don’t just get by. Don’t merely cope. It’s time to unleash the deep potential lying beneath the surface.
Your professional life begins with one conversation towards a controllable, self-assured, and successful future. Get in touch with me today for a confidential discovery call. Let’s discuss how we can leverage the Access to Work scheme to create a career that energises you.
Deep-Dive FAQ Section
Q: I've had CBT and traditional therapy for my anxiety. How is this different?
A: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is effective for challenging negative thought patterns. However, trauma and nervous system dysregulation reside in the body and often lie below the level of consciousness. Our therapy combines cognitive (including NLP and coaching), somatic (nervous system work), and emotional (IEMT) approaches to address the issue at all levels.
Q: How many sessions will I need, and will Access to Work cover them?
A: The number of sessions varies based on your personal goals and history. Some clients see significant changes within 6-8 sessions, while others may require long-term support. Access to Work typically funds a set of sessions that can be renewed. My discovery call will help me provide a more personalised estimate, along with all necessary documentation for your application.
Q: My ADHD is diagnosed, but I'm not sure I have "trauma." Is this still for me?
A: Absolutely. The term "trauma" can be daunting. Many of my clients don’t identify with it. We often deal with what I call small-t trauma—the cumulative stress, shame, and overwhelming feelings from a lifetime of trying to fit in. If you experience intense emotional responses to workplace stressors or frequently feel stuck, this work is designed for you.
Q: Can you help me communicate my needs to my employer?
A: Yes, this is a key aspect of our work. We create clear, professional communication plans and scripts. I’ll also guide you on how to frame your needs collaboratively, highlighting your strengths and the value you bring to the team, which often results in a more positive response from management.
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