ADHD Therapist Directory

Therapists for Chronic Pain

This page lists clinicians who include both ADHD and chronic pain among their specialties so you can compare profiles and approaches. Use the listings below to review each therapist's stated focus areas, methods, credentials and languages.

Browse the results to find professionals who list ADHD among their specialties and who indicate experience addressing chronic pain-related concerns. Read profiles and follow links to learn more about any therapist who might match your needs.

How ADHD-related concerns and chronic pain often interact in daily life

If you live with both ADHD-related concerns and chronic pain, you may notice patterns that affect work, relationships and daily routines. ADHD-related attention differences can make it harder to track symptoms, keep consistent medication schedules or maintain movement and stretching routines that help manage pain. Meanwhile, persistent pain can increase fatigue, reduce motivation and raise stress levels, which in turn can intensify focus and organizational challenges. This two-way interaction means you may feel caught in cycles where cognitive and physical symptoms feed each other, making it difficult to tell where one problem starts and the other ends.

You might also experience challenges with planning and pacing activities. For example, impulsive bursts of activity could lead to pain flares, while efforts to avoid pain may reduce opportunities to practice organizational strategies or physical activity that benefit focus and mood. Emotional responses - frustration, low mood or anxiety about symptoms - can amplify both pain perception and difficulties with attention. Understanding these interactions is often a first step toward practical changes that reduce conflict between the two sets of concerns and improve daily functioning.

What a therapist may explore when you bring both concerns to therapy

When you describe ADHD-related concerns alongside chronic pain, a therapist will typically take a broad view of how both influence your life. They may ask about the history and timing of symptoms, how pain and attention patterns affect sleep, appetite, work and relationships, and what strategies you have already tried to cope. A clinician might also explore how emotions and stress relate to pain flares and attentional ups and downs, and whether there are behaviors that unintentionally reinforce difficult cycles, such as overextending on low-pain days.

Therapists often look for practical targets that can make daily life more manageable. This can include routines that help with medication or symptom tracking, pacing techniques that reduce boom-and-bust activity patterns, problem-solving for workplace or school accommodations, and behavioral strategies to protect energy. You may work on communication skills for discussing pain and attention needs with family or colleagues, and on building small, achievable habits that support both physical functioning and attention. The focus tends to be on realistic, personalized change rather than one-size-fits-all solutions.

Common therapeutic approaches you may encounter

Therapists who list ADHD and chronic pain among their specialties bring a range of approaches to sessions, and different clinicians emphasize different methods depending on their background and your goals. You may find therapists who list cognitive behavioral approaches among their methods, which often focus on shifting patterns of thought and behavior that contribute to distress. Others list acceptance-oriented approaches among their tools, which can help you build a different relationship to pain and intrusive thoughts so you can pursue meaningful activities despite discomfort.

Some clinicians list mindfulness-based or body-awareness approaches among their resources to address the physical and emotional components of pain. Others list behavioral strategies aimed at structuring time, using reminders and creating environmental supports for attention and task completion. When therapists list relaxation, pacing or graded activity among their approaches, they are typically referring to methods that help you gradually increase activity while minimizing flare ups. Because the directory records what a therapist lists rather than proving training, you should read profile descriptions to see how a clinician frames these methods and whether that framing fits your preferences.

What to ask a therapist about their experience and approach

When you reach out to a therapist, clear questions can help you evaluate whether their stated background is a good match for your needs. You may want to ask how they describe their experience working with people who present both ADHD-related concerns and chronic pain, including what kinds of goals they commonly address. Ask how they integrate attention-focused strategies with pain management approaches in session and whether they emphasize behavioral planning, emotional processing or both.

It is also helpful to ask about practical aspects of their approach. You can ask what a typical first few sessions focus on, how you might track progress, and what homework or between-session work they commonly recommend. If language, cultural background or specific life-stage experience matters to you, ask whether they have experience working with people who share those characteristics. Remember that a therapist listing a modality or approach does not guarantee a specific technique will be used, so focus on how they tailor work to meet the realities of your life and symptoms.

Online therapy, profile comparison and verifying licensure

Many therapists list online or in-person options among their profile details, and online work can make it easier to access clinicians outside your immediate area. If you plan to use remote sessions, consider how you prefer to communicate - video, phone or messaging - and whether the therapist notes familiarity with virtual tools and remote adaptations of behavioral techniques. Online sessions can support continuity when pain limits travel, and they may allow you to schedule shorter, more frequent check-ins that fit with energy and focus fluctuations.

When reviewing profiles, compare stated specialties, approaches and credentials to the needs you described earlier. Look for descriptions that explicitly mention experience working with both attention differences and long-term pain, and note the language therapists use to describe their methods. You should verify licensure directly through your state licensing board or the relevant regulatory body where the therapist practices. Licensing boards typically allow you to confirm a license is in good standing and to view any public disciplinary history. If a therapist lists work in multiple states, be aware that licensure rules vary and that practicing across state lines may be restricted.

Deciding whether a therapist's background fits you often comes down to small details - how they describe goals, how they integrate life routines with symptom management, and whether their communication style matches your expectations. Many people find it useful to request an initial conversation to get a sense of fit and to ask about the specific ways the clinician would approach your combined concerns. By comparing profiles, asking targeted questions and confirming licensure, you can make an informed choice about which therapist to contact for a more in-depth conversation about your needs.

Find Chronic Pain Therapists by State

Alabama

137 therapists

Alaska

9 therapists

Arizona

109 therapists

Arkansas

71 therapists

California

550 therapists

Colorado

178 therapists

Connecticut

82 therapists

Delaware

30 therapists

District of Columbia

18 therapists

Florida

988 therapists

Georgia

357 therapists

Hawaii

37 therapists

Idaho

62 therapists

Illinois

318 therapists

Indiana

155 therapists

Iowa

47 therapists

Kansas

66 therapists

Kentucky

106 therapists

Louisiana

224 therapists

Maine

53 therapists

Maryland

162 therapists

Massachusetts

129 therapists

Michigan

355 therapists

Minnesota

128 therapists

Mississippi

104 therapists

Missouri

270 therapists

Montana

59 therapists

Nebraska

50 therapists

Nevada

40 therapists

New Hampshire

30 therapists

New Jersey

194 therapists

New Mexico

48 therapists

New York

395 therapists

North Carolina

413 therapists

North Dakota

9 therapists

Ohio

244 therapists

Oklahoma

161 therapists

Oregon

66 therapists

Pennsylvania

313 therapists

Rhode Island

22 therapists

South Carolina

176 therapists

South Dakota

20 therapists

Tennessee

135 therapists

Texas

901 therapists

Utah

84 therapists

Vermont

23 therapists

Virginia

181 therapists

Washington

107 therapists

West Virginia

29 therapists

Wisconsin

148 therapists

Wyoming

25 therapists

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Australia

0 therapists

United Kingdom

0 therapists

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