ADHD Support for Asian American Adults
ADHD in adulthood shows up in the small, everyday stuff. You start something and suddenly an hour is gone. You know what you need to do but can't figure out where to begin. Some days you're locked in. Other days everything feels scattered and nothing gets done.
That inconsistency is frustrating. It messes with your confidence. And over time, it can create a narrative that you're not living up to what you're capable of.
In therapy, we look at how your brain actually works and build systems around that. Not rigid productivity hacks or idealized routines. Real strategies for managing time, stress, and organization that fit your life.
But there's also a deeper layer. Years of feeling behind, of being misunderstood or labeled as lazy, that shapes how you see yourself. We work on that too.
As a Chinese American psychologist, I get the cultural piece. Growing up, ADHD behaviors were often read as lack of discipline or not trying hard enough. The model minority myth doesn't leave room for struggling with executive function. Asking for help or accommodations felt like admitting failure.
ASD: Emotional and Relational Support for High-Functioning Adults
High-functioning ASD can make relationships feel confusing. You want connection, but you're not always sure how you're coming across. Emotional shifts in conversation happen fast. Social situations drain you because there's so much unspoken stuff to track.
None of that means you're doing something wrong. It's how your brain processes things. In therapy, we slow down and make sense of what's actually happening in those moments that feel overwhelming or hard to read.
For many Asian American adults, being on the spectrum was never recognized or diagnosed in childhood, particularly if you were high-achieving academically. Cultural values around conformity, not standing out, and meeting family expectations meant you learned to mask early. A lot of my clients spent years suppressing who they actually are to fit into cultural and family molds. That leads to exhaustion and identity confusion in adulthood.
Support for Adults Raised by or in Relationship With Someone With High-Functioning ASD
Growing up with or being partnered with someone who has high-functioning ASD creates a specific emotional experience. You may have taken on more responsibility than you should have. You adjusted constantly to avoid conflict. You learned to keep your needs quiet because expressing them didn't seem to land. Those patterns carry into adulthood and affect how you show up in relationships now.
As someone raised by a parent with high-functioning ASD, I'm familiar with the communication gaps, emotional mismatches, and the self-doubt that can develop in these environments. This lived experience helps me understand the subtle moments where you may feel unseen, dismissed, or overly responsible.