Somatic Approach to Treating Adult ADHD and Sexuality

Course Description:

In this presentation the principles of somatic therapy and its role in treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and sexuality in adults will be reviewed. Somatic therapy is now being implemented and expanding its role in helping clients. In particular, an expansion of knowledge from the field of neurophysiology has provided the rational use of somatic therapeutic techniques for better treatment outcomes.

In ADHD clients, hyper- and hypo-sexuality is common and the principles of using somatic therapy to help with this condition will be reviewed. Others suffer from sensory hypersensitivity, an inability to orgasm and other effects that impair healthy sexuality. Improving a client’s sex life and body awareness is the primary goal of applying somatic psychotherapy interventions in my practice. I’d like to review some clinical cases in this presentation where somatic therapy interventions are applied to promote healthy sexual function in clients. This may vary from clients who are easily distractable to clients who hyperfocus on sex.

In this segment I am extremely hopeful that the audience will understand the importance of using somatic therapy as an adjunct or primary treatment for sexuality issues with adult clients diagnosed with ADHD. ADHD has historically been treated with medicines and psychological strategies such as coaching or cognitive therapy. I hope to motivate the audience to also begin weaving in a mind-body approach when addressing issues surrounding sexuality within this clinical population. This will culminate in a discussion of using somatic therapy to promote healthy sexuality in ADHD sufferers.

At the end of this course, you should have an understanding of the principles of somatic therapy and its role in treating issues surrounding sexuality in adults diagnosed with ADHD. As a somatic psychotherapist, I understand the value of the mind-body relationship and there is much room to grow in treating these clients. In doing so, we hope to improve outcomes of this disorder.

Learning Objectives:

1. List the basic principles of somatic therapy
2. Describe the role somatic therapy plays in treating ADHD
3. Apply and identify common issues of sexuality with adult ADHD clients
4. Demonstrate how to address the sexual difficulties of ADHD
5. Select and tailor somatic techniques to implement with ADHD clients

Speaker Bio:

Allison Arkfeld, M.A., L.M.F.T. is a Somatic Psychotherapist and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. Having advanced training in Somatic Psychotherapy, she utilizes the mind-body connection to facilitate healing. Allison has given lectures at Pacifica Graduate Institute and Keck School of Medicine USC. She is passionate about executive functioning disorder treatment and healing, particularly for individuals suffering from overlapping symptoms of trauma and ADHD. Currently, she works with individuals, couples, and families in her private practice in Carlsbad, California.

Publications: Playing in Virtual Spaces: Radical Emergence within Technologically Embodied Generations

Presentations: Pacifica Graduate Institute, Jungian Society of Scholarly Studies Conference, Rolling Hills Preparatory School, Keck School of Medicine USC.