CBT for ADHD: online talking therapy
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a practical talking therapy. In a 1-hour online session, a therapist who works with ADHD and autism helps you work on routines and skills for focus, sleep, motivation and big feelings. You can have it alongside ADHD medication, instead of it, or while you wait. It isn’t a diagnosis.
| Fee | £95 per 1-hour session, paid when you book |
| Length | 1 hour, one-to-one, by secure video |
| Who you’ll see | Emma Clarke, CBT Therapist |
| Who it’s for | Adults aged 18 and over |
| Typical wait | within days. Open 10am to 8pm, 7 days a week |
| GP referral | Not needed |
What is CBT for ADHD?
The NHS describes CBT as a type of talking therapy where a therapist helps you to change how you think and act. You look at how your thoughts, feelings and actions affect each other, and you practise new skills between sessions.
For ADHD, the therapist keeps it practical. Sessions focus less on why things are hard and more on what to try: a routine that fits how your attention works, a way to get started on a task, a plan for sleep, or a pause before you react.
CBT doesn’t change how your brain works, and it isn’t a cure. It gives you tools for the parts of daily life that ADHD makes harder.
Not a diagnosis, and not crisis care
CBT can’t tell you whether you have ADHD. If you’re wondering, read about our adult ADHD assessment.
Our therapist isn’t an emergency or crisis service. If you or someone else is at risk, call 999, or see where to get urgent help.
Who CBT for ADHD can help
CBT is for adults who want practical ways to manage the everyday effects of ADHD. People use it in different ways.
Alongside medication
Medication can help with focus and impulsivity, but some difficulties can remain, such as planning, putting things off or feeling overwhelmed. CBT works on the skills and habits around them.
Instead of medication
You may choose not to take medication, or it may not suit you or not have helped. CBT is a non-drug option. If you already take medication, talk to your prescriber before changing anything.
While you wait
You may be waiting to start medication, or for an NHS appointment. CBT can start now, and the skills stay with you whatever you decide about medication later.
Our therapist also works with autistic adults and can adapt sessions to how you process information and communicate. You don’t need to have been assessed by us. If you’re not sure whether CBT is right for you yet, ask us a question first.
CBT is separate from assessments and medication appointments, which are booked on their own. See all our services and fees.
What a 1-hour session covers
Your therapist agrees the focus with you, so sessions follow what matters most to you. Common areas include:
- Routines and planning: building daily routines, and using calendars and reminders in a way you’ll keep up
- Focus and getting started: breaking tasks into steps, and handling distractions and putting things off
- Sleep: winding down, bedtime routines and the habits that get in the way of sleep
- Motivation: finding ways to begin and keep going when a task feels flat or too big
- Impulsivity: noticing urges and adding a pause before you act or speak
- Emotional regulation: handling frustration and overwhelm, and recovering more easily after a hard day
Your first session is about getting to know you: what’s hardest day to day, what you’ve already tried, and what you’d like to change. You and your therapist agree goals and a plan for the next sessions. Later sessions usually look back at what you tried, practise a new skill, and agree something small to try before the next one.
How sessions work
You book and pay for each session online. There’s no package to buy up front, and your therapist agrees with you how often to meet.
- Book a session Choose a time online. Booking is open 24 hours a day, and sessions are available 10am to 8pm, 7 days a week. The fee is £95 per session, paid when you book.
- Join by video You meet your therapist for 1 hour on a secure video call, from a private space in the UK. You can take breaks whenever you need to.
- Try things between sessions Your therapist may suggest small things to try, and you look together at what helped and what didn’t.
- Agree what comes next After each session, you decide with your therapist whether to book another.
How many sessions will I need?
It varies from person to person and depends on what you want to work on. The NHS says CBT usually means between 5 and 15 sessions, depending on what it’s for. For ADHD, you and your therapist agree how many make sense and review it as you go. We can’t promise a particular result or number of sessions.
What the research says
The research on CBT for adults with ADHD is encouraging, but it isn’t strong enough to promise results. In plain words:
- NICE guideline NG87. For adults, NICE says to consider non-drug treatment if you choose not to take medication, have difficulty taking it, or find it ineffective or hard to tolerate. It also says to consider non-drug treatment alongside medication if you still have significant difficulties. The minimum it advises is a structured, supportive psychological intervention focused on ADHD, which may include elements of CBT or a full course of it.
- A Cochrane review (2018). It pooled 14 trials with about 700 adults and found low-quality evidence that CBT-based treatments may help in the short term. Core ADHD symptoms improved fairly consistently, including when CBT was added to medication, compared with medication alone. It may also help with depression and anxiety. The authors noted there is little long-term follow-up.
- A 2025 network meta-analysis. It combined 37 trials with 2,289 adults and found CBT did better than comparison groups for core ADHD symptoms, in the short and long term, and for emotional symptoms such as depression. The authors rated most of the evidence as low or very low certainty and called for better-quality trials.
So CBT is a reasonable option, but it doesn’t work for everyone, and it isn’t a replacement for medication where medication is right for you. Your therapist will review with you whether it’s helping.
Your therapist
Emma Clarke
CBT Therapist
CBT questions
More answers on our FAQs page.
Is CBT for ADHD a diagnosis?
No. CBT is a treatment, not an assessment, so it can’t tell you whether you have ADHD. To find out, you would need a full assessment, such as our adult ADHD assessment.
Can I have CBT if I take ADHD medication?
Yes. CBT can be used alongside medication, and NICE says to consider non-drug treatment alongside medication if you still have significant difficulties. It helps to tell your prescriber that you’re having therapy.
Can CBT replace my medication?
CBT can be used instead of medication if you’ve chosen not to take it, or it doesn’t suit you. Please don’t stop or change your medication because you’ve started therapy without talking to your prescriber first.
Do I need a GP referral?
No. You can book directly. You may like to tell your GP that you’re having therapy.
Where do the sessions take place?
Sessions are online, by secure video, so you can have them from anywhere in the UK. You need to be in the UK at the time of the session.
What if I need to cancel or move a session?
With 72 hours’ notice or more you get a full refund or can move the session free of charge. With 48 to 72 hours’ notice you get a 50% refund or one free move. With less than 48 hours’ notice, or if you miss it, there is no refund. Read our cancellations and refunds policy.
Do you offer CBT for children and teenagers?
Our CBT service is for adults aged 18 and over. If you’re worried about a child or teenager, our child and young person assessment is the place to start, and you can ask us a question first.
Sources
- NICE. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: diagnosis and management (NG87). Last updated 2025.
- Lopez PL, Torrente FM, Ciapponi A and others. Cognitive-behavioural interventions for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2018, issue 3, CD010840.
- Yang X, Zhang L, Yu J, Wang M. Short-term and long-term effect of non-pharmacotherapy for adults with ADHD: a systematic review and network meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 2025;16.
- NHS. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). Page reviewed 28 March 2025.
Ready to try CBT, or want to ask a question first?
Book a 1-hour online session, or phone, email or message us with your questions first. Our patient care team can explain how it works. There’s no pressure to book.
Or call us on 0306 999 0123, 10am to 8pm, 7 days a week.