You’ve tried the grounding exercises, the breathing apps, the “thought reframing” journals—and yet, the anxiety keeps creeping in. If you’ve ever felt like therapy tools aren’t quite clicking, or that something deeper is being overlooked, you’re not alone. And you’re definitely not doing anything wrong.

For many women, especially those in their 20s and 30s, anxiety is only part of the picture. ADHD—often undiagnosed or misunderstood—can quietly shape your entire experience of stress, overwhelm, and emotion. And if that part of the picture is missing, traditional anxiety treatment can fall frustratingly short.

Let’s explore why that happens, what ADHD-related anxiety actually looks like, and what kinds of support really help when your brain doesn’t fit the mold.

ADHD and Anxiety: Two Sides of the Same Coin

Most people think of ADHD as a focus issue. But it’s more accurate to think of it as a regulation issue—affecting your ability to manage attention, emotion, energy, time, and tasks. For women, especially, ADHD can be harder to spot because it doesn’t always look “hyperactive.”

Instead, it might look like:

→ Constant mental chatter

→ Difficulty starting or finishing tasks

→ Emotional whiplash or heightened sensitivity

→ A lifetime of trying to mask or overcompensate

anxiety therapy miami — And when you’re constantly battling those invisible barriers?

Anxiety becomes a near-constant companion. It’s not just about worrying—it’s about feeling like you’re always behind, always forgetting something, always trying to stay one step ahead of chaos.
In fact, research shows that up to **50% of adults with ADHD also have an anxiety disorder**. But here’s the thing: when anxiety is treated as a standalone issue, without looking at what’s *underneath*, therapy can feel like it’s skimming the surface.

What Traditional Anxiety Treatment Looks Like

Most anxiety treatment plans include some combination of:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): challenging anxious thoughts and replacing them with more realistic ones
Mindfulness or breathwork practices: learning to regulate your body and bring awareness to the present moment
Medication: often SSRIs or anti-anxiety meds to help with mood regulation
Talk therapy: processing stressors and building coping skills

And for many people, these tools can be helpful.

But for folks with ADHD, these same tools can sometimes feel like trying to paint a house when the foundation is cracked. Helpful in theory—but frustrating when they don’t seem to stick.

Why These Tools Might Not Work for ADHD Brains

Let’s break down some of the real reasons traditional anxiety treatments might fall short if you have ADHD:

1. They assume consistent executive functioning.

CBT and other talk-based therapies often require you to remember what you talked about last session, apply strategies consistently, and stay organized around your own healing. That’s tough when executive dysfunction is in play—things like remembering appointments, following steps, or tracking progress might already feel overwhelming.

2. They focus on thoughts, not the body.

For many people with ADHD, anxiety lives in the body—a constant state of nervous system activation. You might know logically that something isn’t a big deal, but your heart is still racing, your hands are shaking, and you feel like you’re bracing for disaster. Traditional therapy that focuses mainly on thoughts can miss this entirely.

3. They overlook shame and identity wounds.

ADHD isn’t just about distraction—it often comes with years of internalized messages like “I’m lazy,” “I can’t keep it together,” or “Something must be wrong with me.” That kind of shame can fuel anxiety at a deep level. If therapy doesn’t help you untangle that, it can start to feel like just another place you’re “failing.”

4. They treat symptoms, not root causes.

If anxiety is your brain’s response to chronic overstimulation, disorganization, or sensory overload, then strategies like “just breathe through it” may not touch the deeper issue. ADHD brains need support that acknowledges the systems and structures you’re operating in—not just the symptoms you’re experiencing.

What Actually Helps: A More Neurodivergent-Affirming Approach

So, what does help when you’re navigating anxiety and ADHD together? A lot of it comes down to shifting the framework. Instead of trying to “fix” the anxiety, we look at the full context of how your brain and body operate—and build support from there.

Here are a few modalities I use with clients that are especially effective:

Holistic, Body-Based Support

An ADHD brain is a full-body experience. Your nervous system, hormone fluctuations, sleep cycles, and environment all play a role in how you feel. That’s why a holistic approach matters. We work with tools like:

Nervous system regulation (so you’re not living in a constant fight-or-flight state)
Routines and strategies tailored for your unique brain
Compassionate education about how ADHD actually works—so you can stop blaming yourself

EMDR Therapy

Years of feeling “too much,” “too scattered,” or “like you’re always dropping the ball” can create trauma—even if it’s not from a single big event. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a powerful modality that helps process the underlying emotional charge from those experiences. It’s especially effective for:

Anxiety tied to past failure or rejection
Perfectionism rooted in fear of being “not enough”
Shame around being “messy,” “late,” or “inconsistent”

Internal Family Systems (IFS) / Parts Work

ADHD often comes with a crowded internal world. One part of you wants to be productive. Another part shuts down. Another panics at the thought of being judged. IFS helps you build relationships with these “parts” so you can create inner harmony and stop fighting yourself. When anxiety flares up, you’ll have tools to respond with self-compassion, not criticism.

Therapy Intensives

If weekly therapy feels too slow or fragmented for your ADHD brain, intensives might be a better fit. These extended sessions offer deep, focused time to work through patterns that feel stuck. Clients often say intensives help them feel like they made months of progress in just a few days. They're especially helpful if:

You’re feeling stuck in traditional therapy
You want to dive into EMDR or parts work without being rushed
You’re craving clarity and momentum in your healing

Learn more about EMDR intensives here!

Why Work With Me

I’m Nicole Mendizabal—a Hispanic therapist based in Miami offering online therapy across Florida. I specialize in supporting women navigating anxiety, ADHD, trauma, and the deep burnout that comes from trying to hold it all together.

My approach is trauma-informed, holistic, and tailored for the way your brain actually works. Together, we won’t just manage symptoms—we’ll address the systems, emotions, and beliefs that are keeping you stuck.

You don’t need more coping tools that don’t resonate. You need care that feels like it gets you.

I offer:

Online therapy throughout Florida
EMDR and IFS sessions
In-person and weekend therapy intensives in Miami

Learn more about therapy for ADHD here!

Learn more about therapy for anxiety here!

Final Thoughts: You’re Not the Problem—The Framework Is

If you’ve felt like traditional anxiety tools weren’t working, please hear this: you are not broken.

You may be navigating life with a brain that wasn’t designed to fit inside society’s neat little boxes—and you’ve been working so hard to keep up. Your anxiety? It’s not a flaw. It’s a response to years of being misunderstood, misdiagnosed, or unsupported.

But healing is absolutely possible—and it starts by working with someone who sees the full picture.

Let’s rewrite the story together.
Schedule a free consultation and let’s find out if this kind of care feels like the missing piece.