ADHD & Marriage Consultants
Melissa Orlov, Founder
Consultant - Couples
Support group moderator
Founder of ADHDmarriage.com and ADHD & Marriage Consulting, Melissa Orlov (she/her) is a top expert in how ADHD affects relationships, sought after speaker, and an award-winning author. She has been writing and speaking about the topic since 2007, researching it since 2005. She teaches couples, therapists, counselors and coaches about how ADHD impacts relationships and offers private counseling to couples who wish to improve their ADHD-impacted relationships. Her very popular couples seminar has helped many struggling couples turn their relationships around. Melissa blogs for Psychology Today, at this site, and guest writes for many others. She wrote the Your Relationships column for ADDitude Magazine from 2008-2014
She is the author of The ADHD Effect on Marriage, which was awarded "Best Psychological Book of 2010" by ForeWord Reviews. Her second book, The Couple's Guide to Thriving with ADHD, with Nancie Kohlenberger won three book awards, including best psychology book of 2014.
Melissa has been interviewed frequently on the topic of ADHD and marriage by organizations as diverse as the New York Times, CNN, and the American Psychological Association Monitor (more complete list here). Her hobbies include road biking, singing and playing the cello.
"I love helping couples find the love they thought they had lost and keep their families together. Knowing about ADHD - and responses to ADHD - is a game changer!"
Tami Anderson, LMFT
Consultant - Couples; Individuals with ADHD; Partners of those with ADHD
Support group moderator
For 25 years Tami (she/her) has been helping couples and individuals focus on issues of intimacy, communication and developing the intentional, meaningful connections that lead to hope and playfulness in their relationships. She has broad training that includes family systems and psychology & theology, and has worked in clinical, non-profit, ministry, and higher education settings. She is also a certified yoga instructor and pays attention to the mind-body connection and somatic work that impacts relationships and self.
Tami uses a collaborative and effective ‘get it done’ style pulled from a large variety of research-based models such as Gottman, Solution-Focused, Mindfulness and Imago work. She creates a safe, non-judgmental and compassionate space to explore the barriers you face so you can break through impasses to reach your goals. Her style is warm, but also efficient enough to help you realize your potential and see results.
Tami offers a special 5-session package for couples who wish to build on the gains they’ve made in our couples' seminar, and want to build and sustain momentum in a way that is tailored to their relationship.
She also offers a free 10-15 minute chat before you start so you can ask questions and get to know her a bit.
“Work towards growth does not always need to be a painful or grueling process. Partners can create positive, light and fun ways to find their path and enjoy a more hope-filled and fulfilling relationship.”
Rachel Ban, MSW, LiCSW
Consultant, Couples with ADHD; Individuals with ADHD or partnered to someone with ADHD
Support Group Moderator
Rachel Ban, (she/her) is a veteran couples therapist who brings extensive professional training focused on evidence-based couples therapy and ADHD relationship dynamics, as well as ample personal experience in a long term relationship with a partner with ADHD.
Rachel specializes in couples intensives, which are ideal for couples with ADHD relationship dynamics as there is a clear external structure which allows attention to be focused in the ‘now’ of the work – so more gets done in a shorter amount of time. Intensives include 15 hours of paced work over 3 days, and can be followed by 3 hour consults every 2-6 weeks as needed to sustain gains.
Rachel also works individually with non-ADHD partners to help create a sense of possibility and hope with new frameworks and skills.
You can talk with Rachel for a free 30 minute phone consultation to make sure she’s the right fit for you.
Her clients appreciate her calm, compassionate and incisive approach to difficult moments. Rachel is committed to supporting all relationships, inclusive to all genders and sexual orientations. She enjoys swimming with her kids, bringing friends together over a meal, having her hands in the dirt in her garden, and hiking with her partner.
"I am continuously amazed by how much progress couples make during an intensive! It is inspiring to help people move from feeling stuck and distant to feeling hope and more closeness."
Amy Borla, M.S., MFT
Consultant – Couples; Individuals with ADHD; Partners of those with ADHD. Welcomes members of the LGBTQ+ community and those in non-traditional relationships such as consensual non-monogamy and kink
Support group moderator
When working with couples, Amy (she/her) starts from the position that every relationship is as unique as the people in it. No matter how much they love each other, misunderstandings, paired with ADHD and responses to ADHD, can reinforce damaging dynamics. When things get off track, each person has the ability to reestablish a deep and loving relationship – it can just take some help breaking free of those negative patterns.
Amy’s approach to providing that help is based in the science of attachment and connection which helps strengthen a couple’s emotional bond. When not consulting for ADHD & marriage, Amy works as a therapist at the Limerick Counseling Center in PA and is also a certified pre-marriage counselor.
Amy offers a 10-15 minutes free discovery meeting to confirm that you wish to work together and to answer your questions.
When not in the office, Amy enjoys all sorts of crafts, doing puzzles and spending time with her family.
“It is the best feeling to know that couples’ relationships are improving as we work together. I am honored to be trusted as part of their process.”
Becky Brotemarkle, PhD, RN, PCC, NBC-HWC, CEC, MBA
Consultant - Individuals with and without ADHD, particularly those interested in working through feelings of grief and regret
Becky (she/her) has multiple certifications as a coach, as well as a PhD in Nursing and Research, a master’s in healthcare administration and an MBA from Johns Hopkins University. In her long career as a nurse she worked with people living with HIV and in hospice and palliative care. She also held academic positions where she taught, mentored, participated in research, published, and presented nationally.
Her work in hospice care and a recent diagnosis of ADHD have turned into a deep interest in how grief is experienced by those impacted by ADHD. She combines strengths-based coaching based in positive psychology and evidence-based strategies with the latest information on ADHD, end of life/palliative care/grief, and health behavior change to help people identify their strengths and purpose and live healthy lives.
“I believe that each person has inside of them what they need to become the very best they can be and to overcome life’s challenges.”
Katherine Buoscio, ACC
Consultant – Individuals with ADHD; Non-ADHD partners seeking structural support
Katherine Buoscio (she/her) is an ICF-certified, professionally trained ADHD coach who also happens to have decades of personal experience with ADHD in her family. She helps her clients reach their aspirations through goal setting, skillsets, and mindset work. Her passion for working with adults with ADHD comes from her deep appreciation for the struggles and frustrations of ADHD and the admiration of their superpowers such as Hyperfocus, Creativity, and Big Thinking. Her long-term goal for every client is that they not only reach their goals, but also learn how to better understand their own brain and learn the skills to become their own coach.
Katherine offers a free, 60-90 minutes introductory session to talk with you about your goals, and conduct a 30 minutes coaching experience.
When not coaching, Katherine enjoys spending time with her two kids, being outside or in a cafe reading a good book.
“I love seeing people make real changes in their lives, accomplish goals they didn’t believe they were capable of, and develop a newfound understanding of, and belief in, themselves.”
Anna Cuneo, CMC, EXEC, PCC
Consultant: Individuals with ADHD
Anna Cuneo (she/her) is a Life Coach dedicated to inspiring her clients to live their best lives. Originally from a business background, she uses a positive psychology process in her work. Anna is known for her intuitive, approachable and compassionate demeanor, making her a pleasure to work with. She has been helping clients with ADHD for 3 years and has both personal and professional experience working with people who have ADHD, anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder.
“I love the aha moments of clients recognizing their own limited self beliefs, and then realizing their untapped potential."
Ann Drouilhet, LMFT, LICSW
Consultant - Couples impacted by ADHD
Ann Drouilhet (she/her) has been working with couples impacted by ADHD for over 10 years. As a practitioner of couples IFS therapy, Ann has a long track record of helping couples heal the parts of themselves and their relationships that have previously led to continued struggle and pain.
Ann is a leader in Boston-area mental health. She is a graduate of the University of Chicago, a past faculty member of the Kantor Family Institute in Cambridge, MA, a past community trainer for the Boston University Addictions Program, and is currently a lead trainer for IFIO (Intimacy from the Inside Out, the IFS application to couple therapy). In addition to her consulting work, she runs a practice that welcomes couples who, in addition to struggling with ADHD, also have compulsive behaviors, significant betrayals, and trauma histories impacting the dynamic between them.
“It is always an honor to work with couples struggling with the impact of neurodivergence, especially ADHD. The courage and commitment required to shift paralyzing dynamics is not to be underestimated, and I am grateful to the couples that trust me to navigate with them this challenging terrain.”
Emily M. Easterling, MA, LPC
Consultant: Couples; Individuals with and without ADHD
Emily Easterling (she/her) has been providing mental health care for over 20 years. Prior to owning and operating her private psychotherapy practice, she worked in various clinical settings with both adults and children where she has treated an array of behavioral health and diagnostic issues. Her range of approaches include Relational, Attachment, Emotionally Focused, Psychodynamic, Mindfulness, and Family Systems based work. Emily has personal and professional multicultural and blended family experience, which further seasons her clinical mindset and approach. She loves helping adult individuals and couples navigate challenges related to ADHD more precisely and effectively.
With a spirited and warm personality, Emily brings compassion and open-mindedness to her work, which creates ease and relatability for those with whom she works. When not working, she enjoys meditation, walks in nature, the beach, and music, as well as spending time with her husband, two step-children, and dog.
“The human condition is multidimensional and the uniqueness of some of these dimensions is fortified within the context of a loving relationship. I embrace the opportunity to help clients explore, support, and evolve these dimensions in an enriching and rewarding growth process.”
Grazel Garcia, LMFT
Consultant: Couples, Individuals with ADHD, Families
Grazel (she/her) is a Certified Emotionally-Focused Therapist/EFT who has specialized in working with neurodivergent couples, individuals and families (ADHD, AuDHD, ASD) for 11 years. She is an LGBTQIA+ Affirmative therapist with an additional focus on working with couples with attachment injuries, interracial couples and all couples from alternative types of relationships (e.g. CNM, Kink and BDSM population). In addition, Grazel has specialties in grief & loss and addictions.
"I am drawn to help couples' strengthen the TRUST in their ability to use and express their EMOTIONS as a way to create a safe and secure attachment in their relationship with their loved ones."
Jill Johnson, PCC, CPCC
Consultant - Individuals with and without ADHD; Couples
Jill Johnson (she/her) is a life and ADHD coach with a unique perspective shaped by her own experiences as a working mom with multiple family members with ADHD. Her journey has honed her understanding of her clients' struggles and enables her to effectively guide them through addressing their challenges. Jill offers individuals and couples a safe, supportive space to explore their ADHD-related issues, recognize their strengths, and transform their lives. By blending science-based ADHD tools with compassionate, pragmatic support and strategic planning, she facilitates meaningful change, fostering measurable growth and positive shifts in behavior and perception.
When not coaching, Jill enjoys spending time with friends and family, going to events, hiking with her dog and exploring new coffee shops.
"I love supporting couples to explore ways they can reignite the love, understanding and fun in their relationship."
Kidan Kassahun, MA, ACC
Consultant - Women, both with and without ADHD; Couples
Kidan Kassahun (she/her) is an Internal Family Systems (IFS) life coach and ADHD coach. In her work, she using gentle pathways for restoring self-trust and self-confidence. Kidan helps individuals navigate professional challenges and personal responsibilities. Her clients learn to access the right systems, structure and support that allow the gifts of ADHD individuals to shine, and allow couples to more calmly interact.
She is a graduate of Spelman College and Yale University. With over 20 years of experience as a non-profit director and entrepreneur, Kidan understands the impact of ADHD on achieving important goals and building strong partnerships.
Kidan offers weekly coaching for couples, as well as coaching intensives for ADHD individuals with touch points twice weekly. Intensives provide space for both internal work on uncovering deeper motivations for, and obstacles related to, change. They also effectively underpin the incorporation of ADHD-aligned systems, structures and support that facilitate the client moving in the direction they are choosing.
Kidan offers a 10-15 minutes free discovery meeting to confirm that you wish to work together and to answer your questions.
Kidan parents two dynamic teenagers and her hobbies include tennis, hiking and travel.
"My greatest joy is when clients recognize their true capabilities and release limiting beliefs. They are finding the ways to achieve success that work for them."
Lisa Magel, MIB, IIN, YTT
Consultant - Adults with ADHD, Couples, Parents, Families
Lisa (she/her) is an ADHD Coach with an empathetic, strengths-based, and multi-disciplinary approach. She has an expansive toolkit that includes Relational Couples Coaching, Integrative Health Coaching, Parent Coaching, Mindfulness, Home Organizing, and Yoga practices. Her previous corporate marketing experience and 22 years abroad in Europe and Australia exposed her to various cultures, countries, and languages, enriching her ability to work effectively with cross-cultural relationship dynamics. She is fluent in German.
A late-diagnosed ADHDer, in a committed marriage of 30 years with 3 children, Lisa deeply understands the unique challenges of neurodiversity in relationships faced by her clients. She is passionate about helping her clients understand how ADHD presents in their lives and crafting tailor-made strategies to facilitate self-growth and greater communication and connection.
Lisa’s compassionate approach focuses on unmasking each client's unique brilliance and helping couples reconnect with themselves and one another.
“I am passionate about helping individuals and couples understand the role of ADHD in their relationships. I aim to help them learn to navigate differently, shifting toward relational health and connection, fostering greater harmony in their lives.”
Ashley Paradise, LMHC
Consultant –Couples; Professionals and executives; Adults with ADHD; Adult students
Support group moderator
Ashley Paradise (she/her) is a mental health professional who has been working in both corporate and clinical settings for over 18 years. Her approach is personally tailored to each client, and she pulls from her training in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), mindfulness-based and psychodynamic therapies to provide the approach best suited to every client’s or couple’s specific issues. Her passion centers around helping those that struggle with ADHD in their professional, academic, and personal/relational life. Those closest to her say it is her warm, compassionate, and down to earth nature that make her so good at what she does. She is a graduate of CUNY Queens College and Long Island University-CW Post.
Ashley offers a 10-15 minutes free discovery meeting to confirm that you wish to work together and to answer your questions.
Ashley is a mother to boy/girl twins who always keep her on her toes and enjoys reading, teaching, and spending time with her family in her free time.
“It is my clients who keep me motivated and energized! It’s inspiring that they have the courage to seek support, a commitment to staying focused, and an ability to discover strengths they often did not know they had.”
Alice Sammon
ADHD Relationship Program Specialist
Consultant – Non-ADHD partners
Alice (she/her) brings a deep, personal interest in serving individuals and couples impacted by ADHD plus over 30 years of experience in technology partnerships to her work with ADHD & Marriage. She is the founder of LifewithanADHDspouse.com, which provides balanced information about the non-ADHD partner experience to adults with and without ADHD and so is a knowledgeable resource for non-ADHD partners seeking to understand how to thrive in their ADHD-impacted relationships.
When not consulting with clients, she also works on our tech and business issues. Alice makes resources easier for you to find, improves our services and response time, and helps you get exactly the answers and help you seek as quickly as possible. We’re thrilled to have her as part of the team as we seek to provide the best quality, most responsive support possible for those seeking to improve their ADHD-impacted relationships and renew their love and joy.
Joseph Semah, LCSW
Consultant - Adults with ADHD; Couples
Joseph has spent the last 10+ years specializing in working with adults and couples with ADHD in both his private practice and in his clinical work in Lakewood, NJ. He also has a sub-speciality working with clients who have addiction issues. Before his work in the field of ADHD, Joseph spent over 15 years teaching middle and high school children.
Joseph seamlessly blends teaching, coaching and consulting to help his clients utilize their own strengths and overcome their limitations. Using EFT and secure attachment theory, Joseph helps couples reawaken the positive feelings they have always felt for each other by understanding the emotional barriers that tend to get in the way.
When he’s not working, he spends his time raising his 6 children along with his wife of 24 years (and playing ice hockey when he can steal away for a bit.)
“My own personal experience living with, and raising children with, ADHD has put me in a unique position to understand my clients’ challenges and struggles. There is no greater feeling than helping others overcome the very same challenges you have had to work hard to overcome yourself.”
Jen Siladi, LMFT
Consultant – Adults with ADHD; Couples
Jen (she/her) is a psychotherapist in private practice supporting individuals and couples impacted by ADHD in their daily lives and relationships. She also specializes in helping high level gifted adults, professionals and entrepreneurs, many of whom are impacted by ADHD.
Jen brings her extensive clinical training and experience in attachment-based couples therapy, along with her personal experience of being in a marriage impacted by ADHD to the work she does with clients. She divides her time between Ireland and California, and both places feel like home. When she is not helping clients, Jen enjoys tai chi, gentle hikes in nature, and spending time with family.
“I love seeing individuals and couples escape from the patterns they were stuck in, and discover that they can thrive with ADHD and have secure connection in their relationships.”
Laura G. Templet, MSW, LCSW
Consultant - Couples, Individuals with ADHD, Families impacted by ADHD
Laura (she, her) has been an individual, family and couples' mental health professional and coach for nearly 38 years. Her education and training have led to a focus in trauma, ADHD, adoption and attachment, and family systems. She also has a great deal of experience working with clients struggling with anxiety, depression and mood disorders.
As a Social Work Fellow at the Menninger Institute early in her career, Laura focused on Bowen Family Systems, Child and Adolescent Mental Health and many of her clients presented with ADHD. Her recent University work has included individuals and couples that identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community.
Laura incorporates mindfulness, awareness and self-compassion work into almost every session as tools to help shift thinking, behaviors, and promote healing and restoration for self and in relationships.
"I love doing this work because I am a prisoner of hope; I love being part of an individual's shift in their thinking and change in behaviors, all in an effort to promote healing and restoration for self and in relationships. "
Anneke Volz, Adult Chair(R) Certified Coach
Consultant, Non-ADHD Partners (English and German speaker)
Anneke (she/her) uses a coaching methodology particularly helpful for non-ADHD partners who, in their attempts to adapt to living with someone with ADHD, may feel as if they have ‘lost themselves’ in their relationship. In Anneke’s work, self-worth and boundaries are the heart of healthy relationships with oneself and with others. She will help clients become clear on what their values and boundaries are, and how to implement them in a positive way even when ADHD symptoms are still present. This is particularly useful work for those struggling to move away from ‘parenting’ their partners.
Anneke has several years of experience with non-adhd partners and their struggles and is passionate about supporting them. If appropriate, she sometimes will invite an ADHD partner to hear their concerns, which can help illuminate potential opportunities for her clients in the couple dynamic.
“I always look forward to being by clients’ side on their path to becoming their mentally, spiritually and physically healthiest adult self.”
Jason Weber, M.Ed, LPCC-S, LICDC-CS
Consultant - Couples, Individuals with ADHD
Clients know Jason as a gentle, deep presence who offers safe spaces for vulnerability. He combines over 20 years of clinical experience in addiction and trauma treatment with an expert knowledge of Internal Family Systems (IFS) that includes advanced training in Intimacy From The Inside Out (IFIO), the adaptation of IFS for couples therapy. This is work Jason has been doing personally for many years, and he positions himself as a fellow traveler on the journey towards a more collaborative, creative and loving experience of partnership in an ADHD home.
Couples and individuals who work with Jason will have new and often surprising experiences – appreciating and understanding parts of themselves that are usually despised or feared – and uncovering inner resources of compassion, clarity, and courage. This makes him an excellent choice for individuals or couples dealing with emotional regulation issues, shame or defensiveness. Jason’s way of working also acknowledges that widespread social legacies impact our individual lives. Being a therapist who devotes energy to understanding these realities positions Jason to be an ally to people with many different identities and complex experiences of enculturation.
"IFS brings clarity and calm to our often contentious, conflicted, and noisy inner world. I find deep meaning in the process of supporting a client as they discover how tending to their inner relationships is the missing link in the transformation of their relationships with others."
Alisa Wedemeyer, M. Ed
Consultant – Adults with ADHD; Couples
Alisa (she/her) utilizes a warm, direct, strength and evidence-based approach in her work with individuals and couples impacted by ADHD. Currently a therapist and coach at the Hallowell Todaro ADHD Center in Washington state, she has been working with adults with ADHD for 4 years. Alisa has a degree in Liberal Studies and Psychology from Seattle University and an M. Ed from City University of Seattle. She excels in helping clients explore, identify, and overcome patterns and relational dynamics that serve as barriers to reaching their full potential as individuals, partners, and professionals.
Alisa works with couples from Washington state. She offers a 10-15 minutes free discovery meeting to confirm that you wish to work together and to answer your questions.
In her home territory out west, Alisa enjoys sport climbing, gardening, reading and researching.
"What makes me happiest is seeing clients gain a new sense of self-belief, break free from limitations, discover new perspectives, and uncover their hidden strengths."
Lee Crespi, LCSW
Support Group Moderator
Lee Crespi (she/her) is a psychotherapist in private practice for over forty years who specializes in working with couples where ADHD is an issue. She is trained in multiple approaches including Emotionally Focused Therapy and Collaborative Couples Therapy as well as having studied with Melissa Orlov on the ADHD Effect on Couples. She is a graduate of SUNY StonyBrook School of Social Welfare and the Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy.
As a clinician and teacher she is known for her warm, compassionate style and her sense of humor. She and her wife have been together for 45 years and have one adult son. She is also a watercolor artist, a swimmer, and a dog lover.
Cameron Gott, PCC
ADHD coaching group leader
Cam (he/him), a thought leader in positive accountability, effectively uses coaching techniques to support some of the most successful professionals and entrepreneurs challenged by ADHD. Cam has been coaching ADHD individuals for 20 years, supporting clients to make the changes they want to make. Cam co-hosts the podcast Translating ADHD. Cam also mentors ADHD coaches-in-training and speaks and teaches on a variety of topics including ADHD, coaching, leadership, accountability and his AEC Model for Change.
He was certified through The Coaches Training Institute and co-develops content and trains coaches through Coach Approach for Organizers with Denslow Brown and teaches for Laurie Dupar’s IACT-C coach training group. His Global Creative blog addresses the challenges and opportunities facing creative entrepreneurs and leaders and how mastering one’s life starts with understanding one’s brain. He lives outside of Charlottesville in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains with his wife of 25+ years and their two children.
Administration
Ashley Pool
Executive Assistant
Many people first hear back from Ashley after they contact us. She is our 'front office' contact who helps people get quick answers to some of the more common questions we field before moving them to be answered in more depth by another person, if needed. Ashley (she/her) grew up in San Diego where she received her Masters in Marine Science. She then moved onto a career in education where she was able to use her science background and her love for helping people. She currently lives in South Carolina where she enjoys trying new restaurants, visiting the beaches and spending time with family.
Akash Mahalwal
Program Assistant
The newest member of our team, Akash (he/him), coordinates all things that pertain to the ADHD & Marriage Consulting group. Akash has a background in project management in the nonprofit sector. He is also interested in mental health and has been a volunteer crisis counselor for over three years. Akash lives in Connecticut and is fond of pottery, oil painting, and the outdoors.
Kris Rigali
Program Assistant
Kris (they/them) is the point person for all group and seminar registrations and logistics. They are the glue that holds these programs together so that Melissa can focus on delivering the content couples seek. Kris loves photography, nature, and living in western Massachusetts.
Christina Veal
Communications Guru
Christina Veal is a communications specialist who loves the blogosphere and has enough ADHD in the family to be interested in working as Melissa's right hand person. She searches the internet for content she thinks will be of interest to our readers and helps keep everything up-to-date. She is a graduate of the University of Connecticut and has a passionate interest in tennis. Ms. Veal lives outside Boston.
About Our Content
The opinions expressed on this web site are those of the individual authors and posters and should not be considered a substitute for counseling or medical guidance. Please see you doctor for specific medical advice.
