You're Not Broken, You're Wired Differently: Introducing the Men's ADHD Support Alliance at Walk Intuit
Written in support of the Men's ADHD Support Alliance, facilitated by Robert Givenrod, MFT Trainee, supervised by Cassandra Seidler, LCSW #117734
There's a story many men with ADHD know well. It starts with being told you're too much — too loud, too distracted, too reactive, too emotional. Over time, "too much" becomes a private shame, and that shame makes the anger louder, the isolation deeper, and the idea of asking for help feel almost impossible.
The Men's ADHD Support Alliance at Walk Intuit was created for exactly that man.
This online group, offers a dedicated space where men 18 and older can come together to understand their emotional lives, develop real coping strategies, and build the kind of connection that makes change feel possible, without the pressure of performing toughness they may not feel.
Why Men With ADHD Struggle With Anger, and Why It's Not a Character Flaw
Anger and emotional dysregulation in ADHD are not symptoms of weakness or poor character. They are neurological. Research has consistently shown that emotional dysregulation is a core feature of ADHD, and it goes far deeper than the inattentiveness and hyperactivity that dominate diagnostic conversations.
According to recent findings published by ADDitude Magazine, problems with emotional regulation, including anger and heightened sensitivity to negative emotion, appear to be genetically linked to ADHD. Anger issues walk in step with the broader self-regulation difficulties that characterize the condition. They are not side effects or complications. They are part of the picture.
The numbers are striking. Research indicates that approximately 70% of adults with ADHD experience some degree of emotional dysregulation, including many who have no other co-occurring mental health conditions. That dysregulation often shows up as persistent irritability, sudden surges of anger in response to frustration, emotions that feel disproportionate to the situation, and a slower return to baseline after being triggered.
An ambulatory study of men with ADHD found that compared to neurotypical peers, men with ADHD more frequently experienced negative events, exhibited heightened anger responses, and showed a slower return to baseline anger levels. Both positive and negative events had a greater emotional impact on the ADHD group overall, meaning the emotional world is simply louder, and the nervous system needs more time to settle.
This is not a discipline problem. It is a regulatory one, rooted in how the ADHD brain processes and manages emotional experience. Research shows that the connection between the amygdala, the brain's emotional center, and the cerebral cortex, which helps manage emotional responses, may be functionally weaker in individuals with ADHD, contributing to reactions that feel outsized, difficulty calming down once activated, and a reduced ability to recognize or attune to others' emotions in the moment.
When these patterns go unnamed and unaddressed, they erode relationships, reinforce shame, and feed the very isolation they grew from.
We Don’t Talk About That
Here's what makes the challenge even more complex for men: Society makes it very hard to ask for help.
A scoping review of men's experiences with mental illness stigma found that stigma negatively impacts men's mental health help-seeking and use of services, amplifying depression and suicidality, diminishing social connection, and discouraging disclosure. Men are taught, explicitly and implicitly, that experiencing mental distress is a sign of weakness and that weakness is something to hide.
The data reflects this deeply. In 2023, only 17% of American men saw a mental health professional, compared to 28.5% of women. In 2021, only 40% of men with a recent mental illness received any treatment, compared to 52% of women. The gap is not because men are not suffering; it's because when they are suffering, they've been conditioned to stay silent.
For men with ADHD, this burden is compounded. Research on ADHD-related stigma found gendered patterns in which young men with ADHD specifically reported rejection, internalized negative attributions, nondisclosure, and limited willingness to seek help, a reinforcing cycle that keeps men isolated from the very support that could help them.
This is the gap the Men's ADHD Support Alliance is designed to close.
Why a Group…and Why Men Only?
There is something uniquely powerful about sitting across from someone who already understands, not just intellectually, but in their bones.
Research on men's group counseling found that men-only spaces were perceived as facilitating the disclosure of vulnerability in ways that mixed-gender settings often don't. Participants described the experience as: "You can really show your true self. You can show weakness and it won't be interpreted negatively. Nobody laughs at you." The group becomes, in the words of one participant, "a kind of cocoon, where you're protected, where you feel really comfortable."
This is precisely the environment The Men's ADHD Support Alliance is building.
The Men's ADHD Support Alliance is a closed group, meaning the same men show up week after week, building trust over time. That consistency is intentional. Shared history creates safety. Safety creates the conditions for real change.
Childhood peer difficulties related to ADHD don't simply dissolve with age. Research indicates that approximately half of children diagnosed with ADHD encounter challenges in peer relationships, largely attributed to intrusive behaviors and difficulties in emotional regulation, and if these issues are not adequately addressed, they can persist into adulthood. The group offers men the opportunity to finally address what may have been a lifelong pattern, with support, not shame.
The Therapeutic Approach: Solution-Focused, Strength-Centered, and Built for Real Life
The Men's ADHD Support Alliance uses a Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) framework, an evidence-based, future-oriented approach that asks not "what's wrong with you?" but "what are you already doing right, and how do we build from there?"
SFBT was developed by Insoo Kim Berg, Steve de Shazer, and colleagues in the late 1970s out of a recognition that dwelling on problems often doesn't solve them. Instead, SFBT focuses on identifying strengths, setting meaningful goals, and amplifying the moments when things already work.
The research behind this approach is robust. A large meta-analysis of 72 studies found that SFBT participants showed a 59% reduction in psychosocial outcomes, and notably, group therapy delivered via SFBT yielded a significantly larger effect size than individual therapy. The group format isn't just logistically convenient, it's therapeutically powerful.
An umbrella review of 25 systematic reviews and meta-analyses confirmed that SFBT demonstrates significant positive outcomes across different issues, settings, and cultural contexts, with high confidence in its effectiveness for depression, overall mental health, and progress toward individual goals.
For men with ADHD specifically, case research highlights SFBT's particular strength with ADHD by focusing on the client's capacity for change and using goal-setting and solution-oriented discussions to foster agency and consistency, two areas where ADHD makes traditional, problem-focused approaches difficult to sustain.
Inside the group, participants can expect:
Solution-focused questioning and goal-setting to clarify what they want and identify what's already working
Scaling techniques to track emotional regulation progress over time
Mindfulness practices to reduce impulsivity and improve self-regulation
Role-playing and peer feedback exercises to build social skills in real-time
Emotional literacy discussions to name, understand, and work with feelings rather than fight them
Research on ADHD and anger neuropsychology suggests that teaching attention training as an emotional regulatory tool can reduce problematic anger expression, exactly the kind of skill-building this group is designed to support.
About Robert Givenrod
Robert Givenrod, MFT Trainee, Supervised by Cassandra Seidler, LCSW #117734
Robert brings extensive experience working with veterans and individuals facing complex mental health challenges, including PTSD, substance use recovery, neurodivergence, and work-life balance. He holds a Bachelor's in Political Science from Cal State Fullerton and an MBA from the University of Arizona, which ground his work in systems thinking, human dynamics, and real-world problem-solving. He is currently completing his Master's in Clinical Counseling from UMass.
Robert's therapeutic approach integrates equine-assisted therapy, emotionally focused therapy (EFT), humanistic principles, somatic-oriented work, and DBT-informed techniques. His orientation is collaborative and empowering — he doesn't position himself as the expert with the answers, but as a partner in the process. His clients take an active role in their treatment and recovery, building resilience and agency from the inside out.
At Walk Intuit, Robert receives weekly supervision and ongoing training in trauma-informed care, attachment-based practices, and embodied clinical presence, ensuring the group is held with structure and warmth.
Who This Group Is For
The Men's ADHD Support Alliance is designed for:
Adult men age 18 and older
Men experiencing anger management challenges related to ADHD or other mental health concerns
Men feeling isolated, frustrated, or stuck in patterns that affect their relationships and self-image
Men who are ready to try something different — even if they've been skeptical of therapy before
The group is voluntary and online, making it accessible regardless of schedule, location, or mobility. A brief intake assessment and pre-group meeting ensure it's a good fit for everyone who joins. If this resonates with you, reach out to Walk Intuit to learn more about the group, the intake process, and how to get started.
References
Barkley, R.A. (2015). Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: A handbook for diagnosis and treatment (4th ed.). Guilford Press.
Beheshti, A., Chavanon, M., & Christiansen, H. (2020). Emotion dysregulation in adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: A meta-analysis. BMC Psychiatry, 20, 120. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-020-2442-7
Franklin, C., et al. (2024). The current evidence of solution-focused brief therapy: A meta-analysis of psychosocial outcomes and moderating factors. Clinical Psychology Review. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0272735824001338
Mikami, A.Y., et al. (2010). Social skills training for youth with ADHD. In R.A. Barkley (Ed.), Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: A handbook for diagnosis and treatment. Guilford Press.
Oliffe, J.L., et al. (2022). Men's experiences of mental illness stigma across the lifespan: A scoping review. Frontiers in Psychiatry. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8832600/
Sweeney, J., et al. (2024). Mental health stigma reduction interventions among men: A systematic review. American Journal of Men's Health. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11585030/
Visser, M.J., Peters, R.M.H., & Luman, M. (2024). Understanding ADHD-related stigma: A gender analysis of young adult and key stakeholder perspectives. ADHD Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorders. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/27546330241274664
Zanden, P.J.A.C., et al. (2024). Effectiveness of solution-focused brief therapy: An umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Psychotherapy Research. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39324877/
Walk Intuit is a non-profit therapy practice based in Orange County, California, offering both in-person and online services. The Men's ADHD Support Alliance is offered in an online format to ensure flexibility and broad accessibility. Robert Givenrod, MFT Trainee, is supervised by Cassandra Seidler, LCSW #117734.
