Steven Ponec

The way I approach working with ADHD varies depending on the age of the client I’m working with.

Kiddos Approach

Having ADHD can make your life at home and school more difficult. You might have a hard time sitting still, remembering what to do, or getting along with others. Big feelings, like being mad, sad, or frustrated, can happen quickly, and it can be annoying when grown-ups tell you to “calm down” or “try harder.” But your brain works in its own special way, and that can be a a good thing.

Therapy with me is a safe, friendly place where you can be yourself. We’ll play, draw, and have other fun ways to talk about your feelings, practice ways to stay calm, and learn tools for your life. I’ve lived my whole life with ADHD, so I understand what it’s like to feel lost and confused about your life.

For parents, counseling helps kids feel more confident, handle emotions, improve sleep and routines, and reconnect with friends and hobbies. Together, we can help your child feel like they can do what needs to be done, and feel understood.

Teens Approach

Being a teen with ADHD can make you feel like everything is happening all at once. Schoolwork, homework, sports, friends, and family expectations can pile up, and it’s easy to feel stressed, frustrated, or like you’re always behind. Social stuff, like group projects, dating, or online drama, can be confusing and lead to big feelings. It’s normal to feel like you’re being criticized more often than you’re being praised, which can affect confidence and self-esteem.

When you do therapy with me, it is a place where you can be yourself and feel understood. I help teens build confidence, manage time and focus, handle emotions, and navigate friendships, family, and school changes. We might try strategies like breaking homework into small steps, using planners or phone reminders, and practicing ways to respond calmly in tough situations.

I’ve lived my entire life with ADHD, so I really get the challenges you face. Together, we’ll find strategies that make life feel more manageable and help you feel more in control.

Adults Approach

Living with ADHD as an adult can be overwhelming. Balancing work, family, household responsibilities, and relationships can feel chaotic, and it’s easy to get behind or forget important things. Stress, strong emotions, and impulsivity can affect your job, friendships, and family life, and burnout or frustration can make things even worse. It can also be hard to plan for the future, stay organized, or manage parenting and caregiving responsibilities while trying to take care of yourself.

When you start therapy with me, it is a kind, understanding space where you can be heard and supported without judgment. I help adults with ADHD improve focus, manage stress, organize daily life, and navigate work, family, and relationship challenges. We might work on practical tools like calendars, reminders, breaking tasks into steps, or creating routines that fit your life.

As someone with ADHD, I understand the personal and professional challenges that come along with it. Together, we’ll find ways to feel more balanced, capable, and confident while reducing frustration and overwhelm.

Adulthood comes with constant change, whether that be new roles, growing responsibilities, changing relationships, and pressure to keep things managed. Many adults find themselves feeling overwhelmed by work stress, family conflict, relationship challenges, or big life transitions. Adults often also will struggle with self-esteem, emotional regulation, or a sense of direction.

As a therapist, I aim to build a strong, trusting relationship where you feel supported, understood, and not judged. I support adults dealing with stress, anxiety, depression, burnout, relationship issues, and identity shifts in all stages of life. My approach is compassionate and client-centered, drawing from mindfulness, CBT, DBT, and ACT to help you learn useful skills while honoring your uniqueness. We will explore what helps you, strengthen emotional resilience, and move toward a balanced and meaningful life.

Being a teenager can be a lot. Your body is changing, emotions can feel intense, and school and friendships get more complicated. You may feel pressure to keep up, fit in, or understand yourself while dealing with stress at home or low confidence and self-esteem issues. Balancing schoolwork, friends, and all the emotional and physical changes is not easy.

I work with teens to help make this stage of life feel more manageable. Being a teen can often mean feeling misunderstood, frustrated, and pressured to get ial all figured out. I help teens create skills that make it easier to focus and feel organized while also being emotionally regulated. Together we’ll also work on building confidence, handling school stress, making friends, and coping with the emotional and physical changes of growing up. Therapy together is a supportive, understanding, and easy going space where we focus on what’s hard and find tools that will actually help.

As someone who remembers how challenging adolescence can be, I meet teens where they are and help them build skills, set goals, and recognize their strengths in a practical, non-judgmental way. Because sometimes having a person in your corner who’s not caught up in the chaos of your everyday life, is the exact right thing to start making life easier.

Relationships can be deeply meaningful and challenging. When communication breaks down, it can feel like you’re stuck in the same arguments, talking over each other, or sitting in heavy silence that feels painful. You may feel unheard, disconnected, or unsure how you ended up feeling so distant from the person you care about. Stress, difficulties with parenting, issues with trust, and changes to your life can impact this emotional distance and add pressure on the relationship.

In couples therapy, I help partners slow things down and find their way back to each other. We work together to improve communication, reduce defensiveness, and understand the patterns that keep you stuck. Using evidence-based approaches like the Gottman Method, along with elements of Emotionally Focused Therapy, CBT, and solution-focused strategies, I support couples in rebuilding trust, strengthening emotional connection, and handling conflict in healthy ways. My goal as a therapist is to help you create a relationship where you feel you’re on the same team, knowing you have each other’s backs.

My counseling style is client-centered, and grounded in empathy, understanding, and genuine care, ensuring you feel safe while receiving the support you need and deserve.

I tailor my approach to fit your needs, drawing from a variety of talk therapy techniques. I incorporate mindfulness practices and collaborate with you to explore solutions that work for your life. We may use tools from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), or one of many other approaches that feels right for you.

My goal is to help you feel heard, supported, and empowered throughout our journey. I do this by aligning with you in finding the solutions that make the most sense for you and your unique experience.