Therapy for ADHD Masking & Identity Confusion in Oregon

Relational + Expressive Arts Therapy for High‑Masking ADHD & AuDHD Women

Provider Identification & Licensure

Lisa Headings, Registered Associate Therapist — Oregon (R9511)
I provide telehealth therapy for adults (18+) located anywhere in Oregon, practicing under clinical supervision.

My practice focuses on supporting high-masking ADHD and AuDHD women navigating identity confusion, chronic masking, and neurodivergent self-discovery through relational and expressive arts therapy.

Masking is a survival strategy — one you may have learned long before you had words for it. You might shift your tone, your expressions, your energy, or even your personality depending on who you’re with. You might appear confident, capable, or “fine,” even when you’re overwhelmed or unsure. Over time, masking can make it hard to know who you are underneath all the adaptations.

If you’re a late‑diagnosed or self‑identifying ADHD or AuDHD woman in Oregon, you may be carrying years of shape‑shifting, people‑pleasing, and performing. Therapy can help you reconnect with your identity, reduce masking, and build a life that feels more like you.

I support high‑masking ADHD and AuDHD women across Oregon through relational therapy and expressive arts approaches that don’t rely on talking for the entire session.

What ADHD Masking Can Look Like

Masking often shows up in subtle, exhausting ways, including:

• Changing your personality depending on the situation

• Over‑explaining or over‑apologizing

• Hiding confusion, overwhelm, or sensory needs

• Mirroring others to fit in

• Feeling like a chameleon with no stable sense of self

• Performing competence while struggling internally

• Feeling disconnected from your preferences, desires, or identity

• Exhaustion after social interactions, even with people you like

Masking isn’t “being fake.”
It’s a deeply learned survival skill — and it takes a toll.

Why Masking Leads to Identity Confusion

When you’ve spent years adapting to others’ expectations, you may notice:

• You don’t know what you actually enjoy

• You struggle to make decisions without external input

• You feel “too much” or “not enough”

• You lose access to your authentic reactions

• You feel disconnected from your body or emotions

• You’re unsure who you are outside of roles and responsibilities

Identity confusion is not a flaw — it’s a sign that you’ve been surviving in environments that didn’t fit your nervous system.

How Therapy Helps With ADHD Masking & Identity

Therapy offers a space where you don’t have to perform, explain, or adjust yourself to be understood. Together, we can:

• Explore who you are beneath the masking

• Understand the origins of your adaptations

• Reduce shame around your needs and differences

• Reconnect with your preferences, values, and boundaries

• Build a more stable sense of identity

• Create a life that feels aligned with your nervous system

• Develop sustainable ways of being that don’t drain you

This work is gentle, collaborative, and paced to support your nervous system.

Why Expressive Arts Therapy Supports Masking & Identity Work

When words feel slippery or out of reach, expressive arts therapy offers alternative ways to explore your inner world. Creative reflection can also help explore identity beneath long-standing masking patterns. Sessions may include:

• Drawing, mark‑making, or visual journaling

• Movement or body‑based awareness

• Metaphor, imagery, or symbolic exploration

• Creative processes that help regulate the nervous system

• Nonverbal ways of expressing confusion, overwhelm, or self‑discovery

You don’t need to be artistic.
You don’t need to produce anything “good.”
The creative process itself helps reveal what masking has hidden.

Who I Work With

I specialize in supporting:

• ADHD women who mask heavily

• AuDHD women navigating identity confusion

• Late-diagnosed or self-identifying ADHD or AuDHD adults

• People who feel like chameleons or shape‑shifters

• Those who want therapy that isn’t just talking

• Women who are exhausted from performing and ready for something different

If you’ve been praised for being “so adaptable,” “so capable,” or “so easygoing,” but inside you feel lost or disconnected — you’re in the right place.

Strong Match Indicators

This therapy may be a strong match if you recognize yourself in experiences like these:

• You feel like a chameleon or shape-shifter depending on who you’re with

• You’ve spent years masking ADHD traits to appear organized, calm, or capable

• You are a late-identified or self-identifying ADHD or AuDHD woman

• You often feel disconnected from your preferences, needs, or identity

• Social situations leave you mentally exhausted from monitoring yourself

• You want therapy that respects neurodivergence and doesn’t pressure you to perform

What Sessions Are Like

My approach is:

• Relational — grounded in connection, safety, and consent

• Neurodiversity‑affirming — no masking, no performance, no pressure

• Creative — using expressive arts when helpful

• Pace‑honoring — slow, gentle, and attuned

• Body‑aware — noticing sensory cues and nervous system signals

• Shame‑reducing — focusing on compassion, not self‑criticism

Sessions are 50-minute telehealth appointments for adults (18+) physically located in Oregon at the time of the session.
My practice is fully virtual and private-pay.

Credentials & Experience

I am a Registered Associate Therapist in Oregon (R9511) providing telehealth therapy for adults across the state under clinical supervision.

My background includes:

• Training in Expressive Arts Therapy

• Trauma-informed care

• Humanistic and strengths-based therapeutic approaches

Before becoming a therapist, I worked as a special education teacher, where I gained experience supporting neurodivergent individuals in educational settings.

I also bring lived experience as a neurodivergent person, which informs my commitment to creating therapy spaces that reduce shame and support authentic self-understanding.

I continue pursuing additional training and consultation to deepen my work as a neurodiversity-affirming therapist.

Practical Details

• Format: Telehealth therapy

• Location: Adults physically located anywhere in Oregon

• Clients: Adults 18+

• Session length: 50 minutes

• Session fee: $180

• Consultation: Free 15–20 minute introductory call

• Insurance: Private-pay practice (out-of-network reimbursement may be available depending on your plan)

Is This Work a Good Fit?

This may be a strong match if:

• You’re tired of performing or shape‑shifting

• You want to understand who you are beneath the masking

• You’re exploring ADHD, AuDHD, or late diagnosis

• You want therapy that includes creative, non‑talk‑only options

• You want a therapist who understands neurodivergence from lived experience

Not the Right Fit

This work may not be the best fit if you are looking for:

• Crisis or emergency mental health services

• Court-ordered evaluations or documentation

• Therapy for children or adolescents

• Highly structured/manualized treatments only (such as strictly protocol-based CBT)

If you need crisis support, please contact 988 or your local crisis services.

FAQs

What is ADHD masking?

A learned survival strategy where you hide or compensate for ADHD traits to fit expectations.

How does masking affect identity?

Over time, masking can blur your sense of self, making it hard to know your preferences, needs, or boundaries.

Do I need a formal diagnosis?

No. Many of my clients are self‑identifying or exploring their neurodivergence.

Do I need to be artistic?

Not at all. Expressive arts therapy is about process, not skill.

Is this telehealth only?

Yes — I work with adults located anywhere in Oregon.

Next Steps

If this feels relevant to your experience, you might also find these pages helpful:

• High-Masking Autism
• Autism Burnout
• Late Autism Discovery Therapy

You can also:

Learn more about my 1:1 Therapy Services
Learn more about me
Start with the Mini Burnout Reset
Or schedule a free consultation when you're ready.