(EMDR + IFS + Sensorimotor, with 90-minute+ Intensives)

TL;DR: Starting is hard when your nervous system confuses effort with threat. That’s why ADHD paralysis often shows up in high-achievers who’ve pushed through for years. EMDR, IFS, and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy address the deeper patterns behind that shutdown—healing the body’s association between performance and danger. With nervous system regulation and compassionate self-leadership, action becomes something you can trust rather than fear.

If you have ADHD, you probably know the feeling: you care about the thing, you want to do the thing… and yet your body won’t start. Suddenly you’re reorganizing apps, researching the “perfect” productivity system, or avoiding the task altogether because it feels too overwhelming. Cue shame spiral. Cue “why can’t I just do it like everyone else?”

Here’s the truth: ADHD paralysis isn’t a character flaw. It’s a nervous-system and brain-based response to stress, pressure, perfectionism, and past experiences that taught your body tasks aren’t safe, achievable, or allowed to be imperfect. Good news: with the right kind of therapy, you can retrain your brain and body to start, keep going, and finish—without burning out.

Why Starting Is So Hard (and Why Willpower Isn’t the Fix)

dc adhd — *Think of initiation (getting started) like a green light in your brain.*

In ADHD, the “green light” depends more heavily on interest, novelty, clarity, and emotional safety. **When a task feels vague, high-stakes, boring, or tied to self-worth, your brain labels it “threat.”** That kicks up anxiety or shutdown—both of which jam the gears.
Common blockers:
**Time blindness & overwhelm:** You can’t feel how long something will take, so it feels endless.
**Perfectionism & rejection sensitivity:** If it won’t be amazing, a part of you would rather not start.
**Body signals of danger:** Tension, shallow breathing, or freeze make action feel unsafe.
**History & meaning:** Old experiences (school, family, criticism) taught your system that tasks = pressure.
If you’ve tried more planners, more alarms, more shame—*no wonder you’re exhausted*. Willpower tools help only when your nervous system feels safe and the task is chunked into doable pieces. This is where **brain- and body-based therapy** comes in.

Why I Use EMDR, IFS, and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy (and Not Just Talk)

Talk therapy can be helpful for insight and accountability. But if your body still goes into freeze when you open the laptop, insight alone won’t move your fingers. I integrate:

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing): We target the memory networks underneath today’s stuckness—times you were criticized, shamed for “underachieving,” or punished for being different. As those memories reprocess, your nervous system updates: “Tasks aren’t dangerous anymore.” Anxiety drops, confidence rises, and starting feels less like stepping into traffic.
IFS (Internal Family Systems): We get to know your inner “parts”: the Perfectionist, the Avoider, the Drill Sergeant, the Optimist, the Tired Teen. Instead of fighting them, we listen to what each one protects (usually hurt or fear). When parts feel respected and led by your core Self (calm, curious, compassionate), they stop yanking the wheel.
Sensorimotor Psychotherapy (somatic work): We build body skills—grounding, breath, posture, and tiny movements that shift you from freeze into safe action. Your body becomes a resource, not an enemy.

I also offer Therapy Intensives (sessions 90 minutes or longer) because deeper work benefits from more time: we can complete a full arc in one sitting—assess, process, and integrate—rather than stopping just as we’re making progress. Many clients find that a few focused Intensives jump-start momentum more than months of brief sessions.

What This Looks Like in Real Life

Imagine you need to write a grad-school essay or send a difficult email. Here’s a simplified flow we might use:

Name the blocks without shame.
“Part of me wants this done. Another part is scared of getting it wrong.” Noticing is power. Shame quiets when parts feel seen.
Somatic safety first.
We practice a few 60-second body shifts so your brain stops reading the task as a threat. (Try one now: feel your feet, press your palms together for 5 seconds, exhale slowly, then let your eyes scan the room—three objects you see, two you feel, one you hear.)
Unburden the past (EMDR).
We identify “touchstone” memories—like a teacher’s comment that your best was “sloppy.” We use bilateral stimulation to reprocess that moment so your body no longer braces as if you’re back in 8th grade.
Re-negotiate with parts (IFS).
We ask the Perfectionist: “What are you protecting me from?” Often the answer is humiliation or rejection. When your Self leads, the Perfectionist can shift from all-or-nothing standards to healthy excellence.
Micro-actions with body cues (Sensorimotor).
Together, we rehearse a 5-minute “start ritual” you’ll actually use: water sip, shoulder roll, breath, set a 7-minute timer, write the messiest first sentence. The point isn’t perfection. It’s momentum.

Over time, your system learns that starting is safe, tolerable, and sometimes… even satisfying.

Two Tiny Practices You Can Try Today

adhd washington dc — **The 7-Minute Bridge:** Set a timer for seven minutes and define the smallest possible starting action (open the doc, write the title, paste the prompt). When the timer ends, celebrate the micro-win. If momentum appears, ride it. If not, take a 2-minute break and repeat. Your nervous system learns “start = short and safe,” which lowers resistance over time.

**Body Permission Statement:** Sit with both feet grounded. Place a hand on your chest and one on your belly. Say: “It’s safe to begin imperfectly. I don’t have to finish; I just have to start.” Then take one slow exhale and begin the first micro-action. This pairs a new belief with a calm physiological state—key for rewiring.

Why Intensives Can Be a Game-Changer for ADHD

ADHD brains benefit from immersion and momentum. In a 90-minute+ Intensive, we can:

Map your parts and triggers, then immediately process a core memory with EMDR.
Practice 2–3 somatic skills until your body “gets it,” not just understands it.
Build a personalized Start Ritual, try it live, and adjust in real time.
Leave with a short plan and two or three “bridge tasks” that are actually doable.

Think of it like a focused reset. Many clients use an Intensive to launch into a semester, a new role, or a creative project; then they follow up with a few regular sessions to keep the gains.

Learn more about therapy intensives here.

What If I Already Have a Therapist or ADHD Coach?

Great. Intensives can supplement your existing support. With your consent, I coordinate care so we’re aligned on goals, roles, and boundaries. Your current therapist remains your steady anchor; I become your focused processing partner to unlock the stuck places. After an Intensive, we share a simple summary of what we did and what helps your system feel safe, so your ongoing work can build on that foundation.

“But I’ve Tried Everything…”

If you’ve done planners, Pomodoro, habit stacks, body doubling, and you still feel jammed—it’s not because you’re broken. Most likely, your nervous system is protecting you from old pain or overwhelming pressure. When we resolve the underlying alarms and give your body a felt sense of safety, the same tools start working better. You don’t have to earn that with more suffering. Your brain is capable of change—at any age.

What You Can Expect Working With Me

Warm, direct, collaborative vibe. I’m here to help you make practical change, not just analyze from afar.
No jargon, no shaming. We translate science into simple, doable steps.
Whole-self approach. Mind + body + story, always.
Trauma-informed & neurodiversity-affirming. We adjust the plan to your wiring, your culture, your values.
Ethical pacing. We don’t push insight or exposure faster than your system can integrate. Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.

adhd treatment dc — **Quick Wins We Might Target**

A 10-minute morning “activation” routine that actually fits your life
A two-line email script to reduce avoidance
A “parking lot” page for intrusive ideas so you can stay with the task
Three body cues that move you from freeze → flow in under 90 seconds
A kinder inner tone that fuels effort instead of draining it

Ready to Feel Different About Starting?

You deserve support that meets how your brain and body truly work. If you’re in Washington, DC (Dupont Circle) or prefer telehealth in DC/MD/VA, we can work together in weekly sessions or through 90-minute+ Therapy Intensives designed to create traction quickly. Many clients notice that when the nervous system settles and old alarms soften, starting isn’t a battle—it’s just the next right step.

Curious? Book a free 15-minute consult. We’ll talk through your goals, your ADHD profile, and whether an Intensive or standard sessions are the best fit right now.

Looking for an ADHD therapist in Washington, D.C. who specializes in brain- and body-based modalities?

Take your first step towards feeling safe to start, finishing with ease, and trusting your own pace.

Schedule a free consultation

(Washington D.C., Virginia, and Maryland residents only)

About the author

Margot Lamson, LCSW-C is a licensed therapist with over 14 years of experience supporting clients in Washington, DC and Virginia. She specializes in trauma recovery, anxiety, ADHD, and relational challenges, and uses evidence-based approaches like EMDR, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy to help clients reduce anxiety, build self-compassion, and heal from the effects of past experiences. At Margot Lamson Therapy, she is committed to providing compassionate, expert care both in-person and online for clients across DC, Maryland, and Virginia.