ADHD treatment in Texas
Telehealth psychiatric care for adults — based in Austin, serving patients statewide.
Adult ADHD shows up as more than trouble paying attention. It is a difference in how the brain regulates attention, motivation, time, energy, and emotion — and it affects nearly every part of daily life, from starting a load of laundry to keeping up with email, relationships, and work. ADHD presents in different ways: a primarily inattentive picture (drifting focus, lost keys, half-finished projects), a hyperactive-impulsive picture (internal restlessness, interrupting, blurting), or a combined picture. Many adults — especially women, BIPOC folks, and people with an AuDHD profile (autism + ADHD) — were missed in childhood because they did not match the stereotype.
If you have spent years masking, white-knuckling your way through deadlines, or wondering why effort that works for everyone else does not seem to work for you, that exhaustion is real. We approach ADHD as a form of neurodivergence, not a character flaw. Our goal is to understand how your brain actually works, treat what is treatable, and build supports around the rest.
A note on stimulants: This practice does not prescribe stimulant medications (Adderall, Vyvanse, Concerta, Ritalin, Focalin, etc.) for ADHD. Treatment here is non-stimulant medication management plus behavioral and environmental strategies. If stimulant treatment is what you're looking for, you're welcome to keep an existing stimulant prescriber and use this practice for the rest of your psychiatric care, or I'm glad to refer you to a colleague who specializes in stimulant management. See the full prescribing policy for details.
Signs you may benefit from treatment
- Difficulty initiating tasks — even ones you genuinely want to do
- Executive dysfunction that feels like hitting a wall between knowing and doing
- Time blindness: 10 minutes and 2 hours feel the same
- Sensory overwhelm in noisy, bright, or crowded environments
- Emotional dysregulation — feelings hit fast and hard
- Hyperfocus on one thing, then real difficulty switching to the next
- Working memory slips — you walk into a room and forget why
- Restless body or restless mind, even when you look still
- Impulsivity in spending, words, decisions, or relationships
- Sleep that runs late, with a racing mind at bedtime
- Bone-deep exhaustion from years of masking and over-functioning
- Co-occurring anxiety, depression, or burnout that never fully lifts
How Eki Mental Health PLLC treats adhd
A thorough evaluation is the foundation. We use validated self-report rating scales such as the ASRS-v1.1, a structured clinical interview, and a careful history of childhood symptoms — because adult ADHD is a developmental condition, not something that begins in your thirties. We also rule out or address conditions that mimic or overlap with ADHD, including anxiety, depression, trauma responses, sleep disorders (particularly sleep apnea and delayed sleep phase), and thyroid dysfunction.
Treatment is individualized and centers on non-stimulant medication options, plus — just as importantly — environmental and executive-function strategies. Medication can quiet some of the noise, but it does not install systems. We work on both, because real change usually needs both.
Treatment options
1. Non-stimulant medications
Non-stimulant medications are the medication-management foundation here. Several have strong evidence for adult ADHD and are often a great fit when anxiety, sleep, or cardiovascular concerns are also part of the picture:
- Atomoxetine (Strattera) — selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor; not a controlled substance. Builds over 4–6 weeks.
- Viloxazine (Qelbree) — newer non-stimulant SNRI; FDA-approved for adult ADHD.
- Guanfacine ER (Intuniv) and clonidine ER (Kapvay) — alpha-2 agonists; useful when emotional dysregulation, sleep, or hyperarousal are prominent.
- Bupropion (Wellbutrin) — off-label for ADHD; especially useful when depression overlaps.
2. Strategies, coaching, and environmental supports
Medication is not a substitute for systems, and systems are not a substitute for medication — but they amplify each other. ADHD coaching, body-doubling, time-boxing, the pomodoro technique, sensory-friendly environments, and externalized planner systems can all complement clinical care. We will talk through what fits your life and point you to community and coaching resources.
3. Comorbid anxiety, depression, and AuDHD
Co-occurrence is the rule, not the exception. Many adults with ADHD also live with anxiety, depression, complex trauma, or are also autistic (AuDHD). We treat the whole picture — not one diagnosis at a time — so the plan actually fits the person in front of us.
4. If you need stimulant management
Some patients respond best to stimulants, and that's a legitimate clinical path — it's just not one this practice provides. If stimulant treatment is what you need, two clean options:
- Keep your existing stimulant prescriber (PCP, prior psychiatrist, or another PMHNP) for stimulant management, and use this practice for the rest of your psychiatric care. Many patients find this division of labor works well.
- Ask for a referral to an Austin colleague who provides stimulant management for adults — I'm glad to make that introduction.
What to expect at your first visit
Your first visit is a comprehensive 60–90-minute evaluation. We will walk through your history together — including childhood symptoms and school experiences — and review your current symptoms with validated rating scales. We will also ask about prior treatment, sleep, substance use, and any co-occurring concerns, because all of these shape what a safe and effective plan looks like.
If a non-stimulant medication is clinically appropriate, we typically begin treatment at the first or second visit. If you are already on a stimulant from another prescriber and want to keep using it, please plan to continue with that prescriber for stimulant management — I'll handle the rest of your psychiatric care alongside.
Optional: GeneSight pharmacogenomic testing
If you'd like, we can order GeneSight at your first visit — a simple cheek-swab genetic test that analyzes how your body metabolizes psychiatric medications and provides a clinician-facing report to guide prescribing.
Benefits:
- Reduces medication trial-and-error by predicting which medications you're likely to tolerate well
- Identifies medications you may metabolize too quickly (less effective) or too slowly (more side effects)
- Especially useful if you've had a hard time tolerating medications in the past or first-line options haven't worked
- Covers 60+ psychiatric medications — antidepressants, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, anxiolytics, ADHD meds
- One-time test — your genes don't change, so results stay relevant for life and follow you to future prescribers
- Non-invasive cheek swab; results typically return within 2–3 days
Entirely optional — we only order it if you want it. Insurance coverage varies; we'll review cost and coverage with you before ordering.
Insurance & cost
In-network with Aetna and UnitedHealthcare / Optum; most insured patients pay $20–$60 per visit after benefits. Self-pay rates: $400 initial evaluation, $250 standard follow-up. Superbill provided for out-of-network reimbursement. Full pricing & insurance details →