Understanding ADHD, with Bev Watts

Understanding ADHD, with Bev Watts

Thursday 16 April 2026, 7.30-9.30pm at Chandlers Ford Methodist Church and livestreamed via Zoom

Free to HACP members. £10 to non-members.

About Bev

Before transitioning into my career in counselling, I spent over 30 years in education as a teacher and headteacher. This extensive experience has given me deep insight into the challenges faced by children, parents, and educators alike. Leading a school required strong leadership, patience, and the ability to support individuals from diverse backgrounds, all of which have strengthened my ability to offer guidance and understanding in a counselling setting.

​Additionally, as a Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator, I worked closely with neurodiverse young people, ensuring they received the right support to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. This role allowed me to develop a deep understanding of the unique needs of individuals with conditions such as autism, ADHD, and dyslexia. My experience in this area has further enhanced my ability to create an inclusive, understanding, and adaptive counselling environment that meets the needs of all clients.

I currently work both in schools and in private practice as a counsellor with the majority of my clients being neurodiverse.

Understanding ADHD – talk overview

This presentation invites counsellors to explore ADHD through a neurodiversity-affirming and anti-oppressive lens, moving beyond deficit-based and pathologising models toward a more inclusive, ethical, and socially responsive understanding of difference.

Participants will be introduced to the concept of neurodiversity and how it challenges dominant medical and behavioural narratives that have historically marginalised neurodivergent individuals. The workshop will then focus specifically on ADHD, unpacking core traits such as inattention, impulsivity, emotional intensity, and executive functioning challenges, alongside the strengths often associated with ADHD, including creativity, adaptability, and divergent problem-solving.

A central focus of the session is the application of neurodiversity and anti-oppressive principles within the counselling setting. Attendees will examine how power, language, diagnostic practices, and systemic barriers shape neurodivergent clients’ experiences of therapy. The workshop will explore how counsellors can create more accessible and responsive therapeutic environments to work in ways that actively reduce shame, stigma, and internalised deficit narratives.

To attend this meeting via our live-stream on Zoom..

• If you are an HACP member, log into your MemberMojo account here: https://membermojo.co.uk/hacp/signin using your registered email address
• On the ‘Your Membership’ page, scroll down to ‘Store Purchase’ and click ‘Visit Store’
• Select this evening talk and proceed to the (free) checkout
• The link for the talk will be emailed to you immediately

If you want to attend online and can’t use MemberMojo for any reason (or if you are not an HACP member) please email Zana, HACP Administrator, on info@hacp.co.uk and she will send you the link.

Non-members can attend this talk in-person or online, and the fee is £10. If you plan to attend in person you can pay cash on the door, or if attending online, advance payment is requested.