Standard DBT isn't built for your ADHD brain. Structure, shame, and overwhelm — sound familiar? The Impulsive Thinker® and Scott Spradlin call out where therapy misses neurodivergent entrepreneurs.

In This Episode:

• Where traditional DBT gets ADHD completely wrong
• Why shame and guilt dominate the ADHD Entrepreneur experience
• How DBT can finally work when tailored to your actual brain

What You'll Take Away:

• Regimen isn't the answer — acceptance and flexibility matter more
• ADHD Entrepreneurs fail therapy when therapy fails them
• "You don't have to obey your urges" — that one line changes everything
• Radical acceptance feels impossible when your brain's invalidated daily
• Structure must serve you, not the system

GUEST BIO Scott Spradlin is a Kansas-based licensed counsellor and co-director at North Star TCC. He's co-authoring the first DBT Skills Workbook built for adult ADHD brains.

www.wisemindwiselife.com

www.northstartcc.com

Books by Scott

The DBT Skills Workbook for Adult ADHD, with Mariah Spradlin (2026, New Harbinger)

Don't Let Your Emotions Run Your Life (2003, New Harbinger).

Follow Scott

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dbt4adhd

X: https://x.com/wisemindlife

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wisemindwiselife/

You might also be interested in: 🤔 ADHD Entrepreneur Blocked by Emotions? Get Unstuck Now! | Dr. Alexandra Philipsen | EP235

ABOUT THIS EPISODE This episode breaks down why classic DBT does not work for most ADHD Entrepreneurs. The Impulsive Thinker® challenges therapy frameworks with Scott Spradlin, who is rewriting DBT for real neurodivergent adults. They get specific about why structure and homework overload flop for ADHD brains. The conversation uncovers the guilt, shame, and endless "just try harder" messages pushed by society's measuring stick. They cover how adapted DBT flexes for ADHD — and why flexibility and radical acceptance are what actually help Entrepreneurs. If therapy has ever felt like another system built to kick you out, hit play now.

Email me about it at [email protected]. Remember — ADHD failure is measured on society's measuring stick. Not yours. Your brain runs on interest, not importance. That's not a flaw. That's a different operating system. ADHD is not a deficit. It's a difference.

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00:00 Introduction to DBT and ADHD

02:36 Understanding the Shortcomings of Traditional DBT

05:27 Adapting DBT for ADHD: The Neurobiological Perspective

09:47 Balancing Structure and Flexibility in DBT

12:02 Validation vs. Shame in Therapy

12:55 The New DBT Workbook for ADHD Adults

17:09 Distress Tolerance and Radical Acceptance in ADHD

21:05 The Importance of Understanding ADHD in Therapy

23:27 Conclusion and Resources

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