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Executive Functioning Therapy

Executive function skills are crucial for school, work, and daily living. If you’re struggling with executive functioning skills like focus or time management and searching for “executive function therapy near me,” our Palo Alto clinic can help.

What Is Executive Function?

Executive function refers to a set of cognitive skills that allow you to focus your attention, remember instructions, and manage tasks. Your executive functioning links your past experiences with your present actions, allowing you to learn from past events and adjust your current behaviors and emotions accordingly.

Your executive function skills give you the ability to succeed in school and work by helping you keep track of time on your assignments and sustain your attention long enough to complete your homework or work project.

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Examples of Healthy Executive Functioning Skills

  • Stopping inappropriate actions
  • Thinking before you act
  • Easily shifting from one situation or subject to the next
  • Maintaining emotional control
  • Initiating tasks
  • Planning and organization
  • Self-monitoring
  • Problem-solving

Working memory is also part of your executive function skills. This type of memory allows you to hold multiple pieces of information in your memory long enough to solve a problem, determine your next action, and participate in conversations.

What Is Executive Dysfunction?

Executive dysfunction is an impairment in your brain’s ability to organize or control your thoughts, behaviors, and emotions. It can occur in both children and adults and can be a symptom of various other conditions, such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), brain injuries, or trauma. Whatever the cause, treatment for executive dysfunction can help you or your child better manage life’s demands.

Examples of Executive Dysfunction

Distractibility
Trouble focusing or focusing too much on one thing
Difficulty planning
Struggling to start or finish tasks
Problems changing subjects or tasks
Frequently misplacing items
Lack of impulse control
Frequent spacing out or daydreaming

Who Can Benefit from Executive Functioning Therapy?

Executive functioning counseling can be especially helpful for those with:

  • Substance abuse problems
  • ADHD
  • Autism
  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) 
  • Depression
  • Schizophrenia
  • Brain damage
  • Neurodegenerative diseases

Even if you don’t have a diagnosed mental health condition, it’s common to experience some challenges in keeping up with the demands of the modern world. If you’re struggling to manage your tasks and responsibilities or finding yourself stuck in dysfunctional patterns, executive functioning therapy may help.

How Our Executive Functioning Therapy Program Can Help You or Your Child

Neuropsychological Assessment for Developmental Delay

The team at Abbey Neuropsychology Clinic in Palo Alto, California, offers executive function therapy that helps each person learn and improve their executive function skills.

Understanding Executive Function Skills

First, an executive functioning therapist will perform a neuropsychological assessment to determine your executive function skill levels. They will identify your current skills and areas for improvement and help you understand the importance of executive function for achieving your goals. Using examples from daily life, graphics, and visual aids​ , they will help you see the role each executive function skill plays in your daily activities.

Next, you and your therapist will decide which skills are most important to work on, whether for academic, work, or other goals. Your therapist will create a custom treatment plan to improve executive function skills and help you reach your goals.

Our executive functioning therapy focuses on behavioral strategies. We’ll teach you how to use memory aids, time management techniques, note-taking, self-monitoring aids, daily organizers, and techniques for keeping emotions in check. You’ll also learn how to advocate for yourself.

Your therapist will track your progress and use assessments to measure the effectiveness of your treatment plan. As your skills improve, external aids will be withdrawn so you can internalize your skills.

Our clinic is now offering Telehealth to clients in California, Texas, and Florida!

How Long Does Executive Functioning Therapy Last?

The duration of executive functioning therapy will depend on your needs, goals, and rate of progress. However, it’s not unusual for sessions to last anywhere from six months to a year.

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