Prepare/Enrich for Couples with ADHD

All couples navigate the balance between taking care of themselves and caring for their partner; however, that balance can be more difficult to find with ADHD in the mix. While all couples can benefit from premarital counseling using Prepare/Enrich, it provides especially useful information for couples where one or both partners have ADHD, aiding in improving communication challenges, differences in organization and time management, emotional regulation, and reducing the potential for misunderstandings and conflicts.

Although Prepare/Enrich is an assessment, it is not a test. There is no “right” or “wrong” answer. It is not designed to tell you whether your relationship will succeed or fail. Instead, it evaluates relationships in terms of their strengths and potential areas for growth.

Personality Scales

Prepare/Enrich incorporates scales to help couples better understand each other’s personalities using SCOPE (Social, Change, Organized, Pleasing, Emotionally Steady). Often, those with ADHD are extroverted, resilient, and care deeply for those around them. However, some elements of change, organization, and emotional steadiness can be difficult for those navigating ADHD. Prepare/Enrich provides the base to explore these personality differences so that couples can focus on strengths and work together to create strategies for areas of growth.

Relationship Dynamics

Using the insight gained from taking a closer look into each person’s personality, we can better understand how these factors show up in the relationship and impact assertiveness, self-confidence, avoidance, and partner dominance. Those with ADHD can often struggle with self-confidence and assertiveness, resulting in a higher level of avoidance. In turn, their partner may be more assertive and dominating. Both partners have good intentions of balancing the relationship, and these are logical responses, but they may benefit more from going about it in a different way. This information allows us to become aware of patterns and dynamics in the relationship and establish a framework for finding balance.

Personal Stress Profile

The Prepare/Enrich assessment also contains measures to take a closer look at what stressors each partner is facing. This can be especially useful for couples with ADHD as it increases awareness for both partners and allows for further exploration as a team. For example, discussing the importance of routines and systems in managing household tasks and responsibilities.

Couple and Family Maps

The Couple and Family Maps are a visual representation of the flexibility and closeness that each partner feels within their relationship and in their family of origin. Connection and the ability to adjust provide additional opportunities to find balance within the relationship. This also provides a great opportunity for couples to decide what relationship patterns from their families they want to bring into their marriage or reevaluate what they may want to do differently.

Through Prepare/Enrich, couples with ADHD can explore strength and growth areas, strengthen communication skills, identify and manage stressors, better resolve conflicts, develop a more balanced relationship, understand personality differences, and maximize teamwork. 

About Brooke | View Profile

Brooke Sanders is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist specializing in anxiety, depression, and relationship issues, ADHD, and maternal mental health. She helps teens and adults improve their relationships with themselves and others by fostering understanding, compassion, and acceptance.