For Creative Minds That Refuse to Be Defined.
The Uncovery Project
Connection Before Correction
: A New ADHD Paradigm
Have the symptoms but hate the diagnosis? Me too.
ADHD is a concept,
a hypothesis.
Not a proven fact.
So is the “executive function” that we are supposed to lack.
People talk about it as if it’s an indisputable truth. They call it neurodevelopmental disorder that will stay with us forever. They say we’ll probably get a raft of comorbidities, such as depression, anxiety and early death.
I reject this narrative, and I’m not alone in this position. What I’ve discovered is that when we restore a robust, stable sense of ourselves, we can let go of this label and the regret, fear and frustration that go with it, we see new possibilities.
It’s not easy, and may be not for everyone, but it is possible.
Change might be slow at first, but each session builds on the one before and increases your freedom. You begin to see yourself differently.
You suddenly realise that the behaviours and thought patterns that led you to type “ADHD symptoms” into Google have let go of you, have stopped defining who you are and what you can do.
The Uncovery Project exists to support you in making this shift
It’s built on many years learning, practicing and applying well-established techniques which I’ve adapted to fit the ADHD style brain.
A heady mix of frustration, hopelessness and determination to find a way to live more and feel better brought it into being. And fury at feeling misunderstood and underestimated by therapists, at being seen as a depressed collection of ADHD symptoms.
Diagnosed with ADHD and depression.
I went to therapy.
I took the meds. And then more meds when they stopped working, and then more again until the third lot left me gurning like a ‘90s clubber, too wired to sit at my desk.
I had to find another way.
So I stopped believing the “your brain is broken (and always will be)” story. I stopped letting other people tell me who I am.
I am not ADHD now, and I never was, even in the worst of times. Nor am I depressed.
It’s a boring, broken narrative. I’d had enough.
I only ever had one problem, one drive that led to the horrors that unfolded: believing in “there’s something wrong with me” that I was defective, lacking and must improve myself.
I would rather eat my own feet than go back to those therapies.
I had to find another way.
I looked into the lives of artists and my life as an artist.
I returned to the therapeutic and coaching models I’d studied and worked out how to make them work with an ADHD mind, instead of trying to fix it.
I spoke to people with the diagnosis and many others who struggle to make use of their abilities.
It’s time to rethink ADHD and ourselves. Join the growing movement beyond the biomedical model and find new ways of understanding and working with your personality, with solid support from the methods and perspectives of The Uncovery Project.
There’s nothing wrong with you
Maybe not nothing ….
but what if it’s nothing more than the usual neuroses and peculiarities? What if you are simply at the edge of the normal range?
What if you are a unique mix of eccentricity, creativity, dark secrets, shame, moodiness, glorious imagination, with a powerful drive and fine sense of right and wrong with an odd proclivity for self-defeating behaviour who has survived some extraordinary situations that would have finished off someone with a less diverse mind.
What if that is true? How would you know?
I don’t mean to be rude, but have you noticed that self-help obsessives are often a bit … dull? I cringe when I remember the bored-mixed-with-incredulity faces that met every enthusiastic explanation of my latest, brilliant project to “fix” me.
ADHD is a hypothesis, but the consequences of being wired this way are real
So how can you live more, feel better and get s**t done without accepting the disorder paradigm?
My methodology is rooted in proven practices, refined to connect with and meet the specific needs and capacity of individuals with ADHD-like tendencies.
At the heart of my approach lies The Sedona Method, a renowned technique designed to help release emotional discomfort and feelings of being ‘stuck’. To complement this, I incorporate my training in bodywork and massage, alongside my expertise in clinical hypnosis.
Disclaimer:
These techniques are designed specifically for adults experiencing mild or mixed symptoms. They are not recommended for children, teenagers, or individuals managing more severe conditions.
Please remember, the content offered here is not medical or psychological advice and should not be treated as such under any circumstances.
If your current diagnosis and treatments are working well for you, keep doing what you’re doing and enjoy the progress you’ve made.
Despite the debates over what it really is, “ADHD” is a useful term to describe a group of behaviours and thinking patterns. While these can bring distinct cognitive advantages and pleasures, such as divergent thinking and innovative problem-solving, they can also perpetuate debilitating cycles of self-doubt and frustration.
Setting aside the standard symptom checklist, what's it like to be you, inside your mind?
Your mind is rarely peaceful. Sometimes the thought battle is subtle, often it’s loud and intense.
Despite your hard work and commitment, you struggle to make use of the talents you have to offer.
Labelling these behaviours and thought patterns as ADHD has led to embarrassment and more difficulties.
Great ideas are easy, you’re full of energy and enthusiasm, yet you never seem to finish or publish anything.
When faced with a task that is dull, authority-related, or you don’t know how to do it, your brain shuts down.
Shame over your perceived lack of achievement or success causes you to avoid people or hide from the world.
The relentless sh**ty thoughts, impulses to do things you shouldn't, impossibility of doing things you should and rapidly changing moods is exhausting
Trusting ourselves isn’t always easy.
ROW OF TESTIMONIALS
So, what to do?
The Uncovery Project approach is nuanced, individualised and unafraid of exploring the depths of our extraordinary inner worlds
I have been on both sides of the diagnosis debate: at first I loved the diagnoses, loved the Ritalin, and loved even more the relief from self-blame. But then the meds stopped working, the side effects were awful and I began to see the label as another thing to obsess over, feel angry about and limited by.
The world likes it when you get stuff done, and on time.
I like it when I get the s**t I need to do done and the s**t I love to do done too.
I wanted to be clear about my stance on these diagnoses so you can decide if this perspective resonates with you. I don’t have the expertise to fully explore this debate, but many others do. You’ll find helpful resources and recommendations at the end of this page.
My focus now is 100% practical, on what works, on what’s here, now and how we can shift our state when we need to.
We don’t need to debate that, we can just do it.
So how is this different from the gazillion other ADHD treatments and coaches on YouTube, TikTok and Instagram?
Firstly, the only way to find out if this is for you is to try it. Here’s a five-minute video of the basic process, and you can do it walking, sitting down or lying in bed. Just give it at as much attention as you can manage and see what happens.
You'll discover that turmoil, frustration and stuckness can be dissolved much faster and more easily than you ever thought possible
This is how it works.
Whether it’s trouble with focus, finishing tasks, or managing intense emotions like anger or panic, the time to learn how to deal with these issues is while they’re happening. That’s why our processes are always available on demand, ready when you need them most.
We work from where the power is, not from where it isn’t.
Many therapies focus on all the things we find difficult, and this attention unwittingly makes the problems bigger and increases our identification with them.
No matter how painful the consequences, none of your behaviours, mistakes, outbursts, lost jobs, abandoned projects define you or who you are. You are infinitely more than any of those events, and the more focus on this perspective, the easier it is to recognise and settle into.
The Uncovery Project
allow you to open to the emotional impact of whatever has happened to you, without dwelling on symptoms and what’s wrong.
The first three steps
1. Everything is welcome here
Every thought, feeling, judgment, or sensation is welcome here. Rather than resisting or controlling, allow yourself to gently open to everything you are experiencing right now. It’s not about fixing or changing—just letting it be.
2. You don’t need to do anything
There’s no need to act on or solve what’s happening in your mind. Simply notice that there is space for all your thoughts. The discomfort often comes not from the thoughts themselves, but from the effort to control, analyse, or make sense of them.
3. It's not personal, not about you or who you are.
Feelings are far less personal than they would have us believe. They don’t define you or reflect who you are at your core. Recognising this can help you break free from the “always” and “never” assumptions that keep you stuck.
These first three steps already offer relief and lay the foundations for a calmer, clearer state of mind. If time allows, you can take it further and delve deeper into freedom.
4. Apply the specific process that fits what'S going for you
For example you might want to let go of intense emotions you feel towards someone, set a goal, make an important decision, or reconcile conflicting feelings you have about a person, a situation, or even yourself.
5. Continue your day at ease in the world with a clear mind.
Sometimes, relief and clarity feel immediate, like a weight being lifted. Other times, it sneaks up on us a few days later, when we realise the thing that once gripped us so tightly is no longer bothering us.
This is what it isn't
Techniques to organise yourself, create new habits or make better lists
No talk of embracing journeys or neurodivergent brains.
Mindfulness (it's beyond the mind but more active and structured than mindfulness)
Wouldn't it be better to think for yourself again and restore your inner sense of what's right for you, rather than having someone else define who you are?
About me
Initially, I was delighted with the diagnosis and then with the meds. Such a relief. Everything made sense.
Then the Ritalin stopped working. Then the side effects began – panic, moodiness, anxiety – and switching meds brought no relief. At this point, the treatments and the identity that went with them, were worse than the disease.
Now I had the thinking patterns, behaviours and consequences of them, plus a label as someone with an incurable neurodevelopmental disorder. I say a loud and clear No to that. I don’t buy it. I will not let that define who I am.
I had to find another way.
The Uncovery Project is the result.