ADHD Assessment in Santa Monica, CA
If you've spent years feeling overwhelmed, scattered, or like you're constantly falling behind, and you're beginning to wonder whether ADHD might be part of the picture, you're not alone. For many women, and especially mothers, ADHD goes unrecognized for decades. A professional ADHD assessment is the essential first step toward getting answers.
At Birth Feelings in Santa Monica, we provide ADHD assessments for adults, with a particular focus on the experience of women navigating motherhood, postpartum identity, and the complex demands of parenthood. Our approach is grounded in evidence-based evaluation practices and delivered by a licensed professional who understands how ADHD intersects with women's mental health across the lifespan.
Signs an Assessment Might Be Right for You
You might benefit from an ADHD assessment if you experience persistent patterns of:
- Difficulty sustaining attention on tasks that require mental effort, even when you want to focus
- Frequently losing items, missing appointments, or forgetting important tasks
- Starting many projects but struggling to complete them
- Feeling chronically overwhelmed by tasks that seem manageable to others
- Emotional reactivity that feels disproportionate and difficult to regulate
- A lifelong sense of not living up to your potential despite genuine intelligence and effort
- Difficulty with time management and transitions
- Brain fog, distractibility, or a racing mind that is hard to quiet
These patterns are not character flaws. They are neurological. An assessment is the beginning of understanding your own cognitive architecture, and of finding strategies that actually work for your specific brain.
Why ADHD in Women Is So Often Missed
The standard picture of ADHD, the hyperactive, disruptive child who can't sit still, describes a profile that research has shown is far more common in boys than girls. Women with ADHD are more likely to present with the inattentive subtype: chronic disorganization, difficulty completing tasks, emotional dysregulation, and a persistent sense of underachievement despite genuine effort.
These presentations are frequently misread as anxiety, depression, or simply not trying hard enough. The result: ADHD in women is significantly underdiagnosed, often by decades.
Motherhood can function as a stress amplifier for undiagnosed ADHD. The executive functioning demands of parenthood, managing schedules, tracking multiple responsibilities simultaneously, regulating your own emotions while co-regulating a child's, place direct pressure on exactly the cognitive systems that ADHD affects. Many women first seek an ADHD assessment after becoming mothers, when the gap between what they expect of themselves and what feels possible becomes impossible to ignore.
At Birth Feelings, this intersection of ADHD, identity, and the experience of motherhood sits at the center of our clinical focus. You don't need to already have a diagnosis to begin. If you recognize yourself in these patterns, this space is for you.
What Is an ADHD Assessment?
An ADHD assessment is a structured clinical evaluation designed to determine whether Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder is present, and if so, how it is affecting your daily life. Unlike a simple screening quiz, a comprehensive ADHD assessment draws from multiple information sources to build an accurate diagnostic picture.
A thorough adult ADHD evaluation typically includes:
- Clinical interview An in-depth conversation about your current symptoms, developmental history, academic and work experiences, and how ADHD-related challenges show up at home and in relationships.
- Standardized rating scales Validated questionnaires that measure symptom frequency and severity across multiple areas of your life.
- Collateral information When appropriate, input from a partner, family member, or other person who can describe observed behavior patterns.
- Differential assessment A careful evaluation to rule out other conditions, including anxiety, depression, thyroid dysfunction, or sleep disorders, that can mimic or overlap with ADHD symptoms.
- Review of prior records School records, prior evaluations, or mental health history that provide developmental context.
The goal is not simply to assign a label, but to understand your neurological profile in a way that informs a meaningful treatment direction.
What to Expect During Your Assessment
Understanding what to expect can reduce the anxiety that often accompanies the process of seeking evaluation.
Initial Consultation
Your first appointment typically involves gathering background information, understanding your primary concerns, and discussing what the full assessment process will look like. This is also an opportunity to ask questions and determine whether this practice is the right fit.
Evaluation Sessions
Depending on the complexity of the presentation, the assessment may span one or more appointments. Each session is structured to gather the information needed for an accurate diagnostic picture.
Feedback and Results
After the evaluation is complete, you will receive a clinical feedback session explaining the findings and what they mean for your daily life. If ADHD is identified, next steps will be discussed, whether that is therapy, coaching, medication referral, or a combination tailored to your needs.
Assessment Cost and Insurance
The cost of a comprehensive ADHD assessment varies depending on the scope of the evaluation and the provider. We recommend contacting us directly to discuss current fees.
Insurance coverage for ADHD assessments is variable. Rebecca is out-of-network, so you will be provided with a superbill at the end of each month to submit to your insurance for reimbursement. We recommend contacting your insurance provider directly to confirm your out-of-network mental health benefits before scheduling.
If you have questions about the billing process, we are happy to help you navigate it.
Why Choose Birth Feelings for Your ADHD Assessment?
Not all ADHD assessments are equivalent. Working with a provider who understands the intersection of ADHD and women's mental health means your evaluation is interpreted through an appropriate clinical lens.
At Birth Feelings, ADHD does not exist in isolation from the rest of your experience. Your history, your relationships, your identity as a mother or parent all provide essential context for an accurate evaluation. Clients describe our approach as unhurried and personalized. We take the time to understand your full history, not just your symptoms. This is a space where you feel seen, heard, and capable of getting the clarity you've been searching for.
About Dr. Rebecca Branda, PsyD
Dr. Rebecca Branda is a licensed clinical psychologist based in Santa Monica, California. She is a passionate advocate for perinatal mental health and an experienced trauma specialist, with a particular focus on ADHD in women, birth trauma, and the emotional landscape of motherhood. As an emergency c-section mom who later achieved a successful VBAC, she brings firsthand understanding of the transformative, and sometimes shattering, experience of birth and early parenthood.
ADHD Assessment in Santa Monica — Frequently Asked Questions
An ADHD assessment typically involves a structured clinical interview covering your personal history, current challenges, and the contexts in which symptoms appear. Your evaluating clinician will gather information across multiple areas, including work, relationships, daily functioning, and any relevant family history, to build a comprehensive picture. At the end of the process, your clinician will discuss their professional impressions with you and help you understand what the findings mean.
Yes. Adult ADHD diagnosis is increasingly common, and women are disproportionately underdiagnosed in childhood and adolescence. Many women receive their first ADHD evaluation in their 30s, 40s, or later, often after years of being treated for anxiety, depression, or burnout. A formal assessment provides the professional evaluation needed to understand whether ADHD is contributing to the challenges you are experiencing.
ADHD in women often presents differently than the textbook descriptions based on studies of boys and men. Women are more likely to experience inattentive symptoms, including difficulty sustaining focus, losing track of tasks, and feeling mentally overwhelmed, rather than the hyperactive or impulsive behaviors more commonly associated with ADHD in public perception. These presentations are easier to overlook, which is one reason ADHD in women goes unrecognized for so long. A clinician experienced with women's presentations can recognize patterns that a general assessment might miss.
Many women report that ADHD symptoms intensify significantly during and after pregnancy. The postpartum period brings sleep disruption, increased cognitive demands, hormonal shifts, and a dramatic reduction in the routines and structures that helped manage ADHD symptoms before parenthood. If you have found that becoming a mother has made it significantly harder to function, it may be worth exploring whether ADHD is contributing. A professional evaluation can help you understand what is happening and what support is available.
In most cases, you do not need a physician referral to schedule an ADHD assessment with a mental health practice. You can contact Birth Feelings directly to schedule an initial consultation and discuss whether a full assessment is appropriate for your situation. If your insurance plan requires a referral for reimbursement, we can help you understand what your plan requires.
The length of an ADHD assessment varies depending on the scope of the evaluation and the complexity of your history. Your clinician will discuss what the process involves during your initial consultation so you know what to expect in terms of time and number of sessions.
A formal ADHD evaluation from a licensed clinician can provide documentation that may support requests for workplace accommodations or, if you are a student, academic accommodations under disability disclosure processes. The specific requirements for accommodation eligibility vary by employer and institution. Your clinician can discuss what documentation the evaluation provides and how it can be used.
Coverage for ADHD assessments varies by insurance plan and provider. We recommend contacting your insurance provider before your appointment to ask whether mental health evaluations are covered under your plan and whether Birth Feelings is in-network. We are happy to assist you with any questions about the billing process.
An ADHD assessment is an evaluation process that results in a professional clinical impression about whether ADHD is present and how it is affecting your functioning. ADHD therapy, such as individual counseling or coaching, is an ongoing support process that helps you develop strategies for managing ADHD in daily life. Some people begin with an assessment to gain clarity, then move into therapy. Others come with an existing diagnosis and seek therapy directly.
After your assessment is complete, your clinician will review the findings with you in a dedicated feedback session. This conversation covers what the evaluation found, what it means for your daily life, and what next steps might be appropriate, whether that is therapy, coaching, medication consultation with your physician, or simply having language for an experience you have been trying to describe for years. The goal is not just a diagnosis. It is understanding.
Telehealth mental health services have expanded significantly in California, and many assessments can be conducted remotely with the same quality of clinical evaluation. Contact Birth Feelings to ask whether telehealth assessment is available for your situation.
The cost of an ADHD assessment at Birth Feelings depends on the scope of the evaluation and your insurance coverage. We recommend contacting us directly to discuss fees and to verify whether your insurance plan covers mental health evaluations. We are committed to making the assessment process as accessible as possible.
Birth Feelings
Birth Feelings is a perinatal mental health practice in Santa Monica, California, led by Dr. Rebecca Branda, PsyD. We offer ADHD assessments, individual therapy, EMDR, and birth trauma support for women and mothers navigating the emotional landscape of pregnancy, postpartum, and parenthood.
Whether you're processing a difficult birth, adjusting to motherhood, or finally getting answers about ADHD, this is a space where your whole story is honored and understood.
The information on this page is for general educational purposes and does not constitute a clinical diagnosis or treatment recommendation. If you have concerns about ADHD or any other mental health condition, please consult a licensed mental health professional. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis or need immediate support, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988, or reach the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.