“Focused Forward gets it! If you or someone you care about has the adult version of ADHD, read this book. Written by a man who’s worked in the trenches his whole career, this book is full of practical tips as well as a deep understanding for what this widely misunderstood condition is truly like. A hugely valuable contribution to the treatment of adult ADHD.”
--Edward M. Hallowell, M.D., New York Times–bestselling author of Driven to Distraction
“James Ochoa’s new book, Focused Forward: Navigating the Storms of Adult ADHD is very moving, easy to read, and reflects the obvious depth of the author’s clinical experience. This book could only have been written by someone who has spent many years successfully guiding adults to navigate the complex storms of adult ADHD. This book is a rare combination of warmth, wisdom, and innovative tools that can sooth the ADHD soul!
I have already started recommending this book to my clients! Mr. Ochoa’s ground-breaking concept of the Emotional Distress Syndrome profoundly affects countless adults with adult ADHD and now gives clinicians and adults a previously missing but critical understanding that can lead to healing the wounds of the accumulated assaults of growing up with ADHD.”
--Sari Solden, MS, LMFT, bestselling author of Women with Attention Deficit Disorder and Journeys Through ADDulthood
“Finally, a book that gets to the heart of the matter! James Ochoa breaks the silence and brings a voice to possibly the most devastating and misunderstood aspect of ADHD—the emotional distress. He offers practical tools and coping strategies to help people with ADHD close the gap between surviving and thriving. This book is a must for people with ADHD, their loved ones and their helping professionals!”
--Nancy A. Ratey, Ed.M., MCC, bestselling author of The Disorganized Mind
“If you’ve struggled to make sense of your adult ADHD brain, Focused Forward: Navigating the Storms of Adult ADHD is the owner’s manual you’ve been waiting for.”
--Christie Sprowls, Psy.D
“James Ochoa has a unique perspective on the emotional stress of ADHD—he has the disorder himself and he’s spent his career working with ADHD adults. I believe there’s a tremendous need for this book, Focused Forward: Navigating the Storms of Adult ADHD. As a cognitive behavioral therapist, I’m no stranger to patients who can describe the emotional distress of ADHD in vivid personal detail, without knowing what it’s called, let alone how to address it. Indeed, as far as I know, James Ochoa is the first clinician not just to identify this all-too-common syndrome, but to brainstorm unique fixes. The techniques and stories in this book will serve as a valuable adjunct to cognitive therapy making it invaluable to patient and therapist alike. If you strive for emotional health, pick up this book!”
--Lawrence P. Bachus, Ph.D.
“From a firm grounding in neurobiology and sound clinical experience, James Ochoa, LPC, has created a masterful toolkit for those with Adult ADHD, their loved ones and the therapists who work with them. With endearing candor and warmth, James ignites compassion and hope with practical tools for healing. I have already applied these non-pathologizing principles with my clients with gratifying results. Focused Forward is a treasure.”
--Lucy Griffith, Ph.D.
“James Ochoa’s book is a wonderful resource not only for adults with ADHD, but also for those who love and work with them. As with any chronic condition, ADHD can have a profound effect on emotional well-being. Mr. Ochoa aptly demonstrates the corrosive effects ADHD has on emotional functioning. He is not content simply to identify the challenges of ADHD for adults, but goes on to provide immediately useful and practical strategies for successfully managing ADHD. Focused Forward is a welcomed resource full of practical guidance.”
--Gary Yorke, Ph.D., Founder, Austin Behavioral Health Center
“James Ochoa’s breakthrough methodologies have turned a weakness into strength for adults with ADHD. His insights and techniques have helped creative people and entrepreneurs achieve their potential. He has written a very engaging book which is easy to digest and simple to follow. You’ll learn how the ADHD brain works and more importantly, how to use ADHD to your advantage. What makes this book so important are the concrete steps James outlines to help people with ADHD be their best. Focused Forward: Navigating the Storms of Adult ADHD provides a new, unique treatment for adults with ADHD. It is a must read.”
--Doreen Lorenzo, Co-Founder, Vidlet, Past President, frog design and Quirky
“The tools in this book are what I have been looking for ever since I was diagnosed with ADHD. I have used most of the techniques for dealing with the external world. They have all helped but only to a point. I was missing the techniques for dealing with my internal world but could not find them, until now. I dove into the middle of the book as James suggested for someone like me and found techniques that I was able to immediately put to use. I look forward to integrating these ideas into my life and passing them onto my clients. It is my personal opinion that this book could also be valuable to those that are not ADHD but are being stressed by the hectic modern world we live in. That could be just about anyone!”
--Tom Viets, ADHD Life Coach
“As a classroom teacher, reading specialist and dyslexia therapist for the past 30+ years, I have taught and experienced numerous students with ADHD. Focused Forward: Navigating the Storms of Adult ADHD was quite enlightening and informative for me because it helped me understand this disorder at a deeper level. As I read the book, many of my past and present students came to mind and what they go through as a person with this disorder. It will be a book of reference for me and I have even implemented a few of the strategies with some of my students and the response was very positive. I feel a much stronger compassion for these students now.”
--Mary Cook, Academic Language Therapist at Rawson Saunders School in Austin, TX
“Focused Forward: Navigating the Storms of Adult ADHD by James Ochoa is a small, but powerful book that will change lives for those with ADHD and their significant others who read it. The style of writing is extremely user-friendly with each section flowing seamlessly into the next. It is full of valuable information about the diagnosis of ADHD, particularly for adults, along with practical and relevant strategies that can be of immediate help to those persons struggling with the emotional impact of ADHD in their lives. The uniqueness of this book is the very personal and authentic stories that the author, himself a therapist, shares of his own struggles in living his life with ADHD, stories that will resonate with and touch the hearts of all who read it. Focused Forward is a much-needed and important addition to the resources available on ADHD.”
--Rona Pogrund, Ph.D., Professor, Texas Tech University, College of Education-Special Education Program
“Insightful and plain spoken, this book goes to the heart of what can be the crippling self-doubt and self-sabotage of adult ADHD. The analogy in the title to a ’storm’ is very powerful image for the ADHD individual who has often struggled for years. The diagnosis of Emotional Distress Syndrome captures that overwhelming sense of private hopelessness with a public face that is maintained to attempt functioning with a crippling emotional distress.”
--Kern Vanderburg, Business Development Professional
