Specialist support for ADHD and addiction across work, life, and recovery

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I'm James Hansen, a specialist addictions counsellor and ADHD life coach – but long before I got here, I was struggling in ways I couldn't explain.There was constant noise in my head, and to escape it, I started abusing substances from a very young age. Things spiralled, and by 15, I was kicked out of my family home.By 20, I arrived at rehab weighing 8.5 stone, carrying everything I owned in a single black bag.Recovery wasn't easy. And it wasn't quick.But it did come, and it changed the direction of my life.Today, I'm over 25 years clean and sober.That experience led me into this work.I trained in addiction counselling and spent the next two decades supporting people through treatment, rehabilitation, and long-term recovery. I’ve worked in clinics, prisons, and specialist services.

Years later, another piece of the puzzle fell into place.My daughter was born weighing just 1lb, 14 oz. We were asked three times to turn off life support.Three times, we said no.All we knew was that our baby was fighting for survival.From May to October, she stayed in hospital.When we finally brought her home, it was oxygen 24 hours a day for two years.Every cold meant three to five days back in hospital.I'd never known pain like it in my life.She survived. She’s here. And at the age of eight, my miracle child was diagnosed with ADHD.Supporting her pushed me deep into the study of ADHD.And the further I went, the more familiar it all started to feel.I began to recognise something I hadn’t expected.Myself.In my late 30s, I was diagnosed with ADHD, and suddenly, my life started to make sense.That combination is what shapes my work today.Lived experience. Professional training. And a deep understanding of how often ADHD and addiction sit side by side, and how easily one can be missed when the other is treated in isolation.My focus is on seeing the full picture, and supporting people at the points where clarity, structure, and steadiness matter most.

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The video below shares a bit more about my story and why I do this work

The discussion is with Dr Phil Anderton and John Reynolds as part of a televised series, ADHD Beyond the Label.

Ongoing ADHD and addiction support following referral

I work with individuals who have been referred to me by clinics, rehab units, or other treatment services.This support is often recommended where ADHD, addiction, or both continue to affect day-to-day life beyond structured treatment. The aim is not to replace existing care, but to provide additional, individual support that fits alongside it.

A note on how this work is approached

There is no fixed structure for this work.People arrive here at very different points, with different histories, needs, and levels of support already in place. Because of that, the work is shaped around the individual rather than delivered as a set programme.Any support is guided by the context of the referral, the recommendations of the service involved, and what feels appropriate for the person at that stage.

Working alongside existing care

Where appropriate, this work can sit alongside ongoing treatment or aftercare, with clear boundaries and respect for the role of the referring service.The focus is on helping people apply insight, stability, and coping strategies in real life, as they transition out of more structured environments and back into everyday responsibilities.

Next steps

If you’ve been referred and are considering support, the next step is usually a conversation.
You can book a call below to talk things through and see whether working together feels right.If you’d prefer not to book a call at this stage, you can also leave your details using the form below and I’ll be in touch.

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Prefer not to book a call yet?

Leave your details below and I’ll get back to you.

One-to-one ADHD support through Access to Work

I provide one-to-one ADHD support for individuals who have been awarded funding through the UK’s Access to Work scheme.This support is practical, individual, and designed to fit around real working lives. It is often accessed following an assessment or recommendation and is delivered on a session-by-session basis rather than as a long-term programme.If you’ve been awarded Access to Work funding and are looking for a suitable provider, this page explains how that support is delivered and what to expect.

Who This Is For

This support is for people who:

This work is designed to fit alongside real responsibilities and working lives.

The type of support offered

Support is delivered one-to-one and shaped around you, rather than a fixed framework.Everyone’s situation is different. Rather than following a set structure, sessions respond to what’s happening in your working life and the challenges you’re facing at that point in time.The focus is on stability, progress, and better day-to-day functioning, grounded in real situations rather than theory.

What sessions typically focus on

This support is for people who:

The emphasis is on realistic progress, not quick fixes.

How sessions are structured

Access to Work typically awards a set amount of funding. The number of sessions we book is guided by the agreed level of funding and the approved support.Sessions are delivered in line with Access to Work guidance and reviewed as the work progresses.

Next steps

If you’ve been awarded Access to Work funding and are looking for a suitable provider, the next step is to book an introductory conversation.This gives us space to discuss your situation, confirm suitability, and agree the most appropriate way forward.

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Prefer not to book a call yet?

Leave your details below and I’ll get back to you.

Support for teenagers and young adults navigating ADHD, emotional regulation, and early addictive patterns, often with family involvement.

If you're reading this, you're probably worried about your child.I understand. Because I was that child.I didn't have the words for what was going on inside my head. I couldn't explain it to anyone because I didn't understand it myself. All I knew was that I felt different. That school didn't work for me, no matter how hard I tried. That I was living in a world I didn't understand, and it didn't understand me either.The teachers didn't know what to do with me. I wanted to learn. I was there, I was trying. But the teaching style, the content, the way things were delivered... none of it was landing. I wasn't connecting.And when you're a kid who can't explain why everything feels so hard, you start to believe something is wrong with you.So I ran from it.Played truant.Started mixing with the wrong crowd. And out of sheer frustration, just wanting to quieten what was going on in my head, I turned to substances from a young age.My mum didn't understand what was happening. How could she? I didn't understand it myself. All she could see was the behaviour. The chaos. The harm it was causing at home. And eventually, she made the hardest decision any parent could make. She kicked me out.I was 15.I don't blame her for that. I was drowning, and I was pulling everyone down with me. But it was never my intention to cause harm. It never was.By 20, I was in a hostel in Brick Lane. Eight and a half stone. Everything I owned in a black bag. Looking out of a window, wondering if it was time to end it all.Life back then was different. There wasn't the understanding. There weren't the avenues of support. And nobody could join the dots between what was going on in my head and the way I was coping with it. By the time I found help, I had already lost years of my life.We've come a long way since then.There's more awareness now, more support. But young people are still falling through the cracks. And when things start to spiral, families often feel like they're carrying it alone.I know that feeling. I watched my mum carry it. And it's a weight no one should have to bear without help.That's why I do this work now.A lot of the parents who reach out to me have already tried other avenues. They've spoken to the GP, the school, different services.They've done their best to be heard.But the conversations go nowhere, or the help offered doesn't match what's really happening at home.If any of that sounds familiar, I imagine you're exhausted.Exhausted from holding it together while watching something unfold that you can't seem to stop.Exhausted from feeling like no one quite gets it.And if that's where you are right now, I want you to know something.You don't have to have all the answers before you reach out.You don't have to be certain about what's happening, or whether I'm the right person to help.You just have to be willing to have a conversation.That's all the first step is.We talk. We work out what's going on. We figure out what kind of support makes sense next – for your child, and for you too. And even if we don't end up working together, you'll walk away with clarity on the best next steps.And one more thing: I work closely with clinics, treatment services, and rehab providers across the UK. If someone needs a higher level of support, I have clear referral pathways, and I'll help you understand the options and move quickly.But it all starts with a conversation.

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Prefer not to book a call yet?

Leave your details below and I’ll get back to you.

P.S. If you'd like to know more about my story and the work I do before getting in touch, watch the video below.

It's a conversation I had with Dr Phil Anderton and John Reynolds on ADHD Beyond the Label. I talk openly about my journey and what led me to this work. It might give you a clearer sense of whether I'm the right person to support your family.

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Sustaining a successful career or business while battling ADHD, addiction,or both
often comes at a cost

If you're tired of holding it all up at work but falling short at home, it's time to face what's really burning you out.

I’ve worked with hundreds of people living with ADHD, addiction, or both, many of whom carry significant responsibility at work.They’re exceptional at building, creating, and pushing things forward, but it nearly always comes at a cost.And that cost, unmanaged, can look like:

ADHD and addiction overlap far more than most people realise.Not coincidentally.Often, as a way of regulating the chaos.After years of working in this space, the pattern is always familiar. And it usually lands in one of four places:1) ADHD on its own
2) Addiction on its own
3) Both running side by side4) Or ADHD that was never diagnosed and has been quietly driving addictive behaviour in the backgroundThis is where things tend to break down.Most ADHD specialists don’t work with addiction. And many addiction specialists don’t understand ADHD.So one side gets addressed while the other keeps pulling the strings.People do the work.
They commit.
They try to change.And still end up stuck in the same loop, confused about why progress never holds.

Why I Do This Work

I’ve spent most of my life helping people find their way back from burnout, addiction, and chaos because I’ve lived through all three.

Professional background

Lived experience

My diagnosis changed everything and nothing at the same time.Finally, an explanation — but still the same brain.It was the moment I stopped blaming myself for the chaos of the past — and saw that the future was mine to rebuild.But understanding it didn’t quiet the noise or undo the habits. It just made me see them more clearly.And in that clarity, I began to see the link between my drive and my destruction. Between achievement and exhaustion. Why I could build a business yet lose myself in the process.In the end, what made the difference was simple.I’d spent years studying human behaviour and helping others rebuild their lives — but turning that knowledge inward was something else entirely. It forced me to live what I’d been teaching.Now I help others break that same cycle.

What I Do (and Don’t Do)

Who This Is For

People carrying high levels of responsibility who:

If you’re looking for a quick boost or a short-term fix, this won’t be for you.But if you’re ready to face the truth, stop running on fumes, and build something that finally lasts — this is where it starts.

What Working Together Looks Like

I offer a 12 week Escape the Chaos programme designed around you and the stage of life you’re in.Every person I work with is different, which means the process never looks exactly the same twice.There is only one fixed point.We always begin by going deep into your story — the patterns, experiences, and beliefs that still drive your decisions today.What we uncover there shapes everything that follows.From that point on, the work is tailored to what you need, at the pace you need it.There is no rigid week-by-week syllabus because real change isn’t linear. It’s personal.But the goal is always the same:

To understand what’s driving your patterns, reduce the overwhelm and build a steadier, more sustainable way of living.

• Read the full programme overview

There are two ways of working with me:

Remote

Weekly one hour sessions over video, giving you consistent support and clarity each week.£2,795

Combined

Video sessions plus two half day workplace/home visits for deeper insight into how your environment shapes the way you work and feel.£6,995

Both run over 12 weeks.

How It Works

Book a free 30-minute call.
On it, we will:

I only take on a small number of clients I’m confident I can help.If it turns out we’re not a fit, that’s okay — it just means the timing or situation isn’t right.If we are, you’ll know exactly what to expect.

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P.S. This work is personal. If you’re considering taking the next step, it can help to have a sense of the person you’d be working with.

Below is a recent podcast conversation where I share my own story and what led me to this work.The conversation is with Dr Phil Anderton and John Reynolds for ADHD Beyond the Label, a televised interview series.

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