Katherine McAdams

I offer collaborative, direct, and creative therapy tailored to how your brain actually works. We may talk, draw, use metaphors, explore patterns, bring in games or fandoms, or build practical tools. The goal is not to make you more “normal.” It is to help you understand yourself and create a life that fits you better.

Together, we will make sense of what is keeping you stuck, notice patterns without piling on shame, and try strategies that fit your real life. We will build on your strengths, make tasks and transitions more manageable, and create more room for confidence, connection, ease, and joy.

My clients describe me as warm, genuine, direct, and easy to talk to. I bring curiosity, humor, creativity, and a willingness to think outside the usual therapy box. You can show up as you are, with the sarcasm, hyperfixations, unfinished to-do list, and whatever version of you is present that day.

I specialize in working with teens, young adults, and adults with ADHD, autism, anxiety, burnout, perfectionism, and executive-functioning challenges. Many of my clients feel successful on paper but overwhelmed behind the scenes, or tired of masking and trying to force themselves into systems that do not fit.

I became a therapist because I believe people deserve support that doesn't treat difference as failure. I wanted to create the kind of space where people can be honest, curious, creative, and fully themselves while learning how their minds work and building lives that feel more manageable and meaningful.

Sidequests & Sketchbooks offers telehealth therapy for clients throughout Maryland. My work is neurodiversity-affirming, LGBTQIA+-affirming, creative, and gaming/fandom-friendly. Sessions are $200, and I offer a free 15-minute consultation so we can discuss what you are looking for and whether we might be a good fit.