ADHD CBT Skill for Claude Code

A Claude Code custom skill that turns Claude into an evidence-based ADHD Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) assistant.

Disclaimer: This is an AI-assisted tool for learning and practicing CBT skills. It is not a replacement for a licensed therapist. If you are in crisis, please contact a professional crisis hotline immediately.

What It Does

This skill provides structured CBT sessions specifically designed for ADHD, based on established clinical protocols:

• Safren (Harvard/MGH) — the most widely validated CBT program for adult ADHD
• Solanto (NYU) — metacognitive therapy for ADHD
• Ramsay & Rostain — integrated CBT approach

It also draws from third-wave CBT techniques (ACT, DBT, mindfulness) where evidence supports their use with ADHD.

Workflows

Flow	Purpose
A: Initial Assessment	First-time evaluation — collect info, assess functioning, set goals
B: Regular Session	Structured CBT session with check-in, homework review, skill teaching, practice, and assignment
C: Cognitive Restructuring	Deep cognitive work — thought records, identifying thinking errors, Coach B technique
D: Crisis Support	Emotional stabilization — grounding, validation, small-step action (not a regular session)
E: Progress Review	Periodic review of progress, skill inventory, plan adjustment
F: Quick Tools	On-demand CBT tools — thought records, task breakdown, priority sorting, distraction delay, etc.

Reference Knowledge Base

The references/ directory contains structured clinical knowledge that the skill consults during sessions:

• foundations.md — Neurobiology of ADHD, executive function models, CBT rationale
• safren-protocol.md — Detailed Safren/MGH protocol modules
• cognitive-restructuring.md — Thinking errors, thought records, Coach B technique
• behavioral-strategies.md — Organization, planning, time management, distraction management
• advanced-approaches.md — ACT, DBT, mindfulness integrations
• assessment-tools.md — Validated scales and assessment frameworks
• session-guide.md — Session structure and therapeutic techniques

Installation

1. Copy the skill to your Claude Code skills directory

# Clone this repo
git clone https://github.com/LittleSound/adhd-cbt-skill.git

# Copy to your Claude Code skills directory
cp -r adhd-cbt-skill ~/.claude/skills/adhd-cbt

2. Use it

The skill activates automatically when you mention ADHD CBT-related topics in Claude Code, such as:

• "I need a CBT session"
• "Help me do a thought record"
• "I can't focus on anything"
• "I keep procrastinating and beating myself up"
• "My brain won't stop telling me I'm useless"

You can also invoke it directly with /adhd-cbt.

Session Records

The skill generates structured session records in markdown format. You can configure a cbt-sessions/ directory in your workspace to store them:

cbt-sessions/
├── assessment.md
├── session-001.md
├── session-002.md
└── progress-review-01.md

Safety

The skill includes built-in safety boundaries:

• Crisis detection — If self-harm or suicidal ideation is expressed, the skill immediately provides crisis resources and stops the regular session flow
• No medication advice — Redirects to prescribing physicians
• No diagnosis — Only provides skill training based on existing diagnoses
• No trauma processing — Refers to specialized trauma therapists (EMDR, CPT)
• Never blames the user — ADHD is a neurobiological difference, not a character flaw

License

MIT