Diagnosed With ADHD At 62, Peoria Therapist Publishes Guide For Adults Diagnosed Later In Life

(MENAFN- GetNews) Unleash Your ADHD Warrior earns five stars from Literary Titan and 41⁄2 stars from Self-Publishing Review

PEORIA, Ill. - November 01, 2026 - After more than 35 years helping clients understand their minds, licensed clinical professional counselor Deborah McKenna received a diagnosis that reframed her own life: ADHD, at age 62.

That combination of clinical experience and personal discovery shapes her new book, Unleash Your ADHD Warrior: A Clinical Hypnotherapist Reveals How to Harness Your Gifts, Release the Shame and Thrive, released Oct. 12, 2026, during ADHD Awareness Month.

“This is not a book about managing symptoms,” McKenna said.“It's a book about understanding your operating system.”

The book is written for adults navigating ADHD, especially those diagnosed later in life, and for the people who love them. It combines personal stories, practical exercises, and strategies for organization, emotional regulation, overthinking, follow-through, and the shame that often follows years of feeling misunderstood.

At its center is McKenna's ADHD Wellness Shield, a seven-part framework covering nutrition, sleep, movement, support systems, external brain systems, mindfulness and hypnosis, and purpose and strengths. Readers also learn the 4 Rs (Recognize, Release, Replace, Repeat) and Compassionate Detachment, and receive six original self-hypnosis scripts for use at home.

Literary Titan awarded the book five stars. Editor in Chief Thomas Anderson wrote that it offers“a compassionate and empowering perspective on living with ADHD,” adding that its discussions of women diagnosed later in life“are particularly thoughtful.”

Self-Publishing Review gave the book 41⁄2 stars, calling it“an empowering guide” that is“well-organized and easy to digest.”

The book includes a foreword by Dr. Richard Nongard. A portion of proceeds supports three causes McKenna chose for personal reasons as a Desert Storm veteran living with multiple sclerosis: CHADD, Give an Hour (which serves veterans and military families), and the National MS Society.

Unleash Your ADHD Warrior is available in paperback ($18.99) and Kindle ($9.99) on Amazon and through IngramSpark trade and library distribution. ISBN 978-1736569726.

About the Author

Deborah McKenna, CH, BCC, LCPC, is a certified hypnotherapist, board certified coach, licensed clinical professional counselor, and Desert Storm veteran based in Peoria, Illinois. She is the author of The Cluttered Mind and creator of the ADHD Wellness Shield. She works with clients in person and online, focusing on ADHD coaching, hypnosis, and education.

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