Meet Our Team - Adrienne Kandhari
Adrienne Kandhari, LMHCA
Position at the Hallowell Todaro ADHD Center:
LMHCA, Therapist
How long have you been working at Hallowell Todaro ADHD?
I have worked at the front desk since 2019 while completing grad school. In June, I will transition to working as a therapist.
Where did you grow up?
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
What are your favorite books / TV shows / movies?
My favorite book is Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. I enjoy watching any British procedural or The Great British Baking Show. I can’t recall my favorite movie but it is probably British as well.
What’s your favorite sport and/or sports team?
My favorite sports are skiing and hiking. I enjoy cheering on the Seattle Sounders and the Chicago Cubs from time to time.
Complete the following sentences:
When I’m not at work, you can find me...
doing something outdoors (soccer, frisbee, inline skating, paddle boarding, hiking, skiing), working on a new sewing project, or doing something creative.
When I want to de-stress, I...
find ways to move my body. This might be going for a walk or doing something outdoors. I also find that doing something creative such as drawing or painting is a great way to destress.
My favorite time of year is...
the fall.
My favorite thing to cook is...
any kind of Indian food but my favorite is probably vegetable or chicken biryani.
The best gift I ever received was…
as a teenager for my birthday one year, my friends pulled together their own money to buy me a ticket to go see the musical Hairspray. Me and my friends went together to go see it and I thought it was a very generous and kind gift. At that time, it really meant a lot to me. I felt very seen at that moment.
If I could travel anywhere in the world, I’d go to...
Vietnam.
If I could travel again to anywhere, it would be India. I would love to spend time with my in-laws, family and friends who I haven’t been able to see due to the pandemic.
What led you to pursue a career helping others?
I taught art in India and through that time I met some really wonderful art therapists who introduced me to the work of therapy. When I returned to the U.S., I worked at a PMIC (Psychiatric Medical Institute for Children) facility where I worked with kids with acute mental health conditions. I found this work to be really rewarding and I knew I wanted to follow this career path.
What education, skills, and expertise do you bring to your role?
I graduated from The Seattle School in April 2021 with my Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology. I completed my clinical internship working with adult populations ranging from ADHD, Phobias, Anxiety/Depression and Eating Disorders just to name a few.
In addition to my graduate work, I received my Bachelor of Arts in Art Education K-12 in 2013. I spent time teaching art overseas and I feel grateful to have been able to experience other cultures. Having worked with children in a residential facility, I have experience working with acute mental health conditions as well as crisis intervention. Regardless of whether you categorize yourself as creative, I love to encourage everyone I work with to find creative ways to express themselves and give voice to their own stories. As much as I call myself a therapist, I also call myself an artist.
Who/what inspires you?
Nature. It provides us with so many life lessons such as resilience, beauty in diversity, growth, renewal, and the natural cycle of life.
What’s your personal philosophy/approach toward the work you do?
My approach is grounded in relational psychodynamic theory with a systems lens. Psychodynamic theory is based on the belief that relationships shape us, harm us, and heal us. Throughout the course of therapy I will explore emotions experienced in the present moment between client and therapist, what is happening in the here-and-now, responses felt within the body, formative relationships such as family of origin, and unconscious motivations. In addition, I find it valuable to do this work using a systems lens, meaning considering the ways we have been shaped by the larger social systems we live in.
What is one small thing people can do to improve their lives and increase their happiness?
Play. No matter what age you are, we all need to play. Play is just doing something for fun, without purpose or a final goal in mind. Play fosters creativity and has been shown to improve brain functionality and emotional well-being. Play can be anything from going for a walk, dancing, giving a new hobby a try, crossword puzzles, or picking a new hike to discover.
We provide a range of support for people with ADHD.