Tommy Underhill selected to present at 2026 International Symposium on Sex Therapy in Budapest Hungary
TL;DR
This post announces that Tommy Underhill will present The Necessity of Sex Therapy for Adolescent Female ADHDers at the 2026 International Symposium on Sex Therapy in Budapest. The work builds on his 2025 research on ADHD Baseline Trauma and proposes viewing ADHD as a cultural identity as well as a diagnosis. It argues that therapists and caregivers have an ethical duty to address adolescent sexuality honestly and with age-appropriate guidance.
Tommy Underhill will present current research on The Necessity of Sex Therapy for Adolescent Female ADHDers at the third-annual International Symposium on Sex Therapy hosted by the School of Sex Therapy and the International Association of Psychosexual Therapists to be held in Budapest, Hungary May 18-20, 2026.
His current presentation builds upon research presented at the 2025 International Symposium on Sex Therapy in Hvar, Croatia, and published in the International Journal of Psychosexual Therapy, entitled ADHD Baseline Trauma in Romantic Relationships.
Tommy’s research seeks clarity around the long-term effects of risky sexual behavior in the lives of adolescent female ADHDers. His presentation challenges the conventional, pathology-driven understanding of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) by proposing a cultural framework for interpreting ADHD identity applied particularly to adolescent female ADHDers. Drawing from clinical research and client narratives, the research explores how the lived experiences of ADHD individuals form a coherent, culturally-distinct set of values, communication patterns, and behavioral norms that diverge from neurotypical expectations.
The presentation emphasizes how viewing adolescent female ADHD through this cultural lens reveals unique vulnerabilities across adolescence and sexual development, group and gender identity, and relational functioning. It highlights the ethical consequences of minimizing sexuality in therapy and underscores the need for developmentally-appropriate, culturally-competent, sexuality-informed mental health care.
Through a synthesis of developmental psychology, sex therapy literature, and neurodiversity-informed ethics, this presentation argues for a paradigm shift: recognizing ADHD not merely as a clinical diagnosis, but to include a cultural identity that demands tailored, respectful, and affirming therapeutic engagement.
While self-sexualization is not unique to adolescent ADHD, the emotional and neurological traits of ADHD including ADHD Baseline Trauma (ABT), rejection sensitivity, impulsivity, poor self-esteem, and challenges in executive dysfunction make some adolescent females more vulnerable to sexualizing their identities or behaviors to meet social demands. Neglecting the impact of modern adolescent sexuality can lead female ADHDers to shame, confusion, and vulnerability to exploitation in their desire for in-group acceptance. Therapists and caregivers have an ethical and developmental duty to respond to adolescents’ sexuality with honesty, openness, and age-appropriate guidance.
