Meet Lauren Brown,
PMHNP-BC
Board-Certified Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
Vanderbilt University · ADHD Specialist for Women
Highly trained. Genuinely understanding. Specialized in what others have missed.
North Star ADHD Psychiatry for Women was created to help brilliant women get the clarity, diagnosis, and care they deserve — from a clinician who understands how ADHD actually shows up in women's lives.
Board Certified
PMHNP-BC
Why This Work Matters to Me
Many of the women I work with look successful on the outside.
They have accomplished careers, families, and responsibilities. From the outside, it often appears like everything is together.
But privately, many feel overwhelmed, disorganized, and exhausted from constantly trying to keep everything afloat.
When they finally come in for an evaluation, many describe feeling like this:
- Constantly behind, no matter how hard they work
- Unable to focus despite being intelligent and capable
- Overwhelmed by daily tasks that seem simple for others
- Confused about why life feels harder than it should
For many of these women, ADHD has simply never been recognized.
They may have spent years being told they are anxious, stressed, or just need better time management — when the real issue was a neurodevelopmental condition that was missed.
I created North Star ADHD Psychiatry to change that story.
My goal is to help women finally understand how their brain works, receive the right diagnosis when ADHD is present, and build a treatment plan that helps them move forward with clarity and confidence.
If you've spent years feeling like something just isn't adding up, you're not alone — and you're not imagining it.
Why ADHD in Women Is
So Often Missed
For decades, ADHD research focused primarily on hyperactive young boys. As a result, the diagnostic criteria were built around the symptoms most visible in that group — impulsivity, physical restlessness, and disruptive behavior.
But ADHD often presents very differently in women.
Instead of obvious hyperactivity, many women experience internal symptoms that are easier to overlook or misinterpret.
These differences are one reason so many intelligent, capable women go undiagnosed for years.
Mental overload
Racing thoughts, constant mental noise, and difficulty quieting your mind.
Chronic overwhelm
Feeling perpetually behind and unable to catch up, no matter how hard you try.
Emotional exhaustion
Intense emotions, difficulty regulating feelings, and burnout from trying to keep everything together.
Perfectionism and burnout
Working twice as hard to appear organized while feeling like you're barely holding things together.
Anxiety masking ADHD
Being treated for anxiety for years without recognizing the ADHD driving it.
Depression as a symptom
Feeling defeated or discouraged after years of struggling without understanding why.
This is why ADHD in women is so often misunderstood — and why a thoughtful, specialized evaluation can make such a profound difference.
Why my approach
is different
The ADHD evaluation I provide is far more than a quick screening or checklist. It is a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation designed to understand your full experience.
As a board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner, I evaluate the full range of psychiatric conditions — not just ADHD. Many women arrive believing they simply have anxiety or need better organization, when the underlying issue may be something deeper.
My approach focuses on understanding the whole person — not just assigning a diagnosis.
During your evaluation, we focus on three key areas:
Understand how your brain works
Explore lifelong patterns of attention, focus, and overwhelm to identify what may have been missed.
Identify ADHD and related challenges
Assess whether ADHD is present while also evaluating overlapping conditions such as anxiety, depression, trauma, or burnout.
Create a treatment plan that fits your life
Develop a thoughtful plan tailored to your goals and needs — including medication, therapy, lifestyle strategies, and practical support.
Many patients tell me that this evaluation is the first time their experiences have truly made sense.
Lauren Brown, PMHNP-BC
Vanderbilt-Trained · Board-Certified Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner · ADHD Specialist
Lauren Brown is a board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner (PMHNP-BC) trained at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing — one of the top psychiatric nursing programs in the country. She specializes in diagnosing and treating ADHD in women, particularly high-achieving women whose symptoms were overlooked or dismissed earlier in life.
With deep expertise in psychiatric evaluation and medication management, Lauren treats the full spectrum of mental health conditions including ADHD, anxiety, depression, trauma, and burnout. Her evaluations are thorough, thoughtful, and designed to understand the whole person — not just assign a diagnosis and move on.
Lauren is licensed in Oregon and provides care exclusively via secure telepsychiatry. ADHD coaching is available to women worldwide.
"Lauren is not just highly trained — she truly understands what it is like to navigate life as a high-achieving woman with ADHD. That combination of clinical expertise and genuine understanding is rare. And it changes everything."
Vanderbilt University
MSN – Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
Board Certified
PMHNP-BC · Nationally Certified
Licensed in Oregon
Telepsychiatry + Worldwide Coaching
"Many women who come to North Star have spent years wondering why life feels harder than it should. My goal is to help them finally understand why — and what to do about it."
"It was the first time someone
truly understood my experience."
Many women tell me that their evaluation was the first time they felt truly heard.
The first time someone took the time to understand their full story.
The first time their struggles were validated instead of dismissed.
For years they had been told they were anxious, stressed, or simply needed to try harder.
But when ADHD is finally recognized and treated, everything begins to make sense.
Clarity changes everything.
If you're reading this, there's a good chance you've spent years wondering why life feels harder than it should.
From the outside, you may look like you have everything together. You're capable, intelligent, and successful in many areas of your life.
But privately, things often feel much harder than they appear.
Staying organized takes enormous effort.
Your mind rarely slows down.
And no matter how hard you try, it can feel like you're always just trying to catch up.
Over the years, many women in this position are told they are anxious, overwhelmed, or simply need better systems.
Sometimes those things are part of the picture.
But sometimes the missing piece is ADHD that was never recognized.
When you finally understand how your brain works, things start to make sense in a completely different way.
You stop fighting against yourself — and start working with your brain instead.
That's the work we do here.
Lauren Brown, PMHNP-BC
Signs ADHD May Have Been
Missed in Women
Many women with ADHD were never diagnosed growing up — especially if they were high-achieving, intelligent, or learned to compensate early.
You did well in school, but everything felt harder than it looked for everyone else.
You constantly feel behind — even though you're always working hard.
You rely on last-minute pressure to get things done.
Staying organized takes enormous effort.
Your mind feels busy or restless most of the time.
You've been told you are "too sensitive" or "too emotional."
You feel overwhelmed by everyday responsibilities that seem easy for other people.
You often wonder why life feels harder than it should.
If several of these feel familiar, ADHD may be part of the picture.
What Happens During
Your ADHD Evaluation
This is not a quick online quiz or checklist. The evaluation is designed to give you real clarity about how your brain works.
Your Story
We begin by talking through your experiences — including school, work, relationships, and the patterns that have followed you over time.
Understanding Your Brain
We explore how ADHD may show up in your life today, including executive function challenges, emotional regulation, overwhelm, and burnout.
Clear Answers
By the end of the evaluation, you'll have a clear understanding of whether ADHD is present and how it affects your daily life.
A Personalized Plan
If ADHD is confirmed, we create a treatment plan tailored to you. This may include medication, behavioral strategies, or coaching depending on your goals.
Many women tell me this evaluation is the first time their experiences truly make sense.
Ready to finally understand
your ADHD brain?
The 90-minute ADHD Clarity & Optimization Evaluation is designed to help you understand how your brain works — and what will actually help.
90-minute comprehensive evaluation