Dr. Shawn Horn, PsyD

02/27/2026

It was such a wild speaking experience! 😱😂

Were you there?

Let me know! I’d love to hear from you.

I’m so grateful to ICONnect for giving me an opportunity to share my message about Nervous System, emotional regulation and adult ADHD. If you were there, thank you for joining!

💜 Dr. Shawn

02/27/2026

02/27/2026

This reel cracked me up 😂 I hope it made you laugh too.

Did you know that humor heals?

Laughing is actually a ventral vagal activator — your nervous system’s “safe and connected” state (calm, rest, restore, social engagement).

According to Stephen Porges and Polyvagal Theory, the ventral vagal complex supports facial expression, vocal tone, eye contact, and connection.

Laughter activates:

✨ Your facial muscles
✨ Your vocal cords and breath rhythm
✨ Your diaphragm
✨ The social signal that says, “I’m safe with you.”

When laughter is spontaneous, shared, warm, and playful — it’s usually a cue of safety.

Physiologically, genuine laughter:

✨ Increases parasympathetic tone
✨ Lengthens your exhale
✨ Boosts dopamine and endorphins
✨ Can improve heart rate variability (HRV)

It’s basically a mini co-regulation event.

So if this reel made you laugh?

Your nervous system just found a moment of safety.

And that matters more than you think.

I hope this reel made you laugh too and brought a little ventral vagal energy into your day. 🥰

💪 Find small ways to “exercise” that ventral vagal complex (social engagement system) daily — laughter, connection, play. The more you practice accessing safety, the stronger your capacity for emotional regulation and resilience becomes.

💜 Dr. Shawn

If you would like to learn more about nervous system regulation and emotion regulation read my book- Thrive Socially with Adult ADHD.

Whether you have ADHD or not, this book will give you the information and skills needed for improved emotion regulation and resilience.

➡️Share with someone you would like to make smile today! 💕

02/22/2026

Excellent discussion regarding women, girls & ADHD…

Editor's note: This episode includes discussion of su***de and self-harm. Please take care when listening and skip this one if you need to.Dr. Stephen Hinsha...

02/19/2026

Honored to be presenting at ADHD ICONnect 2026, hosted by three of the leading international ADHD organizations — CHADD, ADDA, and ACO — serving clinicians, coaches, researchers, and the global ADHD community.

My session is titled: “State Before Strategy: Emotion Regulation in Adult ADHD.”
This session offers 1 APA-approved CE credit for psychologists.

Together, we’ll reframe a shame-bound narrative —
“What’s wrong with me?”
into a shame-free nervous system understanding —
“This is what’s happening inside of me.”
You’ll learn about Polyvagal Theory, neuroception, and co-regulation — and how to apply these concepts to the unique expression of the ADHD nervous system, including the shame reflex, RSD, and emotional regulation challenges.

This framework is a game changer for bridging the gap between what you know and what you can access in the moment.
Join us online February 25–28.

Repost ➡️ ⬇️
・・・
Join Shawn Horn, PsyD for an engaging session at ADHD ICONnect 2026—where connection, evidence-based insights, and practical strategies come together for the global ADHD community. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn, connect, and grow. Register now!

🔗 Link in bio to register
🗓️ February 25–28, 2026
💻 Online – Global Access

02/16/2026

02/15/2026

💕 Today I walked into Auntie’s Bookstore and saw my book on a shelf for the very first time.

I actually walked right past it.

I didn’t see it.

Which feels… poetic somehow.

Because for so many years, this dream felt just out of sight. Almost. Not yet. Maybe someday.

And then I turned back.

And there it was.

“Thrive Socially with Adult ADHD.”

On a real shelf. In a real bookstore!🤩

I stood there trying to hold it together — thinking about the late nights, the rewrites, the self-doubt, the vulnerability of putting something so personal into the world.

This book was born from hope.

From pain.

From the desire to help people who feel “too much” or “not enough” realize they are wonderfully made with a nervous system doing its job.

On Valentine’s Day, it feels fitting.

Because this book is, in many ways, a love letter.💕

To YOU! The adults with ADHD who crave connection.

To the ones who replay conversations at night.

To the ones who have carried shame for far too long.

I see you.

And today… I saw the dream become real.

Happy Valentines Day!💕

💜Dr. Shawn

✨

02/14/2026

🤩 What can I say—yes, I was totally fan girling. Pinch me now! I can’t believe I had the opportunity to be a guest on The ADHD for Smart Ass Women podcast with Tracy Otsuka.

This was full circle for me.

Years ago I came upon her podcast and became an instant fan. Then I read her book and it has since become one of my all-time favorites that I often recommend.

It was such a thrill to be invited to talk about my book, Thrive Socially with Adult ADHD. As she does with all her guests, Tracy asked me about my ADHD story—and we did a deep dive because as you know, I am a storyteller. 😝

In fact, the entire hour was just sharing the story. We barely had time to discuss the content of the book—stayed tuned for Part Two. I’ll let you know when the episode is released. For now, I wanted to share this special moment with you.

I cannot express how passionately I feel about the content in this book.

I’ve been overjoyed to hear from readers telling me how impactful it was—thanking me for explaining how their nervous system works and helping them bust through shame and learn to love their brain.🥰

It’s a powerful thing when you transform a shame-based personal story into a shame-free nervous system story. And this book will help you do just that.

When we understand how the nervous system works, it explains so much of our ADHD experience. But even more, it helps us map our nervous system so we can find the tools that match our nervous system’s needs.

If you haven’t done so already, get the book wherever books are sold and let me know what you think or if you have any questions. And I invite you to write a review on Amazon or Goodreads—that will help get the message out.

Thank you, Tracy, for having me on your show. I look forward to talking more with you in Part Two.

💜Dr. Shawn

shamebuster

01/29/2026

I recently had the opportunity to attend the American Professional Society of ADHD and Related Disorders conference in San Diego—and it was four days of deep, evidence-based learning that directly impacts how I care for ADHD clients.

APSARD is dedicated to improving the quality of care for individuals with ADHD across the lifespan. This is where research is shared before it reaches textbooks—and where clinicians recalibrate what they think they know.

At APSARD:

• ADHD diagnostic criteria are debated and refined

• Medication research is presented early

• Comorbidities like trauma, autism, mood disorders, and substance use are clarified

This matters because ADHD is still widely misunderstood—even by clinicians.

Many providers were trained using childhood-centric models, behavior-only frameworks, or tests that don’t reflect real-world impairment.

APSARD directly addresses why ADHD is a performance disorder—not a motivation problem—and why executive function collapses under stress, even when someone “knows what to do.”

Attending conferences like this improves diagnostic accuracy, ethical care, and real-world outcomes. It reduces misdiagnosis, minimizes shame, and leads to more targeted, compassionate treatment.

This isn’t about being “more informed.”
It’s about being less harmful—and more effective.

I can’t wait to share what I learned. Stay tuned. 💙

Teaser: Many people are told they need expensive neuropsych testing to diagnose ADHD—but research says otherwise.

In most cases, ADHD can be accurately diagnosed without full neuropsych testing.
Stay tuned—this could save you a lot of unnecessary cost and confusion.

💜Dr. Shawn

01/28/2026

Being vulnerable here to share something that’s hard.

I grew up in San Diego, where being in the sun was just part of life and a sunburn was just another Monday. It wasn’t until decades later that the sun exposures harmful effects surfaced.

This redness, irritation, and inflammation is from a prescription cream called fluorouracil/Calcipotriene. I use it annually to treat areas of sun damage and precancerous skin on my face.

This medication targets and destroys abnormal, fast-growing skin cells—especially those damaged by years of sun exposure—while allowing healthy skin to regenerate. The reaction you’re seeing isn’t a side effect… it’s the treatment doing its job.

And yes—this treatment hurts.

It burns. My skin feels raw and tender. It’s uncomfortable and highly visible. This is not a “cute skincare moment” or cosmetic.

It is preventative care.

It helps clear precancerous cells before they become something far more serious. When the healing phase is complete, my skin is healthier—and my long-term risk is lower.

I’m sharing this because sun damage doesn’t always look dramatic until it’s treated—and because prevention often looks worse before it looks better.

If this post prompts you to schedule a skin check, ask questions, or take your own prevention seriously, then it’s worth showing the hard part.

Taking care of your future self sometimes means choosing an uncomfortable season on purpose.

This is what that looks like for me.

Hope this is a good reminder to go get your skin checked and protect your skin! Your future self will thank you!

💜 Dr. Shawn

(This treatment was prescribed specifically for me—always consult your dermatologist about what’s right for your skin.)

01/28/2026

https://youtube.com/shorts/CNDRsc1lfes?si=sRbACIlSSB3nlXwD

Janet McNamara's album, "Not Smart Enough" releases 1/22/26!

12/01/2025

Audible version of “Thrive Socially with Adult ADHD” is now LIVE!

Check out this great listen on Audible.com. If you have attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), you may have trouble building and maintaining relationships. Social pressures may send you spiraling into fits of chaotic thought and speech, or feelings of shame and low self-esteem. You aren'.....