But the ultimate goal of any diagnosis is to help people get better. Sometimes clinicians can help a client by identifying a person as ADHD, giving him access to a stimulant and having the symptoms decrease within an hour of taking the medication. Sometimes, within a session, a therapist can reduce the symptoms of trauma the client has been carrying for years.

However, often the best diagnosis does not come from the DSMV or other medical text—a process of labeling that may pigeonhole someone into a certain “illness” whether it is accurate or not. Sometimes the best diagnosis comes by assessing a situation or dynamic between two people versus symptoms—for example, understanding how a husband tries to problem solve for his wife when she merely is seeking validation.

Sometimes effective diagnosis requires being open to a systems approach. One of my nine year-old clients was overturning desks after the teacher asked him to read from the board. His behaviors did not stop through medication, play therapy, or a behavior chart. His behaviors stopped when he got a new pair of glasses and could see the board in front of the classroom.

The important aspect of a diagnosis is helping the client feel better. It is not always easy to tell what causes inattentiveness. It can be ADHD, depression, or anxiety—just to name a few.

What begets what? Is the person having attention issues because they are depressed and anxious or are they depressed and anxious because they are frustrated from having ADHD? Regardless of the actual diagnosis, it is sometimes best to identify the client’s struggle with organization. In this instance it does not matter what the label is. Modeling organizational skills can help the client to feel better regardless of whatever classic diagnosis is assigned to the client.

Diagnosing can serve the client well when we remember that the goal is to help the client feel better. We can help improve symptoms when we diagnose the appropriate systemic issue, individual symptom, or dynamic that lies between people.