“Melissa Orlov is one of the foremost authorities on ADHD and relationships in the world today” says Dr. Edward Hallowell, co-author of Driven to Distraction and other seminal books about ADHD. “Every day she offers advice based on not only her firsthand experience but also the immense knowledge she has gained through her study. She also has what few experts have - the benefit of her own suffering. She has the benefit of having weathered the worst kind of storm and having lived what she's talking about. And she has the benefit of having prevailed.”

In one of life’s more fortuitous twists, Ms. Orlov's marriage to a man with ADHD neared divorce as she was working with ADHD experts Dr. Edward Hallowell and Dr. John Ratey. Throwing herself into the topic of how ADHD might be affecting her situation in an effort to save her union, Orlov realized that there was little good information available to help couples struggling with ADHD in their marriage – in fact few people even knew ADHD could be a factor. But she and her husband persevered and, after successfully turning their marriage around, vowed that others should not have to suffer the same difficulties “finding a way out” as they had.

Orlov and Dr. Hallowell started a popular blog on the topic in 2007 to share their insights, unique perspectives and expertise. It has helped many thousands of couples understand that they are not alone and that they can change their marriages for the better (www.adhdmarriage.com). In addition to the blog, Orlov has written the “Your Relationships” column for ADDitude Magazine since 2008 and is a contributing author to Married to Distraction, with Hallowell and his wife, Sue George Hallowell, LICSW.

Now a marriage consultant, Orlov helps couples from around the world understand and rebalance their relationships so they can learn to thrive. It is rewarding work to be able to provide the insights couples need to move past their anger and hurt and rediscover the joy they thought they had lost forever.

Before becoming a marriage consultant, Orlov was in advertising, marketing, and market research. In that career she spent a good deal of time synthesizing complex information and communicating the meaning of that information to others. These skills have been extremely useful as she has researched and written The ADHD Effect on Marriage.

Ms. Orlov is a cum laude graduate of Harvard College. In her free time she enjoys road biking, summers at Chautauqua Institution, and singing. She and her husband of 20+ years have two children.

Listen to Melissa Orlov's Classes in the ADD Audio Library>>>>