ADHD Coaching is an ongoing collaborative partnership between a person with ADHD traits and a professional coach who brings current ADHD knowledge, best practices, understanding, and ADHD-friendly skills and tools to facilitate positive personal and professional change for the client . ADHD coaching is a practical intervention that specifically targets the core challenges of ADHD such as planning, time management, goal setting, organization and problem-solving, with solutions and strategies tailored to each client’s unique brain wiring.

ADHD coaching builds on the foundations of professional coaching, defined by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) as an interactive process that helps individuals improve their performance and achieve extraordinary results.

ADHD coaches help individuals with ADHD learn how the strengths and challenges of ADHD play out in their daily lives. Some areas an ADHD Coach can help with are:

Organization: establishing daily routines & healthy habits, time management, developing a planning system that works for you, getting ‘boring’ chores done, prioritizing, dealing with distractions / procrastination, organizing and cleaning the house.

Work : improving relationships with colleagues, talking about ADHD at work / identifying & asking for reasonable adjustments, coping with challenges in meeting deadlines, project management, dealing with demanding workloads, considering career options, identifying strengths, skills & talents, interview practice, delegation, and coping with stress.

Studying : managing school schedule, setting routines, identifying how you learn best, asking for accommodations, and considering future career options.

Emotional regulation: improving self-esteem, coping with Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria, emotional ‘flooding’ / mood swings, co-dependency, people pleasing, loneliness, boundaries, maintaining healthy relationships with people, engaging with people who do / do not have ADHD.

Physical health: relaxation, planning "fun" time, sleep, observing the effects of medication, eating habits, implementing healthy habits such as regular exercise and cooking meals.

ADHD coaching is a close ongoing partnership. In a typical coaching relationship, coaches meet with their clients 2 to 4 times a month for 50-60 minutes. Most coaches (including me) provide support and accountability between sessions by e-mail, text or phone. ADHD coaches have different ways they like to work, so it’s very important to find a coach who can help you get the results you are seeking.

Each case is different, but I typically ask for a minimum of two (2) sessions per month for a three month period for new clients. This gives the client a solid foundation to decide if ADHD coaching is right for them, be fully informed on the process and gives enough time to start seeing the results of coaching. However, this totally depends on what goals you have for coaching and what level of readiness you are at when we begin.

Most ADHD clients will benefit from a coaching period of 6 months or longer to really integrate a practice new strategies and solutions with the encouragement of their coach.

The International Coach Federation's website states that :

"Therapy deals with healing pain, dysfunction and conflict within an individual or in relationships. The focus is often on resolving difficulties arising from the past that hamper an individual's emotional functioning in the present, improving overall psychological functioning, and dealing with the present in more emotionally healthy ways. Coaching, on the other hand, supports personal and professional growth based on self-initiated change in pursuit of actionable outcomes. These outcomes are linked to personal or professional success. Coaching is future focused. While positive feelings/emotions may be a natural outcome of coaching, the primary focus is on creating actionable strategies for achieving specific goals in one's work or personal life. The emphases in a coaching relationship are on action, accountability, and follow through."

To state simply, therapy deals with healing emotional pain and dysfunction, whereas ADHD / executive functioning coaching deals with finding personalized solutions to executive function challenges and other ADHD symptoms.

Often, people with ADHD need support with everyday things (such as organizing time, keeping houses tidy, procrastination) that they struggle with because of executive function challenges.

Coaching can be a great complement to therapy, but it is not a substitute. If you are experiencing significant symptoms of depression or anxiety, or have an untreated addiction, you should seek an experienced professional in those areas. If you are currently working with a mental health professional, talk to them about your plans to work with a coach. If you wish, I would be happy to collaborate with them with your signed consent.

Coaching includes assessment tools, such as the “Wheel of Life” and the Via Character Strengths Questionnaire and are included in the cost of my coaching packages. Also included is in between session check-ins, shared task lists for accountability and reminders (if you so choose) through the “practice.do” app (free in IOS and Android app stores). Support materials such as assessments, handouts, resources and templates for building new skills, habits and supporting mindset shifts are also included in the cost.