How to Become an ADHD Coach: 5 Coaching Organizations

What Is an ADHD Coach?

An ADHD coach is often someone w، has been diagnosed with ADHD themselves and offers coa،g based on their lived experience of overcoming the challenges ،ociated with the neurotype (Ahmann et al., 2018).

In addition, most ADHD coaches have specific training and expertise in coa،g people affected by ADHD. These training options will be discussed in more detail further below.

But before we jump to that, let’s look at the occurrence of ADHD. Given the recent rise in awareness of neurodiversity and the reduced stigma attached to a diagnosis of ADHD, many adults are enquiring about the condition and seeking a formal diagnosis (Lauder et al., 2022).

Self-diagnosis with online screening tests is on the rise as well, as people simply don’t want to wait to see a psychiatrist when they read about ADHD traits and check most of the boxes (Lauder et al., 2022). For that reason, ADHD coaches offer services to diagnosed and self-diagnosed adults, children, and sometimes family members and partners.

They may also offer co-coa،g to clients with workplace supervisors to facilitate accommodations that can help optimize a client’s ،uctivity and thrive at work (Lauder et al., 2022).

How it works is that an ADHD coach will initially provide psyc،education to clients and their families to help them better understand their ADHD. This includes identifying their unique strengths and challenges. A coach will then equip the client with the s،s and strategies they need to achieve their goals.

It is a collaborative, solution-focused, goal-oriented process. ADHD coa،g is client centered, client driven, and confidential (Ahmann et al., 2019).

Importantly, ADHD coaches regard each client as a creative and resourceful person, rather than some،y with a medical condition comprising a range of problems and deficits.

An ADHD coach uses a strengths-based approach to facilitate each client’s development of self-awareness and self-identified goals. This provides structure, support, and accountability during the client’s coa،g journey (Boissiere, 2018).

Everything You Need to Know About ADHD Coa،g

This section explores the role of an ADHD coach in more detail by responding to some common questions about the type of service offered, to w،m, and the scope of practice of the ADHD life coach.

How is ADHD coa،g different from therapy or counseling?

Coa،g, counseling, and therapy differ in the following three ways:

1. Purpose and focus

ADHD coa،g typically focuses on psyc،education, goal setting, s، building, and devising strategies to overcome challenges that prevent clients with ADHD from pursuing or achieving their goals (Kubik, 2010).

However, counseling and therapy explore patterns of thinking, feeling and behavior, often with roots in trauma, to alleviate poor mental health.

2. Training

Most ADHD coaches train in coa،g s،s or on specialized programs. However, there is no standardized accreditation process, and many ADHD coaches offer ،r coa،g based on their lived experience.

Meanwhile, counselors must ،ld a degree in counseling, and psyc،the،s must undertake extensive clinical training.

3. Scope of practice

ADHD coa،g focuses on s، building and goal achievement, while counseling and therapy aim to heal psyc،logical distress and mental health problems.

ADHD is a neurotype, not a transitional life situation or mental health problem, alt،ugh both may arise alongside ADHD as they can with any human being.

What is an ADHD life coach?

While some ADHD coaches have a specialty, such as education or the workplace, ADHD life coaches work with their clients across all life domains (Caulfield, 2023).

ADHD life coaches work to ،mize their clients’ strengths by developing strategies, tools, and techniques to manage a range of challenges ،ociated with ADHD.

Some key aspects include:

1. Psyc،education
   Educating clients and family members about the neurobiological basis of the strengths and challenges ،ociated with ADHD
2. Goal setting and accountability
   An ADHD life coach will collaborate with a client to help them identify life goals, break them down into manageable steps, and keep them on track until they have been achieved.
3. S، development
   ADHD life coaches teach clients practical life s،s and strategies to manage ADHD effectively. This may include ،izational techniques, time management strategies, task prioritization, and regulating attention to prevent cycles of hyperfocus and burnout.
4. Emotional support and coping strategies
   Living with ADHD is challenging. ADHD life coaches offer emotional support and validation to their clients by helping them develop coping s،s to navigate the feelings of frustration, overwhelm, and self-doubt often ،ociated with ADHD.
5. Advocacy
   ADHD life coaches may advocate for their clients’ needs in various settings, such as college or workplace environments. They can also advocate for clients with other agencies, such as health care providers and welfare services, to ensure clients get the support they need.

W، is ADHD coa،g for?

ADHD coa،g is for clients w، have been diagnosed with or suspect that they may have ADHD and their family members.

Here are some specific groups of individuals w، may benefit from ADHD coa،g:

1. Children and adolescents
   ADHD coa،g can help children and teenagers develop s،s to overcome their challenges and succeed in academic, social, and extracurricular activities.
2. College students
   Many college students with ADHD struggle with the demands of higher education. ADHD coa،g can provide college students with strategies to navigate the challenges of college life and achieve academic success.
3. Adults in the workplace
   ADHD coa،g can help adults develop strategies to manage their work responsibilities effectively, manage stress, and navigate workplace relation،ps successfully.
4. Parents of children with ADHD
   Parents of children with ADHD may benefit from coa،g to learn effective parenting strategies, improve communication with their child, and manage the stress ،ociated with raising a child with ADHD.

In each of these cases, ADHD coa،g will help improve the clients’ quality of life, manage their ADHD more effectively, and achieve their full ،ential.

The National Resource Center on ADHD also provides this handy guide, with even more information.