What is ADHD?
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a condition involving a number of behaviours. These can include hyperactivity, restlessness, inattentiveness and impulsiveness. ADHD usually first presents in childhood and can continue through to adulthood. It can also be diagnosed later in life.
ADHD can be mistaken for laziness and a lack of drive, but this couldn't be further from the truth. Finding a way to work with ADHD and challenging misconceptions is something ADHD coaching can help with.
Some people with ADHD may find it harder to pause before reacting or speaking. They may:
- find it hard to concentrate and sit still
- become hyper-focused on a particular task/activity/subject
- be easily distracted and sometimes act without thinking
- show extreme sensitivity to smell, sound and light
- interrupt or blurt things out in conversation
"I want to be so proud of myself and prove everyone wrong who thinks that ADHD is a problem. A lot of my teachers would say, ‘He’s just a bad kid’. Well, no. Look where I am."
- Sam Thompson shares what it’s been like for him since being diagnosed with ADHD as an adult.
Related conditions and neurodivergences in children
Children who are diagnosed with ADHD can also have other neurodivergences and conditions, though this is not always the case. These can include:
- mental health struggles such as anxiety and depression
- dyslexia - struggling with information processing
- sleeping problems - inability to get to sleep, stay asleep or having irregular sleep patterns, often sleeping during the day
- epilepsy - a brain condition causing frequent seizures
- they may be autistic
Related conditions in adults
In addition to the above, adults can experience additional conditions alongside ADHD, including:
- bipolar disorder
- obsessive-compulsive disorder
Adults with ADHD can be more likely to experience anxiety disorders and be at higher risk of substance misuse. Some may face additional challenges like rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD) - an emotional response commonly associated with ADHD, which can cause individuals to experience rejection (real or perceived) with intense pain.
Visit the NHS ADHD hub for more medical information.
What does an ADHD coach do?
ADHD coaches look to help those with ADHD embrace the way their brain works so they can reach their full potential. Together, you can develop an understanding of how you think and react, to learn ways you can manage symptoms associated with ADHD. It can be a structured process to help you get clear on what you want, what's getting in your way and how to move forward. It can also be a collaborative, client-led process that puts you at the centre of the focus of your sessions.
In this video, ADHD coach and advocate Stephanie Camilleri explains how coaching can help those with ADHD not only achieve their goals, but their dreams too.
An emerging area that can support children, adolescents, and adults with ADHD, ADHD coaching sees you and your coach working collaboratively to identify what you want to achieve. By developing a trusting partnership, coaches look to empower their clients to recognise their strengths.
"ADHD coaching isn’t about fixing deficits, but designing work and life around how someone actually functions."
ADHD coach Rebecca Cockayne in 'Careers & ADHD: What I’ve learned working'.
Your unique situation can also impact what coaching can look like for you. If you are newly diagnosed, have co-occurring conditions, or have other forms of support such as counselling or medication, these are all areas that can be taken into consideration with your coach. The challenges you may face and the strengths you might wish to focus on developing can all vary depending on your individual circumstances - e.g. if you are a parent, student, freelancer, business owner, employee, or are looking to change careers. A coach can tailor their approach to not only what you hope to achieve or would like to focus on, but also on your life stage.
How can ADHD coaching help?
ADHD coaching can help in a variety of ways, encouraging you to stay focused on your goals and manage stressful symptoms. Your coach can work with you to help you identify goals and develop strategies to achieve them. They can also support you in finding ways to manage unhelpful symptoms of ADHD, finding new ways together for you to thrive. With the help and guidance of your coach, you can develop the self-awareness, self-belief and motivation you need to focus on what you truly want in life.
While there can be challenges associated with ADHD, there are also many strengths, too. Together with your coach, you can start to recognise your behaviours and understand the impact ADHD may have on different areas of your life. A coach can also help you to recognise and embrace your strengths and skills. Research suggests that there are a variety of strengths associated with ADHD, including creativity, hyperfocus, high energy, resilience, and unconventional thinking. Learning how to recognise, acknowledge, and use these strengths can help to support your confidence and even your quality of life.
Working with an ADHD coach is a collaborative approach. While some people find structured, goal-oriented support to be helpful, others find a less structured approach to be more beneficial. You should be firmly in the driving seat. By allowing you to lead where and how you want to be supported and what you want to focus on getting help with, you can start to feel empowered to take charge and make the changes - and access the support - that would help you the most.
While the specific methods used will depend on both you and your coach, common ways a coach can help include:
Recognising and celebrating your strengths
We all have unique strengths that can benefit us, both in our personal and professional lives. A coach can help you identify your strengths and find new ways to put these to use, as well as ways to further expand on these strengths or any goals you may wish to set around them. Some common strengths can include unconventional thinking, creativity, hyperfocus, high energy, and resilience.
Goal development
Your coach can help you identify goals and what you want to achieve from your sessions. You may learn how to manage expectations of your goals and how to break them into smaller, more manageable tasks. You'll start to recognise what obstacles may stand in your way and devise a structured plan for how to overcome them.
Time management
It is common for people with ADHD to struggle to concentrate or focus on tasks for long periods of time. Coaching can help you understand how long each task will take and how to prioritise. You’ll learn how to manage difficult tasks and cope with any difficult emotions that come up.
Organisation skills
ADHD coaching can help you manage your thought process when organising tasks. Your coach can help you restructure your environment, leading to a more productive space. You may also learn how to identify distractions and when to remove yourself from the situation.
Executive functions
Coaching can help you identify and support areas around executive functioning that you might find difficult, such as planning, task initiation, cognitive flexibility, working memory and self-monitoring.
Relating to yourself and others (interpersonal skills)
Your coach can help improve your interpersonal skills and how to manage social situations. Together, you can work to improve your confidence and understand that you can ask for help if you feel you need it.
Building self-esteem and confidence
Coaching offers a supportive space to recognise your strengths and challenge unhelpful self-beliefs. Over time, this can help build confidence and a stronger sense of self-belief.
Emotional regulation and overwhelm
Coaching can help you recognise emotional triggers and develop simple strategies to pause, reset, and respond more calmly. With support, many people find it easier to manage overwhelm and feel more in control day to day.
Stress management and burnout prevention
Practical tools and supportive accountability can make it easier to spot early signs of stress and protect your energy. Many people can learn ways to balance demands, reduce pressure, and prevent burnout with the support of a coach.
Coaching can help empower you to start making goals and decisions that best suit your way of thinking and working. For some people, setting goals isn't what helps them at all. Your coach can provide a flexible, adaptable approach that fits with what you need. That could mean focusing on identifying and working with your values, taking a problem-solving approach, or experimenting together to find what works for you.
What happens in an ADHD coaching session?
Not everyone arrives at their first coaching session knowing what they want to get out of coaching. Some people have a clear idea in mind already, others have a more general idea, while others know that they are struggling and need help. Part of coaching can be to help you unpack how you're feeling and what you might want to get out of coaching, giving you the space to identify priorities, gain clarity around what matters most, and begin exploring the different ways coaching could support you.
Every coach is different and will have their own style of working, so it’s important to find the right coach for you. Coaches now offer a variety of ways to hold sessions, which can be: face-to-face, over the phone or online (video calls or email). It’s common for sessions to last around an hour, although this will vary.
The number of ADHD coaching sessions you have will depend on your goals and how the coach works. Your coach can advise on the most suitable number of sessions for you.
When you have found a coach you feel comfortable with, you’ll have an initial consultation. In this session, you'll meet your coach and discuss what you hope to achieve from ADHD coaching.
Your coach will ask you questions to help them learn more about you, how ADHD impacts you and how you are currently managing it. After discussing what you want to gain from your sessions, your coach will create a plan tailored to your goals.
It's important to ask questions if you are unsure about any of the processes: you may be given tasks to work on throughout your ADHD coaching, and after they finish, so it’s helpful for you to understand these tasks.
Working with a coach offers a sense of accountability that can be integral for those with ADHD. Having someone to check in with regularly can act as a sort of body doubling technique, which can help those with ADHD stay on task.
What is body doubling?
Body doubling is a technique to help with productivity and motivation. It usually involves working on a task alongside someone else to help you feel more accountable.
Where can I find an ADHD coach?
If you’re ready to find support and would like to explore coaching, the next step is to find a coach that you feel comfortable with and can engage with. On Life Coach Directory, we have a proof policy to ensure all professionals listed with us have provided proof of qualifications and insurance or membership with a professional body.
We believe in the importance of finding a coach that resonates with you. To make this easier, we encourage our members to fill their profiles with plenty of information. This way, you can learn more about the way they work and if they are the person to help you.
If you are in the UK and have ADHD, you may be eligible for government support such as coaching through the Access to Work benefit.
