ADHD coaching - thoughts?

[bubblicious353]

Hi, (I posted this in ND Mumsnetters too, but noticed it doesn't appear in Active, so re-posting here for traffic)
I've name changed for this as it's very identifying. I'm currently training to be an ADHD coach and I'm finding it fascinating. But I'm not sure who my clients will be as I don't actually know many ND adults (I don't plan to work with children) and I'm not much of a self-promoting type. I wondered if I could do some research here to find out what people know about ADHD coaching and what more they might like to know. So if anyone would mind answering the following questions I'd be really grateful.
A) have you heard of ADHD coaching and do you know what it entails?
B) have you heard of Access to work? Did you know it is a free government funded scheme that can help with all kinds of support (including) coaching which may help you to succeed at work?
C) would you find it helpful if someone helped you to apply for Access to Work support?
D) any other questions!
Thanks so much in advance for any responses.

I’m aware of ADHD coaching - for me, I’m not interested in going back to work so it would be more about wanting help with my executive function, how to keep on top of personal admin and housework etc. So I don’t think there’s any government funding for that!

Btw I am willing to bet that you know lots of neurodiverse adults, you just don’t know that they are neurodiverse.

Hi,
ADHD coaching would definitely help with that. It's all based around supporting you to understand your executive functioning and your strengths and use those to help you achieve whatever goals you want. But you're correct that sadly it wouldn't be funded by the government in that case. Would it be something you might look at paying for personally or would the cost concern you?
Thanks for your response.

No l wouldn’t use it. Dd is ADHD.

Also if you work in a unionised workplace they can help with access to work for the cost of subs.

ADHD people often self medicate with nicotine and sugar to increase their dopamine levels, I'd like more help to be available for these problems. Both me and ds (young adult) have sugar addiction due to ADHD and it's affecting our general health. It's a very overlooked problem in ND people.

Thanks. Good to hear there is support to sign up for Access to work out there - I know it's something that a lot of people haven't heard of.

I have ADHD, as do many of my friends (us NDs stick together)

I don't see benefit in coaching as, let's be honest, we're going to hyper focus on the coaching at the time and then do what we want again afterwards.

To be blunt - one of the main benefits of ADHD is that we're very capable of coaching ourselves should we wish to have a look into it.

That's interesting, and I'm sorry to hear that it's causing you problems in this way. Are you taking ADHD medication at all?

Thanks, that is something that I've considered! Most ADHD coaches seem to have adhd so maybe it's just a continuous loop of coaches coaching other coaches 🤣

TBH as someone with ADHD I'd just view it as another thing to throw money away on. I'm always desperately seeking something to help 'fix' me and it's always in vein. Because if it was as simple as 'follow these rules' then I wouldn't have ADHD.

And this is the cynic in me, but I wonder if ADHD coaches know this vulnerability about people like me and view it as a way to make way money.

I work as a dc therapist and have a lot of ADHD therapists.
I would think the greatest need for a coach would be for teens as they start to take responsibility for their lives and balance all the stressful, competing responsibilities that they have.
Most ADHD adults I know have managed to build a structure that supports them more or less.

ADHD clients not therapists.
I would really like an edit button on the app.

Tbh all the adhd coaches I've met so far are just desperate to help others and want to be supportive. Most coaching can be paid for via Access to work so not something you would need to pay for yourself. I do understand the cynicism

There's meant to be a huge app redo but it's always promised and never materialised. I find that app so much more accessible that viewing the mobile site on my phone, it's really frustrating

Posts like this always, always get overwhelmingly shot down or poo-hooed, no matter what the service or idea.

I think it would be very beneficial for people who feel at the end of their rope, and disheartened with the somewhat generic help that's available. By generic I mean, women in particular are diagnosed with depression or anxiety instead of ADHD for example, and therefore given the wrong medication, and sent to some generic CBT counselling or whatever.

If this was a front line, easily accessible service (don't forget how much we procrastinate!), then I think those who were fed up muddling along and trying to work out strategies for themselves would find this very very helpful.

Are you not concerned that the suspected number of prison inmates with (undiagnosed) ADHD might suggest a lot of adults are not coping?

So have heard of ADHD coaching and Access to Work. In fact my Access to Work grant paid for my ADHD coaching.

I thought the coaching was poor (I went through a well regarded neurodiversty company). The coaching was very generic and based on stereotypes of ADHD. I have a professional job, which I do well, but my ADHD means I basically have no work/life balance. When I’m not working I feel I should be doing stuff with kids. I have burnout once and want to prevent.

The coach would listen and then read off a generic list, clearly for people who struggle to hold down a job, “think about setting 2 alarms in a morning so you aren’t late for work”, maybe ask for different start times if mornings are hard, lay out your work clothes night before, if you wear a uniform ask for more so you can have a couple in the wash.

I stopped after 2 sessions and complained to the company and Access to work. The company refunded money and Access to work said I could find my own coach and I ended up seeing a psychologist who had done additional training in coaching and specialised in professionals.

I see so many people doing ADHD coaching courses at the moment (to become coaches) and I’m really concerned about the quality of training .

my questions would be

what are the entry requirements for your course?
how much training are you getting?
is there ongoing supervision?
Do you get to specialise in particulars groups?

I have an executive coach and wish she was an ADHD coach because most of the issues we discuss are centered around my ADHD. These include interrupting in meetings, massively over sharing personal info with anyone I meet and therefore looking unprofessional, being unable to respond to emails if I read them on my phone (I'll forget), being able to listen to someone and stay on track as to what they're talking about without thinking of 1 million things I want to say instead. The list goes on.

So I can see a space for an executive ADHD coach BUT you need to get over not promoting yourself. You'll need to get very active on LinkedIn.

Thank you.
I'm hoping that by helping people to get funding via ATW it might become easier for more people to access the help. And I keep hearing about women being diagnosed late and would love to support them when they've fought so hard and often been fobbed off repeatedly

I've just been diagnosed with ADHD and I am definitely going to be looking into coaching. My psychiatrist mentioned Access to Work which I'll look into, but I have the finances to look for private support so may well do that instead, so I can find the right coach for me.

For me, I want to look at two potential issues:

1. I'm self-employed and need to build a business that will make me self-sufficient by the time my kids leave home (I'm in the process of getting divorced so there will be maintenance in the meantime). At the moment I'm struggling to find the cognitive capacity to work more, so I need to figure out what working practices work for me.
2. I'd like to try to reduce the noise and anxiety I face in everyday life. I'm pretty good at getting things done but the anxiety is a massive problem.

I haven't heard of ADHD coaching before, nor access to work, so I can't answer the questions in your post. I've only recently, in my 40s, come to realise I probably have ADHD, and I think some targeted coaching is something I would actually benefit from. So I don't have a meaningful answer to your post but wanted to say it sounds interesting.

There's a huge market opportunity for coaching professional mums with AdHD who feel utterly overwhelmed. I'm looking for one now!

@WillowBarkTree
Interesting. We have a framework to work to, based on executive function eg one week motivation, one week impulsivity etc and use that to work through the clients challenges.
We aren't supposed to give suggestions but to get the client to think if times they've been successful and drill down into that.
For this course there are no entry requirements but I'm a psychologist. You have to pass an observed assessment and there is supervision available

@RumbleMum have you tried medicatio? I spent since a child with terrible anxiety and insomnia. Drove me to do inedible well in exams, qualifications and work because so terrified of failing. Have had therapy and SSRIs and just accepted anxious till my DS diagnosed with adhd and I initially went l
”he can’t have adhd I was just like him and I don’t have it”…. (How could I, I was a girl who behaved and had done well at work (just with crippling low self-esteem and anxiety).

Tried Elvanse and for the first time in my life I sleep and can walk into busy environments without a fear of panic.

Do you have ADHD?

What does therapy actually do? I KNOW what I should be doing, I just can’t do it, that’s the issue.

If I say I need help with forgetting things, what could you advise that I haven’t tried in 25 years and not stuck to?

If I say I need help with emotional regulation, what would you advise that will actually work in the heat of the moment?

What would you advise to help me do a piece of work now, rather than shortly before the deadline?

I was diagnosed 25 year ago and have never had therapy, I’d be interested to see what it advises.

I think what is important to make clear is that Coaching is very different from Therapy. A coach is not a therapist. A coach is there to help someone think about what they might struggle with, what the reasons for that might be, and to explain that (if you have ADHD) a) its not your fault (theres a lot of shame out there) and b) you have a lot of strengths, and we can try to tap into these to work on overcoming the challenges.
I'm still in training and don't have all the answers, but coaching is about helping the person to come up with their own answers. Generally its 12 sessions, and you work yourself out of a job, its' not an ongoing thing.
Sorry I've just swapped from the phone to the web version and I'm finding it hard to see people's responses now