Adolescents and adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) face several challenges related to executive functions. They might have trouble with time management, self-regulating emotions, focusing, decision-making, and more. To help manage ADHD/ADD symptoms and overcome the issues they create in a person’s personal and professional life, the ADHD Wellness Center in Houston offers the best treatment options based on an individual assessment and diagnosis. One of the options ADHD specialists have seen high rates of success in is ADHD Coaching, a supportive and collaborative process in which coaches work together with their clients to determine behavior management goals and develop strategies by which to achieve them.
What is ADHD Coaching All About?
ADHD Coaching is about creating a goal-oriented relationship between coach and client. It starts with a client wanting to achieve a set goal(s), whether it’s an adult wanting a promotion at work, a child needing help finishing class assignments on time, or any patient wanting resources to better manage certain ADHD/ADD symptoms. The coach familiarizes himself with the patient’s particular type of ADHD, identifying the behaviors that act as obstacles to achieving these goals, then helps the patient develop skills and strategies required to overcome hurdles and accomplish objectives.
While many consider this kind of coaching similar to psychotherapy, there are a few key differences. ADHD coaches do not necessarily explore how a person’s past affects their present. They focus on recognizing a patient’s strengths and weaknesses, establishing their priorities, and creating an action plan by which to achieve objectives. Although ADHD coaches might operate similarly to a therapist, a coach is more involved and doesn’t shy from offering direct suggestions. For instance, an ADHD coach would provide unreserved advice to help a client, while psychotherapists avoid doing so. ADHD coaches are also less likely to address or challenge a person’s beliefs, since that is a characteristic feature of psychotherapy work. Many people make the mistake of hiring a “life coach” who doesn’t specialize in ADHD, not realizing that the same approaches don’t always work for people with ADHD, because their thoughts don’t progress the same way. Ultimately, ADHD coaching aims to help individuals become successful on their own terms.
What to expect from your ADHD Coach
It’s important to remember that your ADHD coach is not there to fix your problems, but to empower you to work through them yourself. A good coach will ask you powerful (sometimes difficult) questions to help you explore different problem-solving strategies. He will help you navigate negative thought processes that can become a self-created obstacles.
The success of coaching is entirely dependent on chemistry and trust between coach and client. You might find that one ADHD coach is supportive but feel nagged and pestered by another. At the ADHD Wellness Center in Houston, Dr. Brown believes it’s important for both coach and client to build an honest relationship together. She will suggest strategies and teach you behavior techniques that are appropriate for you to better manage your individual ADHD symptoms. Then, it’s up to you to be open with her and communicate about what is working and what isn’t.
How you communicate with your ADHD coach can vary. You might have a standing, in-person appointment every week, or have a scheduled, virtual appointment. Some ADHD patients find it hard to focus in such long sessions, so it might be more effective to communicate via a secure email. Your coach might ask for a daily to-do list, then check-in to see whether you finished your tasks, and what—if anything—kept you from completing them. Open and frequent communication between you and your ADHD coach is imperative, but there is no right or wrong way to go about it.
What Progress Looks Like with ADHD Coaching
Whether it’s sorting through emails efficiently or finishing homework on time, you should see small improvements from ADHD coaching soon after your first session. Sometimes the strategies that your coach suggests can be a little more difficult to implement, so things might take some time.
It’s also important to keep in mind that ADHD coaching can be a revealing process, so be open to re-defining your goals. You might have started out aiming for a promotion but working with a coach might reveal that your strengths lie in a different field. Don’t lose sight of your goals but be open to new opportunities. Having an honest relationship with your coach will help you address these changes and judge what the best move is.
In most cases, a good measure of success is when you find yourself telling your coach about how you made it through a difficult situation rather than asking for advice on how to handle it. ADHD coaching is not meant to be a long-term commitment; the aim is to help you internalize strategies that help you solve problems on your own.
ADHD Coaching in Houston
Take the first step in achieving your full potential by scheduling an appointment at the ADHD Wellness Center in Houston, led by Dr. Dawn Brown, the MD with ADHD™. One of the leading ADHD specialists in the country, Dr. Dawn is an advocate of ADHD coaching. As someone with firsthand experience of how ADHD can impact a person’s life, she believes that coaching could be the key to turning this so-called disability into an AMAZE-ABILITY!™
Call the ADHD Wellness Center in Houston today to make an appointment!
