What ADHD Coaching Is and How to Find a Coach

Why ADHD coaching matters

When I was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder at 42, I had no idea ADHD coaching even existed. Like many people, I assumed my only options were medication or therapy. Both can help, but they are not always enough on their own. ADHD affects so much more than attention. It impacts executive functioning, time management, self-worth and anxiety. Those comorbid issues can quietly shape every decision you make.

The number one reason I believe people should consider ADHD coaching is because it can break the cycle. So many of us stumble through life feeling defective, then watch our kids start to experience the same struggles. Coaching gives you practical tools, accountability, and a framework to help your children avoid the same damage you went through. You can stop the cycle rather than simply coping with it.

In my own case, I created strategies to survive long before I knew what ADHD was. Therapy and medication helped me get level and grieve the life I could have had, but I did not have a coach then. I did it alone, piecing things together. Today, even from a healed place, I work with a coach every week. Having someone who really understands ADHD pitfalls keeps me accountable and helps me grow. That is the difference ADHD coaching can make.

ADHD coaching is not about perfection. It is about finding a good fit between coach and client, experimenting with practical tools, and creating real change in daily life. Whether you are a student, a parent, or a professional, the right coach can help you unlock your full potential and build a life that finally works for you.

My story: from breakdowns to coaching

Before my ADHD diagnosis, my life looked successful from the outside. I had a good job, a solid income, and a career many people envied. But behind the surface it was a spiral I couldn’t escape. I relied on alcohol far too much just to survive the noise in my head and the pressure I felt every day. I was rarely present for my kids because I was either wired with stress or wiped out from it. Nobody around me could understand why I kept breaking down, why the same patterns kept repeating, or why I seemed so capable and so lost at the same time.

Money was another pressure cooker. I earned well, but it slipped through my hands like water. Each month I sank further into the red. That constant financial drain only added to the shame and exhaustion. I felt like I was drowning while smiling through meetings and deadlines.

Therapy was the first thing that helped. It allowed me to grieve the life I thought I could have had and begin to heal some of the shame. Medication also helped by reducing the ball of anxiety that had sat in my chest for years. Together they gave me a baseline of stability. What I didn’t have at the time was a coach. Instead, I created strategies to survive. They weren’t perfect, but they kept me just about afloat.

Over time, I realised corporate life wasn’t for me. It didn’t feel authentic. Even though I was good at it, I wanted out. What really lit me up were the moments of mentoring and coaching that cropped up in my roles. I realised through my own journey of self-discovery that kindness was one of my biggest character strengths. It was the thing that allowed me to be happy, because it felt like the most authentic expression of who I was. When I leaned into that kindness, I found myself doing what I naturally did well, and what gave me the dopamine boost my ADHD brain had always been chasing.

That insight was life-changing. I saw that mentoring and coaching were not just things I was good at, but the things I had always loved. They were the moments that felt real. That realisation led me to retrain, to join a CPD-accredited programme, and to study proper training so I could combine lived experience with professional practice.

The result was that I became the person I had always needed during my own career, the person who could be present for my kids, and the person who will make sure they never have to deal with the same damage I went through.

I have chosen to include photos of my own life and family throughout this blog. They may not always make perfect sense with the words around them, but that is intentional. This blog is as much about you understanding me as a coach as it is about ADHD coaching itself. If you are going to trust me with your challenges, it matters to me that you can see who I really am, how much I love and care for the people around me, and how much I smile even while living with ADHD.

I am me, no matter the company and situation, I truly believe that being the truly authentic version of yourself is the way to be happy. I am not a suit wearing theory shouting corporate businessman, I am a quirky, family man who cares deeply about people and seeing them find happiness, if you are considering me as a coach you have to be comfortable with that for it to work and I wouldn't want to work with someone who doesn't want what I now have as it would be be right for you.

I have no judgement over who you are or how you see the world, but I will never pretend to not be who I am again.

What ADHD coaching actually is

At its core, ADHD coaching is a partnership between coach and client. It is not about fixing someone or telling them what they should be doing. It is about building a coaching process that helps people understand their unique brain, their ADHD traits, and the ways those traits show up in daily life.

A great ADHD coach will work with you to identify specific goals, break them down into steps, and create practical tools to make those goals possible. That might look like designing to-do lists that actually work with the ADHD brain, not against it. It could be action plans that simplify daily struggles, or study skills that help students at school, college or university get through assignments without constant panic. Coaching is flexible because ADHD affects different people in different ways.

The coaching process also involves accountability. Regular meetings provide structure and persistence. When life gets messy, a coach helps you step back, look at the bigger picture, and return to practical strategies. That is why the benefits of an ADHD coach reach across so many areas of life, from academic performance to work, relationships, and the ability to manage long-term goals.

The focus is always on the real world. Coaching is about learning how to handle daily challenges, improve time management, and develop organisational skills that suit your unique brain. It is about creating practical solutions that fit your life rather than forcing yourself into systems that have never worked.

For me, ADHD coaching is not about perfection or being the best coach. It is about connection, accountability, and small steps that add up to real change. The right coach becomes a partner in helping you manage ADHD symptoms, build on hidden strengths, and finally see what is possible when you stop fighting yourself and start working with who you are.

Why executive functioning is central to ADHD coaching

One of the most useful things I learned after my ADHD diagnosis is that many adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder experience a developmental delay of around 30 percent in executive functioning. Put simply, executive functioning is the set of skills that allow us to plan ahead, organise tasks, manage time, control impulses, and hold things in working memory. When those skills lag behind, daily life can feel like running up a down escalator. You are working hard, but progress feels painfully slow.

Understanding this delay is not about judgement, it is about clarity. It explains why some tasks that look simple to others feel impossible. It explains the daily struggles with things like remembering deadlines, starting jobs you have been putting off, or managing social situations that need preparation. When you view ADHD symptoms through this lens, you stop beating yourself up and start looking for practical solutions.

Part of my role as a coach is helping you look at where challenges have shown up in your life and why. That understanding creates forgiveness and builds self-belief. We also explore the things that have worked, whatever the reason, and see how they might be translated into other areas of life. Maybe a system works for you at work but not at home, or maybe you manage to exercise consistently but cannot keep on top of to-do lists. We take what works and apply it elsewhere.

I try not to tell clients what to do, because the truth is that most advice never sticks. Instead, we do the work together. You discover how capable you already are, and you get the satisfaction of realising that resilience and resourcefulness have always been part of you. Nobody is as resilient as a neurodivergent person who has lived their entire life pushing against a world not built for them, while also enduring the harshest self-criticism there is. Coaching shines a light on that resilience, and from there we can build strategies that last.

Training and standards in ADHD coaching

When I decided to retrain as a coach, I wanted to do it properly. I had lived experience, yes, but I knew that on its own it was not enough. The world of ADHD coaching has developed clear training programs and professional standards, and I wanted to combine my experience with the right education.

There are several organisations that set the bar in this field. The ADD Coach Academy (ADDCA) is one of the best-known and most respected ADHD coach training programmes. JST Coaching is another, with a focus on young adults and college students who face unique challenges with study skills and daily life. Both programmes emphasise proper training and specific training in ADHD traits and executive functioning, rather than generic life coaching.

On a wider scale, the International Coach Federation (ICF) is the main global body for coaching standards. Many ADHD coaches are trained within ICF frameworks, ensuring consistency and professionalism. More specifically, the Professional Association of ADHD Coaches (PAAC) exists to accredit ADHD life coaches with rigorous standards. The ADHD Coaches Organization (ACO) also provides wonderful resources, global networking, and access to the latest research in ADHD education.

Influential figures like David Giwerc have shaped the field, while centres like the Hallowell Todaro ADHD Center continue to bring coaching and clinical research together.

Training matters, because ADHD coaching is not just about good intentions. It requires proper training, practical strategies, and an understanding of ADHD-related challenges across different areas of life. The best coach for you will always be the one who is the best fit for your unique needs, but knowing they have a solid foundation of specific training provides confidence and safety in the coaching process.

For me, retraining and becoming CPD-accredited was the turning point. It allowed me to bring together my lived experience, my love for mentoring, and my belief that kindness and authenticity matter as much as knowledge. That balance is what shapes how I work with clients today.

What makes a great ADHD coach

Finding the right coach is not about picking the person with the longest list of certificates. Credentials and training are important, but the most important factor is whether there is a good fit between you and your coach. Coaching is a relationship, and like any relationship it works best when there is trust, honesty and connection.

A great ADHD coach will understand executive functioning and ADHD symptoms, but they will also understand people. You should feel safe enough to disagree with them, to challenge them back, and to know that the relationship can handle it. The best coach is not someone who lectures you, but someone who helps you explore, experiment, and build strategies that feel like yours.

For me, connection is at the heart of coaching. If a coaching client does not trust me or does not believe I genuinely care, the process will not work. I need to feel that same trust too. Coaching is a two-way street. I will not coach someone if our values are worlds apart. For example, I will not work with people who believe in treating others as less than human, because coaching requires a foundation of respect.

Practical things matter too. A great ADHD coach provides regular meetings so there is consistency. They hold you accountable but do not punish you. They help you find practical tools and strategies that make daily life easier. They support you in setting personal goals and action plans that are realistic, and they encourage you to notice your hidden strengths as much as your struggles.

The right coach will not promise perfection. What they offer is partnership. They stand beside you, persistent and encouraging, while you test new strategies and gradually build a life that works. That is what makes the difference between coaching that fades and coaching that lasts.

Daily life and real-world application

I often say to clients that I can do wonders in the hour we spend together, but the real change happens in the real world. Coaching is not about having inspiring conversations that end when the call ends. It is about trying step by step strategies in daily life, testing them, and evolving them over time.

You need to genuinely want the change, because sometimes strategies are common sense and click straight away, but other times they can feel like a burden at first. That is normal. New habits take energy. The coaching process is about sticking with those action plans long enough for them to bed in, then adjusting them so they fit your daily life.

I never judge clients for what does or doesn’t work. The only thing I ever call out firmly is self-criticism. If you spend your days tearing yourself down, no strategy will stick, because deep down you won’t believe you deserve the benefits. As Wentworth Miller once said, “If you had someone in your life who spoke to you the way you speak to yourself, would you keep them around?” The answer should always be no. That is why you need to become your own biggest advocate. Even if you do not feel like you can, I will help you get there.

When we build action plans together, I encourage clients to notice progress in small, practical solutions. Maybe you remember to pay a bill on time, or you actually complete a to-do list for once. Those small wins matter, because they are evidence that you are capable of change. Over time, these wins stack up into long-term goals being met and real change taking place.

Coaching is not about me telling you what to do. It is about me helping you see how capable and resilient you already are. Nobody is more resilient than a neurodivergent person who has lived their whole life pushing against the challenges of a world not built for them. My role is to hold up a mirror until you can see that resilience for yourself.

Who benefits from ADHD coaching

One of the things I love about ADHD coaching is how adaptable it is. ADHD shows up differently for everyone, which means the coaching process can meet a wide range of unique needs.

For students, coaching can be the difference between constant panic and steady progress. Whether it is secondary school, college or university, study skills and time management are areas where the ADHD brain often struggles. A coach helps students create action plans for coursework, break down deadlines, and balance social situations with academic life. Having someone who understands ADHD-related challenges can prevent small struggles from snowballing into bigger problems.

For young adults, ADHD coaching can support the transition into work and independence. Starting a new job, living with housemates, or handling bills can all feel overwhelming when executive functioning is stretched thin. A coach can help with practical strategies for daily challenges, from creating realistic to-do lists to improving social skills and managing personal goals.

For parents and families, ADHD coaching can feel more complex, but also more rewarding. ADHD is primarily genetic, and sometimes the process involves recognising traits in yourself as well as in your child. This can feel confronting, but it can also create a powerful bond. When your child sees you face adversity with honesty, they realise they are not alone. That shared understanding can build trust in a way nothing else does. I see it with my own children, who live with a mixture of ADHD and autism. They know I will always have their back, and that I will work with them to grow into their best selves without going through it alone like I did.

For professionals, ADHD coaching often looks like executive coaching. Many of my clients are high performers on paper but privately struggle with organisational skills, self-worth, and burnout. Coaching helps them manage workload, improve time management, and achieve long-term goals without falling into the old cycle of breakdowns.

In truth, ADHD coaching can support people across all areas of life. The coaching client might be a parent, a student, or a professional. What matters is the connection with the right coach, the willingness to try new strategies, and the commitment to building a daily life that feels manageable. The benefits of an ADHD coach are not just about managing ADHD symptoms. They are about building self-belief, resilience, and the confidence to live authentically.

Coaching alongside therapy and medication

ADHD coaching is not a replacement for therapy or medication. Both play a vital role, but timing matters. When you are newly diagnosed it is very common to want to do everything at once — therapy, medication, coaching, new systems, new routines. It feels urgent, like you need to fix your entire life immediately. That is a very ADHD response, but it is not always the most effective one.

I often tell people to heal first. Therapy gives you space to grieve, process emotions, and face the psychological issues that often come with ADHD. Medication can reduce anxiety and give you clarity. Those two things together create stability, and that stability is the foundation for everything that comes next.

Coaching comes later, when you are ready to take what you have learned and apply it to daily life. Coaching focuses on practical solutions, action plans, and accountability. It helps you embed strategies and create long-term change, but it works best when you are no longer in survival mode.

I am not here for quick fixes or for people to spend money when it is not the right time. I am here for the long-term change. From my own experience, once an ADHD person sees the light that diagnosis gives them and is motivated to grow, they often move through the healing and into real progress at speed. Coaching then becomes the tool that keeps that progress going and makes sure it lasts.

My coaching philosophy and process

Much of what I believe about ADHD coaching has already come through in earlier sections. The 30 percent delay in executive functioning explains why ADHD creates so many daily struggles, and why clients need practical strategies rather than more self-criticism. The resilience of neurodivergent people, which we spoke about earlier, is another key piece. Coaching is about turning that resilience into confidence and forward motion.

What I want to make clear here is my philosophy. I am not here to create dependency or to keep people paying for endless weekly coaching sessions. My aim is long-term change. That means giving clients practical tools that last, helping them reach their personal goals, and building enough self-belief that they eventually do not need me every week. Some stay for monthly coaching sessions, some dip back in when life changes, but my happiest moment is when someone says they feel strong enough to carry on with only minimal support.

Every coaching client is different, but the foundation is always the same: kindness, accountability, and persistence. I hold people to their goals without judgement, and I do not allow harsh self-criticism to dominate. Coaching works best when clients begin to replace criticism with compassion.

At its heart, my process is about connection. If the fit is right, if there is mutual respect and trust, then coaching provides the structure that allows people to grow. The result is not perfection, but progress… and over time, progress creates real change.

Final thoughts

ADHD coaching is not about perfection, it is about progress. It gives people the tools and accountability to make small, steady changes in daily life that add up to long-term results. Whether you are a student learning study skills, a young adult stepping into a new job, a parent trying to support your child, or a professional facing burnout, the benefits of an ADHD coach are real. Coaching helps you see your hidden strengths, turn them into practical strategies, and build a daily life that works with your ADHD brain, not against it.

For me, the most powerful reason to do this work is to break the cycle. So many of us grew up believing we were not good enough. We lived with anxiety, low self-worth, and endless criticism, both from others and from ourselves. Coaching helps stop that cycle. It gives you the chance to heal, to grow, and to make sure your children never go through the same damage.

Every client is different, but the journey is always about building confidence, learning practical tools, and creating real change in the real world. Coaching is not a quick fix. It is about long-term growth, personal goals, and a better overall quality of life.

If you are curious about what ADHD coaching could do for you, here are three places you can start:

• Free ADHD Analysis Tool: A quick way to get insight into your strengths and challenges. It is the first step to understanding your unique brain.

• 1-to-1 Coaching: Six weeks focused on your executive functioning, daily struggles, and long-term goals. We build strategies together and adapt them to your life.

• 6-Week ADHD Course: A chance to learn practical strategies alongside others like you. You will hear things you have felt but never said out loud, and discover you are not alone.

You are also welcome to reach out with questions. I write these blogs and I do the coaching because I care. I want people to have the support they deserve. If you are ready to explore coaching, I will meet you where you are and help you move forward. My email is [email protected]