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What is ADHD coaching?

 

So, firstly, what exactly is coaching?

 

There are so many different ideas out there about what coaching actually is, but this is what I think feels like a great coaching space. 

 

Coaching is a partnership between you and your coach, a thinking space to define areas that you would like to explore, consider things that may be in the way of achieving your goals, and identify tools and strategies that will work for you in order to move forward. 

 

One of the key elements of coaching is that you are working together, the coach isn't there to 'fix' you (because you don't need fixing), it's about exploring together to think about what's important to you, what that means and what you might want to do next. 

 

In our coaching space, my role is to:

 

• Hold the space for you to explore your chosen focus
• Be deeply curious about your experiences
• Ask questions to help you to think more deeply about your topic
• Allow you time to explore at the pace that works for you
• Only share tools and resources with permission

 

In our coaching space, my role isn't to:

 

• Give you advice
• Try to solve your problems
• Offer opinions or try to diagnose you
• Tell you what to focus on
• Lead the conversation

 

What does an ADHD/AuDHD career coaching session look like?

 

We're all unique and there are different styles of coaching but this is what my coaching space might look like.

 

Sharing your focus

 

We might start with a grounding exercise to help remove any distractions and start the session in a focused way. I'll invite you to think about what you'd like to focus on. I may ask questions to help you narrow your focus until it's clear. Sometimes sessions may be focused towards an outcome, sometimes you might just want the space to think and process. There's no right or wrong way to use your coaching space. 

 

Exploring your thoughts

 

I will hold the space and the time and allow you to process your thoughts and feelings about your chosen focus. I'll ask questions to help you think more deeply about it. With your permission, I might share ADHD/AuDHD models, tools or strategies that are relevant to your focus so that you can apply a neurodivergent lens to your thoughts. 

 

You will be encouraged to explore your focus in a spacious way. I might gently challenge you to think about things in different ways so that you can find the answers you need.

 

Anchoring new learnings and next steps

 

I might ask you to reflect on the session and any new learnings, and invite you to think about what you know now and anything you might like to experiment with going forward or between sessions.

 

What can coaching help with?

 

People come to coaching for all sorts of reasons. As an ADHD career coach, I work with people who are looking for support in areas such as:

 

• For support in their current workplace
• To explore different job roles or career options
• Transitioning to self employment, or back into employment after a break
• Building confidence and reducing shame
• Learning about their ADHD/AuDHD
• Advocating for themselves
• Identifying needs and boundaries
• Creating work that feels sustainable
• Finding strategies to help navigate work, and life,  more smoothly, such as organising, time management, managing emotions and more.

 

How does coaching differ from therapy?

 

Therapy is usually focused on exploring things that may have happened in the past to identify the impact that those things are having in the present. Depending on the type of therapist, they may also be able to help with diagnosing and referring to other professionals for support.

 

Coaching is usually goal oriented, identifying outcomes that you'd like to achieve and working towards them together in partnership. Coaching is also less focused on the details of a situation and much more on how you feel about it and exploring ways to move forward. It can be common for a great coach to be able to support you without knowing any of the details about your situation, giving space to allow you to deep dive into what's happening on the inside. 

 

I've personally had therapy and coaching and got so much from both of them. Both coaching and therapy can have huge benefits, the key is to choose the right person to support you. 

 

Coaching experience and training

 

Coaching isn't a regulated industry so there isn't a perfect option here but there are a number of professional bodies that oversee coaching practice such as the International Coach Federation (ICF), the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC) and the Professional Association for ADHD Coaches (PAAC).

 

These professional bodies oversee the industry and lay out the guidelines for ethical coaching practice. 

 

The difference between certification and accreditation

 

When you train as a coach, upon completion of your course, you will be certified to coach by the provider that delivered your training. Your coaching training might also be accredited by one of the professional bodies such as ICF or EMCC which means that the training has been assessed to be in depth, to a high standard and that coaches are being trained in line with ethical guidelines. 

 

Once you are certified, you can then apply to your professional body for your individual coaching accreditation. Each professional body will have slightly different requirements, but individual accreditation often includes a requirement to have completed a minimum number of training hours, coached real paying clients for a mimimum number of hours, engaged in a minimum number of hours of mentoring from more experienced coaches, reflected on your practice and there might also be final exams. If you achieve these standards, you are then awarded your individual accreditation. 

 

Working with me

 

I'm an ICF ACC accredited coach and I work with a range of ADHD/AuDHDers, with a special interest in supporting people to find more joy at work. You can find out more about coaching with me here.