I have to admit that until October last year I didn’t even know that ADHD coaches was even a thing. Who would want coaching to get ADHD?

Of course when I was diagnosed in November I had got used to thinking I may be ADHD but felt that I needed help to look at how it affects me both positively and negatively and especially in a work setting.

I have been working with an excellent ADHD coach (won’t name here just yet!) who has a history of teaching psychology in some of our finest educational establishments. She also has experience of family members with ADHD so can empathise well.

We focus on skills and knowledge of the self with various tools and exercises that I’m encouraged to complete. At the end of each hour session before AI note taker produces a useful summary of the season with actions and deadlines clearly annotated. This is emailed to me usually on the day of the session. Sessions with my coach are in blocks of six and paid for in one go ahead of embarking on sessions.

The algorithm has done it’s thing on LinkedIn and now my feed is full of ADHD coaches and writers, entrepreneurs etc. that’s good in some ways but it also is always in your face when  you log in but I guess it’s helpful to normalise it by seeing it talked about everywhere.

Sometimes there are annoyed posts about the proliferation of ADHD coaches and in truth like with other forms of coaching it really is a bit like the wild west out there. Anybody can call themselves a coach without ever having studies coaching methods, practiced it or as much as read a guide. But also as with other branches of coaching there are some excellent ADHD coaches who are either new to coaching or well established but adding another speciality that they can work with. I dare say that many coaches are ADHD too.

So what should you do if considering finding an ADHD coach?

• Check for their experience and any accreditation/registration/continuing professional development activities
• Think about whether you have any preferences about who you work with. Their age, gender, distance from you (particularly important if you want in person sessions)
• Ask for their lived experience of ADHD ie is their knowledge theoretical or are they or anyone close to them and ADHDer?
• Ask for testimonials from clients and ask around to see if anyone else knows them
• Ask about how the coaching works. Questions around how long sessions are, in person or video calls, payments for individual sessions or blocks and in advance or after sessions?
• Ensure that you have a free ‘discovery call’ which should help you to decide whether you think you’d like to work with that coach

I have had a psychotherapist work with me since 2010 and he happens to be ADHD too though I only recently found that out. What he now delivers is a mix of therapy infused at times with coaching approach since relinquishing his professional registration as a psychotherapist. That suits me fine.

Despite 15 years of working together we never talked much about traits that I now see as obvious ADHD ones but hadn’t put it together before.

It feels like starting over in terms of getting to know myself and it’s at the same time exhilarating and infuriating as I notice more what I’d been masking (without being aware).

I believe that a good ADHD coach is critical for you if you need help with ADHD traits and behaviours and if working you may wish to ask if your employer would consider supporting costs. if in the United Kingdom you may also want to apply for government ‘access to work’ funding to help you to remain productive and supported at work.

Good luck if you’re going on that search for a coach or working with one now.