Perspectives on a changing understanding of ADHD and what actually helps
I’ve been a fan of Dr. Kathleen Nadeau for a while, but… wow. When I read a recent article she posted on LinkedIn, I was truly floored with appreciation for it.
I’m a certified ADHD coach with a professional background and training in mental health, design and leadership. I work with adult professionals with ADHD, many of whom were diagnosed in adulthood. My clients are brilliant, driven and accomplished individuals. They’re incredibly talented and competent, and at the same time, they experience real and debilitating challenges with ADHD that are hard for others to understand. It's concerning how many times I hear from new clients that clinical treatment support has helped some, but ultimately fallen short of their needs (and in some cases, made things worse). ADHD is full of gray areas (which are always fascinating, and often brilliantly powerful). A black-or-white approach just doesn't fit.
Photo Credit: Lucas Gallone
In ADHD coaching, I help clients build self-knowledge of their unique brain and its workings, and we leverage that knowledge (along with research findings, evidence-based approaches, understanding from lived experience, and cultural, social, and environmental factors... often all at once!) to create individually relevant (and thus more reliable) paths to their success.
Among the fundamental reasons that ADHD coaching works so well (in this coach's experience) is that it is flexible, agile, and adaptive (just like ADHD brains!) and it takes a holistic, whole-life approach (just like ADHD is ever-present). It's not a quick-fix, but the positive results for clients tend to be lasting, life-changing, and far surpassing their expectations.
I'm SO glad that these days so many adults with ADHD, whether diagnosed in childhood or adulthood, are finding the help they need in ADHD coaching. It's an honor to support so many fellow late-diagnosed adults, especially women, and be a part of filling the current gap. Likewise, I'm grateful for colleagues in the present world of ADHD like Dr. Nadeau who are advancing both clinical knowledge and advocacy.
There's a whole lot of hope in that article. If you’re looking for professional support from someone who knows ADHD and knows how to help, let’s talk! You can sign up for a discovery consultation where we will meet, discuss what you’d like to get out of coaching, and see if we might be a good fit to work together and create the difference you want to see in your life!
