Wednesday, June 1, 2016

The Path to ADHD Coaching

The best things in life have a way of coming after many disappointments and false starts. This is also true for people with ADHD. The stories I hear from clients about how they eventually come to coaching are very similar: “Once I received the diagnosis, I then worked with someone to help me follow through, but they told me it wasn’t working because I couldn’t follow through.” Years of trial and error with various professionals to learn efficient self-management skills can feel tortuous. The words I hear most are: “despair, lack of effort, I failed because of me," and “I want to be in charge of my own life!"

The good news is that these experiences, while not immediately providing the change clients are seeking, form a rich body of learning about what does and does not work for them. This self-knowledge is key to any successful coaching work in which they will eventually engage.

When clients arrive at a coaching session with a diagnosis and a history of trying many different ways to change things for themselves, they are ready -- truly and fully ready -- to embark on a productive, life-changing experience. Their desire for change is at an all-time high, while their despair can be at an all-time low. Ironically, these are the conditions that sustain clients best when they might otherwise avoid sessions or tasks that feel challenging. This history forms the motivational foundation from which clients will take more risks, tolerate uncertainty, and experiment with how to BE differently in their lives.

The best news of all is that these experiences are merely one aspect of the whole person. And this is what sets coaching apart from other modalities. There is the assumption that all of us are whole, just the way we are. Coaching – even ADHD Coaching - is about growing, learning and becoming. The purpose is to empower, illuminate the essential health of the client, and embrace all parts of themselves.

As Carl R. Rogers said, “The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change.”

P.S.: Don't forget to take a look at our videos on ADHD on YouTube!

Lynda Hoffman
Certified Professional & Personal Coach

Medipsy Psychological Services

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