Danielle Ralston, ADHD Coach at Agave Health, discusses what ADHD Coaching is all about, how it works alongside therapy and medication, and what it can help you achieve.
November 2022, Danielle Ralston, ADHD Coach @ Agave Health
Before Demystifying ADHD Coaching, let's talk about the difference between a Coach and a therapist.
Therapists analyze their client's past as a tool for understanding present behaviors. Coaches, on the other hand, identify and describe current problematic behaviors so that you, as the client, can work to recognize them. In other words, therapists focus on “why” specific behavioral patterns occur, and Coaches work on “how” to work toward a goal.
Once you see those patterns, you can modify them with your Coach's support and guidance. An ADHD Coach works with you to define and discover your unique brain chemistry, which allows us to guide you and build strategies customized to how your brain works. As Coaches, we are here to help you create the function in your “chaos of the moment” with tools you can keep coming back to.
So how does your ADHD Medication figure into all of this?
Your ADHD medication helps with focus and impulsivity. However, even with medication, many ADHD adults still struggle with time management, organization, executive dysfunction, rejection sensitivity dysphoria, and the list goes on. ADHD Coaching compliments your treatment from your physician(s) and counselor. Your ADHD Coach can work with your treatment team to ensure success.
What can a Coach do for people with ADHD?
A good Coach can lead you to your goals by helping you develop the following:
planning and management skills
healthier self-esteem and relationships
clearer judgment
self-motivation
time management skills
a greater sense of self-efficacy
less anxiety in social interactions
ADHD Coaches specialize in understanding, developing, and leveraging the unique strengths and diff-abilities (different, not broken) associated with ADHD. Often an ADHD Coach understands the needs of their clients because they ARE ADHD themselves!! We are qualified to help you become more successful at work (whether you are an employee or an entrepreneur), at school, at home, and so much more because we understand every issue and struggle at our very core. We, as Coaches, support our clients in developing a comprehensive understanding of both how ADHD works for them as well as the impact it has on their quality of life. We guide and teach you how to create structure, support, skills, and strategies to help you move forward with fuller and more satisfying lives.
“ADHD Coaching is a close, ongoing partnership.”
What makes a Coach an ADHD Coach?
We are a specialized type of life or business Coach that uses techniques geared toward working with your unique brain... because we have the same kind of brain!
How does ADHD Coaching work in practice?
ADHD Coaching is a close, ongoing partnership. Coaches can meet their clients in various ways, such as through chat or video calls like with Agave Health, or in person. Coaching sessions can cover what's going on in the client's life, job, and/or business, emphasizing challenges and opportunities, employing strategies for success, and incorporating feedback to adjust the process.
ADHD Coaching can also help you to:
Understand that the source of many of your challenges is ADHD, not personal shortcomings.
Safely examine areas of failure and where you want to be held accountable.
Heighten self-awareness and self-observation skills, and use those heightened skills to improve decision-making and performance.
Change perspective when ‘stuck’ (learning new ways to work with procrastination, perfectionism, staying on task, or being more consistent).
Become aware of your learning styles and learning preferences to enhance your ability to learn and comprehend information and situations.
Do chat and zoom Coaching really work?
Yes, chat and video Coaching works well for most clients with ADHD. Specifically, Agave members report an average of 16% improvement in their ability to manage their ADHD symptoms after only 6 weeks of chat and video based Coaching through the app. We can meet with you as you need it so that you get almost immediate support. In addition, it provides a wider variety of options in selecting a Coach who specializes in ADHD, as you are not limited by geographical location.
As Coaches here at Agave Health, we assist our clients with ADHD to stay focused on their goals, face obstacles, address core ADHD-related issues like time management, organization, and self-esteem, gain clarity, and function more effectively. We show you how to use ADHD to your advantage and create a life of less stress and more freedom.