ADHD Coaching vs Therapy | What Does an ADHD Coach Do?
I’ve often said that my ADHD diagnosis was such a light bulb moment for me.
All of a sudden, so many decisions, actions, and behaviors in my life made so much more sense.
But there was also a bit to overwhelm because it was like I needed to re-learn how to operate in the world that wasn’t made for my unique brain. It took a bit of trial and error.
And to be honest, I’m still learning.
But this learning process is what inspired me to help other mom business owners with ADHD to understand their brains, make progress on their goals for their business, home, & family, and cope in a neurotypical world.
That’s why I wanted to discuss what an ADHD coach is, how I serve my clients, and what the difference is between working with an ADHD coach and working with a therapist.
What is an ADHD Coach?
Short answer, an ADHD coach helps you develop skills and coping strategies for managing life in a neurotypical world.
Coaches may help you with planning, goal setting, and follow through by providing accountability.
They may work with you to develop strategies for time management or organizing the things, commitments, and events in your life.
They may work with you to help you understand your ADHD brain and how you may need to modify your approach or perspective on everyday actions in order to accommodate your ADHD brain and operating system.
Overall, coaching is more of an educational process that helps you improve your daily functioning in your home life, work life, or both.
Every coach’s approach and skill set is going to be a bit different. Some may focus more on productivity and work related skills. Some may focus more on relationships or managing home life. If you’re thinking of looking for an ADHD coach, consider the characteristics you’d like in someone you’ll be working with.
Would you like them to have an understanding of your culture, your religion, or your sexual orientation?
Would you like someone who focuses on developing skills for work life or home life? Or both?
Before you start your search for an ADHD coach, I highly recommend making a list of the qualities you’d like in a coach and the goals you’d have for working with them.
What I do as an ADHD Coach
As for what I do as an ADHD coach, I focus mainly on accountability and developing executive function coping skills for juggling life as an ADHD mom business owner.
After spending many years in neurotypical business coaching programs, I saw a need for coaches that
A) understood what life was like as a mom trying to run a business and
B) understood the unique challenges an ADHD brain faces when it comes to managing life as both a business owner and a mom.
In my program, I meet with clients on a weekly basis to discuss what they would like to accomplish in the coming week for their business, home, and personal life. If their goals feel big and overwhelming, we break them down into smaller, more manageable tasks and then schedule those tasks throughout the week so they can make incremental progress.
This is where the accountability portion of my job kicks in. I follow up with you via text or email to remind you what you wanted to work on, check in on your progress, and provide support if you’re struggling with motivation.
Now, I will say…not everyone is ready for this type of accountability in their ADHD journey. I’m kind of a nag, to be honest. ( My ex husband would tell you I was born to do this job. 🤣)
But when I say nag, I mean in the best way possible…Because I am acting as a sort of external brain reminding you about what you said you need or want to do and motivating you to follow through so you can actually meet your goals and create the amazing life you know is possible.
To get the most benefit out of working with me as your ADHD coach, you definitely have to be in a mental space where you are ready for this type of follow up. You need to understand that it isn’t to make you feel bad about your progress but to encourage you continue to make progress and follow through to meet your goals.
ADHD Coaching vs. Therapy
There’s a chance you’re not in the “I’m ready for a coach” headspace yet, and that’s totally ok.
Maybe you’re new to your ADHD diagnosis and you’re still learning about how ADHD impacts your life.
Maybe you’ve had an ADHD diagnosis for awhile but you’re struggling to understand or process your diagnosis and how you fit into this world.
This is where working with a therapist instead of a coach might be beneficial.
ADDitude Magazine defined the difference between therapy and ADHD coach this way…”In general, a therapist facilitates healing while an ADHD coach facilitates action.”
If you were diagnosed with ADHD later in life, there’s a good chance you’re dealing with a lifetime of negative emotions or destructive thought patterns. You may struggle with comorbid conditions like depression or anxiety that are linked to your ADHD.
For instance, I personally worked with a therapist because I had some pretty raging anxiety. Working together, she was able to help me see that much of the anxiety I was feeling was triggered by pressure I was putting on myself to perform, guilt I was feeling about missing deadlines or events, and a constant feeling that I wasn’t meeting expectations no matter how hard I tried. Processing these emotions and creating coping strategies helped me to reduce my anxiety load and learn better ways to cope when I started to experience these thoughts and feelings in the future.
How ADHD Coaching and Therapy are Similar
I want to finish up by showing you the differences between ADHD coaching and therapy with the hopes it can help you decide if you need to seek support from one or the other. Or maybe both.
To start, both a therapist and ADHD coach will need you to be open to change. If someone else pushes you to seek therapy or a coach and you just aren’t ready for it, you may not see the benefits that you would if you were open to the process.
Therapists and ADHD coaches also both work to help you create better awareness around your thoughts, behaviors, and patterns. Although the therapist may focus more on your emotions while the ADHD coach is going to focus on your actions.
How ADHD Coaching and Therapy May Differ
A therapist will help you process feelings and emotions. An ADHD coach will help you process tasks and goals on your to-do list.
A therapist helps you understand why you feel and react the way you do. An ADHD coach helps you understand what needs to be done in order to keep your life or business running smoothly.
A therapist will often help you look back to understand how you got to acting and feeling the way you do today. There may be some emotional damage to process, especially if you were diagnosed later in life. An ADHD coach helps you to look forward, set goals, and follow through on reaching those goals through finding strategies to help you stay motivated and focused.
And finally, a therapist is often covered by your health insurance. An ADHD coach, is typically not covered by insurance. But if you are a business owner and you are working with a coach to help with your business productivity, it can be a tax-deductible expense.
If you think you’re ready for an ADHD coach, I’d love to chat with you about your goals and challenges as an ADHD mom and ADHD entrepreneur. To learn more about my ADHD coaching programs and how I can support you, click the button below to schedule your free, no-obligation call with me.
