Let's Talk About ADHD Coaching
Clinicians and researchers widely agree that the best treatment for ADHD is multimodal, meaning it’s more than one thing. Usually, this means a combination of pharmacological (medication) treatments and non-pharmacological treatments.
Non-pharmacological treatments are things like psychotherapy, mindfulness, tutoring, school/workplace accommodations, assistive technologies, and occupational therapy. Coaching has also emerged as a popular non-pharmacological treatment for ADHD.
I actually started this newsletter because I am pivoting from my previous career as a college professor to a new career as an ADHD coach. I personally believe in the power of high-quality coaching for both ADHDers and non-ADHDers, and for this post, I was curious to see what research actually exists for this relatively new field.
The Summary
Coaching is about identifying and moving towards concrete goals.
Coaching is different from therapy. Therapy focuses on treating mental health conditions; coaching is focused on accomplishing goals.
The research base on coaching is still small, and most studies are on college students.
Studies have found that coaching has positive outcomes, including improved executive functioning and quality of life.
What is ADHD coaching?
At its heart, coaching is about identifying and moving towards concrete goals. The coach’s role is to be a collaborative, supportive partner in the client’s journey.
Coaches and clients typically meet biweekly or weekly, often with in-between communication over text or email. During sessions, they work together to select goals, enact strategies to pursue these goals, and celebrate successes.
So, how is ADHD coaching different from therapy?
Coaching and therapy definitely have some overlap. Both can include things like practicing self-compassion, developing self-awareness, and managing stress. Coaching, though, is really focused on the process of setting and accomplishing goals. Alternatively, in therapy, licensed mental health professionals diagnose and treat mental health conditions. Coaches are not able to treat conditions like depression or anxiety; for those issues, a therapist is needed.
Since therapists are licensed mental health providers, there are strict regulations governing their work. Therapists are required to complete a certain amount of education and supervised clinical hours, and their licensing body requires them to maintain set professional standards.
The coaching industry, however, is unregulated; there is no minimum education requirement or mandatory license to be a coach. However, many ADHD coaches elect to pursue credentials from the Professional Association for ADHD Coaches (PAAC) and/or the International Coaching Federation (ICF). These organizations do require minimum levels of training, supervised coaching hours, and ongoing professional standards.
Also, health insurance can cover therapy, but not coaching. Some people are able to get professional development funds from their employer to pay for coaching that relates to their professional goals.
What does research say about coaching?
The research base on coaching is still quite small, and most of it is focused on college students. One review found a total of 19 studies: 7 of these were focused on children and teens, 2 were on adults outside of college settings, and 10 were about college students.
Overall, these studies have found positive outcomes for coaching, including improvements in executive functioning, academic performance, self-esteem, well-being, quality of life, and family functioning. Also, ADHDers reported that they enjoyed the experience of working with a coach.
Some scholars argue that one of the benefits of coaching is its nature as a wellness model for ADHD treatment. Instead of trying to fix a disorder, coaching focuses on improving the life of someone who is already assumed to be “well,” leveraging strengths to accomplish personally meaningful goals.
Supporting this idea, when one study asked ADHDers why they had selected coaching over therapy, participants explained that they found coaching to be more optimistic, more focused on their strengths, and more solution-oriented.
To sum up, there isn’t a ton of evidence about coaching yet, but what exists is promising. If you have goals you’d like to work on, and you’re interested in trying coaching, it may be worthwhile to check it out.
How do I find a coach?
Ask around. Other ADHDers you know may have had a good experience with a particular coach.
Check out ADHD communities and content. ADHD podcasts, YouTube channels, Discord servers, and other spaces will often feature coaches, or community members may have coach recommendations (or be coaches themselves).
Check out the ADHD Coaches Organization directory.
I will also be accepting ADHD coaching clients beginning in May. If you’re interested, shoot me an email at taylor@taylorallbright.com.
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Thanks for reading this exploration of research on ADHD coaching! Have you had experiences working with a coach before? What was it like? I’d love to hear in the comments.
Stay curious,
Dr. Taylor Allbright
There are an abundance of wonderful and neurodivergent affirming coaches I've met all around the world to support ADHDe'rs especially from an affirming perspective. Great article!