ADHD Coaching FAQs
ADHD coaching and therapy serve different — but complementary — purposes.
Therapy often focuses on healing past experiences, processing emotions, and treating mental health conditions. ADHD coaching is future-focused and action-oriented.
As an ADHD coach, I help you:
* Build practical systems for time management and organization
* Strengthen executive function skills
* Improve task initiation and follow-through
* Develop accountability structures
* Work with your ADHD brain instead of fighting it
Many clients work with both a therapist and an ADHD coach at the same time.
No, you do not need a formal ADHD diagnosis to begin coaching.
Many adults, students, and parents seek coaching because they recognize ADHD traits in themselves (or their child) — such as difficulty with focus, task initiation, time management, or overwhelm — even if they have never been formally evaluated.
Coaching focuses on building practical skills and strategies. You don’t need a diagnosis to work on:
* Executive functioning skills
* Organization and planning
* Follow-through and accountability
* Emotional regulation
* Reducing procrastination and overwhelm
If you suspect you may have ADHD but are unsure about pursuing a diagnosis, coaching can also help you clarify patterns, decide about evaluation, and start building skills now.
Executive function coaching focuses specifically on skills such as:
* Planning & Prioritizing
* Organization (of your belongings and your thought ideas)
* Starting tasks
* Managing time
* Regulating emotions
Since ADHD impacts executive functioning, these skills are often central to coaching work.
An ADHD coach partners with you to identify obstacles, create realistic strategies, and build accountability.
Together we:
* Break overwhelming goals into manageable steps
* Create personalized systems for productivity
* Develop routines that actually stick
* Reduce shame and self-criticism
* Celebrate progress (even small wins)
Coaching sessions are collaborative, practical, and tailored to your life.
Receiving an ADHD diagnosis later in life can bring relief — and grief. Many adults experience a mix of emotions and ADHD coaching provides a supportive space to process this transition while focusing on practical next steps.
With late-diagnosed ADHD, coaching helps you:
1. Reframe Your Story
We explore how ADHD has shaped your life — without shame or self-criticism. Instead of viewing past struggles as personal failures, you begin to understand them through a new, compassionate lens.
2. Build Skills You Were Never Taught
Many adults were never taught executive function skills like task initiation, prioritization, or sustainable routines. Coaching provides structure, tools, and accountability to build these skills now.
3. Reduce Overwhelm in Daily Life
Late-diagnosed adults often feel exhausted from years of masking or overcompensating. Coaching helps you design systems that work with your brain instead of against it.
4. Strengthen Self-Trust
A diagnosis can shake your identity. Coaching helps you reconnect with your strengths, develop self-awareness, and build confidence moving forward.
5. Navigate Work, Relationships, and Transitions
Whether you’re rethinking your career, adjusting family dynamics, or setting new boundaries, coaching supports you in making intentional changes.
You can’t rewrite the past — but you can move forward with clarity, tools, and self-compassion.
When choosing a coach for your child or adolescent, the most important factor is a balance of professional credentials and relatability. Because teens often feel self-conscious they need a coach who feels like a strategic ally, not another person telling them what to do.
An effective ADHD coach should:
* Understand executive function development in children and teens
* Use a strengths-based, non-shaming approach
* Teach practical skills like time management, organization, and task initiation
* Support emotional regulation and self-advocacy
* Communicate clearly with parents while helping the child build independence
It’s also important that your child feels comfortable and respected. Coaching works best when there is trust and collaboration.
* Master’s in Education with 20+ years of teaching experience with kids and adults; Special Education Certification and School Principal Certification
* ADHD Certified Educator
* APCA Parent Coach Certification
* Executive Function Coach Academy
* Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction
* Collaborative & Proactive Solutions Model with Ross Greene
Learn More About Frances
In most cases, ADHD coaching is not covered by insurance because it is considered a coaching service rather than medical treatment.
However:
* Some clients use HSA or FSA funds
* Coaching may be reimbursable through certain employer wellness programs
* College students sometimes receive funding through disability services
A 50-minute ADHD coaching session is structured, collaborative, and focused on helping you move forward — without pressure or judgment.
While each session is personalized, most follow a simple rhythm:
1. Quick Check-In
We begin by reviewing the past week — what worked, what felt challenging, and what you noticed about your patterns.
2. Clarify Priorities
Together, we choose one or two meaningful focus areas. This might include task initiation, time management, emotional regulation, school or work demands, or a specific goal you’re working toward.
3. Strategy & Skill Building
We break goals into manageable steps and create practical tools you can use right away — calendars, routines, accountability systems, or decision-making frameworks.
4. Plan for Follow-Through
Before we end, we define clear next steps so you leave with clarity and momentum.
Coaching is not about lecturing or “fixing” you. It’s about partnership. You bring your lived experience — I bring structure, perspective, and support — and together we design systems that work for your ADHD brain.
I offer ADHD coaching for clients in Seattle and surrounding areas, as well as virtual coaching for clients across the U.S.
Online coaching is highly effective and allows for flexibility and consistency.
The length of coaching varies depending on your goals. Some clients work on short-term goals for 3–6 months. Others continue longer for ongoing accountability and growth.
We’ll create a plan that matches your needs.