How to find a good ADHD coach (and what to watch out for)

Working with an ADHD coach can be genuinely life changing. The right coach can help you understand how your brain works, feel less overwhelmed, and build ways of working that feel safer and more sustainable.

There is also something important to know before you choose one………

Coaching is not a regulated profession. Anyone can call themselves an ADHD coach, even if they have only completed a very short course or have limited experience. Some coaches are highly trained, ethical, reflective, and thoughtful in their work. Others may be working far beyond what their training has prepared them for.

Red flags to be cautious about...

If you are speaking to a potential ADHD coach, these are signs to pause and ask more questions.

• very short ADHD coaching certificates presented as full professional training

• reluctance to talk about credentials, supervision, or insurance

• promises of quick transformation or guaranteed results

• language that sounds like therapy or clinical treatment

• pressure to commit before you have time to reflect

 A responsible coach will welcome questions about how they work and how they are trained.

You deserve to feel safe, informed, and confident in the person you choose to work with.

What is good ADHD coaching?

Once you know what to look out for, it helps to have a clear picture of what good ADHD coaching looks like in real life.

ADHD coaching is a collaborative, forward focused space that helps you understand how your brain works in everyday life. Much of the work sits within executive functioning. This can include planning, organisation, task initiation, follow through, time perception, working memory, and managing competing priorities.

It also recognises the emotional experience of ADHD. Many people bring overwhelm, self criticism, rejection sensitivity, difficulties with emotional regulation, and the patterns that have developed after years of masking or pushing through.

In practice, this might look like:

• exploring why getting started feels difficult instead of assuming it is procrastination

• breaking tasks down in a way that matches your motivation and energy

• finding kinder routes back into tasks after avoidance or burnout

• noticing where RSD (Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria), shame, or fear of criticism is shaping decisions

• creating routines that support steadier focus, rest, and emotional regulation

Sometimes the work is practical. Sometimes it is reflective. Good ADHD coaching holds room for both, with curiosity, respect, and an understanding of the life you actually live. The focus is on awareness, change, confidence, self trust, and developing sustainable ways of working with your brain.

Why discovery calls matter and what questions should you ask?

Many people find it helpful to speak to at least two coaches before deciding. This gives you something to compare and helps you notice where you feel most at ease.

Pay attention to how your body feels afterwards. Settled, steady, curious, or relieved are often good signs.

Some good questions to ask during the call are:

1.     What coaching qualification did you complete, and how many hours of training was it?

2.      Do you also have ADHD-specific coaching training?

3.     How much of your coaching work is with clients who have ADHD?

4.     How would you describe your coaching style?

5.      What does a typical session with you look like?

6.      Do you have regular supervision or reflective practice support?

7.     Do you hold professional indemnity insurance?

8.     How do you decide when something is outside the scope of coaching?

9.     Who tends to work well with your approach, and who might not?

My approach as an ADHD/ AuDHD coach

I am an ADHD and neurodiversity-informed coach with lived- experience, and I use a strengths-based, reflective approach. My coaching blends practical strategies with gentle awareness-building, and I introduce psychoeducation where it supports the client.

I am an ICF ACC coach, meaning my training and coaching practice have been formally assessed and accredited by the International Coaching Federation, with supervision, client-hours and ethical standards at the core of my work.

My training includes ADD Coach Academy programmes totalling at least 160 hours of live accredited ADHD-specific and coaching-skills training, alongside ongoing CPD and reflective practice. I am professionally insured and work under supervision, with the aim of creating a steady, compassionate and collaborative coaching space.

If you’d like to see whether my approach feels like a good fit, you’re welcome to book a discovery call.

Find out more about me here:

www.shineonadhdcoaching.co.uk

Thank you for reading and taking an interest

 Nicola Walker

Shine On ADHD Coaching