I have been actively coaching ADDers for two-and-a-half decades now. When I started as a total novice way back in 1999 the notion that a person with ADHD could be ‟coached” to improve their symptoms was other-worldly.
The last 3 months or so I have been reviewing what I do, and especially how I do it. This is different to my daily review. I have been dealing with what I define myself as, yes I carry the title of ADHD Coach, but does that tell people what I do?
To the best of my knowledge I am the only ADHD coach that uses a modular system as the foundation for the coaching. In order to better serve my clients I have developed an in-depth Impairments Assessment to determine accurately where to focus with each client.
Most of my clients are in ‟my life” daily for at least three months, and then periodically for another 6 months or so, as they adapt and implement what they have learnt during the coaching. I also schedule sessions with spouses, partners, teachers, and only when absolutely unavoidable, I interact with managers in the workplace.
Each one of my clients has ADHD that is different to everyone else. The most significant differences are headed by genetics, but environmental factors such as parenting, schooling, and poverty or wealth determine what their futures will look like.
I have had medical doctors as clients, directors of globally listed companies, academics, but most are what are termed your average Joe or Jane, just like me. ADHD has no respect for status, class, race, or creed. My clients span the globe, from Perth to Europe and Africa, and across the Americas to Vancouver.
The current figures show that around 10% - 12% of any given population have been diagnosed, making ADHD the most common of all neurological conditions.
During the last year I introduced ‟Day Starter” sessions. These are short - no longer than 15 minutes, but in reality they seldom exceed 5 minutes. The reason for these sessions is get clients to focus on the day ahead. Ideally, these happen on the 4 days that don't have a long coaching session, sometimes only 2 or 3 days is applicable as we near the end of a coaching plan.
These weekday sessions happen between 6am and 9am South African time. The greatest benefit is that they create a strong new habit of daily planning and then sticking to the plan.
I am now involved in my clients ADHD journey 5 days a week. Bear in mind that all my clients have 24/7 access to me as well. We deal with problems as they arise, rather than waiting for their next weekly slot.
This is not typical behaviour of a coach - any kind of coach. My relationship with my clients is perhaps more like a mentor, which on its own also does not adequately describe our special kinship.
There is a solidarity between me and my client, after all, we are dealing with only one aspect of their life - the ADHD. But that one aspect impacts every other aspect of their life.
My coaching plan indicates that I teach and/or educate, I provide guidance, I empathise, I cajole and even nag, but above all I change behaviours of those in the environment of my client.
Given my client case load and content creation, my wife Pat - who was also one my clients some 18 years ago is now directing the business operations, and is in charge of all things digital - the website and social media and is the first responder.
We have a loving, solid and mutually beneficial relationship - we put the modules in place in ourselves before we try them on our clients. As soon I realised that this magnificent woman - who I fell for within the first hour of meeting her - had ADHD, we put our romantic relationship on hold while she completed the coaching.
That was really hard for me. Daily though, I am eternally grateful for having Pat in my life, and trust her implicitly to love our clients.
So, I am still no closer to finding a word - or even a couple of words - that define accurately what I do. I have explained in about 500 words above what I do. Perhaps I will have to create a new word.
Better still, maybe a reader can come up with a suitable and appropriate word or phrase?