The International Coach Federation (ICF) defines coaching as
“Partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.”
Gold Mind ADHD Coach Training Academy defines coaching as
“Learn you, and do you ON-PURPOSE.”
By working with an ADHD coach you can start to understand your differences, develop more acceptance, understand your needs, and get those needs met.
An Example of Neurodivergent Differences – The spiky profile
Many neurodivergent people have spiky profiles when it comes to their strengths and challenges, and not many of us can be described as great all-rounders. Understanding this spiky profile can help us think about what we need to use more of our strengths and identify workarounds to support our areas of challenge. Without understanding our spiky profile many of us discount our strengths (because they come easily and we associate success with effort) and beat ourselves up about our challenges, without stepping back to consider what we need to do differently to accommodate our challenges.
What does a coach do?
As a coach I will:
- Help create an environment where you can think well and gain new insights and understanding about yourself
- Listen to you to understand what you are hoping to gain from coaching.
- Form an agreement with you on what the purpose is for the coaching sessions
- Encourage you to recognise what is important and meaningful to you
- Help you to identify and use your strengths
- Challenge the stories you may be telling yourself that are self-limiting.
- Help you to find your solutions to any challenges you face
- Help you identify and plan your next steps
- Work in line with the ICF code of ethics
As a coach I will not:
- Tell you what I think you should do or what we should work on
- Try and solve your problems for you
- Give you my advice
Are you ready for coaching?
If you can answer yes to the following questions you could be ready for coaching
- Do you want to gain new insights, understanding for yourself and your situation?
- Are you ready to get interested and curious about yourself and your situation?
- Are you ready to experiment with noticing your thoughts, beliefs, feelings, and needs?
- Do you feel ready to experiment with making changes to how you think, feel, and do things? (When you get to choose the changes, however big or small)
If you are not sure whether you are looking for a therapist or a coach you can find out more here