What therapists can learn from training as an ADHD Coach
I am a therapist. I am many things, really, but my therapist identity is the one that has stayed with me for over ten years now. And if you, like me, are neurodivergent, you might just understand how precious (yet often elusive) this kind of consistency can be.
I’m an art psychotherapist, specialising in identity, and over time, my practice has filled with the wonderfully complex souls—the clients who never disappoint. They fulfill that neurodivergent need for stimulation and challenge, testing me as a professional. For the past five years, the people crossing my threshold (sometimes just a Zoom link) have slowly revealed themselves as neurodivergent too: questioning, navigating diagnosis, processing what this new label means for their identity and their life.
I’ve always prided myself on using a vast array of tools in my practice. As a creative therapist, I believe I’m not just allowed, but expected, to adapt, improvise, and change—to provide my clients with possibilities, not pre-packaged solutions. I tell them, “Hey, I’ve got this basket of tools.” And if we’re in the therapy room together, they can quite literally pick something up and throw it at the wall, because why not? I’ve given them permission. Online, in the 2D world, we might have to imagine the throwing or translate it into another form, but the invitation is always there.
With this ever-expanding toolkit, I (a little reluctantly, but full of curiosity) enrolled in ADHD Works’ coaching training. Working with ADHD Works as a Clinical Consultant, my therapist instinct kicked in: I had to make sure this wasn’t just hype, that it was safe and gave people real tools to coach effectively.
The promise was big, and so were my expectations. I’d met Leanne, spent hours getting to know her brilliant, uniquely wired brain, hoping I’d ‘get it,’ hoping I could hop onto this train with others who were maybe less experienced but just as passionate. By this point, I already believed that, with the right guidance, people with ADHD often just need a little nudge to fully harness their brilliance. Sir Ken Robinson, a champion of creativity and individuality in education, once said, “Human resources, like natural resources, are often buried deep. You have to go looking for them… you have to create the circumstances where they show themselves.” That resonated with me, so I jumped in, trusting the potential.
Did I learn anything? Oh, yes. More ADHD-specific skills than my three-year Master's ever taught me. Classic psychotherapy training offers little when it comes to working with neurodivergent adults. Sure, there’s research on kids and teens with ADHD or autism, but that’s about it. We haven’t caught up with the world’s growing awareness and need.
Since ADHD was officially diagnosable in adults in 1994 with the DSM IV, research has shifted, but our field still has a lot to catch up on. Therapy (as much as I love it!) has its hurdles. It still scares people, still feels like that one step deeper into the shadows not everyone’s ready to face. But the skills I gained in ADHD Works’ training? They allow me to soften the method. To sprinkle my own lived experience, to weave in humanity. I can be more human in therapy—more present, more real. And if you’ve been a client of mine, you know I’ve always pushed for this anyway!
So, what did I learn from the training? Structure and frameworks can be incredibly helpful—not just for me, but for my clients. Coaching gave me a base to build on with future ADHD clients. But it also reaffirmed my belief: that my work must always meet my clients where they are, not where traditional, neurotypical frameworks think they should be. This training will shape my therapist identity, deepening and strengthening my practice just where it needed it most. As a neurodivergent therapist myself, I now feel like I have one more basket of tools to lean on—something solid to ground me. Because ADHD Works’ Executive Functioning Coaching Framework brings a sense of safety into the often chaotic whirlwind of neurodiversity, a much-needed lifeline amid the beautifully complex dance of our experiences.
Not everyone needs therapy. Not everyone needs therapy today. If you’re the kind of therapist who sometimes feels too much of a therapist for your clients' good, try training as an ADHD Coach. Gather more tools for your basket; expand your approach and see what possibilities unfold.
And this whole journey has sparked another thought: maybe it’s time to teach other therapists about my approach to working with neurodivergent clients. But that’s a story for another post—or maybe another rant!
And if you want to join me in the tornado that exploring neurodivergence can be, come say hello at www.processingneurodivergence.org or connect with me on Instagram @processing_neurodivergence.