Common Questions About Coaching
If you’re new to coaching or unsure what to expect, that’s completely normal. The questions below address common questions about how coaching works, what sessions look like, and whether this approach might be a good fit for you.
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Coaching is a collaborative process designed to help you better understand how you think, what motivates you, what matters to you, and what keeps getting in the way. Rather than giving advice or solving problems for you, coaching creates space for reflection, insight, experimentation, and meaningful action.
This is especially important for neurodivergent people. Lasting change rarely comes from finding a better planner, stricter routine, or more detailed to-do list. Plans and strategies that are disconnected from your actual motivations, values, capacities, and way of functioning usually do not last. Sustainable systems have to be built around the person using them.
My role is to provide structure, inquiry, perspective, and accountability while we work together to identify approaches that feel realistic, supportive, and sustainable in real life.
The International Coaching 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.” I value this definition because it emphasizes partnership. Coaching is not something done to you; it is work we do together.
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Coaching may be a good fit if you’re feeling stuck in one or more areas and are ready to do something about it. All you need is a willingness to reflect, experiment between sessions, and engage with the process.
A formal ADHD diagnosis is not a prerequisite. If you recognize yourself in certain patterns, that is sufficient to begin.
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Each one-hour session follows a consistent rhythm.
In the first session, we establish your coaching goal and begin examining how the patterns you want to shift show up in your day-to-day life.
In subsequent sessions, you bring a specific topic connected to that goal; often something that feels stuck or unresolved. We briefly review what unfolded since we last met, then explore your current thinking in a structured way that builds insight and moves toward action.
Each session concludes with a concrete next step, designed by you, to carry forward between meetings.
Over time, this rhythm builds awareness, steadier follow-through, and greater self-trust.
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No. Coaching is not advice-giving or directive guidance.
My role is not to tell you what to do, but to help you examine your thinking, clarify your priorities, and determine what makes sense for you. I ask questions, reflect patterns, and help you translate insight into practical next steps.
Coaching assumes you are capable and resourceful. The work is not about outsourcing decisions, but about strengthening confidence in making them for yourself.
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I am trained through the Coach Approach Training Institute (CATI), an International Coaching Federation (ICF)-accredited program grounded in core coaching competencies and strengths-based practice.
My coursework includes Coaching Essentials, Strengths-Based Coaching, Brain-Based Coaching, Life and ADHD Coaching, and Coach Integration. I completed Level 1 training in April 2026 and am currently enrolled in Level 2 coursework with a focus on neurodiversity.
ICF credentialing requires both formal coursework and a significant number of paid coaching hours completed under supervision and mentorship. I am actively building those hours and anticipate applying for Associate Certified Coach (ACC) credentialing in 2027.
I am also an active member of the ADHD Coaches Organization (ACO), the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO), and the Institute for Challenging Disorganization (ICD).
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The CPO® designation requires documenting a significant number of paid organizing hours, passing a comprehensive certification exam, and committing to a professional code of ethics. It is awarded by the Board of Certification for Professional Organizers.
I continue to work with organizing clients in Chicago and virtually nationwide. Years of working directly alongside people in their homes gave me a close, practical view of how executive function challenges actually show up in daily life; not in theory, but in the decisions that pile up on the kitchen counter and the routines that collapse under pressure. That grounded understanding shapes the way I coach.
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Therapy and coaching serve different purposes, and many people benefit from both at different points in their lives or even at the same time.
Therapists are licensed professionals trained to diagnose and treat mental health conditions. Coaches are not. Coaching does not address trauma, mental illness, or psychological treatment. If I believe therapy would be more appropriate, I will say so.
Coaching is present- and future-oriented. It focuses on clarifying goals, examining patterns, and building structures that support meaningful change. It assumes a baseline of psycho-emotional stability and a readiness to engage in forward movement.
You can participate in both therapy and coaching at the same time. The key is that you are ready and able to engage with the coaching process.
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The coaching relationship is confidential but is not protected by legal privilege. Everything shared during our coaching sessions is confidential, except in circumstances where disclosure is required by law, where there is risk of imminent harm to the client or others, or where the client has provided consent for disclosure.
I adhere to the International Coaching Federation (ICF) Code of Ethics, which places strong emphasis on client confidentiality and professional conduct.
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Every new client begins with a trial month of four weekly sessions. This is enough time to establish a rhythm, clarify your goal, and determine whether ongoing coaching is a strong fit.
Coaching continues in four-session increments for as long as it remains useful. Some clients work through a specific challenge and conclude after a few months. Others stay longer as they build new habits, navigate ongoing responsibilities, or work through larger life decisions.
Consistency matters. Meeting regularly, weekly or biweekly, helps maintain momentum and supports steady follow-through. Spacing sessions too far apart tends to dilute insight and weaken traction, so the structure is intentional.
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Coaching does not guarantee specific outcomes. What it offers is a structured process that supports clearer thinking and more intentional action.
Clients often report increased clarity, steadier follow-through, improved decision-making, and a stronger sense of self-trust. Many also notice that patterns that once felt inevitable start to feel more workable.
The degree of change depends on your engagement with the process. Coaching is most effective when you are willing to reflect honestly and experiment consistently between sessions.
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All coaching sessions are conducted via Zoom. I currently work with clients located in the continental United States and Canada.
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All new clients begin with a 15-minute introductory call. This conversation gives us a chance to talk about what you’re navigating and determine whether working together makes sense.
If we both agree to move forward, you’ll begin with a trial month: four weekly sessions designed to establish rhythm and experience the work firsthand.
If at any point we determine that coaching together isn’t working, either of us can say so. A strong coaching relationship depends on mutual alignment, and I take that seriously.
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Begin by completing the form on my Contact page. After reviewing your responses, I will follow up to schedule a brief introductory Zoom call.
This conversation allows us to clarify what you’re seeking and determine whether working together is a strong mutual fit. If we decide to move forward, you will begin with a trial month of four weekly sessions.
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The introductory call is a brief, low-pressure conversation held over Zoom.
We’ll spend a few minutes talking about what prompted you to explore coaching and what currently feels difficult or stuck. I may ask a few questions to understand the patterns you’re noticing and what you hope might change.
You’ll also have the opportunity to ask questions about how coaching works and what the process looks like.
The goal of the call is simply to determine whether working together would be useful. If it seems like a strong fit, we can discuss next steps. If not, there is no obligation to continue.
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The trial month includes four one-hour sessions scheduled weekly and is $440, payable before the first session.
Ongoing coaching renews in four-session increments at the same rate. If you meet weekly, this typically equates to monthly renewal; if you meet biweekly, renewal occurs approximately every two months.
As you approach the end of each cycle, we’ll review together whether to continue or conclude.
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If, at the end of the introductory call, we both feel that coaching together would be a good fit, we will discuss potential dates and times for your sessions.
After the call, I will send an onboarding email that includes a payment link, my professional services agreement for review and e-signature, a link to a client intake form, and the schedule for your first four Zoom sessions.
Once the agreement is signed, payment is completed, and your intake form is submitted, your trial month is officially in place and we begin our work together.
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I require at least 24 hours’ notice to reschedule a session. Sessions missed without notice may be forfeited.
This policy protects both of our time and supports the consistency that makes coaching effective.
Additional Questions
Do I need an ADHD diagnosis to work with you?
No. A formal diagnosis is not required to begin coaching. However, diagnosis does matter for many people, and may be something you want to explore; coaching and the pursuit of a diagnosis can happen at the same time.
By the time most adults receive a diagnosis, they have been struggling for decades without understanding why. They have received countless messages, direct and indirect, that their difficulties are a character flaw, a sign of weak will, or a moral failing. Most ADHD adults carry significant accumulated shame as a result.
Diagnosis reframes all of that. ADHD is associated with differences in dopamine regulation and reward pathways; it is a lifelong genetic condition that makes self-regulation significantly more difficult, and sometimes even impossible. For most people, this understanding is a profound relief.
Diagnosis also opens practical doors: it is often the gateway to stimulant medication, which remains one of the most effective interventions available, and may support access to legal protections such as workplace accommodations. Diagnosis does not undo decades of accumulated stress or difficulty; most adults still need ongoing support, experimentation, and self-understanding. But it is often the beginning of relating to yourself differently.
What does an ADHD support team look like?
Most ADHD adults benefit from more than one kind of support, and the mix looks different for everyone. A support team might include a prescribing physician or psychiatrist, a talk therapist who specializes in ADHD, a coach, and sometimes an ADHD-informed professional organizer.
Each plays a distinct role. Prescribers manage medication. Therapists address the emotional and psychological weight of a lifetime of struggle; the shame, possible depression and/or anxiety, and the accumulated grief of time lost. Many therapists who specialize in ADHD also use coaching techniques.
ADHD Coaches focus on the practical present and future: building strategies, structure, and self-knowledge that make daily life more workable.
As the saying goes, pills don't teach skills. Medication can make self-regulation more possible, but it doesn't automatically build the habits, strategies, and structures that make a life function. That's where coaching comes in.
You are the driver. Everyone on your team works in service of your goals.
What does a coach who serves ADHD people do?
A coach who works with ADHD people helps them understand how their ADHD shows up in daily life and develop practical ways to work with their brain rather than against it.
Coaching often focuses on areas such as task initiation, follow-through, decision-making, and managing competing responsibilities. Instead of treatment or diagnosis, coaching offers steady, practical support for building routines that work for you.
Many people come to coaching without a formal diagnosis; they simply recognize themselves in the patterns and are ready to do something about it. Whether a label comes later, already exists, or never arrives, the work is the same: understanding what’s getting in the way and building a life that actually fits how you think and live.
Can coaching help ADHD adults?
Yes. Many ADHD adults benefit from coaching because it focuses on practical implementation rather than theory. This type of support is often referred to as ADHD coaching.
Coaching helps clients experiment with strategies for planning, prioritizing, and following through on responsibilities. It also provides structure and accountability, which many people find helpful when working to build new routines.
Coaching does not replace therapy or medical care, but it can be a valuable complement to those supports.
Why do people sometimes struggle with ADHD more at certain times?
ADHD doesn’t change; it’s always there. But the demands of life do. During periods of increased stress, major transitions, hormonal shifts, or simply taking on more than your current systems can handle, ADHD-related challenges can become significantly harder to manage.
Changes in work demands, relationship stress, health challenges, or periods of burnout can all bring executive function challenges into sharper focus. Coping strategies that worked well in one season of life may not work so well in another.
One reason people come to coaching is because the gap between what they need and what their current knowledge, strategies, and systems can deliver has grown.
Does ADHD affect self-esteem?
Yes, significantly. The groundwork is often laid early. By age 12, people with ADHD have received an estimated 20,000 more negative messages from parents, teachers, and other adults than their neurotypical peers, according to William W. Dodson, MD, a psychiatrist and ADHD specialist. That’s a lot of weight to carry into adulthood.
Years of struggling with things that others seem to manage effortlessly can erode confidence and self-trust. Many ADHD adults carry a persistent, low-grade sense of inadequacy; a feeling of always falling short, even when the evidence of their competence is all around them.
That feeling rarely comes from one thing. It accumulates across years of stalled projects, failed systems, troubled relationships, and the exhausting gap between what you intended to do and what actually happened. Building self-acceptance is often just as important as the practical structure work, and it’s woven into the coaching process from the beginning.
Structure for Meaningful Change
Most people aren’t looking to reinvent their lives. They’re looking for steadier footing and a way to follow through on what matters within the lives they’re already living.
I work with adults who are navigating ADHD and executive function challenges; people who feel stuck in patterns of overwhelm, inconsistent follow-through, or mental overload. Coaching offers a clear-eyed, consistent process for understanding what’s keeping you stuck and putting the right supports in place.
“If you have ADHD, there are several reasons why it is difficult for you to accomplish things, and none of them have to do with laziness or not trying hard enough.”
— Tamara Rosier, PhD