{"id":7628,"date":"2018-07-07T09:26:00","date_gmt":"2018-07-07T14:26:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/unitedresourceconnection.org\/goodyear-village-az-cdp\/6-critical-tips-for-making-the-most-of-your-adhd-coaching\/"},"modified":"2018-07-10T12:10:00","modified_gmt":"2018-07-10T17:10:00","slug":"6-critical-tips-for-making-the-most-of-your-adhd-coaching","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitedresourceconnection.org\/goodyear-village-az-cdp\/6-critical-tips-for-making-the-most-of-your-adhd-coaching\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Critical Tips for Making the Most of Your ADHD Coaching"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Working with a credentialed, experienced ADHD coach is critical for helping individuals with ADHD achieve their goals, capitalize on their strengths and build a fulfilling life. And like any important endeavor, this requires effort and hard work.<\/p>\n

For instance, ADHD coaching is highly active and collaborative. It requires that clients try out different strategies and tools, said Aaron D. Smith, MS, LMSW, ACC, a certified ADHD coach who helps individuals with ADHD and executive functioning challenges to bridge the gap between their current performance and their potential.<\/p>\n

It requires that clients share feedback on how these strategies and tools worked (and didn\u2019t work). As ADHD coach Linda Swanson, MA, PCC, PCAC, said, \u201ccoaching is guided by the client\u2019s input.\u201d It\u2019s the client who determines the specific, achievable goals, she said.<\/p>\n

ADHD coaching isn\u2019t a commodity, according to Madeleine P. Cote, a life and ADHD coach who works with teens, students, adults, couples and families. It\u2019s an investment. Cote asks clients for a 6-month commitment to truly facilitate growth and change. \u201cCoaching is fluid\u201410 steps forward, two steps back. As a coach I want to ensure that my clients are living in their passion.\u201d<\/p>\n

ADHD coaches don\u2019t have all the answers, Cote said. Rather, \u201cit\u2019s clients\u2019 strengths and values that hide the answers and strategies and together we go on an adventure to find them.\u201d<\/p>\n

For instance, Cote worked with a couple where the husband became very emotional during discussions, and completely forgot what he promised and what was said. It turned out that he was a visual processor, so both he and his wife would write down the facts of their discussions. Then he could review the conversation and see exactly what they agreed on.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a clich\u00e9 but it\u2019s also true that what you get in return from an endeavor is in proportion to what you put into it. The same is true for coaching,\u201d said Swanson, who helps clients increase their positive impact on the world.<\/p>\n

Her most successful clients have these qualities in common (some of which were cultivated through coaching): an eagerness about the coaching process; openness to exploring beliefs and habits that haven\u2019t worked; self-awareness to identify challenges; willingness to try new ways of behaving and thinking; understanding that change isn\u2019t smooth or easy; and a sense of humor.<\/p>\n

In addition, here are six specific tips to help you make the most of your coaching.<\/p>\n

Sharpen your self-awareness.<\/strong> Self-awareness is the first step to change. Because if you don\u2019t know what\u2019s going on, how can you change it? Self-awareness can be tough for people with ADHD, Swanson<\/a> said. \u201cWith so many activities and so many busy thoughts, it can be nearly impossible to pay attention to the present moment, unless there\u2019s a crisis.\u201d The week can seem like a blur, which naturally makes reflecting on how things went difficult.<\/p>\n

Swanson suggested doing this practice several times a day: Pause. Stop moving. Whether you\u2019re sitting or standing, feel your feet firmly on the floor. Notice where you are. Take several deep breaths, and observe any sensations in your body, possibly scanning your body from head to toe for any tension. Focus on how you\u2019re breathing. Notice whether what you\u2019re doing before your pause was what you planned on doing. Lastly, inhale and exhale, lengthening and deepening your breaths.<\/p>\n

She also suggested jotting down your observations and thoughts as they happen (because individuals with ADHD have challenges with short-term memory). To start, set an alarm for 5 minutes or less, several times a day.
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\nPick goals and objectives that are important to you<\/em>. <\/strong>Today\u2019s kids have been taught and conditioned that they need a reward, praise, or some other recognition before they\u2019re willing to try something, said Smith, founder of Potential Within Reach<\/a>. \u201cI never want my clients to do something because their parents want them to do it, or that society dictates that it\u2019s the responsible choice, or because it\u2019s something I said.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rather, Smith encourages his clients to dig deeper and identify their core values and beliefs. He encourages them to think about why<\/em> a potential goal is important, and to abandon \u201cshoulds,\u201d as in I should take that job<\/em> or I should pick that major.<\/em> In fact, he advised against using the word \u201cshould\u201d altogether. Because our self-talk shapes our perceptions and internal motivation, he suggested using dynamic language, such as: \u201cI will,\u201d \u201cI am going to,\u201d or \u201cI want.\u201d
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\nPrepare for your session. <\/strong>According to Smith, \u201cA big mistake that clients make is to come to the meeting without even thinking about what they want to address and just kind of staring at the coach like a deer in headlights when they are asked, \u2018What would you like to get out of today\u2019s session? or \u2018What would you like to work on today?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Both he and Swanson stressed the importance of thinking through what you\u2019d like to work on during your sessions. For instance, Swanson gives clients a \u201cprep form\u201d to complete and submit beforehand. \u201cNot all of my clients use the form, but those who do use it come to our session with a much clearer focus.\u201d That\u2019s because they\u2019re able \u201cto reflect on how their week has gone, to give thought to what is highest on the list of issues they would like to address in the coaching session, and to notice some good things that they are grateful for in the past week.\u201d<\/p>\n

Being prepared expedites the coaching process, Smith said. It helps you get to the heart of an issue, instead of spending the session figuring out what you\u2019d like to address.<\/p>\n

Be honest.<\/strong> Both Smith and Cote<\/a> encouraged readers to be honest with themselves and with their coaches. \u201cSometimes clients are concerned about pleasing the coach and are hesitant to be completely transparent about what is going on,\u201d Smith said. However, holding back, sugarcoating or exaggerating your efforts can derail progress and stall your goals, he said. Because your coach can only help with what you bring into session.<\/p>\n

When clients are honest with Cote, together they\u2019re able to pinpoint why a strategy didn\u2019t work and brainstorm how to proceed. For instance, one client was using her smartphone to plan out her days, but it wasn\u2019t helping. She and Cote discovered that she\u2019s a visual and tactile processor, and jotting down objectives and plans in her agenda was much more effective.<\/p>\n

According to Smith, your difficulties and challenges are \u201cperfect fodder for productive coaching sessions. Often we can learn more from failures and figure out what got in our way rather than spinning things in a favorable light. Trust me, a good coach will not judge you; they will work with you to help you overcome those challenges.\u201d<\/p>\n

Do the work (between sessions).<\/strong> Coaching can stagnate quickly when a client expects change to solely occur during their sessions. \u201cThe coaching session is not the optimal time to \u2018do the actual work,\u2019\u201d Smith said. \u201c[I]t\u2019s the time to discover new insights, strategies, tools, and get clear about the direction you are heading and the goals that you have set forth.\u201d<\/p>\n

For instance, one of Smith\u2019s clients wants to find a job. Between sessions, she texts or emails Smith about her progress with applying to several different positions. Another client wants to start a podcast and monetize it, and was feeling overwhelmed with his to-do list. Together he and Smith designed a schedule and prioritized various tasks. Between sessions, he\u2019s sent Smith a draft of his promotional video for his website, along with other videos, audio and written content.
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\nTake care of your basic needs. <\/strong>\u201cIf a client is taking care of the basic foundational elements of living well with ADHD, the coaching will surely benefit,\u201d Swanson said. She learned these foundational elements from her mentor Barbara Luther: getting adequate sleep every night; eating nutrient-rich foods; participating in physical activities daily; taking medication as prescribed and making sure it\u2019s working (if applicable); spending time in nature as much as possible; playing and having fun; and savoring the moment.<\/p>\n

Coaching equips you with the tools to cultivate change. But it\u2019s up to you, the client<\/em>, to create it, Smith said. \u201cAs Morpheus says to Neo in \u2018The Matrix,\u2019 \u2018I can only show you the door, it\u2019s up to you to walk through it.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

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Visit Original Source<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Working with a credentialed, experienced ADHD coach is critical for helping individuals with ADHD achieve their goals, capitalize on their strengths and build a fulfilling life. And like any important endeavor, this requires effort and hard work. For instance, ADHD coaching is highly active and collaborative. It requires that clients <\/p>\n

Read More<\/a>
Shared by Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S., Contributing Blogger<\/a> July 7, 2018<\/p>\n

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