Questions people often ask
Including the ones people sometimes feel nervous asking, and a few that are helpful to know before we begin.
Before we begin
Do I need an ADHD diagnosis to work with you?
Not at all. You don't need a diagnosis, a suspicion, or a label of any kind to work with me.
Many of the people I work with have never been assessed, and some are quite sure ADHD isn't part of their story. They may still find themselves navigating challenges with memory, focus, time, or follow-through. If that sounds like you, you're in the right place.
Do you diagnose?
I don't assess or diagnose. If you'd like a formal assessment, that's a wonderful conversation to have with a qualified clinician, and coaching can support you alongside it.
How do I know I'm ready for support?
Most of the time, you already know. Something about the way things are isn't working, maybe it hasn't been for a while, and you're ready for it to feel different.
You don't need to have everything in order before you deserve support. If you can sense that something is ready to shift, that's more than enough.
Will you just tell me what to do?
That's one of the most common things people expect, and it's a fair question.
Coaching is a partnership, and you're the expert on your own life. My role is to walk alongside you, offer gentle accountability, and lovingly name what I notice when that's helpful.
Much of our work together is experimentation. We'll try something, learn from it, and adjust as we go. Nothing here is pass or fail.
How coaching works
What actually happens in a session?
We'll begin with a free 30-minute introductory session so we can get to know each other and see whether we're a good fit.
If we decide to move forward, our first full session is a 60 to 90 minute clarity call. This is where we get specific about what you'd like to focus on and what you'd love to be different.
From there, our sessions settle into a rhythm: what's new, how your experiments went, and what we'd like to try next. If something urgent comes up, we'll give it the attention it needs and then return to the bigger picture.
If you're open to it, I sometimes use breathing or visualization to help you settle in before we begin. We spend most of our time building on your strengths and resources rather than dwelling on the problem, and I'll keep gently guiding us toward what you truly want.
How many sessions will I need?
Twelve sessions is often the sweet spot, usually over three to six months.
I generally recommend weekly sessions rather than every other week, because consistency really helps. If we reach six sessions and you feel your needs are met, I won't stretch things out. And if we reach twelve and you'd benefit from more time, I'll be honest with you about that too.
How soon will I notice a change?
It often depends more on how you show up than on how long we work together.
Sometimes a breakthrough happens in a single session, and other times change unfolds more gradually. What helps most is being open and honest with me, including about the parts that feel a little embarrassing, and trying things out between sessions.
I invite you to notice two things: Are your outcomes shifting, and how are you feeling? Progress doesn't have to mean reaching the big final goal. If you used to be late to work every day and now you're on time twice a week, that's real progress worth celebrating.
Should I choose one-to-one or group coaching?
It depends on your budget and, even more importantly, on what feels comfortable for you.
Group coaching offers something special that one-to-one can't. Hearing someone else describe your own Tuesday morning can lift so much shame, and the support members offer each other is genuine and powerful.
Group may not be the best fit if speaking openly in front of others would make it hard for you to share, or if what you'd like to work on is truly confidential.
It doesn't have to be one or the other. You can combine group sessions with private one-to-one coaching and shape your support around what you really need.
A few practical details
What if I miss a session, or step away for a while?
You'll never be judged, and you haven't wasted my time.
It's so common to miss one session, feel awful about it, and then avoid coming back because the shame feels heavier than the missed hour. That cycle can be far harder on you than the session itself.
Whatever happened, we'll simply pick up wherever you need us to.
How is this different from a planner or another app?
Because the answer usually isn't finding the right notebook.
Many of us love a fresh planner, and many of us also have a collection of apps we downloaded, paid for, forgot about, and then couldn't figure out how to cancel.
Those tools can be helpful, but when they don't fit the way your brain works, they can start to feel like one more thing you're falling behind on. Coaching looks at what's really standing between you and taking action.
Is coaching covered by insurance?
Coaching is self-pay. Because I'm not a licensed therapist, it isn't billed through insurance.
Coaching, therapy, and the people you love
How is coaching different from therapy?
Coaching is focused on the present and the future. Together, we look at what's happening now, what you'd like to change, and what will help you move forward.
Therapy can address mental health conditions and other concerns that coaching doesn't treat. If you're already working with a therapist, coaching can sit beautifully alongside that work rather than replace it.
My partner has ADHD, and I don't. Can you help me?
Yes, and this is some of my favorite work.
It often begins with education. Understanding what may be happening for your partner can change how you experience it and respond to it. From there, we focus on you, including the frustration, the exhaustion, and the self-care that can come with loving someone with ADHD.
Just to be clear, this isn't relationship counseling or marriage therapy. This work is about you: what's happening for you, what you'd like instead, and how we'll get you there together.
Still wondering about something?
This page will keep growing. If your question isn't here yet, it's probably a great one, and I'd love to hear it.