Services Offered
One-on-one coaching. 45 minutes. $40 (USD).
strengths-based. judgment-free. flexible scheduling and efficient sessions - because I know we both have rehearsal.
What exactly is ADHD Coaching?
Getting unstuck
Someone has gotten as far as they can with the skills, knowledge, and resources that they have, but now they feel stuck. They may have been stuck for a day or perhaps a decade, and they may be stuck on one specific challenge or in virtually every aspect of their life.
This particular someone is neurodivergent, and that is related in some way to their stuckness. In the pursuit of unstuckness, our someone partners with a coach - in this case, an ADHD or executive functioning coach. Through the coaching relationship, our someone develops new insights about their challenges, their strengths, their environment - and ultimately, themselves.
They begin to understand why the strategies and systems that work for “everyone else” aren’t working for them, and more importantly, they begin to develop their own systems and strategies. They experiment with implementing their ideas and gathering data from their own lives. By examining this data with their coach (neutrally and non-judgementally!) they discover even more about how they are “wired” - what works, what’s fulfilling, what brings them ease, what brings them peace.
Our someone chips away at the stuckness one inight, strategy, and habit at a time. On the other side of stuck, they find empowerment. Our someone is now not only unstuck, they know how they got there, and they know they can get there again.
“Okay Tessa, that’s a nice story, but...”
What does an ADHD coach actually DO?
and what is a coaching session actually like?
I hear you, and I put off hiring an ADHD coach for myself for a long time because of all the vagueness around what coaching actually is! Now that I’m in coach training, I can tell you that some of the vagueness is because so much of the process is in the hands of the client. We continuously co-create the relationship, so no two sessions will be exactly the same With that disclaimer, though, here’s a general overview of what I’m doing as your coach, how coaching works, and what you might expect from a coaching session.
Coaching with Tessa
anatomy of an adhd coaching session
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Near the beginning of every coaching call, I’m going to explicitly ask you what your coaching topic is. In a longer-term coaching relationship, we’ll discuss your overall coaching goals and check in about them regularly. We’ll reflect on what’s happened between sessions, celebrate your wins, and note how your intentions may have shifted. My fellow perfectionists, please note that this reflection is neutral and nonjudgemental - you cannot “fail” coaching, and I promise I will never attempt to cajole you to “just try harder” (ew). Whether or not you did what you intended to do, there is so much learning here.
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I’m going to ask you to define what success means for each coaching session. Success can be wildly different each session Sometimes success is something tangible, like getting an overwhelming to-do list whittled down to your top 3 priorities. Sometimes success is something intangible, like generating new insights into why you always procrastinate on (insert least favorite task here), even after you’ve tried all the things to stop procrastinating! Sometimes success is somewhere in the messy middle, like discovering your own strengths and how you can leverage them to create out-of-the-box solutions for your out-of-the-box life.
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We’ll explore the context of your coaching topic - what’s making this important right now, and how does this relate to your overall goals and our learning so far. Throughout the session, it’s my job as coach to “steer the ship” and keep the session focused on your agenda so that you can get the most out of coaching. We’ll discuss your communication style and I’ll give you lots of space to talk - verbal processors are welcome here! You don’t have to worry about keeping track of the time, getting lost in a tangent, forgetting what you’re saying midsentence, or even forgetting your original topic midway through the session - I’ve got you.
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During our conversation, you might notice I’m taking a lot of notes. I’m using the skills I’ve practiced in coach training - 17 and counting - to listen for clues and connections, to ask questions that invite you to explore, and to help you hear yourself more clearly. Along the way, you’ll discover insights about your coaching topic, and about yourself. We’ll use these insights to “design an action” - in other words, you’ll set an intention to do something differently, based on what you’ve learned in the session. This is why coaching works - the insights and intentions are all yours, and all of our learning is grounded in action. I’m just a resource.
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There is a saying in coaching that the client is “naturally creative, resourceful, and whole.” I believe this with every fiber of my being. The best solutions for you will come from you, but that doesn’t mean you have to reinvent the wheel. Understanding your neurodivergence (diagnosed or not) and your particular areas of strength gives you an empowered place to start. As your coach, I’ll use my understanding of neurodivergent conditions and executive dysfunction to help you explore the challenges that are showing up for you. We’ll explore the big picture of what has you stuck, and I’ll help you identify and access the resources and supports that will give your brand new intentions their best chance of success.
a note about my pricing
I’m a freelance musician, and I think many of you are too. We’re well into the second year of a pandemic that has caused seismic shifts in our industry. I want your coaching experience to empower you, not destroy your budget. I plan to slowly bump up my rates as I finish classes in my training program. I will always be completely transparent about my fees.
coaching accommodations
I’m passionate about working with neurodivergent musicians, and that means I want your coaching sessions to be tailored to your circumstances. Some examples of coaching accommodations are - longer or shorter session times, using a platform other than Google Meet, coaching by phone or with cameras off, structuring our sessions to include breaks or movement, using a captioning service during the session, welcoming the presence of children or pets…. and I’m just getting started. Flexible thinking is one of my strengths, please put it to good use and tell me what you need!