Coaches & Support Groups for ADHD

Parent Q&A

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  • Looking for help with home organization and project completion, and also some daily tasks that are piling up, like opening the mail and organizing papers/bills, etc. 

    I’m learning more about ADHD and how helpful it is to have someone “body double” for you to help you stay on task. Would appreciate someone who is neurodivergent-affirming and non judgmental. Thank you!

    Yes! I know someone great for this who was super-lovely to work with. Text Annie at (510) 529-1693: she works in Berkeley/Albany/Oakland (she’s a Berkeley native and went to Berkeley High), and specializes in working with people who have ADHD, depression, and/or physical disabilities. I hired her because I was cleaning and reorganizing the bedroom to create a home office, and needed someone to help me focus and declutter so I could rearrange furniture. I think we got rid of about 5 bags of stuff I no longer needed, and the appointment was incredibly productive. She was so encouraging, helpful and non-judgmental, and it was SUCH a relief to finally get this project done.

    She mentioned “body doubling,” and that she also works with people who need help with things like sorting paperwork, folding laundry, etc.

    Hey! I need this too! although I've been looking for an ADHD coach without success.  but an organizer might just be a more direct way (and presumably in person) way to strategize out of the disorganization and mess.  Will you let me know what you learn? In case people don't reply all. 

    and I know that there are platforms where you can sign up for a remote body-double,  like someone who is also trying to finish a task and needs a double. So it's just a body double- but not someone actually helping you with the thing. If it's a platform it's probably not free although you could always try it free. I think you could find it for free though if you are in any ADHD groups online (like FB groups or Reddit or what have you.) 

    Much appreciated. 

    Maggie

    https://www.understood.org/en/articles/body-doubling-for-adhd-what-it-i…

  • There’s a special young adult in my life who is in great need of a fantastic coach to help him with executive function. He’s diagnosed with ADHD and autism spectrum disorder. Things have spiraled downward lately with failed classes, losing jobs, and having little social interaction. Does anyone have recommendations for a coach in Portland or who provides virtual sessions? 

    My nephew has had great success with New Frontiers Executive Function Coaching, starting in high school and moving into college. They’re in NY but coach through Zoom. The first coach wasn’t a great fit, but the second one has been amazing. Not cheap, though, I’m told— but life-changing for him. Good luck!

  • flexible ADHD coach

    Jan 1, 2024

    Anyone have a recommendation for a coach for our 20 yr old with serious ADHD and super high IQ who is very underdeveloped in his capacity to do anything he doesn

    t want to do?

    He can be argumentative, charming, stuborn, articulate and iin need of an "executive secretary" coach with a sense of humor?

    he is a D1 athlete who had an awful 1st semester at an elite college, took off the 2nd semester and is now at community college to mature some more before either returning to that college or going elsewhere. He refuses to use a calendar, hates me (his mom) reminding him of stuff he needs to do and refuses to share school information with us and cannot keep track of or (at times) even do his work. Without any effort he got B's & a C but needs support to get accustomed to working harder.

    In middle school and part of high school I hired over qualified male CAL graduate students to sit with him 2x week to get home work done. He needs an older child version of this, I think.

    I imagine someone relatively young, funny, and organized, in contact with him via text and phone call 3 -5 days a week getting him and then keeping him on track.

    Thank you so much in advance.

    Wow this could be my child you described. If you find someone please, I would love to know about that resource. It’s so hard to advise an almost adult age kiddo. I find myself worried and frustrated. The online guidance says to let go of trying to control your child, but my child is also engaging in risky behavior. All the best to you and your son. 

    Hi, your son sounds very much like mine. He found an EF coach at Classroom Matters, whose support and encouragement and sensitivity and knowledge of ADHD, etc. has been incredibly helpful to my son. I’d highly recommend contacting Classroom Matters to see how they can help. It’s been a game changer for my son and our family. 

  • Looking for support and resources from the community for a 9 year old boy diagnosed with ADHD. We've been struggling with basic things like homework, getting ready for school, following instructions. Regular complaints from school about bad behavior, inattention, missed homework/schoolwork etc. He is also falling behind in school though he is quite capable of doing better.

    We have a 504 plan from public school but it just allows for basic things like seating in front of teacher and breaks between long tasks. Though these are useful, they are not enough. We've put off medication(adderall) because of potential side affects for now and want to explore therapy. But, finding it very hard to find knowledgeable therapists who could help. We also want to explore alternate treatments (diet etc) to see if those might help.

    For people/families who've found things that helped please share recommendations. We live in the east bay (Fremont).

    Thank you so much!

    ADD kids are wonderful and amazing and hard to parent! I was one; I'm still parenting one (now a young adult). Extra fun when they are 2E (gifted with ADD).

    I doubt much has changed since my child was that age--schools and teachers generally do not understand nor support ADD kids well. The 504s can help, but they are not a solution to living with ADD. Living with ADD takes a wrap around approach--home, school, support services. Yes, dietary changes may help. Yes, skill building (kid, family, care givers) definitely helps.

    I was never able to find a one-stop shop for parents. I had to patch together resources myself. High quality neuropsychological and educational psychological testing was very helpful to understand my child's specific challenges, and provided helpful recommendations. I can recommend Morrisey-Compton, but they are on the Peninsula. I don't know any on the East Bay.

    I recommend reading Dr. Hallowell's and Dr. Brown's books, and considering the full range of skills and medications used to treat ADD, and often underlaying anxiety and/or depression (can come on as the kids get older if the ADD is left untreated).

    If I had it to do all over again, I would have taken a deep breath and not worried so much about school performance. I wish I had gotten myself some therapeutic support and created a more supportive home environment that celebrated my child rather that working so hard to fix my child to fit into social expectations. And, I wish I had done medication trials with my child much earlier (we waited until after freshman year of high school).

    ADD kids come with so many wonderful gifts along with their challenges. I encourage you to focus on the gifts first, and support the challenges second. Love 'em up so they feel good enough about themselves to do the hard work of managing their challenges in finding a life path that suits their many strengths.

    Hi! What a great parent you are for reaching out to the community and asking for resources. While this is my specialty, I am a researcher, so initial thoughts are, though it may be very hard to initiate at this age, decreased screen time may  help with attention span in the long run. This is a study for early development but perhaps asking the therapists you’re working with about ways you can start to lower screen time for your kid to increase attention span. Perhaps you’ve already thought of this, but thought I would reach out. Being out in nature and actively engaging with the environment has done wonders for kids health. Ucsf has done plenty of studies involving kids and the outdoors. Best of luck! Your kid is lucky to have you as a parent, looking for ways to help him out!  
     

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9683344/#:~:text=We%20also….

    In our experience, medication helped. It may or may not help your son but, respectfully, it seems to me you’re experiencing a lot of side effects by  not trying it.

    Also, I don’t know if the school district told you he can’t get an IEP with just an ADHD diagnosis but that is not true. If you haven’t spoken to DREDF for more information, I recommend their resources. Good luck!

    The best and most important thing that helped us was medication. We did all other things, including fish oil, healthy high protein diet, no tv/electronics, 10-12+ hrs of sleep, exercise, basically anything that had any medical support. Our son's immediate relief that he was finally able to follow instructions and be the kid he knew he was inside was obvious in so many ways.  And something to remember about medication:  it's not permanent and its not surgery.  You can try it and if it works, no one will be happier than all of you.  And if it doesn't, you can stop.  It's out of his system in less than a day.  But you wouldn't stop him from using glasses, or hearing aids or medication for any other condition if he needed it.  There is a lot of anti medication hype but it also wildly effective and positively life changing for kids with ADHD. 

    Parent of two neurodivergent kids here, ages 10 and 12.

    Awesome that you reached out! It's so important to disrupt the vicious cycle of a kid getting ongoing negative feedback from school and/or frustrated family members for things that are out of their control, then starting to develop low self-esteem and/or school trauma. I'd consider protecting his sense of self-worth as a top priority, make sure he has lots of opportunities to shine at doing what he loves, and work from there!

    Do you have any specific data from your child about his experience and what he himself perceives as his primary pain points? Does he need to move his body way more than he's allowed? Does he love talking? Is he bored by content?

    Do you need an IEP rather than 504? Do you feel your evaluation was thorough? (Was it private, through doctor, or district?) What sort of "bad behavior" are they complaining about?

    At this age, for this set of issues, I would be seeking parent support or coaching, rather than therapy per se. You need to get to the bottom of the specific lagging skills or mismatches between his abilities and what his environments are asking of him, and troubleshoot them one at a time.

    It can take a while to get comfortable with meds for our kids, I totally respect where you're at. However, for so many ADHDers, they are a game changer! Stimulants are extremely easy to trial: you quickly know the impact, it's easy to stop, and you can trust yourself as parents not to continue anything you don't like. For both of my kids, ADHD meds (started ages 9 and 11) provide a seemingly small but very useful tweak: for one kid, it reduces hyperactivity and aids in emotional regulation; for the other, it allows them to focus for longer periods on reading, and to be more organized. In neither case would we have continued if it changed their personalities, messed up their sleep, etc.! 

    I'd be cautious with dietary things. My understanding is there is not any real evidence that specific diets would change the way a person's neurotype shows up (unless some behaviors are are due to an issue that is *not* due to their neurotype, such as allergies). We've found regular infusions of protein are pretty important for mood, especially for a kid who doesn't eat much at one time or is on the move a lot, but that's probably a given for all folks...

    I have learned a ton over the years through books, podcasts, and online resources like Facebook groups (carefully chosen!). Tilt Parenting is a great website and podcast (https://tiltparenting.com/), as is The Neurodiversity Podcast w/Emily Kircher-Morris (https://neurodiversitypodcast.com/about-us). I'd search for your topics of interest, including working w/schools and your rights within schools. Russel Barkley is an OG researcher for understanding ADHD. Penny Williams' book was helpful to me (and she's doing a lot more now, including coaching: https://parentingadhdandautism.com/). You might also check out ADDitude: https://www.additudemag.com/

  • I’m wondering if anyone has had a good experience with a life coach who specializes in ADHD ? My super bright 20yr old with 12 yrs of this dx has hit a wall where his intelligence & superior social skills is not enough to finagle his way thru deadlines & obligations. He doesn’t want to check in with us but I wonder if he had a coach who checked in twice a week or 5x week could help him?

    thx!

    A dear friend of mine has worked with Caroline Totah with great success. Hope this helps!

    https://carolinetotah.com/

    Hi, my son - 20/ADHD and EF challenges - is finding support through Classroom Matters in Berkeley. You can call them up and tell them what sort of help he needs and they get it. 

    Hi there - We had a very positive experience with Lisa Miller and Amanda Burke of Classroom Matters. They are AMAZING and I highly recommend both of them. I will be eternally grateful to Lisa and Amanda for the support they provided to my daughter and our family. 

    I highly recommend Classroom Matters.  I've been working an adult coach there and it's been lifechanging.

  • Hello BP family,

    My son will be starting 7th grade this fall. I'm looking for an executive coach that offers in-person session to work with him as has ADHD - Inattentive. He is a very smart and kind kid but us the parents are tired of reminding him to do the homework, turn-in the homework, etc. I'd appreciate your good referral. I've gone through the archives and I don't see recent postings. We live in El Cerrito, so preferably looking for someone is El Cerrito, Richmond, Albany, Berkeley area and even better if the coach is willing to come to our house. 

    Thanks so much!

    Hi, please consider reaching out to Laura Turnbull at Firelight Education.  She is a wonderful mentor/coach for ADHD students.  She worked with my son to help strengthen executive function -- things like calendaring, organizing notes and assignments and follow through on homework and creating long range planning for large projects. Laura understood my son's struggles and was able to connect with him, establish rapport and encourage him along the way.  She is great about keeping parents updated and supported during what sometimes feels like an insurmountable challenge.  My best to you and your son!

    Thanks for your referral, will reach out to Laura.

  • My partner has ADHD and would benefit from working with a coach or therapist to better understand the condition, its impact on their life and our relationship, and strategies to handle it. I’m at my wits end and they don’t seem to see that the problem exists. They are very bright and can be stubborn and defensive, so the ideal professional would be experienced with working with that sort of profile. Any recommendations welcome!

    Lyca Sedaka has been awesome! She's helped me get through and process the grief stage of getting diagnosed as an adult, working on self esteem and many tips and trick on how to navigate a neurodivergent brain. She also has ADHD herself so she really understands what her patients are dealing with.  She also takes insurance through Alma

    You can check out her profile here https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/lyca-sedaka-oakland-ca/89…

    I highly recommend checking out Melissa Orlov. At a point when I was at my wits end I stumbled on her site and was stunned by what she wrote about partnerships that are impacted by ADHD; it was like she was living in our home. My ADHD husband and I did her webinar for couples impacted by ADHD and it was phenomenal. It opened our eyes to a lot of things - not just his ADHD but also how I respond to it. And we felt a lot less alone in our struggles as there were people from all over the world attending the webinar. ADHD and it's impact is real. She also has a support group for non-ADHD partners. Here's the link: adhdmarriage.com. Her site also has a list of people that specialize in ADHD. Some are out of state but they can work with you as "coach" if they're not licensed to work in CA. 

  • ADHD Coach for Adult

    Sep 20, 2022

    I'm in search of an ADHD-specific coach for an adult, for help designing very practical and personalized strategies and routines.  I saw some older posts on this but wanted to ask for updated recommendations.  Thank you!

    Many years ago I worked with Sydney Metrick and really liked her. I'm still using some of the techniques she shared with me. 

    https://artfulcoaching.com/

  • Hello, 

    Has anyone had experience with Whole Child Psychological Services in  Walnut Creek (social skills group and/or parent counseling) for a teen with ADHD? They seem great from an initial discussion, but there aren't any reviews on BPN.  https://wholechildca.com/

    Thanks!

    Hello - we are very happy clients of Whole Child. I feel like I finally have somebody who can explain what's going on in my kids mind/brain, and help us set up our home and school environment accordingly. In addition to providing fabulous, actionable advice and plans, they are also a treasure trove of referrals to equally fabulous professionals. Working with them has been a life saver. 

    We've been working with Whole Child for almost 4 years and it's been a life-saving/life-changing experience for both us as parents and our son (who is now an impulsive ASD teen).  We work individually with a behavior therapist on a weekly basis so can't speak to the social skills groups. They have helped us to set boundaries, implement structure and, most importantly, to understand our child to set him up for success.  I can't recommend them more highly! 

  • ADHD ‘coach’ for teen

    Apr 11, 2022

    Our 15 yo daughter was recently diagnosed with ADHD Inattentive Type, mild. Low dose medication has been helpful and she’s starting to take ownership of her diagnosis. Thinking now about a ‘phase 2’ in treatment, wondering if there exists some short-term practical class or coach to help with techniques for school, etc. Kaiser had offered therapy but I’m thinking more practical skills as daughter is fairly confident and adjusted.  I bought a teen ADHD book for organization (which still sits unopened) but wondering if someone in-person for just a few sessions could teach skills we have not thought of. 
     
    many thanks

    Classroom Matters has great executive function bootcamps for teens and their families. We took one and found it SO helpful. Then we signed up for a tutor who has taught our son how to organize himself for school (how to use his assignment planner, what to keep in his binder vs. what to toss, how to manage email and communications from teachers and the school) and break down school projects and papers into smaller tasks and then stay on top of them. All of CM's tutors work on executive function skills in addition to doing subject matter support. Can't recommend Classroom Matters enough! 

    Classroom Matters on Sacramento has excellent Executive Functioning coaches- I've used them for my daughter. They are known for their subject matter tutoring (which we've also had for AP Chem) but we also use them for ADHD coaching- planning and organization. 

    Hi, 

    check out SOS4Students.  https://www.sos4students.com/. They do inperson  and online courses. Our developmental pediatrician highly recommended this place.

    We had our daughter's neuropsych assessment at UC Berkeley, and I took a class with the same clinic on behavioral modification. https://psychology.berkeley.edu/clinics/our-services They may have resources that would work for you.

    Many therapists who specializes in ADHD will provide that sort of coaching (along with working on cognitive behavioral therapy and other techniques that can be helpful alongside medication). I can't offer any specific recommendations within Kaiser, but I'd encourage you to consider exploring the therapy approach that they're offering, if you can find an ADHD specialist (a therapist who doesn't do much ADHD work may not be as helpful on the coaching front).

    Greetings - I am a parent of a teenager with ADHD. First, don't buy any more ADHD books - we have many and can share! Second, my child has been working with Lisa Miller at Classroom Matters, and she's amazing. Lisa is an incredibly talented coach. She has deep ADHD experience, and she has a team of excellent tutors / coaches to back her up. Based on the limited information you provide here, I highly recommend Lisa. If she's not able to help you, I'm sure she can find point you in the right direction. https://www.classroommatters.com/leadership-team and https://www.classroommatters.com/contact-us I'm new to BPN, but it looks like you can message me privately via the platform. Please feel free to reach out to me directly - happy to talk with you and share more about our family's ADHD journey. 

  • Coach for Adult ADHD?

    Apr 30, 2019

    I'm searching for an adult ADHD coach to help me with time management, procrastination, and generally getting work stuff done.  Someone who focuses on academic work would probably be fine for me, as my work is largely academic in nature, though help developing strategies for keeping the rest of my life organized would also be useful.  I've seen some fairly old promising reviews for Linda Lawton; if you have more recent experience with her I'd love to hear about it.  In addition if you know other ADHD coaches in the East Bay who are great (and ideally meet in person, and perhaps do some supervised study sessions), please let me know!

    I'm an adult in the creative/academic world, and I swear by my coach -- Tatiana Guerreiro Ramos. She co-runs Classroom Matters in Berkeley and is a quick study. We do a combination of organizational skill-building and reframing of issues like procrastination and perfectionism. She is at: tatiana [at] classroommatters.com

    I highly recommend Sydney Metrick. I worked with her several years ago to help me figure out how to better manage my inattentive ADD and found her really helpful. She has since moved out of the area, but even when she lived in the Bay Area we mostly talked over the phone apart from an initial visit. I found her to have a lot of insight and experience and very little judgment. If nothing else, you may want to sign up for her free newsletter. I still get it and regularly learn from it! Here's her website:

    http://www.artfulcoaching.com/addadhd/

    Good luck! I know from personal experience how frustrating it can be to struggle with a somewhat nonstandard brain...

  • Hello, everyone (first time posting here!).  My SO was diagnosed with Adult ADHD a little over a year ago.  Since that time, we've experienced various headaches regarding finding skilled counselors/therapists who can offer real help with his condition. 

    The major priority is finding someone (a therapist, counselor, coach, etc.) who can help with executive-functioning related issues (organization, prioritization, time management, motivation, emotional regulation, etc).  Or even some sort of group or class where people receive training in executive-function skills.  He'd also benefit from speaking with a doctor or psychiatrist who is knowledgeable regarding medications for ADHD treatment ...someone who has ADHD as a specialty or at least has significant experience with it.

    We have Anthem BlueCross insurance, so if anyone could offer a suggestion for a provider who's in-network, this would be immensely appreciated.  However, we'd be willing to go out-of-network for anyone who truly knows their stuff. 

    We live in the East Bay, but there's no real preference for location ...would be up for anyone in Berkeley, Oakland, Emeryville, San Francisco ...or even the South Bay, if necessary.  Finding someone who's helpful & skilled is, ultimately, the most important factor here.  I just want to ensure he'll finally get the treatment he needs.

    Tremendous thanks ahead of time for any guidance or suggestions you're able to provide. It's truly appreciated...

    Hi, I don't have advice about where to go in the Bay Area, but I do know an excellent online resource that has helped our family a great deal. My 57 year old husband has ADHD (as well as our kid) and I have found Additude Magazine to be so helpful and full of resources. There is a lot on adult ADHD/ADD and the effects it has on marriage, as well as some support groups where either or both of you can vent and learn. You might find something in there. http://www.additudemag.com/

    Hi! I am an adult recently diagnosed with ADD. (39 year old female).

    I would like to recommend Ellen Walters, MFT for counseling and therapy. SHE IS AMAZING. I can't stress enough how knowledgeable, kind, and helpful she is. She helped me find so many practical ideas, systems, and strategies for every day functioning. Her office is in Lafayette and she doesn't do insurance but she's worth it. She helped me with communication skills with my husband, emotional regulation, self esteem, and with practical organization and planning strategies. (My ADD is pretty severe- she literally helped me figure out how to manage and complete daily chores like take out the garbage, laundry, etc. and how to begin to be a functioning adult rather than a hot mess.) 

    And I love the Additude magazine as well. They also do a podcast that covers so many topics-it helped me learn more about the condition and is a treasure trove of information. 

    One thing I want to say is that your SO is lucky to have such a supportive partner. It's a roller coaster of emotions when you get diagnosed as an adult. It's shocking to realize you've lived for so long without help. And it can be trying to say the least to navigate the world of treatment options. Having someone I your side and simply supporting you makes all the difference in the world.

    I would start with a good therapist like her and ask for a rec from her for a doctor or psychiatrist. She specializes in ADD. One last thing-  I didn't even think ADD was real even after I got diagnosed. But Ellen really worked with me and took time to see what I really needed. She has ADD herself and she truly gets it. Good luck! 

Archived Q&A and Reviews

 

Support group for adult with ADD?

Dec 2012

i am the wife of a non-diagnosed ADD husband. do you know of any support groups in the east bay? preferably near el cerrito. thanks. non-add spouse needs support


Try http://chaddnorcal.org/ for resources. CHADD is the national organization for Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Local Librarian