Navigating ADHD: How to Choose the Right Support Coach or Therapist
Navigating ADHD how to choose the right support is the last in my series on the Three Wheels to Navigating ADHD. First we uncovered the importance of Clarity, then we zeroed in on designing your Strategy. Our last wheel is about finding the right Support for where you are right now.
Learn about the essential role of support in lasting change and download your free Support Guide.
Stop Riding a Unicycle: A Guide to Choosing the Right ADHD Support
Welcome back to our series on navigating the ADHD landscape. So far, we’ve explored the first two wheels of our journey:
Clarity and Strategy. While those two can certainly get you moving, trying to navigate life with just them is a bit like riding a bicycle—you’re moving faster, but if you stop pedalling or lose your momentum, you risk losing your balance altogether.
Today, we are adding the third wheel to navigating ADHD: Support and how to choose the right support.
When you engage all three, you aren’t just balancing; you’re riding a tricycle. You can sit back and enjoy the ride, knowing your effort is being spread to where you get the best rewards, and you won’t go off balance.
Why ADHD Support is Essential for Lasting Change
Support isn’t just a “nice to have”; it is your guide to seeing beyond the horizon.
It acts as a catalyst, helping you identify and leverage resources you might not even realise you have.
Research shows that support is the key ingredient driving successful ADHD coaching outcomes.
For parents, receiving the right support cannot only help them manage the household with more ease but also make them an inspiring role model for their family and help everyone thrive.
Building Your Support Toolkit
Support for ADHD is rarely a “one-size-fits-all” solution. It is a multi-layered toolkit that includes:
Tools: Tangible items like planners, fidgets, and electronic devices.
Medicinal: Stimulant or non-stimulant medications and alternative options.
Workplace Accommodations: Accessing financial support through the Employment Assistance Fund or Job Access.
Personal Connections: Leaning on your circle of family, friends, and peers.
Professional Expertise: Collaborate with ADHD specialists, such as an ADHD coach, GP, psychiatrist, nutritionist, occupational therapist (OT), psychologist, or sleep specialist.
Understanding Your Professional Team
When looking for professional help, it is vital to understand the different roles people play in your journey. Choosing the right “expert” depends on the type of guidance you need right now.
“Therapy follows the trail of tears with a goal of healing. Coaching follows the trail of dreams with an aim of an optimal life… and healing happens”.
Deep Dive: What is ADHD Coaching?
Think of ADHD Coaching as a personalised roadmap for fulfilment. It’s a goal-oriented partnership where you work directly with a highly trained coach who specialises in the ADHD experience and adheres to the ethical standards of the International Coach Federation (ICF).
An ADHD coach’s main role is to help you bridge the gap between where you are and where you want to be. This is achieved through three key components:
Coaching: A client-driven, confidential process where you are regarded as naturally creative, resourceful and whole.
Skills Coaching: Collaborating to build systems (like planning and prioritising) that work with your brain, not against it.
Psycho Education: Learning about how ADHD affects you personally and accessing research-based tools and resources.
Next Steps: Download Your Support Guide
Pursuing your goals with only one “wheel”—such as Strategies—can feel like riding a unicycle: it’s doable, but it demands constant effort and focus. Adding Clarity as a second “wheel” gives you more speed and control, like riding a bicycle—but you still have to keep moving to maintain your balance. When you add the third “wheel” of Support, you create a stable foundation, like a tricycle.
Now you can move forward with confidence, enjoy the journey, and turn your biggest ideas and dreams into reality.
To help you decide which supports are right for your unique journey, you can download our “What is ADHD Coaching? Choosing Supports” worksheet.
This guide provides a detailed breakdown of the different roles and helps you identify where you might need a partner, a teacher, or a detective to help you move forward.
