Coaching for Success with ADHD/ADD

by Valerie Davis-Rucker, MS, MBA, Certified Life, Executive & AD/HD CoachHere2there Coaching

Credentials

• Certified Coach - Institute of Transpersonal Psychology, Palo Alto - July, 2010

• M.S. – Master’s in Counseling Psychology – Dominican University of CA - June, 2009

• M.B.A. – Wharton Business School at Univ. of Pennsylvania – Healthcare Management & Marketing – June, 1994

• B.S.B.A. – International Relations & Finance, American University, Wash, DC – June, 1988

TakeawaysBy the end of this presentation, you will:

• Know the difference between coaching and therapy

• Distinguish who coaching works well for and who it may not work well for

• Understand what AD/HD Coaching is and see some examples of brilliant, creative, successful & famous people with AD/HD

• Realize 3 reasons to work with an ADD Coach

Therapy vs Coaching

COACHING

1. Based on sports coaching model; mostly the present, future and moving forward

2. Coaches do not diagnose or pathologize; more a collaborative/accountability partnership

3. Coaching assumes client has intact ego and sufficient ego strength

4. Coaching is non-hierarchical (coach guides and helps client discover own answers)

5. Although transference and counter-transference happen in all interpersonal interactions, these are not addressed

THERAPY

1. Based on medical model and what’s wrong; mostly client’s past and trauma

2. Therapists diagnose and treat clinical pathological disorders

3. Therapy develops the personal self (ego development and ego identification)

4. Therapy is hierarchical (doctor-patient relationship, therapist has the answers)

5. Therapy deals with issues of transference and counter-transference

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What is Life Coaching?

• Life coaching facilitates a process of change or development that empowers individuals to realize their potential.

• What is potential? Potential is any unrealized latent ability, capacity, or possibility.

• Are you currently realizing your potential? If not, let’s talk.

Coaching works well for those who:

• are already experiencing success in some areas • are open to new ideas and ways of seeing & being• find their vision is getting lost in day to day tasks

(taken from Dr. Rosie Kuhn’s Transformational Coaching program at ITP)

Coaching works well for those who: (cont’d)

• want to experience more meaning and purpose• have great ideas and aren’t bringing them to light• are interested in making a difference in the world

(taken from Dr. Rosie Kuhn’s Transformational Coaching program at ITP)

Coaching DOES NOT work well for those who:

• are prone to psychologically diagnosable clinical disorders• are not willing to be accountable for their actions• maintain rationalizations and justifications for why their life isn’t working

(taken from Dr. Rosie Kuhn’s Transformational Coaching program at ITP)

Coaching DOES NOT work well for those who (cont’d):

• haven’t developed enough ego-strength• have difficulty engaging in introspection• are not ready to put in effort to become aware of, examine and modify counterproductive thinking & behavior

Adult ADHD/ADD Coaching

Focuses more on symptoms common to ADD, such as:

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ADD Reframed(from Attention Deficit Disorder – A Different Perception, by Thom Hartmann)

Disorder Perspective ADD as a Natural Adaptive Trait“The Hunter”

Distractible. Constantly monitoring environment.

Attention span is short, but can become intensely focused for long periods of time.

Able to throw themselves into the chase on a moment's notice.

Poor planner, disorganized and impulsive (makes snap decisions)

Flexible; ready to change strategy quickly.

Distorted sense of time: unaware of how long it will take to do something.

Tireless: capable of sustained drives, but only when "hot on the trail" of some goal.

Impatient. Results oriented. Acutely aware of whether the goal is getting closer now.

Doesn't convert words into concepts adeptly, and vice versa. May or may not have a reading disability.

Visual/concrete thinker, clearly seeing a tangible goal even if there are no words for it.

Has difficulty following instructions. Independent.

Daydreamer. Bored by mundane tasks; enjoy new ideas, excitement, "the hunt," being hot on the trail.

Acts without considering consequences. Willing and able to take risks and face danger.

Lacking in the social graces. "No time for niceties when there are decisions to be made!"

ADD Success Wheel Exercise

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AD/HD CoachingWhy are top organizations and leaders in thefield of ADHD/ADD recommending coaching asan important part of treatment? Because it works!

And don’t just take my word for it.

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The following have all endorsed Coaching as a vital missing link for achieving success:

• Barkley and Hallowell agree that with effective treatment… and notably, coaching, individuals with ADHD/ADD can achieve their potential.

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Top 3 Reasons to Hire an ADD Coach 1. Helps you stay focused and on task with setting

and achieving goals, through continual positive encouragement and support.

2. Helps you uncover and develop your strengths so you can cultivate your creative gifts.

3. Helps you understand the latest research in ADD

and develop strategies to take action and better manage common ADD challenges.

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1. Helps you stay focused and on task with setting and achieving goals.

In their book, “Driven to Distraction”, Hallowell and Ratey say:

“The person with ADD will greatly benefit from having a ‘coach,’ someone standing on the sidelines…calling out encouragement, instructions, and reminders, and in general helping to keep things going on task.

People with ADD thrive with this sort of structured encouragement, and they feel lost without it...”

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2. Helps you uncover and develop your strengths so you can cultivate your creative gifts.

“In the midst of all the chaos swirling through your brain, all the disorganization and impulsiveness, the condition (ADHD) also seems to trigger a certain kind of creativity.”

- David Neeleman, CEO of JetBlue

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Just a few brilliant, creative, successful ADD-ers:

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More brilliant, creative successful ADDers…

3. Helps you understand the latest research in ADD and develop strategies to take action and better manage common ADD challenges.

• The expansion of knowledge in genetics, brain imaging, and behavioral research is leading to a better understanding of AD/HD.

• The major ADD challenges that most coaches work on are:• goal setting• prioritizing• focusing• persisting at tasks• scheduling• organizing• confidence building• interpersonal communication

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ADHD/ADD Quiz Developed by Dr. Ron Kessler, PhD at Harvard and Dr. Len Adler, MD, at NYU

• Do you have trouble wrapping up final details of a project?

• Do you have difficulty getting things in order?• Do you have problems remembering appointments?• Do you delay getting things started? Or procrastinate?• Do you fidget or squirm when you have to sit still for

extended time?• Do you feel overly active, or as if you’re driven by a

motor?

6 ‘yes’es passes the screening test

• What’s more important than your success with ADD and your overall well-being?

• Taking the first step in reaching out to hire a coach is the hardest part.

• What’s keeping you from doing it?

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FINAL THOUGHTS

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Please share 1 valuable takeaway for YOU from this presentation with someone else.

------------THANK YOU!

Valerie Davis-Rucker, MS, MBA, Certified Life, Executive & AD/HD Coach

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