“Having an ADHD Life Coach is to have someone in your corner, asking you the powerful questions your mind may otherwise be blocked to ask yourself.” -C.North

Dictionary.com defines vantage Point as a place or position affording a good view of something. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) manifests or shows itself in many ways. So much so that each person with an ADHD mind experiences symptoms unique to themselves, making ADHD tricky. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manuel of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DMS-V) categorizes ADHD into three types: hyperactive, inattentive, and combined type.  ADHD symptoms can block success despite the array of super-strengths one possesses. ADHD Life Coaching offers clients an opportunity to discover their unique ADHD from a different vantage point. Is ADHD a beautiful mountain scene or a mountain raining? This article uncovers how changing vantage points with an ADHD Life Coach can build self-awareness and further personal discovery. ADHD can play a negative role in one’s daily lifestyle. A trained ADHD Life Coach strives to shift ADHD symptoms from struggles to success.

Trained ADHD Life Coaches step away from the problem with the ability to see the bigger picture. A Coach uses powerful questioning with a client to evoke powerful thinking around the coaching topic the client has established. With greater awareness, self-discovery can occur. For example, powerful questions in looking at the painting may be, “What does a raining mountain mean to you?” or “What can you take away from knowing what the blue lines represent?” The client will use their powerful thinking to awaken their thought process and find clarity. A trained ADHD Life Coach uses the information provided by their client to see what ADHD symptoms might be at play. In the example of a raining mountain, the client may be stuck with old beliefs or black and white thinking. The Coach would continue to ask powerful questions to move through this thought regarding the outcome they have set. As the client moves through the coaching session, the client may become clearer about how the lines move them. A real-life example might be that the client is terribly unhappy because he cannot get to work on time and is at risk of being fired. In his view, he is late because the traffic is always horrible, and he hits every red light, every time. A coach may ask further questions to discover the client often cannot fall asleep with so much on his mind and over-sleeps daily. Before he leaves, he must respond to one more email he didn’t get to last night. And, he can’t find his keys before he leaves for work. The possible ADHD symptoms at play in this scenario could be; racing-thoughts, sleeping patterns, lack of working systems for waking up, time-management, procrastination, working memory, and distractibility. The coach will further question methods in place to provide greater clarity for the client. The client may discover he needs a system to help with one or more of these ADHD areas. In shifting the vantage point, the client can see the bigger picture clearer as his ADHD plays out in his daily life and move towards success. He may move from seeing a Raining Mountain to a Mountain Scene. He may move from believing he is late because of traffic to establishing a system to shore up his ADHD working memory struggles. He could choose to create a landing pad where everything necessary for leaving is placed every day, every time. No more lost keys. By stepping back with his coach, he can build greater awareness of his needs and abilities.

ADHD Life Coaching is a method to move forward despite what is getting in the way. ADHD super-strengths are identified through assessments and deep-dive questioning. The neurobiological difference in the ADHD brain brings a vast array of insight and ability. With the ability to use different vantage points, the coach and client relationship can identify how ADHD works in their daily lives. The coaching process helps to uncover strategies and tools that may help them move forward. Finding a clear vantage point with an ADHD Life Coach can be the key to success. Having tools to identify if it’s a raining mountain or a mountain scene is crucial in living a happy, fulfilled ADHD lifestyle.

Cindy North is an ADHD Life Coach Specialist training through the iACTcenter and moving towards certification with the ICF. Her passion is guiding the ADHD community to success by empowering others to shine with their abilities.