What is Executive Functioning Coaching for ADHD?
Approximately 6-8% of the adult American population is estimated to meet criteria for a diagnosis of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). It is a common condition and it can cause a lot of distress to people who are affected by it. At Upward, we perform ADHD evaluations for children and adults from all over Alabama and beyond. After the evaluation, clients who learn they have ADHD often ask: what can I do to manage my symptoms?
The gold-standard therapy approach for clients who want to learn to manage their ADHD symptoms is Executive Functioning Coaching. Sometimes people think that this term means that only individuals who are professionals in executive-level jobs are appropriate for this therapy. That is a common misunderstanding. Executive Functioning in this instance actually refers to the specific parts of the brain and the tasks associated with them that the therapy addresses. ADHD generally involves abilities that are grouped together under the title Executive Functioning, which is a fancy way of referring to the following types of tasks: sustaining attention and avoiding distraction, committing day-to-day information to memory and being able to recall it later, organizing and following through with assignments and projects, regulating intense emotions, and fitting in socially with peers and colleagues.
Although it may seem like the tasks that make up Executive Functioning don’t have a lot in common with one another, they are united by their most essential component, which is the underlying feature of ADHD: inhibition. Inhibition is what allows us to have an impulse to do or say something that we shouldn’t (or conversely, to avoid doing or saying something when we should), and to decide to speak or behave in a way that goes against that impulse. The ability to selectively and strategically use inhibition is the primary deficit that challenges people who have ADHD. This is not always a bad thing! After all, inhibition is not always the right course of action in every single circumstance. People who have ADHD are often profoundly creative, empathetic, romantic, and adventurous. However, people who have ADHD often face more educational, professional, domestic, and social challenges than those who do not have ADHD. For these people, Executive Functioning Coaching offers lessons in strategic inhibition; that is, tools for using inhibition to your advantage when doing so will make your life easier and happier.
Treating ADHD is one of my specialties, and I do a lot of Executive Functioning Coaching with my clients at Upward. In this blog post, I will discuss different types of Executive Functioning tasks in more detail, offer a glimpse into some of the tools I work on with clients in Executive Functioning coaching, and answer some common questions about Executive Functioning coaching at Upward.
What is ADHD?
First, what symptoms make up the syndrome of ADHD? We have already published some blogs about ADHD (see here and here). ADHD symptoms concern one or both of the following collections of challenges:
Inattention: for example, becoming easily-distracted, a tendency to make careless errors, chronic disorganization, and having trouble sustaining attention and focus for longer periods of time;
Hyperactivity and Impulsivity: for example, a tendency to fidget, to feel restless, and to interrupt others.
People with ADHD are given one of the following diagnoses depending on which specific symptoms they are experiencing:
· ADHD, Predominantly Inattentive Type (for a person whose symptoms mostly concern those associated with Inattention;
· ADHD, Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Type (for a person whose symptoms mostly concern those associated with Hyperactivity and Impulsivity);
· ADHD, Combined Type (for a person with both kinds of symptoms)
Whatever type of ADHD you have, Executive Functioning Coaching will be of benefit to you. The therapy is customizable and is tailored to fit your specific problem areas and goals.
Do I Have to Stop Taking ADHD Medication to Participate in Executive Functioning Coaching?
No. Treatment for ADHD is not either-or. Medication and therapy can both be very valuable, effective components of ADHD treatment.
Do I have to be evaluated for ADHD at Upward in order to Participate in Executive Functioning Coaching?
No. If you are in need of an ADHD evaluation, then we are happy to offer that to you, but if you have already received an evaluation and diagnosis from another facility or practice, we welcome this and will look over that report with you in order to design your Executive Functioning Coaching program.
Who Can Enroll in Executive Functioning Coaching?
Clients who are 14 years and older are an ideal match for Executive Functioning Coaching. This therapy is available in-person or via telehealth, so whether you live in Birmingham, Huntsville, Mobile, Montgomery, Selma, or any corner of Alabama, you can enroll!
What Skills Will I Work on in Executive Functioning Coaching?
In Executive Functioning Coaching, we will approach your goals from two central angles: the behavioral and the emotional.
By behavioral, I am referring to actions you can take (or avoid). Here are some examples of the skills and goals we may include in your plan:
· Your use of scheduling tools (such as calendars and to-do lists);
· Strategies for organization (such as coming up with easy-to-sustain, useful ways to organize your workspace, your living space, and areas that may be setting you up for failure, like your messy backpack or the perpetual pile of mail on your countertop);
· Planning tools (especially for common problem areas such as complex tasks—like a big school or work project);
· Strategies for fitting in with other people. Oftentimes, people with ADHD find that they tend to annoy others, or to be left out of social groups. This can be one of the hardest aspects of living with ADHD. People with ADHD can be distracting to others because sometimes they may talk more than others, or be too loud, or interrupt others, or fidget repeatedly, or need instructions to be repeated over and over. Fitting in is hard for everyone, and this is especially true for neurodivergent people.
By emotional, I am referring to thoughts and feelings that may be adding to the burden of ADHD. Some examples include:
· Having a hard time getting and remaining motivated when you have tasks to complete;
· Working on strategies to train your brain to be more focused on what you want it to be focused on;
· Examining messages you are communicating to yourself that may be hurtful.
More on the Emotional Side of ADHD
Oftentimes, people with ADHD are deeply embarrassed and ashamed of the difficulties they are experiencing. In the most serious cases, people with ADHD can develop rejection sensitive dysphoria, a condition that causes people to feel considerable emotional pain when they feel they have failed at a task or that others are rejecting them because they have failed at something. When people with ADHD experience emotional pain, it can be difficult for them to regulate. Recall how I mentioned inhibition at the beginning of this post? For clients experiencing symptoms of rejection sensitive dysphoria, working on this sensitivity to failure and to rejection is another form of strategic inhibition. Keeping these feelings in check and channeling them for positivity and motivation rather than pain is a higher-level form of strategic inhibition.
A Holistic Approach to Treatment
Beyond the skills listed above, we will also consider nutrition and lifestyle changes to support your ADHD treatment. People with ADHD often share common nutritional deficits that can contribute to their symptoms, so we will evaluate your diet and consider what changes may help you as you work toward change. We will also examine lifestyle practices such as exercise and sleep. Science has given us lots of tools to use in treating ADHD, and we will consider all of them as we make your personalized Executive Functioning Coaching plan.
How Long Does Executive Functioning Coaching Last?
Clients generally need about 12 weeks to complete the therapy protocol and make firm progress toward their goals.
How Do I Get Started?
Reach out for a free consultation call with me! You can do this by calling our office (205-983-4063), emailing us at info@upwardbehavioralhealth.com, or by scheduling a consult call with me through our website.