What is AD/HD Coaching and How is it different from therapy?

With "coaching" still being a relatively new phenomenon, many of you may be confused about what exactly AD/HD Coaching is, and how it is different from therapy. This answer can vary widely, depending on who your coach is and what credentials he or she has.

In the DC area alone I know coaches who range from Ph.D.'s to professional MOM's. Furthermore, their approaches range from one like my own, which has a lot in common with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and one's that rank closer to that of a personal organizer. Coaching is held in the office, in the client's home, or even over the phone with hundreds of miles between the coach and client. Like the word "therapist", the word "coach" has very little meaning in and of itself. Anyone can call themselves a coach and hang their shingle for business--a little scary.

In fact, I've had clients decide NOT to pursue services because they had previously been to a "coach" and came out worse for it. This saddens and angers me. On the other hand, I can say the same for some people who have been to bad therapists...which can sometimes even be those with a prestigious Ph.D. after their name. In no way do I believe that having a particular set of credentials necessarily makes you good at what you do, but it does mean you have gone through the training necessary to know what you should do. More importantly, the word "licensed" as in "Licensed Clinical Psychologist" means there is an entity monitoring that person, making sure he or she is behaving in an ethical way toward their clients and keeping their skills current by requiring continuing education.
Coaching is not there yet, although there are people and organizations working hard to create standards and requirements for the coaching community.

Another important issue is that, to date, there is very little research on AD/HD coaching and its effectiveness. As a psychologist, I believe strongly in the idea of empirically validated interventions, meaning that any activity I engage my client in has been backed up by research, not just anecdotal evidence. This is why the particular coaching intervention used by myself and my coaches at Psych Ed Coaches has been researched in multiple independent studies. One of these was my own, which I presented at the 2009 International CHADD Convention. I am now in the midst of turning this study into a book with Dr. Frances Prevatt of Florida State University, one of the leading AD/HD Coaching research sites. There are a few other helpful studies; however, while they all investigate "AD/HD Coaching", as I said before, this does not mean they are investigating the same intervention across studies. For example, one recent study looks at AD/HD Coaching from a workshop perspective, and another lumps it in with many other types of coaching.

My personal approach to AD/HD Coaching is, as I said, a lot like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy...with an emphasis on the behavioral. The client and I meet once a week for 50 minutes in my office. There, using the Psych Ed Coaches "Coaching Handbook" we record the clients' goals in a measurable, objective way. Weekly sessions are used to explore and create small steps the client can take toward meeting their goals, which can be anything from effectively using a planner, to managing finances, to eating more healthfully. The cognitive and emotive part comes into play when a client becomes stuck or has trouble progressing and the reasons why need to be explored. We then link these feelings and thoughts to the client's behavior so that they become congruent and the client can move forward. Is it coaching, therapy, or does it even matter what you call it? I've seen it work and I have the research to back it up.

Some things to be aware of...coaches who do not have a mental health background should NOT be exploring this "why". They do not have the training to do so, and this is probably the number one reason people can have a negative experience with coaching. Likewise, a therapist should not be calling a session coaching and then spend 45 minutes exploring a client's deep seeded pathology. It is a delicate balance and a good coach, regardless of which side of the coin they lie on, should know their boundaries.

Overall, coaching can be a great choice for those looking to improve their executive functioning behavior deficits. Like shopping for a dentist or a dress, just remember...buyer beware.

VIDEO: "Ad/hd Coaching Tips and Strategies" - PART II

"In this two part video, Dr. Abigail Levrini, a licensed clinical psychologist and owner of Psych Ed Coaches (www.psychedcoaches.com) offers a peak at two actual AD/HD Coaching sessions. Created as a training tool for the 2009 International CHADD (Children and Adults with ADHD) Convention, this video is a valuable resource for current and future coaches, as well as potential clients interested in coaching. Operated by Ph.D. and Master's level clinician's, Psych Ed Coaches, is the Washington DC area's premier coaching practice, helping clients of all ages deal with issues in organization, procrastination, time management, motivation, or other problems in executive functioning."

Click on the TITLE above to view Part II.

VIDEO: "Ad/hd Coaching Tips and Strategies" - PART I

"In this two part video, Dr. Abigail Levrini, a licensed clinical psychologist and owner of Psych Ed Coaches (www.psychedcoaches.com) offers a peak at two actual AD/HD Coaching sessions. Created as a training tool for the 2009 International CHADD (Children and Adults with ADHD) Convention, this video is a valuable resource for current and future coaches, as well as potential clients interested in coaching. Operated by Ph.D. and Master's level clinician's, Psych Ed Coaches, is the Washington DC area's premier coaching practice, helping clients of all ages deal with issues in organization, procrastination, time management, motivation, or other problems in executive functioning."

Click on the TITLE above to view Part I.

AD/HD meeting in Cleveland offers advice to law enforcement on dealing with the disorder

The following is an article from the "Cleveland Plan Dealer" about the upcoming CHADD Convention...three days until my presentation, "AD/HD Coaching and College Students"!

http://www.cleveland.com/healthfit/index.ssf/2009/10/adhd_conference_comes_to_cleve.html

It Has Nothing to Do with Willpower

The idea that makes my heart sink the most when it comes to individuals with AD/HD, or mental health disorders in general, is that these people could overcome problems with motivation if they just mustered up enough "willpower". Ugh. Even with all of our knowledge, I continuously hear reports from parents, teachers, spouses...even my clients themselves...saying, "I have seen them do it before so I know they can if they really want to."

If only it were that simple. Remember the commercial for the depression meds where the little rock is being followed around by the gloomy rain cloud? Well, picture that rock as a brain, and that cloud as the disorder. That is what it is like for people suffering. Just like a cloud, some areas are denser then others, and there are even parts where you can almost see the sun shining through. These are the moments when the affected person can motivate him or her self enough to attend to their responsibilities. There are good days and bad days. And the bad days have nothing to do with laziness or lack of willpower.

One thing that I think makes it hard for people to really get this...I mean truly get it...is that individuals with mental health disorders don't have the benefit of others seeing their cloud. As difficult as I am sure life is for someone with a more visible handicap, one thing they have in their favor is the fact that it is visible. When we see someone approaching an entrance on crutches, we hold the door for them (at least we should). On the other hand, if we smile politely at someone who is depressed and they frown and avert their eyes, we assume they are rude and maybe mumble something under our breath. If an AD/HD child who turned their homework in the day before doesn't the following day, we assume he is being defiant.

I admit I am guilty of this too. I automatically have sympathy and respect for any client that walks into my office, but in my daily life I make assumptions about people's character flaws when I really have no idea what is going on under the surface. It's human nature.

So please, try and take a step back now and then when you feel yourself getting impatient with a loved one or stranger who appears to be rude, defiant, or angry. They may be suffering more than you will ever know, and most likely feel ten times the negative feelings toward themselves that you feel. Take solace and celebrate the fact that you are mentally healthy and spread those positive feelings around.

Image from kotaku.com

Upcoming Events for PsychEd Coaches

I am happy to announce two very exciting upcoming events for PsychEd Coaches!

On MAY 9th at the CHADD (Children and Adults with ADHD) Regional Conference in Baltimore, MD, we will be hosting an exhibition booth. The Conference is open to educators, parents, adults, pychologists, and healthcare providers wanting to learn more about ADHD and available ADHD services in the area. For more information go to www.chadd.org.

Mark your calendars! On OCTOBER 9th in Cleveland, Ohio, I (Dr. Levrini) will be conducting a seminar on "ADHD Coaching and College Students" at the National CHADD Conference. For those of you who won't be in Ohio, I'll be sure to post a video of the presentation.

Obama Swearing In

I wanted to share a video I took yesterday at the Inaguration of Barack Obama. It was an honor and a pleasure to be a part of this historical event.

The iPhone Goal-Tracker

Apparently, in its attempts to take over the world, the iPhone is now trying to put coaches out of business. This thing really can do it all. Haha.

And, you really do learn something new every day!

The iPhone "Goal-Tracker" helps users keep on track towards reaching goals. Using your iPhone, you decide what you want to achieve, and by when you want to achieve it.

Then as you do the work to make it real, you introduce your progress updates. Every day the Goal-Tracker will give you a short motivational quote to keep you focused and in movement. With Goal-Tracker, you can track professional, financial, health or sports goals.

This thing could actually be a great supplement to coaching, however, unlike the iPhone, you can't throw your coach out your car window if it tells you to work harder.

Welcome to 2009! Choose Happiness this Year.

Despite the number of dark winter days still ahead, I feel a sense of revival this new year. Yes, we are all struggling to keep our homes, jobs, and heads above water, but 2008 also offered us some wonderful highlights that I will carry with me into 2009.

We watched the world come together in one of the most spectacular Olympics I have ever seen. We all came together as a nation, saying 'we've had enough!" and elected an amazing man as president. We ALMOST made a woman president. We went "green" and started paying attention to how much we are wasting every day. We celebrated the 50th anniversary of NASA, and a baby gorilla was born at the Israel zoo.

And the best news of all? We all have the power to be happy this year, whether we were in 2008 or not.

A close friend of mine recently had a huge blow-up with a family member and afterwards declared to me that the argument may have helped their relationship because the family member now knew what "really pushed [his] buttons." Well, yes...but does that mean the family member was responsible for my friend's explosive reaction? Of course not. What my friend was missing (or denying) was that ultimately, HE is responsible for CHOOSING how to react. Every day we wake up with this choice. I'm not saying some days aren't easier than others, and I can be just as guilty as the next person for blaming the "stupid slippery coffee cup" for me dropping the cup on the floor. And in fact, this is healthy to a degree. If we were to blame ourselves so easily we would all surely start to get down on ourselves. We need to blame others to simply protect our own egos. However, do this too much and while you may have some momentary relief, in the long run your denial will catch up to you and cause you even greater pain. Not to mention you will alienate a lot of people in the process.

I say all this to instill hope for the future, and to encourage you to CHOOSE to be HAPPY this year. When you start to get down about the fact that you can't go out to dinner as often, think about how you are actually helping your waistline. When you start to get down about the fact that your husband yelled at you, pat yourself on the back for not reacting harshly but still express how you feel. When you get upset that the schools had to cut your child's after school program, grab a soccer ball and go kick it around with him.

In fact, the latest psychological studies have found that the feeling of happiness is not related to outside circumstances or turning points of one's life. This means that prosperity, marriage or health do not determine our subjective well being. This is great news for everyone. No matter what life throws at you, you can always choose to be happy.

We always have a choice. I choose to be happy. I choose to be healthy. I choose to help others. I choose to love myself. I choose to be excited and invigorated about 2009.

Happy New Year Everyone!