An ADHD diagnosis is the first step, often, for learning how to best support yourself. But it can also be disorienting and bring up lots of feelings, including the question, “So where do I even go from here?” ADHD therapy or ADHD coaching can be one of the biggest steps in getting grounded in what you need, how to support yourself, and gaining tools and confidence to move forward. 

So what’s the difference between ADHD coaching and ADHD therapy? 

How are ADHD coaching and ADHD therapy different? 

ADHD coaching and ADHD therapy are like a Venn diagram–they share some similarities, but they aren’t the same. This means it can be useful to think about what you need to support you in your ADHD journey before booking that first appointment for ADHD coaching or ADHD therapy. 

ADHD therapy

Therapy is a formal mental health treatment and can only be offered by a trained, licensed clinical professional. Licensed clinical social workers (LCSWs), licensed mental health counselors (LMHCs), psychologists, psychiatrists, and psychiatric nurse practitioners (PNPs) can all offer therapy in New York state. 

Therapy tends to be 45-minute or 60-minute sessions once or twice a week. Therapy can be a place to build insight about your experiences, learn skills and tools to help with one’s ADHD, but it might also delve into emotional patterns, relationships, and other, bigger life factors that impact how someone might feel or relate to having ADHD. Therapy can be big picture or more focused, but it tends to blend both viewpoints. ADHD therapy can also be a great option if someone has multiple mental health diagnoses, such as having OCD and ADHD or having anxiety and ADHD. 

ADHD Coaching

While coaching can totally be a helpful tool if you’re working with the right person, it’s important to acknowledge that “coaching” is a general term, and training and experience can vary significantly from coach to coach. This means coaches can bring lots of different experiences, tools, and perspectives to their work. Coaching services are not typically covered by insurance. 

ADHD coaching, generally, focuses on concrete tools, skills, and resources like apps, time management hacks, or other easily-applied options. It can certainly involve some discussion of emotions and feelings around ADHD, but it tends to be more focused on problem-solving and a solutions-focused lens for addressing your challenges –for example, “I have ADHD and I don’t know how to stay on top of my homework and my apartment is always a mess.” Because of this practical level of perspective, it can be a great fit for people who don’t really want to delve into the ways their ADHD connects to bigger parts of their life, but also want support to make changes that improve their quality of life. It is worth noting that unless an ADHD coach is also a licensed therapist, they are not able to provide a formal assessment of diagnosis or therapeutic treatment for mental health symptoms. 

Next steps if you feel like ADHD coaching or ADHD therapy is right for you 

If you think ADHD coaching or ADHD therapy could be what you need, Self Made Psychology can help. Self Made Psychology has clinicians specialized in ADHD therapy and also offers ADHD coaching services, including with a psychologist, so you can get the best of both worlds. Want to get started? Reach out to us today, and we’ll get back to you and help you find the perfect fit to move forward.