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If your child has recently been diagnosed with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), you might have some questions about where to start and what to do. Children who have been diagnosed with ADHD tend to have difficulties with focusing, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and organization.
While prescribed medications could be an effective option for managing symptoms of ADHD, it is not always enough. There are other natural ADHD treatment options such as therapy and ADHD coaching, but it is ultimately a matter of what type of support your child needs when making the decision about which path you should take.
ADHD therapists and coaches provide the necessary support to succeed with ADHD, but they have differences and similarities. Learn more in this article.
What Is a Therapist?
A therapist is a licensed and trained professional, who works with an individual to resolve problematic behaviors, beliefs, and feelings. They may also work with individuals to improve their quality of life and help with general health and wellbeing.
In addition, therapy is an effective treatment option if your child is experiencing mental health problems. A therapist will provide various tools and strategies for coping and managing symptoms that are associated with mental health concerns.
Training
Typically, therapists are required to have two or more years of a graduate-level education under their belt, in addition to the four years it generally takes to earn an undergraduate degree.
In addition, therapists are trained to provide mental health diagnoses, establish a treatment plan, and carry out interventions.
Types
There are many different types of therapists out there, therefore it is important to do your research beforehand to find the right fit for your child. Therapists can specialize in a variety of modalities which can include:
- play therapy
- cognitive behavioral therapy
- animal-assisted therapy
- dialectical behavioral therapy
- psychodynamic therapy
What Is an ADHD Coach?
First, ADHD coaching is not therapy.
An ADHD coach will target the typical symptoms associated with ADHD, which can include helping with organization and problem solving, time management skills, and planning.
Coaching programs with children might include working with parents to teach specific skills and helping parents better understand how to help their child work through difficulties that can come with ADHD.
What Does an ADHD Coach Teach?
ADHD coaching aims to help individuals with ADHD engage and carry out activities in their daily life in an organized and timely fashion. Individuals with ADHD might have difficulties in various aspects of their life. Coaching will help address academic, interpersonal and emotional, and vocational difficulties that could be a result of symptoms of ADHD.
ADHD coaching is also effective in teaching individuals practical skills that they could use daily. It can help initiate change in areas of an individual’s life that might have been difficult before coaching was initiated.
Therapist vs ADHD Coach
A therapist’s goal is to heal and treat mental health. They work with an individual to treat mental health disorders, by reducing or completely stopping symptoms, and improving an individual’s quality of life.
A therapeutic approach to managing symptoms of ADHD, typically involves managing thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Therapists aim to educate the individual about how one’s own thoughts might affect their emotions, and in turn behaviors.
ADHD coaches are not typically trained on any medical or psychological models, and they are not required to obtain a graduate degree. ADHD coaches will often help clients utilize their strengths to accomplish goals. Coaches do not attend to emotional challenges as much and are more focused on action. In addition, they develop executive functioning strategies for planning and initiation, organization, and time management.
While ADHD coaches' and therapists’ methods might have some overlap, they are largely different in their approach and level of training.
Cost
While finances might be a concern, individuals who have worked with ADHD coaches and/or therapists have generally agreed that they are worth the investment.
Regarding ADHD coaching costs, coaches will typically offer packages of 3-20 sessions and the pricing can vary. One-hour coaching sessions can range from $75 to $250, however many ADHD coaches might offer a sliding-scale fee, which is largely based on your annual income. Although coaching is not covered by most insurance plans, some individuals might be able to use their FSA or HSA.
Child therapist pricing can also vary, based on a multitude of factors. It could depend on your location, your insurance coverage, and the therapist’s level of experience or expertise. However, therapists generally will charge $60 to $250 per session. Unlike ADHD coaching, therapy is often covered by insurance, therefore, it is important to check with your insurance network to inquire about mental health coverage.
Approach
Therapy Approaches
So, your child is about to have their first therapy appointment. What can they expect?
Individuals who are in therapy tend to talk with their therapist about problems they may be experiencing. The therapist will not only serve as a sounding board, but they might also offer various strategies and techniques for managing and working through problems.
In the first few sessions, therapists generally want to know more about your child, but they might also ask other questions related to your child’s life such as school, family, and health. The therapist might talk with your child, and you (the parent), together or separately, to decide on the goals for therapy.
In therapy, you and your child can expect to:
- Talk. Therapists will typically ask people to talk about their feelings. The therapist will be attempting to guide your child to see how their feelings, thoughts, and actions, might all affect each other.
- Learn. Therapy will also facilitate learning and growth for your child. Your child and you will learn more about emotions, thoughts, and various coping strategies for managing different emotions.
- Practice new skills. Therapists will also teach different techniques and coping skills, that your child will practice in and out of the therapy sessions. These skills can include mindfulness, meditation, positive self-talk, deep breathing, and challenging beliefs.
- Work through problems. Your child’s therapist will provide them with skills on working through problems that may come up in home life or at school.
- Use your strengths. Therapy is big on utilizing one’s strengths. Therapy is not always about working on your weaknesses and managing the negatives, as therapists tend to also build on inner strengths and find ways to use these in everyday life.
ADHD Coaching Approaches
An ADHD coach will aim to help an individual develop appropriate skills to achieve goals. Additionally, ADHD coaching is very much action-oriented. They will look for areas in your life that are mainly impacted by ADHD symptoms and help you find solutions to these problems.
An ADHD coach might help an individual with the following:
- Organization skills
- Setting and achieving goals
- Initiating tasks
- Managing time
- Creating healthy routines
- Planning ahead
- Maintaining focus
- Building motivation
Which Is More Effective?
Ultimately, there is not a “one size fits all” treatment option for ADHD. Some treatments will work more effectively for one person than they did for another. Therapy has been proven effective in treating a variety of mental health conditions, not only limited to ADHD. Regarding the ADHD coaching world, there is limited scientific research on the effectiveness in ADHD coaching.
While both therapy and ADHD have their pros and cons, it is up to your child’s needs and the concerns you are having as a parent in deciding which option to go with.
Takeaway
There is no right or wrong answer for what you decide. Both an ADHD coach and a therapist have skills to offer that the other individual might not. Evaluating your child’s needs and goals, as well as talking with your child’s healthcare provider, will be a great start in deciding which path to take.
About
Dr. Carrie Jackson, PhD
