ADHD Coaching for Adults: Focus, Clarity & Follow-Through
ADHD coaching for adults: understand the Australian landscape, how coaching works, costs, and when it helps.
ADHD Coaching for Adults: Focus, Clarity & Follow-Through
ADHD coaching is an increasingly popular support option for adults with ADHD, though it's important to understand what you're getting. Unlike psychology or occupational therapy, ADHD coaching is an unregulated field in Australia with no standardised training requirements, protected title, or quality guarantees. Some coaches have psychology qualifications alongside coaching training; many don't. The profession is relatively new in Australia, and "ADHD coach" can mean anything from extensively trained specialists to people with minimal certification.
That said, for the right person at the right time, coaching can provide valuable accountability and implementation support. The question is whether it's right for you, whether you can afford it, and how to find someone competent and qualified to guide you on your ADHD journey.
What the Research Says About ADHD Coaching
The evidence base is limited. Most studies are small, lack robust control groups, and can't separate coaching effects from natural improvement, medication effects, or simply having regular supportive contact. Research suggests coaching may improve executive function, quality of life, and goal attainment, but study quality varies considerably.
A key problem is heterogeneity—"ADHD coaching" encompasses wildly different approaches, making it difficult to know which elements actually help. The evidence is promising but not conclusive. Approach coaching as potentially helpful rather than a proven treatment, and evaluate based on measurable progress toward your specific goals.
What ADHD Coaching Actually Involves
Accountability and Regular Check-Ins
At its core, ADHD coaching is a structured accountability relationship. You meet regularly (weekly or fortnightly, 30-60 minutes) with someone who helps you set goals, track progress, and troubleshoot when things break down.
The value is often the relationship itself—knowing someone will ask "did you do the thing?" creates external motivation that internal commitment alone doesn't provide for many people with ADHD. Between sessions, you commit to specific actions. The coach checks whether you followed through and helps identify barriers if you didn't.
Good coaches maintain curiosity rather than judgment when you don't follow through. The question is "what got in the way?" not "why didn't you just do it?"
Goal-Setting and Breaking Things Down
Coaches help translate vague intentions into concrete, achievable actions. "Get organised" becomes "create a launch pad by the door for keys and wallet this week." Large goals get broken into immediate next steps.
Many coaches use frameworks like SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) and implementation intentions ("when X happens, I'll do Y"). The coach pushes for specificity—not accepting "I'll try to exercise more" but insisting on "I'll walk for 20 minutes on Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 7am."
Strategy Development Through Trial and Error
Coaches help you test different approaches to see what works for your brain. This might involve trying various planning systems, reminder methods, or routine structures. The process is trial-and-error rather than systematic assessment (which is occupational therapy's domain).
Quality and sophistication of strategies vary enormously depending on the coach's training and ADHD knowledge. Some incorporate elements from CBT, occupational therapy, or productivity methods; others rely primarily on general coaching frameworks.
Managing Setbacks and Momentum
Coaches help you normalise setbacks, celebrate small wins, and adjust approaches when strategies stop working. For many people with ADHD, having someone who expects setbacks and doesn't interpret them as failure is valuable.
What to Expect in Sessions
Initial sessions focus on understanding your ADHD presentation, current challenges, and goals. This isn't formal assessment—just conversation to establish your starting point.
Ongoing sessions typically follow a structure:
Check-in on commitments since last session
Discuss what worked, what didn't, and why
Problem-solve current challenges
Set specific commitments for next session
Sessions are conversational and collaborative. The coach doesn't deliver expertise so much as hold you accountable and help you think through barriers.
Frequency: Weekly or fortnightly, ongoing rather than time-limited. Some people coach for months, others for years. There's typically no discharge goal—you continue as long as it's helpful and affordable.
How ADHD Coaching Differs from Other Supports
vs. Psychology/Psychotherapy
Psychology:
Licensed health profession requiring university degree and clinical training
Addresses mental health conditions, trauma, thought patterns, emotional difficulties
Evidence-based therapeutic frameworks (CBT, DBT, ACT)
Can diagnose conditions
Occasionally, Medicare may cover up to 10 sessions per year under the a Mental Health Treatment Plan and Better Access Initiative
ADHD Coaching:
Unregulated; training backgrounds vary from extensive to minimal
Focuses on goals, actions, implementation—not mental health treatment
Cannot address anxiety, depression, trauma, or complex emotional issues
Cannot diagnose conditions
Not covered by Medicare unless your coach is also an AHPRA-registered psychologist (in which case you get 10 psychology sessions, not coaching sessions)
When you need psychology instead: If you're experiencing significant anxiety, depression, trauma, or emotional dysregulation, psychology is appropriate. Coaches aren't trained to work with mental health conditions.
vs. Occupational Therapy
Registered health profession with systematic assessment training
Uses standardised tools and clinical reasoning frameworks
Can address sensory processing, provide workplace accommodation documentation
Often time-limited with discharge goals
ADHD coaching:
Informal assessment through conversation
Trial-and-error approach to strategy development
Cannot provide formal clinical documentation
Ongoing relationship without defined endpoint
The overlap: Both may help with organisation, time management, and routine-building. The distinction is systematic assessment (occupational therapy) vs. collaborative exploration (coaching).
vs. General Life Coaching
ADHD-specific coaching understands ADHD neurobiology, expects working memory failures and time blindness, and uses strategies adapted for ADHD brains.
General life coaching may use approaches designed for neurotypical brains that don't translate to ADHD, and might interpret ADHD symptoms as resistance or limiting beliefs.
If seeking coaching for ADHD, ensure the coach has specific ADHD training, not just general coaching certification.
Funding and Costs of ADHD Coaching in Australia
Private Coaching (Almost Always Self-Funded)
Most ADHD coaching in Australia is private and self-funded.
Costs: $80-200+ per hour, depending on coach's experience and location.
Weekly sessions at $150/hour = $600/month, $7,200/year
Fortnightly sessions = $3,600/year
These are ongoing costs without defined endpoint. Budget accordingly.
Medicare Does Not Cover ADHD Coaching
Exception: If your coach is also an AHPRA-registered psychologist, you may be able to access 10 Medicare-subsidised psychology sessions per year through a Mental Health Treatment Plan. You're receiving psychology services, not coaching services, and your psychologist happens to use coaching approaches.
If your coach is not an AHPRA-registered psychologist, Medicare doesn't apply.
NDIS Does Not Cover ADHD
ADHD alone does not typically qualify for NDIS funding. NDIS is unlikely to fund ADHD coaching unless ADHD co-occurs with other conditions that meet disability criteria and coaching is deemed appropriate within your plan. Don't assume NDIS will cover coaching.
Finding an ADHD Coach in Australia
Because coaching is unregulated, you bear responsibility for evaluating credentials and experience.
Questions to Ask
"What specific ADHD coaching training have you completed?"
Look for ADHD-specific programmes (PAAC, ACO, ADD Coach Academy, or similar)
General coaching certification is insufficient
"Are you also a registered psychologist or have other relevant qualifications?"
Some coaches have psychology degrees and AHPRA registration, which may affect Medicare eligibility
Not required, but additional clinical training may indicate stronger foundations
"How many ADHD clients have you worked with?"
ADHD should represent significant portion of their practice
"What's your understanding of ADHD neurobiology and executive function?"
Should be able to explain ADHD challenges beyond "lack of focus" or "organisation issues"
"How do you measure progress?"
Should involve concrete tracking, not just subjective feelings
Red Flags
Cannot articulate specific ADHD training or experience
Suggests ADHD is just a mindset issue or excuse
Promises unrealistic outcomes or "cures"
Dismissive of medication or suggests coaching replaces medical treatment
Offers ADHD diagnosis (coaches cannot diagnose)
Pressure to commit long-term without trial period
Where to Look
ADHD Australia or local ADHD support organisations
Ask your GP, psychiatrist, or psychologist for recommendations
Search specifically for "ADHD coach Australia" with ADHD-specific training
Start with single session or short package to assess fit
When ADHD Coaching May Be Helpful
Coaching might be valuable if:
You have the gap between knowing and doing:
Understand what to do but consistently don't follow through
External accountability makes a difference to your behaviour
Need regular check-ins to maintain momentum
Your ADHD is reasonably well-managed:
Functioning overall but want to improve specific areas
Medication is working (if you use it) but still face organisational challenges
Not in crisis or experiencing severe impairment
You prefer collaborative, ongoing support:
Want someone focused on your specific goals and progress
Don't need formal assessment or clinical documentation
Comfortable with conversational, peer-oriented approach
You can afford ongoing costs:
Have budget for weekly or fortnightly sessions indefinitely
Understand this is an ongoing expense without guaranteed outcome
When ADHD Coaching Is Not Appropriate
Coaching has clear limitations:
Mental health conditions requiring treatment:
Significant anxiety, depression, trauma, or emotional dysregulation → See psychologist or psychiatrist
Severe ADHD-related impairment:
Cannot maintain basic self-care or daily functioning
Employment or housing at immediate risk → Need clinical intervention (psychology, occupational therapy, psychiatry, case management)
Diagnostic uncertainty:
Haven't been formally diagnosed with ADHD
Unclear whether symptoms are ADHD or other conditions → Seek diagnostic assessment first
Need systematic assessment or formal documentation:
Unclear where functional breakdowns occur
Need workplace accommodation documentation or NDIS reports → Occupational therapy is more appropriate
Medication not optimised:
Haven't tried medication or it hasn't been adjusted appropriately → Work with psychiatrist first; coaching is more effective when medication is working
Financial constraints:
Cannot sustain ongoing coaching costs → Consider Medicare-funded psychology, group programmes, books, or online resources
ADHD Coaching: Limitations to Understand
No Regulation or Quality Standards
Anyone can call themselves an ADHD coach
No standardised training curriculum or protected title
No regulatory oversight or complaints process
Training ranges from extensive ADHD-specific programmes to weekend certifications
You must evaluate credentials yourself
ADHD Coaching Is Relatively New in Australia
The profession is still developing locally. What works internationally may not be established here. Be cautious about paying premium prices for coaches without demonstrable ADHD-specific experience and training.
Limited Evidence Base
Small studies with methodological limitations
Difficult to separate coaching effects from other factors
Few comparisons with other interventions
Limited long-term data
This doesn't mean coaching can't help, but don't expect research-backed guarantees.
Not a Substitute for Clinical Treatment
Coaching doesn't replace:
Medication management (psychiatry)
ADHD diagnosis (psychiatry or psychology)
Mental health treatment (psychology)
Functional assessment (occupational therapy)
Works best as part of comprehensive approach, not sole intervention.
Outcomes Vary
Not everyone benefits. Success depends on:
Coach's actual competence and ADHD expertise
Your readiness to implement between sessions
Whether medication is optimised (if using it)
Match between you and coach's style
Life circumstances and competing demands
If not seeing measurable progress after 2-3 months, reassess whether coaching is right for you.
The Bottom Line
ADHD coaching can provide valuable accountability and implementation support for adults who need external structure to translate knowledge into action. For people who respond well to regular check-ins and have ADHD that's reasonably well-managed, coaching may fill a gap that medication and therapy don't fully address.
However:
It's an unregulated profession with enormous quality variation
Training and credentials vary from excellent to minimal
The evidence base is limited
It's expensive and ongoing
Not covered by Medicare (unless coach is registered psychologist providing psychology services) or NDIS
Not appropriate for mental health conditions or severe impairment
Not a substitute for clinical treatment
Before committing:
Ensure ADHD is formally diagnosed
Optimise medication if using it
Thoroughly research coaches—prioritise ADHD-specific training and experience
Check if coach has AHPRA registration (may enable Medicare psychology sessions)
Budget realistically for ongoing costs
Start with trial period before long-term commitment
Set measurable goals to evaluate whether it's working
Be prepared to actively implement between sessions
For some people, coaching provides the external accountability that makes the difference between knowing what to do and actually doing it. For others, it's an expensive service with limited return on investment. Your responsibility is to research thoroughly, start cautiously, and evaluate honestly whether you're getting value for money.
At Kantoko
We believe that Coaching works best when your ADHD is properly diagnosed and medically managed. Kantoko provides GP-led ADHD assessment and treatment with psychiatrist consultation across Australia.
Ready to start your ADHD Journey? Get Started with Kantoko today.
This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for diagnosis and treatment options.