Six Benefits of Parent-Centered Coaching

APCA Spanish blog

Parenting is hard. Parenting neurodiverse children is even harder. I have helped thousands of parents turn their chaotic, stressful homes into ones where love, connection, and compassion have helped their children thrive and the whole family enjoy happiness and peaceful times. When children are struggling with the very real challenges that accompany ADHD, it is … Read more

ADHD and Dyslexia – They Often Walk Together

Meg and Greg Book duck

As many of you know, it is not unusual for people with ADHD to struggle with reading skill development. In fact, of people who are diagnosed with ADHD, 30-40% will struggle with dyslexia.  While many children seem to pick up reading with little effort, most of these children need more guidance and practice to become … Read more

Picky Eating and ADHD

Picky Eating and ADHD

Picky eating and ADHD often go hand-in-hand. In fact, researchers at Duke University found a high correlation between selective eating problems and ADHD. Additionally, many children with ADHD are more predisposed to crave sugar due to the surge of dopamine that sugar delivers to the brain. Add emotional dysregulation, inflexibility, and sensory processing issues to … Read more

Advancements in ADHD Understanding & Treatment

Advancement in ADHD

After the recent National CHADD Conference, I met with my Coaches Cohort – a special group of ADHD specialists, advocates, and passionate professionals like myself – whom I have known and worked with for over ten years.   Each year after the Conference, we meet to discuss new takeaways and insights to further our knowledge and … Read more

In Search Of – Mental Health Professionals Who Understand ADHD

ADHD Therapists Wanted

I received a phone call the other day from a client who has a child struggling with anxiety and depression.  While the support I have provided the family through our parenting work has done a great deal to improve their relationship with their child, their son is dealing with mental health issues beyond what they … Read more

Adult ADHD and Motherhood: 6 Expert Tips for a Calmer Home

Adult ADHD and Motherhood

Adult ADHD and Motherhood can be stressful. Below are 6 tips from Dr. Scott Shapiro, Psychiatrist and Therapist, that will help bring more calm, organization, and enjoyment to your daily life. I first became acquainted with Psychiatrist Scott Shapiro when we were colleagues years ago working for Dr. Edward Hallowell at the Hallowell Center in … Read more

How ADHD Parent Coaching Can Boost Child Therapy Success

parent coaching

When a child is diagnosed with ADHD, Parent Coaching can make all the difference in improving the quality of your and your child’s lives.

Parents usually receive standard recommendations for raising kids with ADHD, such as accommodations and modifications for school, perhaps therapeutic interventions for the child, and sometimes medication.  Many times, parents are unaware of the social and emotional impact that ADHD has on learning, motivation, behavior, and the whole family system.

That’s where Parent Coaching helps.

By relying on love, intuition, and logic, parents may unintentionally exacerbate the very challenges they are trying to remediate without the proper knowledge, tools, and insights.  Parent Coaching with professionals who are specifically trained in ADHD and Executive Function can help parents see how their assumptions, expectations, and communication style may hinder rather than enhance their support for their children.

Outside therapies and interventions that are child-centered may not have a robust and consistent impact on children when parents do not have the skills and insights to adjust the family dynamics. Complicating matters, even the most loving couples don’t always see parenting through the same lens when raising kids with ADHD or any learning or behavioral challenges. The stress this often creates between parents can place a strain on their marriage and the family system, often risking detrimental lifelong consequences for all involved.

Parent Coaching, with a trained Parent Coach, can help parents explore their different concerns and perspectives. Often this collaboration reduces marital stress and, perhaps more importantly, provides the child with healthier guidance and support.

In my work, I have found that parents often benefit from having their own time and privacy to examine their interactions with their children. With my clients, I begin by helping them understand their child through the lens of how ADHD impacts every aspect of their child’s communication, action, and emotional reaction.  

During Parent Coaching sessions, we explore issues such as:

  • parental enabling vs. supporting
  • improving communication so that children feel heard as well as understand their parent’s perspective
  • establishing boundaries that are productive and not triggering
  • establishing consequences that build skills rather than just be punitive
  • understanding what triggers challenging behavior rather than focusing on the action itself (whining, yelling, avoiding, etc.)


When parents begin with Parent Coaching, I often encourage them to take my Calm and Connected: Parenting Children with ADHD/Executive Function Challenges© seven-session workshop series.  

Session 1 can be taken alone, providing parents with a full psychoeducational understanding of ADHD and Executive Function.  Neuropsychologists, Pediatricians, and Psychiatrists often recommend it to parents upon completing the child’s evaluation.  By listening to other parents going through a similar journey, regardless of their child’s age, parents usually benefit from the shared experience. It’s wonderful to see the bonding and support between parents of high school children and elementary school children.  I also collaborate with the children’s therapists to create a full circle of support.

ADHD is not a disorder, as I like to look at it. I see it as a difference with challenges. If you can understand your challenges and figure out the tools and strategies to deal with those challenges, you can succeed at whatever you want!

When parents can parent without shame, blame, or criticism, and instead apply tolerance, empathy, and support, they can more closely connect and guide their children towards success. Parent Coaching helps you achieve this.

You are not alone on this journey!


If you are interested in Becoming a Professional ADHD Parent Coach, Click here to learn more.

You may also want to listen to the Podcast below to hear a discussion with Cathy Liska about the benefits and process of becoming an ADHD Parent Coach.
About Becoming an ADHD Parent Coach
with Cindy Goldrich, M.Ed., ADHD-CCSP and Cathy Liska, Center for Coaching Certification

 

What Every High School and College Kid Needs to Know About Their ADHD Medication

ADHD Medication

As High School and College students embark on their journey into a new school year, whether in-person/on-campus, virtually, or a combination of both, I’d like to offer this very important reminder regarding ADHD stimulant medication, and its use, misuse, overuse, and safekeeping. We know that a significant number of kids take stimulants, either not prescribed … Read more

ADHD Diagnosis, Therapy, & Treatment Guide

ADHD Diagnosis, Therapy, & Treatment Guide

Science has come a long way in the last decade. Mainstream medical, psychological, and educational organizations have concluded that ADHD is a real, brain-based medical disorder. Getting a proper diagnosis and appropriate treatment can significantly improve the lives of those who struggle. This guide will help clarify what is involved in getting a proper diagnosis … Read more