March 30, 2026
ADHD coaching remains an increasingly popular adjunctive treatment recommended by health care practitioners and professional practice guidelines, despite the fact that most coaches operate without clinical oversight, mental health training, or a professional license, according to a new study published in JAMA Network Open.1
An ADHD coach need not be a therapist or medical expert. ADHD coaching evolved from the life coaching movement and grew in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic.2
Nearly two-thirds of currently active coaches (60.9%) began practicing during or after the pandemic, according to the study, which analyzed survey results from 481 ADHD coaches over a six-month period.
No licensure exists specifically for ADHD coaches; just 15% of the surveyed coaches attained a professional medical license, and 90.5% said they lacked formal clinical supervision. That said, one-third of coaches sought informal consultation from clinicians. More than half of the coaches reported referring clients to clinicians for ADHD evaluations (78.9%), medication (61%), and cognitive behavioral therapy (50.9%). A smaller percentage (21.3%) referred clients to holistic, naturopathic, or other healing arts professionals.
The ADHD Coaches Organization (ACO) says that an individual must complete a fully integrated ADHD coach training program or at least 60 hours of International Coaching Federation-compliant life coach training, plus at least 35 hours of ADHD coach training from recognized sources, to be recognized as a professional ADHD coach. Slightly more than 60% of study participants completed an ADHD coach training curriculum endorsed by the ACO.
Work experience in mental health did not appear to be a prerequisite for a career in ADHD coaching. Only 10% of participants worked in mental health prior to becoming an ADHD coach; one-third came from an education background. According to the survey, lived experience with ADHD informed most of the coaches’ practices. The majority (90.5%) emphasized their personal connections to ADHD during client sessions, which included:
having a family member with ADHD: 77.6%
self-identifying as either having or suspecting they have ADHD: 72.7%
teaching or working professionally with individuals with ADHD: 66.7%
having friends or a romantic partner with ADHD: 60.2%
receiving a formal ADHD diagnosis: 58.9%
receiving ADHD coaching as a client: 44.5%
Coaches tended to be self-employed, worked from home, and offered virtual one-hour weekly sessions. They charged a median rate of $150 per visit, which most clients paid out of pocket. Less than 5% of ADHD coaches accepted health insurance.
ADHD Coaching and CBT
While most ADHD coaches do not have medical or mental health training, their approaches tend to take a page out of the evidence-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) playbook, including:
executive function skills training or targeting self-motivation: 99.4%
cognitive restructuring: 99.4%
motivational interviewing: 96.6%,
solution-focused approaches: 97.8%
between sessions homework assignments: 83%
“The potential redundancy in content between ADHD coaching and CBT for ADHD could make it difficult for prospective clients and some medical clinicians to differentiate between these approaches,” the researchers wrote.
What differentiates ADHD coaching from traditional CBT is the sharing of lived experiences with ADHD and the long-term nature and support coaches offer between sessions. The researchers suggest that these features make ADHD coaching appealing to adults with ADHD, who may find CBT too rigid, generic, and short-term.
“If consumers find ADHD coaching more palatable than CBT, they may be more likely to initially engage and sustain participation,” they wrote.
ADHD Coaching Fills a Need
Many adults and caregivers cite positive experiences working with an ADHD coach. According to ADDitude’s 2023 treatment survey of more than 11,000 caregivers and adults with ADHD, nearly 1 in 5 adults and 1 in 7 children with ADHD received ADHD coaching. Among that group, the majority (93% of adults and 82% of caregivers) said they would recommend it.
The study even reported that 65% of clients received direct referrals from clinicians.3, 4
ADHD coaching appears especially effective for clients seeking tailored interventions in areas, such as
sleep management: 98%
self-worth: 98.1%
emotional concerns: 97%
health behavior (e.g., nutrition, exercise, managing medical conditions): 97%
parenting: 81.5%
ADHD medication adherence: 77.8%
substance use and/or addictions: 53%
trauma: 48.7%
suicidality, abuse, and/or harm to self or others: 41.6%
“ADHD coaching is an ongoing collaborative partnership which empowers clients to accomplish personal and professional goals with customized strategies built specifically for ADHD minds,” said David Giwerc, MCC, MCAC, founder and president of the ADD Coach Academy (ADDCA), during the ADDitude webinar “How CBT and ADHD Coaching Help Adults Manage Their Symptoms Naturally,” with J. Russell Ramsay, Ph.D.
Know Your ADHD Coach
The researchers stress that ADHD coaching should not be viewed as equivalent to evidence-based psychotherapy for ADHD, but it can augment the recommended treatment for ADHD that includes a combination of ADHD medication and psychosocial treatment.
More qualitative research is needed to clarify the safety, effectiveness, and potential cost savings of ADHD coaching. The absence of standards and regulations about who can operate as an ADHD coach increases the risk of negative outcomes.
“There are many potential drawbacks when pivoting to unsupervised, lay-practitioner treatment models,” the researchers wrote. “In addition to potential reduced efficacy if evidence-informed approaches are delivered inconsistently or incorrectly, adverse effects may include the spread of misinformation about ADHD, risk of giving harmful advice, challenges in maintaining professional boundaries, and ethical concerns such as loss of patient confidentiality.”
Questions for a Potential ADHD Coach
Clients should practice due diligence when vetting a potential ADHD coach.
“You should interview as many coaches as you can,” says Sandy Maynard, an ADHD coach and operator of Catalytic Coaching. “Make sure you leave the interview with answers and a good sense of the coach as a person and what a relationship would be like with them.”
She recommends asking the following questions during an information interview:
How long have you been an ADHD coach?
What percentage of your practice is devoted to individuals with ADHD? With which age groups do you work?
What is your approach to coaching? Do you offer an introductory session, so that we can get to know one another?
What kind of training do you have, and how extensive is it?
I have identified (__) as one of my coaching needs. Do you have experience in this area?
What are your fees? How and when is payment due?
Do you coach in-person or virtually?
What is expected of me during our coaching relationship (homework, evaluations, communication between sessions)?
How will you monitor progress? What happens if I’m not making any?
Will you work, or confer, with my doctor, therapist, or family?
Can you give me the names of references?
Can you refer me to another coach, therapist, or psychologist, if needed
View Article Sources
1Sibley, M.H., Graham, E.D., Brooks, J.K., et al. (2026). Demographics, services, and practices in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder coaching in the US.Jama Netw. Open. http://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.52407
2Sullivan Aboujaoude E. (2020). Where life coaching ends and therapy begins: toward a less confusing treatment landscape. Perspect Psychol Sci. http://doi.org/10.1177/1745691620904962
3Sullivan May, T., Birch, E., Chaves, K., et al. (2023). The Australian evidence-based clinical practice guideline for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Aust N Z J Psychiatry. http://doi.org/10.1177/00048674231166329
4Sullivan Wolraich, M.L., Hagan, J.F., Jr., et al. (2019). Subcommittee on Children and Adolescents With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder. Clinical practice guideline for the diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents. Pediatrics. http://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2019-2528