No N.
Great intentions but waste of money
Great intentions. But no tiers level on monthly to twice a week to monthly...as shorten session when out of country like whats the purpose. Very client focus ie just focus on academics, college life vs real life chores executive functioning (ie putting things away tidying up) tasks only touched during session and perhaps one time out of session and briefly (2 minutes is sufficient enough i was told, a level of a toddler). Only a sliver of change after almost 3 years of coaching. completely ignoring core skills like sleep and cleaning can slow down their progress. Autonomy builds confidence, but neglecting basic health habits creates major roadblocks. The Problem with Neglecting Basics Sleep: Poor sleep makes ADHD symptoms like focus and emotional control much worse. Clutter: A messy space overloads the brain and raises stress levels. Hidden Struggles: Total secrecy can hide severe burnout or deep avoidance from the coach and family. Working with an ADHD coach entirely in secret while ignoring basic needs like sleep and clutter often leads to burnout. True progress requires addressing core executive functioning skills and a sustainable routine rather than weekly sessions that lack structure. Lack of Accountability: Hiding the process from family or support systems removes a safety net. It makes it hard to sustain momentum when motivation drops. Ignoring Basics: Skipping focus on sleep and clutter means the foundation is broken. You cannot build high-level goals when basic physical and living needs are neglected. Meeting every week without clear steps or levels (tiers) creates a false sense of progress. It turns coaching into a chat rather than a skill-building tool. Meeting with an ADHD coach or therapist weekly, then twice a month, and later monthly over one year helps build lasting habits. This gradual step-down model allows you to practice new skills with support, test them on your own, and lock in long-term success. Why the Schedule Works Weekly meetings start the process. You build basic routines. You track daily habits. You solve urgent problems fast. Twice a month meetings test your skills. You try living with less help. You see what fails. You fix those gaps with your coach. Monthly meetings lock in the results. You review your progress. You maintain your focus. You prevent old habits from returning. Skills You Build Over Time Time management gets easier. You learn to estimate tasks. You use calendars and timers well. Emotional control improves. You spot big feelings early. You use tools to calm down. Organization becomes natural. You clean workspaces step by step. You manage paperwork or digital files without panic.
Reply from Shanna Pearson's Expert ADHD CoachingAug 17, 2026
This reviewer was never our client. She is one family member offering her assessment of another adult’s coaching experience, and her assessment stands in sharp contrast to the positive feedback we received from the client herself, as well as other close family members. The actual adult client chose to continue coaching with us, month after month, for nearly three years. During that time, she made outstanding progress across academic, professional, executive-functioning, emotional, and personal goals. The characterization that there was only a “sliver of change” is one we strongly disagree with and is inconsistent with the outstanding achievements she made throughout the coaching relationship. Our coaching is intentionally client-focused. This is particularly important when working with adults with ADHD, many of whom already feel judged or misunderstood by those closest to them. A family member may have different priorities or expectations, but an adult client’s coaching goals are established collaboratively with the client themselves, and although a family member may wish different goals had been chosen, we don't override an adult's goals with someone else's. At the same time, with the adult client’s permission, we welcome and work with supportive family members to create understanding and a home environment conducive to the client’s success. The suggestion that we “ignored” foundational areas is categorically inaccurate. Progress in these areas was well documented in this case and helped this client succeed. The reviewer's judgement of what she feels the client "should" be doing, should not be confused with the client’s actual experience or the quality of the coaching she received. This review also presents a specific theory of how ADHD coaching supposedly “should” work, including a prescribed progression in session frequency and a particular sequence of priorities, as though this were an established model of effective ADHD coaching. It is not. The approach described in this review does not reflect how effective ADHD coaching works in real life. It is important to recognize that these claims reflect the untested opinion of a non-client and non-practitioner who is neither an ADHD specialist nor a coaching expert. They should not be mistaken for established guidance on effective ADHD coaching. As for our actual approach, our Action-Based ADHD coaching goes far beyond a checklist of habits. Core areas include executive functioning: planning, prioritization, time management, task initiation, and follow-through, as well as emotional regulation, mood management, self-regulation, and routines around sleep, diet, environment, energy, and daily life. After more than 26 years specializing exclusively in adults with ADHD, serving over 22,000 clients across 541,000 coaching sessions, we can say with confidence that effective ADHD coaching must be individualized. There is no single hierarchy of goals or predetermined path that is appropriate for every adult with ADHD. Despite the apparent dissatisfaction and judgement of the reviewer (who was not the client), we are very proud of the work our actual client did, the progress she made, and the support her coach provided throughout that relationship. For anyone considering our coaching, we encourage you to read our reviews as a whole and understand what our approach is built around: helping each client get the results they came for in the areas of life that matter most to them. Warmly, Shanna