Does This Sound Familiar?
Most of our lives, we have heard things like, “doesn’t work to their potential,” or “great ideas, but doesn’t follow through.” For many of us, the persistence of this kind of feedback has led us to blame ourselves whenever goals and ideals aren’t met. For example, when we don’t get work done to our standards because we ran out of time, instead of telling ourselves, “I misjudged how long it would take to finalize details,” we often head straight for, “I can’t do this because I’m a mess.” If this resonates, whether you have been identified as having an ADHD brain or not, I might be able to help.
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I have spent the last 3 decades as an educator at all levels (K-12 and Post-K12), and while I love teaching content, helping people problem-solve has always been a gift and my favorite part of work. With my extensive background in education and a few decades of work on my own ADHD mind, I can help you prioritize, organize, and develop agency so you can better reach your academic or professional goals.​
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Interested? Set up a free 15-minute conversation - no obligations or pressure.
What Can I Help You With?
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Discover the goals that are authentically meaningful to you
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Identify barriers to reaching your goals
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Create next actions to address those barriers
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Regularly evaluate progress towards goals
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Normalize your experiences with the neurotypical world
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Shift negative self-stories to productive self-awareness
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Develop routines and structures that reduce overwhelm and increase time spent doing 'things-that-matter-to-me'
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Find resources and communities that share similar challenges and are focused on learning and growth
Interested? Set up a free 15-minute conversation - no obligations or pressure.
How Does it Work?
As a school principal, I knew that the expertise to design effective learning environments was usually in the teachers, and that my job was to help them identify the skills and mindsets that best supported their unique teaching selves. That is also true for coaching. I will not solve your problems. But I am a voracious listener, and I will ask questions that help you clarify the haziness that often comes with ADHD. I can also help you reach your vision of your best self by developing goals and a plan that aligns with the personal and / or professional things that matter to you.
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My own work over the last 20 years has taught me that regular checkpoints are critical to my own success. If you work with me, I recommend initial weekly or bi-weekly session of 50 minutes, where we will identify what has your attention, celebrate progress towards your goals, identify barriers to success, and revisit goals. Each session should end with you having a clear intention - meaningful to you - to work on until our next session.​
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Sessions are 50 minutes and are $150. While coaching fees are not covered by health insurance, they may be tax-deductible.
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It's worth noting that this is a bittersweet business, because my goal is for you to feel empowered and skilled enough that you no longer feel the need to work with me because you’ve got it!
Interested? Set up a free 15-minute conversation - no obligations or pressure.
My Approach to Coaching
My approach to coaching is grounded in empathy and Universal Design (for Living). I won’t solve your problems. But I will help you solve and grow from them. I am a voracious listener, and will ask questions that help clarify the haziness that often comes with ADHD, uncovering the habits of mind and practices you bring to your daily lived experience. Then, I will help you convert that clarity into specific goals and a plan to realize your best self as you:
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Reconceptualize the gifts of your ADHD mind
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Develop realistic awareness of your habits of mind and practices during your daily lived experiences
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Meet goals that matter to you and that steer you towards your best self
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Adopt a Learning Design-Based approach:
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Identify barriers to learning and success found in your daily lived experiences
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Problem-solve to reduce barriers' impact
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Learn and grow from those solutions
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Interested? Set up a free 15-minute conversation - no obligations or pressure.
About Me.
I was identified as being impacted by ADHD in my early 30’s. Prior to then, I had always been resourceful in masking the impact ADHD had on my interactions with the world, but when the responsibilities of my work and growing family began to feel like ‘too much,’ I sought help. In the intervening years of coaching and growth, I have come to appreciate not only the unique gifts that my neurodivergent brain offers, but also the slow-burn trauma that comes with interacting with a world governed by neurotypicality.
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After years of work, I better understand the roles and contexts that enable me to realize my best self, and those that require a heavier lift to find success. That awareness is the first bedrock in my coaching self.
The second bedrock comes from my approach to helping people - focusing on strengths and identifying where strategies need to be consciously developed. As a school administrator, I often got to talk with people in trying moments - students, certainly, but also teachers and parents. I learned pretty quickly that when people were encouraged to develop a realistic awareness of their actions, along with a pragmatic path forward, the long-term impact was markedly better compared to when the focus was some version of 'actions beget consequences,' and it's the consequences that 'teach.' This is especially relevant for ADHD minds and our 'why can't I just...just' mindset. Through coaching, I can help you identify your self-story and the degree to which you are recognizing your own strengths in your daily experiences.
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Science, Environmental & Forest Biology, SUNY ESF
Master of Science in Teaching, Secondary Life Science, SUNY Potsdam
Ph.D., Curriculum & Instruction, Boston College
CAREER (1995 - 2022)
Outdoor Education Teacher
Middle & High School Math & Science Teacher
Middle & High School Assistant Principal
Elementary & Middle School Principal
University Lecturer, Teacher Education​
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OTHER INFORMATION:
Obsessed with backyard ice rink. See?
Have 3 kids, all girls, 12, 14, & 17
4th-leading scorer on my Thursday night old man soccer team
Know at least 2 good jokes... and many bad (dad) ones.
Interested? Set up a free 15-minute conversation - no obligations or pressure.