Interview with Alan Graham, PhD

About The Guide to ADHD Coaching by Alan Graham, PhD. 

Many people still don’t know what ADHD coaching is.  Through ADHD coaching, individuals impacted by ADHD develop new skills and strategies to better manage their lives; identify and work toward their life goals; and become more educated about how their ADHD affects their life. This book helps people know what to look for in an ADHD coach and helps them get started making their lives better even if they don’t engage a coach.

Enter ADHD coaching, the next piece of the puzzle. In the 1980’s, a small group of folks began trickling into that gap in services and giving these clients what they weren’t getting from their prescribers and therapists. The depth and breadth of this book shows how far the field of ADHD coaching has come since those early days. The field has become increasingly professionalized, with solid training programs that give graduates the foundation of knowledge and skills they need and credentials that mean something. This way consumers can more easily find coaches who really know their stuff. ADHD coaching is a serious endeavor and clients deserve skilled professionals. Being good at their job also makes it much more rewarding for the coach.

We know well that ADHD doesn’t go away at the end of the school day, nor at graduation, nor on the evening commute home from work. ADHD potentially impacts every part of a person’s life–and also their romantic partners’ and family members’ lives. The range of topics covered in this book shows how the field of ADHD coaching has responded so that clients can be more effective and fulfilled in all parts of their lives.

Current and prospective coaching clients will find The Guide to ADHD Coaching not only interesting and helpful unto itself, but also that it enables them to make better use of their coaching sessions by better understanding the process and how coaches can potentially be helpful. Bringing your best to your coaching sessions will enable you to get the most from it.

​All coaches, both established and aspiring, have a lot to learn from the rich and diverse offerings in this book. There will be chapters that apply directly to the daily work that you are doing and there are chapters that you will refer to, perhaps years later, as your practice grows and evolves. Beyond the direct learning, you will be inspired by these authors to think about new ways to help your clients. Learn from the experts assembled here–not only from their wisdom, but also by their example.

Early Praise for The Guide to ADHD Coaching

The variety of voices in this resonant work, combine to create a chorus of experts all brilliantly singing their individual parts, but all contributing to the magnum opus. This book has been so sorely needed, and now that it has been so harmoniously delivered, we can all only offer a deep bow of appreciation.
Edward Hallowell, M.D.
The Hallowell Center
Author of Driven to Distraction

Alan Graham has brought together a well-qualified cadre of professional coaches to create a clear framework of ADHD coaching and its many facets. Chapters ranging from children to adults and from medication  to ethical conduct provide the reader with a clear understanding of the coaching process and how it can help individuals and families struggling with ADHD and related issues. I am impressed by the depth of coverage of evidence-based ADHD coaching research in Chapters 4 and 5, which will create greater public awareness of the benefits of coaching. Kudos to all those involved in this project.
Jodi Sleeper-Triplett, MCC, SCAC, BCC
Founder & CEO, JST Coaching & Training
Author of Empowering Youth with ADHD

An all-star, accessible and practical guide, to getting the most out of ADHD coaching.  The Guide to ADHD Coaching comprehensively builds from the theory and research of coaching through how to make coaching effective and useful for almost anyone.
Mark Bertin, M.D., Developmental Pediatrics
Author, Mindful Parenting for ADHD and How Children Thrive

ABOUT ALAN GRAHAM, PhD, PCC, MCAC

Dr. Alan R Graham is a therapist, coach, educator, author, presenter and one of the world’s leading experts in ADHD Coaching. Alan has over two decades of experience helping thousands of ADHD children, adolescents, adults, and their families navigate life’s challenges, and gain the tools they need to manage emotional issues. Initially trained as a secondary and elementary school teacher, Alan furthered his education by obtaining his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology at Northwestern University and completing his clinical training at the University of Illinois at Chicago and Illinois Masonic Medical Center in Chicago. He is Editor and Co-author of the new book, The Guide to ADHD Coaching.

Alan has earned the designation of Professional Certified Coach by the International Coaching Federation and was a Pod Leader for the Authentic Happiness Coaching Program. Alan also has certification as a Master Certified AD/HD Coach (MCAC) by the Professional Association of ADHD Coaches (PAAC).

Alan’s experience has included working with difficult children and adolescents in therapeutic day schools, inpatient, and outpatient settings. While creating his group practices, ACP Consultants, and the ADD Centers, he also held the position of adjunct professor at the University of Illinois School of Medicine and at the Illinois School of Professional Psychology.

As a way of giving back to the profession, Alan serves as the Illinois representative and is the chair of the steering committee of the American Psychological Association Psychology in the Workplace Network (PWN). He also served on the board of the Illinois Psychological Association Clinical Practice Section and was the chair of the Health Care Reimbursement Committee.

Alan is a member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Attention Disorders. Alan is also a member of the national organization of CHADD and served on the Professional Advisory Board for the Chicago CHADD chapter. It is in this spirit of service that Alan and Bill Benninger, PhD created ADDvisor.com as a means to share practical information with families and individuals who live with ADHD every day.

Recognized for his work by peers and clients alike, he presents and writes on psychological health, ADHD, child and family, and business of practice issues internationally. Alan is married and has grown children, two daughters and a son.