Do I need a formal diagnosis to work with you?

No diagnosis needed. I work with diagnosed, self-identified, and questioning clients. If you're neurodivergent — or think you might be — you're welcome here.

What’s the difference between coaching and therapy?

Therapy often looks to the past to heal. Coaching helps you look ahead — supporting motivation, boundaries, planning, and burnout recovery. Coaching can complement therapy, but it isn’t a replacement.

Who do you work with?

I specialise in supporting neurodivergent adults — especially parents, professionals, and business owners — who feel overwhelmed or stuck. If you're juggling too much and need sustainable support, I can help.

What happens in a discovery call?

It’s a free 45-minute session to explore what’s not working and where you need support. No pressure, no sales tactics — just a chance to see if coaching feels right for you.

Services | Sarah Hardy Coaching

Q: What is ADHD coaching?

ADHD coaching offers structured, practical support to help you manage executive functioning, emotional regulation, and life’s daily demands. It’s focused on action, not just awareness — helping you build systems that work with your brain.

SERVICE INFORMATION

ADHD Coaching (Manchester and Online)

1:1 coaching for neurodivergent adults who understand their ADHD but still feel stuck in practice.

What ADHD coaching actually looks like
You probably already know a lot about ADHD.

You’ve done the reading. You understand executive functioning, motivation, dopamine, all of it, but you still feel stuck.

Because the problem isn’t knowledge, it’s the gap between knowing and actually doing, and that gap doesn’t close on its own.

This is usually where people come to me
When things that should feel manageable… don’t. When you’ve done the reading and research, but
nothing has changed.

When:
Things that used to be easy suddenly feel heavy or impossible
You know exactly what needs doing, but can’t seem to get yourself to start
Your brain is constantly running through everything you need to do…

but nothing actually moves.

You’re doing really well in some areas of your life, and quietly struggling in others

From the outside, it can look like you’re coping, but internally it doesn’t feel that way.

You’ve probably already tried to push through it. Googled how to be more organised, how to be more motivated, more consistent, more disciplined.

But still nothing shifts.

You ask yourself if there is something wrong with you, but the issue is that

most of what’s out there isn’t built for how your brain actually works.

There’s a reason this part of the work matters so much to me.
I spent years trying to figure this out myself.
Reading, researching, understanding what should have worked… but still

feeling stuck in the same patterns.

Being late-diagnosed gave me the language for it, but it didn’t automatically

change how things worked day to day.

That shift came later, through doing this work in a way that actually fit my brain.
And now you need something that works with your brain, and someone who

understands your struggle.

What coaching is (and what it isn’t)

This isn’t therapy.
It’s not a diagnosis.
And it’s not a programme designed to fix you.

It’s a structured, one-to-one process where we look at:
How your brain actually works.
What’s getting in the way.
What’s costing you energy.
What will realistically move things forward.

We build something that fits you and your real life, not something

you’ll use for two weeks and abandon.

A question I often ask in coaching
When did you first learn that rest had to be earned?
Because the answer to that tends to explain a lot. The pressure you feel, the constant guilt, and always feeling that you should be doing more.

We don’t just look at what you’re doing, we explore what’s driving it.

And sometimes the questions are even simpler than that:
What are you avoiding right now, and what does that task represent? Because it’s rarely just about the task.
If you had the time and energy, would you actually choose to do this, or is this something you feel you should be able to do?

That’s often where expectation and capacity start to separate.

Common things we work on:
This isn’t a definitive list, but these come up a lot with my coaching clients:
ADHD paralysis (when you want to start but can’t).
The gap between knowing and doing (turning self-awareness into action).
Why “simple” tasks feel impossible (and why it’s not just you).
Saying yes when you’re already at capacity.
When your strengths are quietly burning you out.
Capability vs capacity — you can do it, just not like this.

That’s often where expectation and capacity start to separate.

How we work together
We usually start with a structure:
Where you are and where you want to be.
Your strengths and where they’re costing you.
What’s quietly getting in the way.
Motivation, how it actually works for your brain.
Emotional regulation, RSD, and your nervous system.

That’s often where expectation and capacity start to separate.

Who this tends to suit
Newly diagnosed or recently self-discovered and thinking what now.
Already understand their neurodivergence but feel stuck and aren’t able to make the changes they want on their own.
High-functioning on the outside, but running on empty.
Managing, but not in a way that feels sustainable.
Don’t want more advice or productivity hacks. They want genuine support, connection, and a safe space to figure this out.

A quick reality check
You can understand ADHD really well…
…and still feel completely stuck.

Lots of my clients come to me thinking they “should” know better or should have already been able to implement changes themselves.
Feeling overwhelmed and stuck is what happens when your nervous system, environment, and expectations don’t line up with how your brain works.
Coaching isn’t about forcing that change.

It’s about understanding those patterns and working with them.

Corporate Service

Neurodiversity training and coaching for organisations that want to better support neurodivergent employees, improve performance, and reduce burnout.

Why this work matters

Most organisations are trying to do the right thing when it comes to neurodiversity.
Policies are in place. Awareness is improving. Managers want to be supportive.

And yet, challenges still show up you find capable employees struggling with consistency, there are communication breakdowns and sometimes even performance concerns that don’t quite make sense.

You might have individuals burning out despite doing “everything right”.
Most organisations aren’t struggling with intent. They’re struggling with knowing what to actually do in practice.

A shift in approach
Many organisations assume the goal is helping someone with ADHD or another neurodivergence fit the existing system more effectively. But neuroinclusion starts with curiosity, not correction. When managers become curious about how someone thinks, communicates, and processes information, the focus shifts.

From:
“How do we get this person to work differently?”
To:
“How might we adjust the environment to support them so they can work at their best?”

That shift is where meaningful change happens.

What I provide:

I work with organisations in

three main ways.

1. Manager Workshops

Interactive sessions designed to move beyond awareness and into practical application.

Managers leave with:
A clearer understanding of neurodivergence in real-world contexts
Practical strategies they can apply immediately

Language and confidence to have better conversations
A stronger sense of psychological safety within their teams
This is not passive awareness training. It’s structured, reflective, and

grounded in real scenarios managers recognise.

2. 1:1 Coaching for Employees
Individual coaching for neurodivergent staff, often funded through Access to Work or work place training and development budgets.

This supports employees to:
Manage workload and priorities.
Develop systems that work with their brain.
Navigate communication and expectations.
Reduce burnout and improve sustainability.
The result is not just improved performance, but reduced pressure on managers.

3. Consultancy & Ongoing Support
Support for organisations looking to embed neuroinclusive practices more consistently.
This might include:
Reviewing current approaches to support.
Advising on reasonable adjustments.
Helping teams move from reactive to proactive support.

4. Access to Work support
I also support HR teams and managers to recruit and structure Access to Work support roles (VA, PA, EA), ensuring the support is aligned to the individual’s needs.
Often, organisations default to hiring a traditional PA-style role with its own workload.

When this happens, the impact of the support can become diluted, and the individual doesn’t always get the benefit it was designed to provide.
When structured well, this support can significantly improve focus, output, and sustainability for the individual receiving the funded support.

Organisations often come to me when they’re noticing:
Inconsistent performance from otherwise capable employees.
Managers unsure how to support without “getting it wrong”.
Increased stress, absence, or burnout.
Misunderstandings around communication, deadlines, or expectations.
Reliance on individuals to “manage themselves” without the right support.

My work sits at the intersection of:
Coaching, psychology, lived experience and over 20 years in operational and business support roles. I understand both sides.
What it feels like to be the employee trying to keep up, working in a system that isn’t designed for my neurotype. And what it feels like to be the manager responsible for performance, delivery, and team wellbeing.

Outcomes organisations see
Improved communication and clarity.
More consistent performance.
Reduced burnout and overwhelm.

Increased confidence in managers.
More effective use of Access to Work support.

This isn’t about lowering expectations. It’s about creating the conditions for people to meet them more consistently.

If you’re thinking about how to better support your neurodivergent teams you don’t need to have everything figured out.

Most organisations I work with are already doing good work,

they just want to do it better.

If you’re exploring training, coaching, or support for your team, we can start

with a conversation.

FAQs about ADHD Coaching

What is ADHD coaching?

ADHD coaching is a structured, practical form of support that helps individuals manage executive functioning challenges such as time management, task initiation, organisation, and emotional
regulation. It focuses on creating strategies that work with your brain, not against it.

How is ADHD coaching different from therapy?

Therapy often focuses on past experiences and emotional processing. ADHD coaching focuses on present-day challenges, practical strategies, and building systems that support daily life and work.

Do I need an ADHD diagnosis to get coaching?

No. Many clients are self-identified or waiting for assessment. Coaching focuses on your experience, not a formal diagnosis.

Can ADHD coaching help with work and productivity?

Yes. Many clients seek coaching for challenges with focus, prioritisation, follow-through, and managing workload.

Coaching helps improve consistency and reduce overwhelm.

Can I get ADHD coaching funded through Access to Work?

Yes. In the UK, Access to Work funding can cover ADHD coaching and support. This is available to employed and self-employed individuals.

Why do I understand ADHD but still struggle to take action?

This is often due to executive functioning differences and nervous system responses. Understanding ADHD doesn’t automatically change behaviour , coaching helps bridge that gap.

Is ADHD coaching worth it?

For many people, coaching provides clarity, structure, and accountability that is difficult to create alone. It helps translate insight into real, sustainable change.

What if I’m not sure coaching is right for me?

That’s exactly what the discovery call is for. It’s just a conversation to figure out whether this feels like the right kind of support.

Funding (UK)
If you’re employed or self-employed, coaching can sometimes be funded through Access to Work.