We share four ways working with a neuro-affirming coach can help you to increase your confidence, set goals, and work towards growth (personally and professionally)

It’s estimated that around one in seven people in the UK are neurodivergent. In recent years, there has been a rising awareness around the different ways our brains work, learn, and process information. With more people recognising the signs in themselves of neurodivergencies such as ADHD, autism and AuADHD, it’s no wonder more of us are looking for new ways to find we can find help and support with some of the challenges we can encounter as neurodivergent people in a widely neurotypical-focused world. 

From finding peer support and connecting with others who have had similar life experiences, to working with a neuro-affirmative or neurodivergent-aware therapist, there are so many different options out there for us to explore and learn about. To help you find the best method that works for you, we’re sharing more about a lesser-known kind of support: Neurodivergent coaching.

What is neurodivergent coaching?

Neurodivergent coaching, also known as neurodiversity coaching and neuro-affirming coaching, is a type of coaching focused on helping neurodivergent people recognise, accept, and celebrate their strengths. Centred around the idea that we should celebrate our neurological differences rather than trying to make ourselves ‘fit in’ with a neurotypical mould, a neurodivergent coach tailors coaching sessions based on the areas you want to explore, your needs, and the goals you want to achieve. 

Typically done in one-to-one sessions, a coach can help you with a broad range of different goals and challenges. But what can a neurodiversity coach help you with? And how do you find the right coach to help you?

4 ways a neuro-affirming coach can help you 

A coach can help you with your personal or professional life (or a combination of the two). It’s important to take time to talk through with a coach before you start working with them to find out more about their experience in working with other neurodivergent people, as well as to learn more about the approaches they use, the code of ethics they follow, and what training they have. 

A neuro-affirming coach can help you…

1. Build self-awareness and work towards self-acceptance

Low self-confidence and self-acceptance can be common amongst neurodivergent people. As neurodiversity-affirming therapist Oleana Baeva explains, years of correction, criticism, or feeling like we never quite fit in can lead to low self-esteem and an internalised apology. “For neurodivergent people, building healthy self-esteem often starts not with change, but with unlearning. Unlearning shame. Unlearning the idea that productivity equals worth. Unlearning the belief that sensitivity or intensity is something to hide.”

Working with a neuro-affirming coach can help you to learn more about how your brain works, unpack misconceptions or unhelpful thoughts and behaviours, and start focusing on building your self-esteem and self-acceptance. 

2. Identify what you want to change or achieve, set goals, and start following through 

Knowing what we want to do or change can be a challenge in itself. A coach can help you to identify your strengths, set a simple list of goals based on your wants and needs, and provide a source of accountability to help you stay focused and motivated towards achieving those goals. 

A neurodivergent coach can support you through sharing tools, resources, and ideas to help you learn the skills and techniques to achieve your personalised goals. Having someone you regularly have sessions with can also provide a sense of accountability, helping encourage and motivate you to keep working towards your new goals even when things start to feel more challenging. 

3. Help strengthen self-advocacy and communication skills

A coach can help you learn how you can advocate for yourself and your needs. This could include helping you to better understand your needs, how to communicate your strengths, or how to talk and prioritise your preferences, with friends, family, or at work. Finding new strategies to communicate these needs and focusing on the importance of self-advocacy can be a great way of boosting your confidence in speaking up for your needs, your self-awareness, and in helping you start to proactively take action to highlight your needs and wants to others. 

4. Introduce strategies to reduce stress and overwhelm

Helping craft a personalised strategy to support you and your individual needs, a neuro-affirming coach can help you to identify and recognise things that might be causing you to feel stressed or overwhelmed. 

A coach can then help introduce you to tools, techniques, and simple ways of breaking down tasks into more manageable segments, which can help to avoid or prevent feelings of overwhelm. They can also help you to start ot reframe unhelpful behaviours, such as using rest as a reward (I can rest if I just do X first), when it can help us to feel more relaxed, resilient, and able to face challenging tasks or situations. 

Thinking about working with a coach?

Working with a neuro-affirming coach can help you to improve your confidence and sense of self-worth, learn more about yourself, and find new ways of focusing on your goals, wants, needs, and ambitions.

Neuro-affirming coaching isn’t about trying to change who you are, it’s about helping you to recognise and accent the different ways our brains can work, finding the confidence to speak up and advocate for ourselves, and trying new techniques to help set and achieve our goals. Find out more about neurodiversity coaching and how a neuro-affirming coach can help you.