Frequently Asked Questions:

  • Executive functions are a set of cognitive skills that we rely on every single day to help us manage our daily lives. Executive function skills include planning, organizing, prioritizing, sustained attention, time management, task initiation, problem solving, and flexible thinking.

    Executive function skills are learned throughout our lifetime and strengthened with practice. Sometimes people have challenges with their executive functioning skills which may make navigating school, work, and tasks in daily life more difficult and that's where an executive function coach comes in!

    Executive function coaching involves self-reflection and learning and practicing concrete strategies to strengthen executive function skills with the support of a coach.

  • Executive function coaching is appropriate for anyone who is interested in creating new systems and strategies to work towards academic, professional, or personal goals.

    Clients who benefit most from coaching are open to working collaboratively with a coach and are interested in guided self-reflection (ex. thinking about their strengths and challenges).

  • No, a diagnosis is not required to work with a coach.

    I do have extensive experience working with individuals with diagnoses including:

    • ADHD

    • Anxiety

    • Learning disorders/ learning differences

    • Autism Spectrum Disorder/Asperger's

    • Post Concussion Syndrome

    • Strategies to strengthen your executive function skills

    • Extra accountability, support, and a space to process and reflect

    • A specific, designated time to create a plan for the day/week/month & reflect on what is working (or what you may need to change)

    • A "push" when you might need one

    • Leaving each meeting with a solid, comfortable plan & strategies

  • We use executive functioning skills across the board in our daily lives, so people have lots of different goals they want to address in coaching.

    Most clients start coaching because they have specific “problems” they want to solve (ex. stop procrastinating, finish tasks/ assignments, arrive to meetings on time, keep better track of their schedule, remember things they need to do).

    Once we start working together, clients often realize we can talk about a lot of daily tasks that involve executive functioning skills and strategies (ex. making time for self-care, getting chores done, re-starting hobbies, figuring out how to keep up with laundry).

    The list of goals clients have worked on in coaching meetings is never ending! All goals are good goals :-)

  • Coaching is individualized & each session is unique to match your learning style, personality, and goals; there is no curriculum.

    Coaching sessions typically follow a similar structure each meeting:

    • Check-in: what went well since we last met, what was challenging, what concrete steps have you taken toward your goals, what are the next steps.

    • Goal setting & discussing strategies: creating a realistic plan of actions and systems to support your goals. We identify strategies, potential barriers, & possible ways to navigate challenges.

    • Working on tasks together: Sometimes clients find it helpful to start tasks during our meetings so we can talk about strategies in real time.

    I am a firm believer that each person is an expert in themselves, so I ask a lot of questions to help my clients think about what has worked and not worked in the past. We create a plan together and adjust each week.

  • Coaching is flexible; most of my clients meet once a week; others meet more or less frequently.

    Some of my clients start with regular meetings once a week and then transition to every other week or "as needed."

    Some clients work with a coach short term (3-6 months).

    Some clients work with a coach longer term (1-4+ years).

  • Coaching is not counseling/therapy.

    Coaching focuses on concrete skills and strategies. While we do talk about stress, anxiety, burnout, and overwhelm - it is not from a therapy or counseling perspective.

  • Coaching is not tutoring. I can’t help you solve a chemistry problem (but we can work together to figure out what resources are available to you, create and execute a plan together!)

    Coaching teaches the "how" and tutoring teaches the "what." Coaching focuses on learning and applying new skills and strategies to improve academically, while tutoring often just focuses on the content being studied.

    Coaching focuses on skills and strategies that are transferable. Clients build executive functioning skills that they will use in school, work, and their personal lives.

    I’ve coached college students studying engineering, computer science, pre-med, history, chemistry, creative writing, and many other areas of study. I do not need to understand the content to help students strengthen their study skills or EF skills.

Student Frequently Asked Questions:

  • College is often the first time young adults are either living away from home or receiving less support/ oversight from parents. As a coach, I ask students lots of questions to get them thinking and help guide them. With time, students start asking themselves these questions internally (or even out loud in our meetings!).

    In addition to working on strategies to improve EF skills, coaching helps students advocate for themselves (ex. communicate with professors, request/utilize accommodations, set boundaries). We research resources and support on campus and schedule appointments for the student to access these resources, as necessary.

    • General Check-in (what’s new, exciting, or challenging?)

    • Reference our written list of goals from the past week (What went well? What was challenging?)

    • Learn or review skills and strategies students can use to achieve the goals

    • Share computer screen to look at assignments (and create a plan for the day/ week/ month)

    • Look at specific assignments to gauge difficulty, determine starting points, and possibly take the first step in the meeting.

    • We create a workflow to make sure assignment requirements are met before submitting them (on time!). We also review feedback from professors and keep track of grades.

    • Body-doubling: some students have a hard time starting assignments and use our meeting time to jump-start homework that they are avoiding and carry the momentum into continuing it outside of our meeting

    • Identify potential challenges or barriers that might pop up in the next week and create a plan/ identify what strategies might be helpful

  • Yes! Coaching is appropriate for any student who would like to create systems, learn new skills, and have support and accountability.

    Many of my college students have good grades and still feel lots of stress and anxiety related to their coursework, managing their time, and creating a healthy school-life balance.