Why Choose Virtual Executive Function Coaching?
By Mara Dauber, ADHD & Executive Function Coach
A good coaching session includes a little laughter, lots of accountability, and collaborative pushing for growth. Engaging in coaching requires investment in change, and change can be tough! A coach serves as a consistent supporter and teammate in problem-solving who rides through the highs and lows of goal work at their client’s side.
A common concern for prospective clients is whether or not virtual coaching is worth it. Can a virtual coaching session allow for the same relationship-building? Is it just a holdover from the pandemic shutdown? Will it do anything?
Here are my top five favorite things about virtual coaching and why I believe I can provide a higher level of care for my clients through a computer than I could in person.
1. The ability to work on goals “live”
Virtual coaching offers unique opportunities to work on goals in context. For example, a client who is working on establishing a new morning routine can give their coach “a tour” of their space and what they would like to be doing each morning. As a coach, this is invaluable insight that can allow me to offer more nuanced suggestions and support my clients in both expanding their perspective and setting realistic goals.
Does this apply to students? YES! For students focused on goals related to school, virtual sessions offer unique opportunities to explore challenges with accessing or submitting assignments, collaboratively advocate for needs to teachers, and try out strategies like email clean-outs or Google Doc organization. Unlike an in-person session, virtual sessions are already happening on a computer (often a school-issued one) and therefore don’t require clients to remember their device!
2. The opportunity to build focus in real time
Concern about focus, or attention regulation, in a virtual session, is so real! Screens can be a ton of fun and are often highly distracting. This is exactly why I love conducting coaching sessions this way!
Virtual coaching sessions allow me to support clients in practicing attention regulation with screens. I will talk with clients about what distraction feels like, what things they do on a screen when they are having difficulty with focus, and support them in practicing noticing moments of distraction and attending to them. I am able to serve as an accountability partner who can (often jokingly) call attention to moments of distraction and support clients in building up this skill.
3. The ease on scheduling
Virtual coaching, unlike in-person, does not require a commute! It is often far easier on clients to not have to build in extra time and energy for transportation to and from an appointment. Virtual coaching removes this barrier, allowing for easier scheduling, overall.
4. The expanded access to coaching over long distances
There are very few ADHD-specific coaching centers in the U.S. And the majority of them are clustered on the coasts, around major cities. A virtual option for coaching dramatically expands access to these services. Personally, I have clients in five different time zones (including some international!).
5. The ability to play!
A huge misconception (one I had when I first made the shift to virtual coaching) is that these sessions aren’t as fun as in-person ones. While it is true that there are some activities that don’t quite translate over to a screen, there is a whole world of possibilities in virtual sessions. Some of my favorites are Tree or Bobb Ross? (for building up mental flexibility), Body Part Mix-up (focus, working memory, and getting wiggles out), and online Scattergories (mental flexibility and discussing test strategy).
Mara Dauber, M.Ed.
About the Author
Mara Dauber, M.Ed. is an educator and executive functioning coach at the Hallowell Todaro ADHD Center. She enjoys working with her clients to slow down, address barriers to their success, and push hard towards their goals. Over the last 10 years, Mara has worked in educational settings with everyone from infants to adults and currently works with clients of all ages. She is passionate about affirming strengths, encouraging self-reflection, and working with clients to develop skills and strategies to support positive growth. Her specialties include executive function coaching, academic coaching, and social and emotional skill development.
Mara earned her B.A. in Politics from Occidental College where she focused on issues of inequitable access to education. In addition, she earned her Master’s in Education at the University of Washington where she studied Learning Sciences and Human Development.
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