What Actually Happens During a Discovery Call with Me?

In this blog, I’ll go through the purpose of a discovery call, what happens during a call and the significance of this foundational start.

Individuals and families often seek the guidance of ADHD coaches to navigate the challenges that arise in the tricky dynamics of raising little people with ADHD or being a person with ADHD and people seek family coaches to navigate the challenges arising within families/relationships regardless of ADHD/neurodiverse status!

For those grappling with ADHD, an ADHD coach becomes a valuable ally in developing personalised strategies to enhance focus, time management, and organisational skills. These coaches (of which I am one) offer practical tools and emotional support to individuals seeking to harness their strengths while mitigating the impact of ADHD-related difficulties. On the other hand, families facing communication breakdowns, conflict, or transitions often turn to family coaches for assistance. A family coach helps build and grow awareness and understanding, effective communication, and harmonious relationships within the family unit. By providing a supportive and non-judgmental space, family coaches guide families in navigating challenges, fostering resilience, and promoting positive change. Whether addressing individual concerns related to ADHD or seeking to strengthen familial bonds, these coaches offer tailored support to empower individuals and families on their journey toward personal and collective growth.

Starting on the journey of family/ADHD coaching often begins with an intentional step—the discovery call. This initial conversation serves as a bridge between seeking guidance and the expertise of me as your coach.

I aim to create a safe and welcoming space for the family members to express their concerns, share their goals, and articulate the challenges they may be facing. This establishes the foundation for trust and collaboration.  The process will be most effective if you can express your concerns openly and in their full reality.  This is not the point where we start the coaching process as a discovery call is only 15 minutes long.  I am wanting to get an authentic real life picture of what your struggles are and how they impact your ability to function in day to day life.

What you will get from me always is honesty.  If I think you’re best off to see a psychologist or your GP, I will let you know.  If I cannot serve you in the capacity of your coach, or if it is not the best place for you to start, I will refer you on to someone who can help.  That being said, I can work concurrently with you whilst you are seeing your psychologist / paediatrician etc.

A significant portion of the discovery call revolves around clarifying expectations and establishing the family's goals for coaching. I collaborate with you to identify specific challenges that you wish to address and the outcomes you hope to achieve. This phase ensures that both parties are aligned in their expectations and sets the stage for a coaching journey.

To demystify the coaching process, I will then provide an overview of how coaching works and the methodologies employed. This includes explaining the structure of sessions, cost of the sessions, potential strategies to be employed, and the role the family member plays in the process.  This explanation helps to foster a sense of empowerment and active participation, and also an awareness of what’s to come, so there are no on the spot surprises during our sessions.

A key component in successful coaching is understanding the family's readiness and commitment to the coaching process.  Some people are just wanting information, which is 100% ok!  Some people are in the phase of a challenging situation where the challenge is annoying, and could be improved, but it hasn’t reached crisis point – this is the ideal time to do coaching, however people in this phase generally feel they are on top of things with the occasional boil over, or they are functioning in most domains of life.  Then there’s crisis stage where the functional impact of their ADHD, or their child’s ADHD, or the functional impact of their challenging situation they find themselves in is actually impacting their life immensely.  This is definitely time to seek help too, but being aware that specialists cannot often see you “right now”.  In my experience, incremental shifts in awareness, knowledge, actions are far more beneficial that a crisis intervention.  It’s also less taxing on the body, mental health and family dynamics.  I also appreciate that purely by the fact those seeking ADHD coaching may themselves have ADHD, so it’s now or not now that they seek help.  Those with ADHD in their lives will fully appreciate that statement.

I will then discuss the time and effort required for the coaching process, ensuring that all family members are on board with the commitment to collective growth. Assessing readiness helps in tailoring the coaching approach to the family's pace and preferences.

The discovery call is quick and intensive, but aims to ‘cut to the chase’ of your concerns and how coaching can benefit you.  It’s also a crucial time to work out if I am a fit for you, and you are a fit for me.  Building a connection and a productive rapport with a coach is crucial for success of the coaching.  This two-way communication reinforces transparency and trust, allowing the family to make informed decisions about whether coaching aligns with their needs and expectations.

There is of course time for any questions, comments or thoughts you have about the coaching process or any concerns.

If you’re ready to go ahead, we then schedule a date for the first coaching session, outline any pre-coaching tasks, or provide additional resources to support your or the family's readiness. Clear communication about the next steps ensures a seamless transition into the coaching journey.

A discovery call with me serves as an introduction to the coaching. By fostering open communication, clarifying expectations, and gauging readiness, together we establish the foundation for a collaborative and purposeful coaching relationship.

If you have any questions about the discovery call or coaching, please feel free to DM me!  I’m only too happy to have a chat.

Much love,

Alison xx