Introduction: The Push for Regulation in ADHD Coaching
I’ve seen a lot of posts lately on LinkedIn and Facebook about regulating ADHD coaching. People want to make sure it’s done properly, that it’s safe, and that no one gets taken advantage of. Some also think people with ADHD are more vulnerable and need extra protection.
I understand the intention, I really do, but I don’t think regulation is the answer. It rarely protects the people it’s meant to. Rules made in boardrooms miles away from real life don’t build trust. They create red tape and distance, and that goes against everything good coaching is about.
It also risks pushing out the people who actually get it, the ones with lived experience who coach because they care, not because they tick every box. The irony is that the people shouting loudest for regulation might end up excluded too if the final rules don’t match their idea of what’s right.
The Vulnerability Argument
Many people who want regulation say it’s because people with ADHD are vulnerable. Sometimes that’s true. Many of us have lived through trauma because we weren’t understood or supported properly. But that’s not unique to ADHD, plenty of people have trauma in their lives.
Calling people with ADHD vulnerable can actually cause harm. ADHD isn’t an illness. We don’t need fixing. What we need is for society to accept that these traits are part of being human. When people keep saying we’re vulnerable, it just feeds the idea that we’re broken or weak. It shifts the problem onto us instead of where it belongs, with a world that isn’t built to include us.
If anything, a lot of people with ADHD are less vulnerable. We question things. We speak up when something doesn’t sit right. We notice when something’s off. Many of us do a huge amount of research before choosing a coach or support. The real harm comes from treating us like we need protection instead of understanding. Society doesn’t need to protect us from ourselves. It needs to stop trying to fix us.
The “Bad Coaching Is Dangerous” Argument
I keep hearing people say that bad coaching is dangerous. I don’t really agree. Coaching isn’t therapy or medicine, and it’s not about telling people what to do. It’s about helping someone make sense of their thoughts and feelings so they can find their own way forward. The ideas and answers come from them, not the coach.
Some think coaches hand out tools or advice like a prescription. That’s not how it works. A coach might share a strategy or idea if it feels relevant, but it’s never a rule. It’s up to the client whether they try it, adapt it, or leave it. A good coach checks in later to see what worked and what didn’t. The growth happens through reflection, not instruction.
Yes, some people with ADHD have lived through trauma. That can make things more complex. That’s why boundaries matter. A good coach knows when coaching isn’t appropriate. If someone is struggling with trauma, anxiety, or depression, coaching might not be the right space for them. Recognising that is part of the job. A responsible coach pauses the work, has an honest conversation, and refers them to the right support.
That’s what ethical practice looks like. It’s not about regulation, it’s about awareness, honesty, and good supervision. ADHD coaching already has professional bodies like the ICF and EMCC that outline these standards clearly. You don’t need extra layers of control to make people do the right thing. The good ones already do.
The “It’s All About the Money” Argument
Another thing people say is that ADHD coaches are only in it for the money. I’ve seen this one a lot, and honestly, it bothers me.
Yes, some people make a living from ADHD coaching. I do too. But that doesn’t mean it’s about greed or exploitation. Most coaches I know do this because they care deeply about helping others. Many of us came into it after our own diagnosis, wanting to give people the kind of support we never had.
Would I coach for free if I could? Probably, yes. But life doesn’t work like that. We all have bills to pay. Doctors, therapists, teachers, and social workers are paid for their time and skill. Coaching is no different. It’s a professional service that takes training, time, and emotional energy.
The idea that coaching should be free because ADHD people need it is naive. It also undervalues the profession and the people who give so much to it. The real issue isn’t that coaches charge money. It’s making sure what people pay for is fair, ethical, and helpful. That comes from integrity, not regulation.
Bureaucracy Does Not Equal Safety
People talk about regulation like it’s a safety net, but it rarely works that way. Systems that are meant to protect usually end up slowing everything down, excluding people, and creating more confusion.
Regulation and rules are often made by panels or committees far removed from the people they affect. Most of the time, those decisions are made by people who don’t really understand what happens in a real ADHD coaching session. The result is usually red tape and paperwork that gets in the way of doing the actual work.
Regulation becomes a tick-box exercise. It gives an illusion of safety, not real safety. It protects organisations, not the people on the ground. Real safeguards come from human connection, supervision, and ethics, not more forms or processes.
The Diversity Risk: Silencing Lived Experience
Regulation often favours the academic route. It rewards formal credentials and qualifications but forgets about lived experience. The people who actually understand ADHD because they live it every day can end up pushed out.
That would be a huge loss. Many of the best ADHD coaches I know aren’t here because of a degree. They’re here because they get it. They’ve felt the frustration, the burnout, the chaos, and they’ve learned how to work with it. That insight can’t be taught in a classroom.
If regulation focuses too much on formal structures, we risk losing that variety of real-world voices. ADHD coaching thrives on authenticity and diversity. It’s the difference between being told about ADHD and being understood by someone who lives it.
Standardisation Crushes Flexibility
ADHD coaching only works when it adapts to the person in front of you. No two people are the same, and no two sessions ever look alike. If a coach has to stick to a fixed set of rules, that freedom disappears.
Regulation is built on uniformity, but neurodiversity isn’t. Trying to standardise ADHD coaching goes against inclusion itself. It sends a message that ADHD is a problem that needs fixing, rather than a difference that needs understanding.
True quality in ADHD coaching comes from presence and flexibility. It’s about listening, responding, and adapting in the moment. That’s what helps people change their relationship with themselves and the world around them. Regulation can’t replicate that.
The Real Path to Quality
Real quality in ADHD coaching doesn’t come from regulation. It comes from connection, reflection, supervision, and solid ethics. It’s built through trust and accountability, not forms and tick boxes.
The coaching world already has bodies like the ICF and EMCC that set ethical standards and promote good practice. On top of that, most coaches already have peer networks, supervision, and mentoring. That’s how quality grows, through people learning from each other and holding each other accountable.
Transparency is a much better safeguard than bureaucracy. Being open about your training, your approach, and your experience helps clients make informed choices. That’s what trust looks like. Paperwork doesn’t build trust. People do.
Who Actually Benefits from Regulation?
Let’s be honest, regulation mostly benefits the organisations that run it. Bodies like the ICF or EMCC would gain new members, new fees, and a steady stream of renewals and training courses. That’s how these systems sustain themselves.
Power would shift into the hands of a few groups who get to decide what “good practice” means for everyone else. It would create an illusion of safety while excluding those who can’t afford to keep up.
There’s also a commercial side that people don’t talk about. Many of those calling for regulation already sell courses, credentials, or accreditation services. That’s a clear conflict of interest. When the focus turns to compliance, it stops being about helping clients and becomes about maintaining the system.
Reclaiming Trust Through Community
The ADHD coaching community already has the tools to build real trust. Peer supervision, mentoring, and open discussion create genuine accountability. You don’t need a government panel for that.
When coaches talk openly about their methods, share what works, and admit when something doesn’t, that’s what builds credibility. It’s honest, transparent, and human. Community-led standards are stronger because they grow from experience, not policy. They evolve as we learn more.
Trust isn’t given out on paper. It’s earned session by session, through integrity, respect, and care. That’s something no regulation can replace.
Bringing the Two Worlds Together
The ADHD coaching world and the wider coaching community have a lot to learn from each other. They shouldn’t be treated as two separate disciplines.
ADHD coaches can take a lot from established coaching practice, things like clear ethics, professional boundaries, supervision, and mentoring. These strengthen quality without needing formal regulation.
The mainstream coaching community could also learn from ADHD coaching. It offers real insight into neurodiversity, flexible thinking, and what inclusion means in practice. These two worlds aren’t opposites. They share the same goal: helping people live better and think better. We’d get there faster if we stopped arguing and started listening.
Coaching thrives on connection, not compliance.
At ADHDaptive, we believe in trust, lived experience, and real, human-centered support.
- 🔗 Learn more about our approach to ADHD coaching
- 📍 Based in the North East? Check out ADHD coaching for adults in your area
- 🧰 Curious about support at work? Read our Access to Work guide for ADHD (2025)
💬 Got questions or ready to take the next step?
Get in touch or book a free discovery
call
🌐 Visit our website: adhdaptive.org