Rewiring the Brain: How ADHD Coaching Unlocks Motivation, Self-Trust and Change

“You’re not broken. You just haven’t been shown how your brain works.” – David Giwerc

In the latest EMCC UK podcast, ADHD coaching pioneer David Giwerc brings clarity, compassion, and science to one of the fastest-growing yet misunderstood areas of coaching.

🧠 The Science: ADHD Isn’t About Focus, it’s About Motivation

Research shows that ADHD is primarily a disorder of motivation, not attention. A landmark NIH study by Dr. Nora Volkow found that people with ADHD have lower dopamine levels, making it harder to sustain attention on tasks that aren’t intrinsically engaging.

As a result:

• The ADHD brain is interest-based, not importance-based

• Negative thinking releases cortisol, leading to anxiety and emotional dysregulation

• Neural pathways are shaped by attention—but many ADHD clients are trained to pay attention to failure, not strength

“Every story we tell ourselves triggers a neurochemical reaction. If the story is shame-based, the chemistry follows.”

⚙️ The Coaching Process: Educate. Energize. Empower. Embrace.

David Giwerc outlines a four-part model for ADHD coaching that draws directly from neuroscience:

1. Educate
   Help clients understand their ADHD as a unique brain wiring, not a flaw. Without this foundational insight, change can’t begin.

2. Energize
   ADHD clients thrive when connected to interest, passion, and personal meaning. Coaches uncover these drivers through tools like VIA Character Strengths and creative reflection.

3. Empower
   Coaching replaces unhelpful beliefs (“I never follow through”) with evidence-based truths that anchor new neural pathways. This builds emotional regulation and forward momentum.

4. Embrace
   Habits are changed through repetition and self-compassion. Giwerc challenges clients to start each day with one meaningful action, a small “win” that activates dopamine and reinforces self-trust.

“One PIECE of meaningful action leads to PEACE of mind.”

🧬 Why Coaching Changes the Brain

Neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to rewire based on experience, is at the heart of this work. Through coaching, clients learn to:

• Pay attention to strengths and success

• Reframe old stories into new, empowering narratives

• Anchor new patterns with language, images, and rituals

• Reduce reliance on external validation by cultivating inner motivation

🧠 Positive emotion, when repeated and reinforced, builds the neural architecture of self-belief.

“The pill doesn’t give you the skill. Coaching gives you the tools to change the story,
the chemistry, and the outcome.”

📈 A Growing Space with Unmet Need

Demand for ADHD coaching is exploding—especially among adults receiving late diagnoses. Yet, there is a critical shortage of trained ADHD coaches worldwide.

• ADHD-related searches and diagnosis rates have risen by 3,000–4,000% in recent years

• Emotional regulation, time blindness, and cognitive overload are common, but rarely addressed in traditional coaching

• Many leaders and professionals are quietly navigating unrecognised ADHD without support

Coaching with a neurodiversity-informed lens isn’t just helpful, it’s essential.

🧭 Final Thought
ADHD coaching is not just about “coping” better. It’s about reclaiming energy, agency, and identity.

It’s time coaches, educators and leaders met this growing need with the care, rigour, and respect it deserves.

“We’re not here to fix people. We’re here to help them remember who they are - before the world told them they were wrong.”

Get in touch if you’d like to know more about how coaching can support your leadership, or book a free chemistry call here.