You moved to Colorado Springs for the quality of life, the mountain views, or the job at one of the defense contractors along the I-25 corridor. Maybe you work at Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, or one of the cybersecurity firms that have turned this city into a quietly significant tech hub. Maybe you are stationed at Fort Carson or Peterson Space Force Base, or you work in a civilian role that supports one of those installations. Or maybe you ended up here because the cost of living felt more reasonable than Denver, and you figured you could build something solid without the chaos of a bigger metro. Whatever brought you here, you are now trying to manage a career that demands precision, consistency, and sustained focus. And if you have ADHD, the gap between what your job expects and what your brain reliably delivers can feel enormous.

So you start looking for help, and you quickly realize that Colorado Springs is not exactly overflowing with options. There are a handful of coaches and therapists who mention ADHD, but it is hard to tell from their websites whether they have deep specialization or just added it to a long list of services. Some listings pull in providers from Denver, which is over an hour away depending on traffic and the state of the I-25 construction. A few local results turn out to be life coaches or wellness consultants who include ADHD as one of a dozen focus areas. You are staring at a small pool of unclear options and trying to decide whether to commit to one of them or keep researching indefinitely. If you have ADHD, that decision sits in the worst possible zone: high stakes, limited information, and no obvious right answer.

This guide is designed to help you cut through the uncertainty. It covers what ADHD coaching actually is, which credentials are worth your attention, how to evaluate methodology, what to expect on cost, and how to make this decision without it becoming another stalled project in your mental queue.

What makes ADHD coaching different from therapy or psychiatry

Colorado Springs has a growing healthcare infrastructure, anchored by UC Health, Penrose-St. Francis, and the expanding services through Peak Vista Community Health Centers. Mental health awareness has been increasing here, partly driven by the large military community and the recognition that service members and their families need comprehensive support. But within that landscape, coaching, therapy, and psychiatry serve distinctly different purposes, and understanding those differences will save you time and money.

ADHD coaching is focused on the present and future. It is a collaborative working relationship where you and your coach build practical strategies, systems, and habits for reaching your goals. Coaching is about action. You identify what you want to accomplish, figure out what keeps getting in the way, and develop personalized tools for managing things like time, prioritization, task initiation, and follow-through. A good ADHD coach works with how your brain actually functions rather than expecting you to force yourself into systems designed for neurotypical people. Neurotypical is a term that simply means someone whose brain processes attention and information in the way considered standard or typical.

Therapy deals with the emotional and psychological layers underneath. A therapist helps you process past experiences, work through anxiety or depression (both of which frequently co-occur with ADHD), and understand emotional patterns. In Colorado Springs, where the culture around work tends to be pragmatic and performance-oriented, a lot of adults with ADHD carry years of quiet frustration from trying to meet high standards in detail-heavy roles without knowing why it felt so much harder than it seemed for everyone else. Therapy is the right space for that work. But therapy alone does not always provide the concrete, tactical systems for managing your workload or stopping the cycle of missed deadlines.

Psychiatry handles the medical side. A psychiatrist can formally diagnose ADHD, prescribe medication, and manage your treatment plan over time. If you are exploring whether medication might help, or if you need an official diagnosis, psychiatry is the clinical starting point.

These three types of support work alongside each other. Many adults with ADHD benefit from a combination: a psychiatrist for medication management, a therapist for processing the emotional weight of living with undiagnosed or misunderstood ADHD, and a coach for building the daily systems that hold your professional and personal life together. In Colorado, therapy and psychiatry are often at least partially covered by insurance depending on your plan, while coaching generally is not. We will get into cost and workarounds later in this guide.

The key distinction with coaching is that it is forward-looking and tactical. You are not unpacking your childhood. You are building a concrete plan for how to manage your energy, stop losing track of critical tasks, and follow through on the things that matter to you.

What credentials should an ADHD coach actually have

Before you evaluate a single coach in Colorado Springs, you need to understand one uncomfortable fact: the title "ADHD coach" is completely unregulated. Colorado has no licensing requirement, no state board, no required exam, and no minimum training hours for someone to call themselves an ADHD coach. Anyone can set up a website, list ADHD coaching as a service, and start charging clients this afternoon. In a mid-size city where the options are already limited, that makes the vetting process even more important because you have fewer choices and less margin for a bad investment.

So how do you protect yourself and make sure you are working with someone who actually knows what they are doing?

PAAC certification is one of the most reliable signals. PAAC stands for the Professional Association of ADHD Coaches. Coaches who hold PAAC certification have completed rigorous ADHD-specific training programs, logged supervised coaching hours, and demonstrated genuine competency in working with ADHD-related challenges. This is not a weekend workshop or a self-paced online module you can finish in a few hours. It represents a serious investment in specialized education.

ICF credentials are another strong indicator. The ICF, or International Coaching Federation, is the most widely recognized credentialing body in the coaching profession overall. An ICF-credentialed coach has completed extensive training hours, accumulated a minimum number of client coaching hours, and passed a formal evaluation process. ICF credentials alone do not guarantee ADHD expertise, but when paired with ADHD-specific training, they indicate someone who takes professional development seriously.

NBC-HWC certification is also worth knowing about. NBC-HWC stands for National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach. This is a board certification that verifies training in evidence-based coaching techniques, and when combined with ADHD specialization, it adds another layer of verified competence.

Lived experience with ADHD can make a coach more intuitive and empathetic. Many excellent coaches have ADHD themselves and bring a personal understanding of the struggles their clients face. But lived experience without professional training and a structured methodology is not enough on its own. You want both personal understanding and evidence-based frameworks working together.

Red flags to watch for:

• No specific credentials or training programs listed on their website

• The only stated qualification is personal experience with ADHD

• Promises of guaranteed outcomes like eliminating procrastination or curing distractibility

• No mention of continuing education, supervision, or a defined methodology

• A vague approach that sounds more like friendly conversation than structured support

Questions to ask any coach you are considering:

• What ADHD-specific training have you completed, and through which program?

• Are you certified through PAAC, ICF, or another recognized body?

• Do you receive regular supervision or participate in peer consultation?

• What methodology or framework guides your coaching sessions?

• How do you track and measure client progress?

• What does support look like between sessions?

A qualified coach will welcome every one of these questions. They have invested significant time and money building their expertise, and they will be glad to walk you through it. If someone becomes evasive or uncomfortable when you ask about their training, take that as a serious signal.

Why does virtual coaching work well for ADHD in Colorado Springs

Colorado Springs covers a lot of ground. The city stretches from the established neighborhoods near downtown and the Broadmoor area to the rapidly growing communities up north in Briargate, Northgate, and out east toward Banning Lewis Ranch. The I-25 corridor through the city is under active expansion, and Powers Boulevard carries a significant share of east-side traffic. Getting from the south side of town to the north end during peak hours can eat a surprising amount of time for a city this size. Public transit through Mountain Metro exists but is limited in reach, and car dependency remains the reality for most residents. If you are filtering coaches by who has an office within a reasonable drive, you are starting with a constraint that shrinks an already small pool.

Virtual coaching removes geography from the equation. You can work with your coach from your home office in Briargate, your kitchen table near Fort Carson, your desk at one of the tech campuses along the I-25 corridor, or your apartment near UCCS. Sessions fit into your day without adding a 30-minute drive on either side.

But the more meaningful advantage is about quality of match. When you are no longer limited to the handful of coaches who happen to be physically located in the Pikes Peak region, you can match based on what actually matters: their experience with your specific type of challenge, their coaching style, and their understanding of your industry or life stage. A coach who specializes in working with defense and aerospace professionals managing executive function challenges in high-security, detail-intensive environments might be a dramatically better fit than a generalist who happens to have an office on North Academy Boulevard. Someone with deep experience supporting tech professionals with ADHD might be exactly what a cybersecurity analyst at UCCS or Schriever Space Force Base needs, even if that coach is not located in Colorado.

Virtual coaching also supports consistency, which is one of the hardest things to maintain when you have ADHD. Every logistical barrier becomes one more reason to reschedule. When your session is a video call you can take from wherever you happen to be, the friction drops. You show up more regularly. The coaching relationship builds momentum. Progress compounds over time instead of stalling out every time your week gets complicated.

And if a match turns out not to be the right fit, pivoting is straightforward. You are not restarting a geographic search in a city with limited options. You match with a different coach and keep moving forward.

What does a strong ADHD coaching methodology look like

Methodology is the invisible difference between coaching that creates lasting change and coaching that feels like a pleasant conversation you forget about by the next morning. Two coaches can have similar websites, similar pricing, and similar professional bios, but their actual approaches might be completely different underneath.

Evidence-based frameworks form the backbone of quality coaching. One widely used model is the COM-B framework, which breaks behavior change into three components: Capability, Opportunity, and Motivation. Rather than offering generic advice like "just use a planner" or "try setting more alarms," a coach using COM-B helps you figure out whether a particular challenge stems from a skill gap (capability), an environmental barrier (opportunity), or a drive issue (motivation), and then addresses the actual root cause. Another evidence-based tool is implementation intentions, which are specific if/then plans designed to bridge the gap between wanting to do something and actually doing it. Instead of "I will work on my report this week," an implementation intention sounds like "When I sit back down at my desk after my Monday afternoon meeting, I will open the report document and write the executive summary for 25 minutes before checking email."

Structured sessions versus open conversation is one of the biggest dividing lines between quality coaching and everything else. In a structured approach, each session follows a framework. Your coach prepares. Goals carry forward from previous conversations. Progress is tracked over time. You are building on a foundation week after week rather than starting over each session with whatever feels urgent in the moment. Open-ended conversation can feel supportive, but without structure, it rarely leads to consistent behavior change.

Between-session support matters more than most people expect. ADHD does not pause between your weekly coaching calls. New habits are fragile. Motivation fluctuates constantly. Quality coaching includes some form of ongoing connection between sessions, whether that is messaging, quick accountability check-ins, or access to a community of other members. That continuity between calls often determines whether a new strategy actually sticks and becomes part of your routine.

Executive dysfunction-specific design is non-negotiable for ADHD coaching. Executive dysfunction refers to difficulties with the brain's management system: working memory, planning, task initiation, emotional regulation, and time awareness. Generic coaching techniques often assume a baseline level of executive function that people with ADHD do not consistently have. A methodology built specifically for ADHD accounts for these realities and designs systems around them rather than ignoring they exist.

Peer community and shared learning add something that isolated one-on-one sessions cannot replicate. Connecting with other adults who face similar challenges creates accountability, normalizes the experience, and generates practical strategies you might never discover on your own. Hearing that someone in a similar professional situation found a particular approach helpful carries a different weight than hearing it from a coach alone.

Ongoing coach supervision is something most people never think to ask about, but it is a significant quality indicator. Coaches who practice in isolation with no external oversight can develop blind spots or drift into outdated approaches. Regular supervision means a qualified professional is reviewing their work, providing feedback, and holding them accountable to a consistent standard of care.

The frustrating reality is that none of these methodological differences are visible from a website or a directory listing. Two coach profiles can look nearly identical while representing very different levels of rigor underneath. The only way to distinguish them is to ask the right questions.

How much does ADHD coaching typically cost

Cost matters, and it is better to go in with clear expectations than to be surprised after your first session.

Nationally, individual ADHD coaching sessions range from about $150 to $300 per session. Monthly coaching packages, which typically include regular sessions plus some level of between-session support, tend to fall between $300 and $600 per month. Those ranges vary based on coach experience, credentials, session length, and how much support is included outside of scheduled calls.

Colorado Springs has a moderate cost of living compared to Denver, but the real estate boom and population growth over the past several years have tightened budgets for a lot of families. The instinct to look for the cheapest coaching option makes sense. But cost and credential depth tend to go together. Coaches who have invested thousands of dollars in ADHD-specific training, ICF certification, supervised hours, and continuing education charge more because their overhead is higher and their expertise runs deeper. That does not mean the most expensive coach is automatically the best. But consistently choosing the lowest price point increases your odds of ending up with someone who has minimal specialized training.

Insurance generally does not cover ADHD coaching. Coaching is not classified as therapy or a medical service under most plans, and Colorado does not currently mandate coaching coverage.

FSA and HSA accounts can often be used for coaching. If your employer offers a Flexible Spending Account or Health Savings Account, ADHD coaching may qualify as an eligible expense. This lets you pay with pre-tax dollars, effectively reducing your real cost by 20 to 30 percent depending on your tax bracket. Given the number of large defense contractors, federal employers, and tech companies in Colorado Springs that offer strong benefits packages, this is absolutely worth checking.

When evaluating cost, it helps to weigh it against the cost of not getting support. Stalled career momentum because you cannot consistently deliver on complex projects. Strained relationships from forgotten commitments. The mental and emotional weight of feeling like you are underperforming despite knowing you are capable of more. Effective coaching pays for itself when it helps you show up reliably in the areas that matter most.

How do you find and evaluate coaches in Colorado Springs

With a solid understanding of what coaching is, which credentials matter, and what strong methodology looks like, you can start the practical search. Colorado Springs has some specific dynamics worth knowing about before you begin.

Where to look:

The PAAC directory (Professional Association of ADHD Coaches) is the most targeted starting point. Every coach listed there has met specific ADHD training requirements. The ICF directory is broader but useful for independently verifying credentials. Colorado Springs does not currently have a dedicated CHADD chapter. CHADD stands for Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. The nearest chapters are in the Denver and Pueblo areas, and virtual CHADD meetings and support groups are available nationwide. While CHADD does not provide coaching directly, attending a virtual meeting or connecting with the broader Colorado CHADD community can be a useful way to get firsthand recommendations from people who have experience working with coaches.

The Colorado Springs-specific challenge:

Colorado Springs is large enough to have a real professional population with demanding careers in aerospace, defense, cybersecurity, healthcare, and tech. But it is not so large that the local coaching market is deep. Directory searches may return only a handful of results specifically in the Colorado Springs area, and some of those will be generalist coaches who list ADHD among many focus areas. Others may be Denver-based providers who technically serve the region but are over an hour away for in-person sessions. The result is that you are evaluating a small number of options and trying to figure out whether any of them have the specific depth of specialization you need.

The vetting process:

Once you have a shortlist, go beyond what their website says. Verify credentials independently through the PAAC and ICF directories. Schedule consultation calls, which most coaches offer for free or at a reduced rate. Use that conversation to ask the credential and methodology questions outlined earlier in this guide.

During a consultation, pay attention to:

• Whether they ask about your specific challenges or move straight into selling a package

• How clearly they explain their methodology and framework

• Whether they mention supervision, continuing education, or structured approaches

• How natural and comfortable the conversation feels

• Whether pricing, session structure, and expectations are transparent from the start

When a match does not work out:

This happens more often than people talk about. You go through the whole search, commit to a coach, and after a few sessions you realize the fit is off. Maybe their approach does not match how you process things. Maybe they lack depth in the specific area where you need the most help. In a city with limited options, that can feel especially discouraging. Now you are looking at the same small pool again, having already invested time, money, and mental energy into a choice that did not pan out. For someone with ADHD, restarting that kind of open-ended research process can feel nearly impossible.

Even with the right directories and a thoughtful approach, the full weight of research, vetting, and risk sits on your shoulders. That is a heavy lift for anyone, and it is an especially difficult one when the executive function challenges you are trying to get help with are the same ones making sustained research feel exhausting.

Why a Shimmer ADHD coach might be the better option

Every frustration described above is why Shimmer exists. The search process is broken, and we built something designed to fix it because we have been through that same draining cycle ourselves.

The vetting is done before you ever show up. Shimmer coaches go through a selection process with a 4% acceptance rate. Every coach holds ADHD-specific credentials, whether that is PAAC certification or equivalent specialized training. They are not hired and left on their own. Shimmer coaches receive ongoing supervision and continuing education, which means their practice is consistently held to a high standard. The methodology is grounded in behavioral science frameworks designed specifically for how ADHD brains work, and it is consistent across the entire coaching team.

Matching is built into the system. Instead of spending weeks scrolling through a limited directory and hoping for the best, Shimmer matches you with a coach based on your specific needs, preferences, and goals. If the match is not right, you switch. No awkward conversation. No penalty. No restarting the whole search from scratch. You connect with someone new and keep building momentum. For anyone in Colorado Springs who has experienced the frustration of committing to one of a small number of local options only to find it was not the right fit, this changes the experience fundamentally.

The methodology extends beyond your weekly session. Shimmer's coaching approach is rooted in science-backed frameworks for behavior change and executive function support. Sessions are structured, goal-oriented, and connected from one to the next. But the support does not disappear between calls. Shimmer includes community access where you connect with other members working through similar challenges. That combination of expert one-on-one coaching and peer community creates a layer of accountability and shared learning that a single weekly session on its own cannot provide.

The financial risk is minimal. Shimmer offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. Pricing is transparent and published upfront, so you know exactly what you are committing to before you start. Compare that to the traditional path where you might spend $300 on a first session with a coach you found through a directory, only to realize after two or three sessions that their approach does not work for your brain, and then face the prospect of spending more money to try someone else.

Virtual-first means all of Colorado Springs is covered equally. Whether you live near downtown, work at a defense campus along the I-25 corridor, are based in a home office in Briargate, or live out near Banning Lewis Ranch, you get the same quality of coaching without geography being a factor. No navigating Powers Boulevard traffic. No adding a cross-city drive to an already full schedule. Just consistent, expert support that fits into your life where it already is.

Shimmer's coaches work with professionals across every industry that defines Colorado Springs. Aerospace and defense engineers managing cognitive load at Lockheed Martin or Northrop Grumman. Cybersecurity analysts handling detail-intensive, high-stakes work. Military service members and veterans transitioning into civilian careers. Healthcare professionals at UC Health or Peak Vista balancing demanding schedules. UCCS students and researchers navigating academic life alongside ADHD. The matching process takes these differences into account so you work with someone who understands your professional and personal context.

Members consistently describe the difference as significant compared to previous coaching experiences. The structured methodology, the ongoing accountability between sessions, and the ability to switch coaches without friction combine to create something that works with ADHD instead of asking you to power through a broken process to get help.

How do you get started with ADHD coaching

Taking the first step can feel like a big decision. If you have been researching ADHD coaching for weeks or months without actually committing to anything, you are in very good company. That kind of decision paralysis is one of the most common ADHD patterns, and there is a real irony in the fact that the challenges you need help with are the same ones making it hard to actually seek help.

Getting started is simpler than the research process makes it seem. You sign up, get matched with a coach, and have your first session. That initial conversation is about your coach getting to know you: your goals, your challenges, what you have already tried, and where you want to focus first. You do not need to arrive with a polished list of objectives or a detailed history of your ADHD journey. Your coach is trained to guide that conversation and help you figure out where to begin.

The first few sessions are about building a foundation. You and your coach will identify what matters most to you right now and start developing strategies tailored to how your brain works. Expect it to feel exploratory at first. You are testing approaches, finding out what sticks, and building trust with someone who is going to be in your corner consistently.

Set realistic expectations. Coaching is not an overnight fix. You will not leave your first session with every executive function challenge resolved. What you will have is a structured starting point, a knowledgeable partner who understands ADHD deeply, and a framework for making steady, compounding progress. Most members start noticing meaningful shifts within the first few weeks as new strategies take hold and small wins begin to build on each other.

If you are ready to stop cycling through browser tabs and start working with a vetted, expert ADHD coach who genuinely understands how your brain works, Shimmer is a good place to begin.