Memphis runs on logistics. FedEx built its global hub here, and the ripple effects shaped nearly every corner of the local economy. Distribution centers, warehouses, healthcare systems, advanced manufacturing plants, and supply chain operations all depend on people who can track moving parts, hit tight deadlines, and keep complicated systems running on schedule. Whether you work at FedEx World Hub, manage operations at a Baptist Memorial facility, coordinate shipments along the I-40 corridor, or teach at the University of Memphis, the daily expectation is consistent execution under pressure. If you have ADHD, that is an incredibly difficult standard to meet without the right support.

So you decide to look for help. You search for ADHD coaching in Memphis, and the results are confusing right away. A handful of local therapists mention coaching on their websites, but it is unclear whether they mean actual ADHD-specific coaching or a therapy session with a coaching flavor. Some results are life coaches in Germantown or Collierville who recently added ADHD to their list of specialties. A few listings pull in providers from Nashville or Little Rock. You cannot tell from a directory profile or a two-paragraph bio who is genuinely specialized and who added a keyword to attract more clients. You have a few tabs open. You meant to follow up last week. The whole project has quietly stalled, which feels painfully on-brand when the reason you need coaching is that starting and finishing complex tasks is exactly what trips you up.

This guide walks through what ADHD coaching actually is, how it differs from therapy and psychiatry, what credentials matter, how to evaluate methodology, and how to make this decision without letting it become another abandoned research project sitting in your browser.

What makes ADHD coaching different from therapy or psychiatry

Memphis has a strong healthcare foundation. With institutions like St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, and Baptist Memorial Health Care anchoring the medical landscape, clinical resources are more accessible here than in many similarly sized cities. That means a lot of adults start their mental health journey by looking for a therapist or psychiatrist, which makes sense. But coaching fills a different role entirely, and understanding the distinction before you invest your time and money will save you from ending up in the wrong type of support.

ADHD coaching focuses on the present and the future. It is a collaborative working relationship where you and your coach develop practical strategies, systems, and habits that help you reach your goals. Coaching is about action. You identify what you want to accomplish, figure out what keeps getting in the way, and build personalized tools for handling challenges like time management, prioritization, task initiation, and follow-through. A good ADHD coach works with the way 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 focuses on the emotional and psychological layers underneath. A therapist helps you process past experiences, work through anxiety or depression (both of which commonly show up alongside ADHD), and understand emotional patterns. In a city like Memphis, where the work culture rewards reliability and the logistics industry runs on precision, a lot of adults with ADHD carry years of quiet frustration from trying to keep pace without understanding why everything felt harder than it should. Therapy is the right place for that work. But therapy alone does not typically give you the concrete, tactical systems for managing your inbox, breaking cycles of missed deadlines, or keeping consistent routines at work.

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 be helpful or need an official diagnosis, that is where to start on the clinical end.

These three types of support work alongside each other, not in competition. Many adults with ADHD benefit from a combination. You might see a psychiatrist for medication management, a therapist for processing the emotional weight of living undiagnosed for decades, and a coach for building the daily systems that hold your professional and personal life together. In Tennessee, therapy and psychiatry are often at least partially covered by insurance depending on your plan, while coaching generally is not. We will cover cost and workarounds in more detail later.

The essential thing to understand about coaching is that it is forward-looking and tactical. You are not unpacking your past. You are building a concrete plan for managing your energy, staying on top of complex projects, and following through on the things that matter to you.

What credentials should an ADHD coach actually have

Before you evaluate a single coach, there is one fact you need to know: the title "ADHD coach" is completely unregulated. Tennessee has no licensing requirement, no state board, no required exam, and no minimum training hours. Anyone can put up a website, list ADHD coaching as a service, and start taking clients tomorrow. In a market like Memphis, where the wellness and self-improvement space is growing but still smaller than in cities like Nashville or Atlanta, that means your pool of options is limited and the range in quality among those options can be significant. From the outside, it is nearly impossible to tell who has deep ADHD expertise and who completed a weekend certification and decided to add it to their practice.

So how do you protect yourself and make a smart choice?

PAAC certification is one of the most reliable signals of quality. 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 an online module you can finish in a few hours. It represents a serious, sustained commitment to 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 as a whole. An ICF-credentialed coach has completed extensive training hours, accumulated a minimum number of client coaching hours, and passed a formal evaluation. ICF credentials alone do not guarantee ADHD expertise, but when you see them paired with ADHD-specific training, you are looking at someone who takes their 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 indicating 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 you face. But lived experience without professional training and a structured methodology is not enough on its own. You want someone who brings both personal understanding and evidence-based frameworks to every session.

Red flags to watch for:

• No specific credentials or training programs listed anywhere on their website

• The only stated qualification is personal experience with ADHD

• Promises of guaranteed outcomes like curing procrastination or eliminating 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 real time and money in building their expertise and will be glad to walk you through their background. If someone gets evasive or defensive when you ask about their training, take that seriously.

Why does virtual coaching work well for ADHD in Memphis

Memphis is a sprawling city. The metro stretches across Shelby County and into neighboring counties, with suburban communities like Germantown, Collierville, Bartlett, and Arlington spread across a wide geographic footprint. Public transit is limited, and most people depend on their car for everything. Getting across town during peak hours on I-40 or I-240 can take considerably longer than the map suggests, and if you are coming from one of the eastern suburbs into Midtown or Downtown for an appointment, that is a meaningful time commitment on top of the session itself.

Virtual coaching removes geography from the equation entirely. You can work with your coach from your home office in Cordova, your break room at a distribution facility in Southeast Memphis, your apartment in Cooper-Young, or your kitchen table in Olive Branch just across the Mississippi state line. Sessions fit into the natural rhythm of your day rather than requiring you to build an extra hour of travel around every appointment.

But the more meaningful benefit is about quality of match, not just convenience. When you are no longer limited to coaches who happen to have an office within a 20-minute drive, you can match based on what actually matters: their experience with your specific type of challenge, their coaching style, their understanding of your industry or life stage. A coach who specializes in working with logistics and operations professionals managing executive function challenges in high-volume environments might be a dramatically better fit than a generalist who happens to rent office space in East Memphis. Someone with deep experience supporting healthcare workers with ADHD might be exactly what a nurse or administrator at Methodist Le Bonheur needs, even if that coach is based in a different state entirely.

Virtual coaching also helps with 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 significantly. You show up more often. The coaching relationship builds momentum. Progress compounds over time instead of stalling out every time your schedule gets complicated or your commute runs long.

And if a coaching match turns out not to be the right fit, pivoting is simple. You are not restarting a geographic search or committing to someone just because they are conveniently located. 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 approaches might be completely different underneath. This is especially relevant in Memphis, where your options are more limited than they would be in larger metros like Nashville or Atlanta, making the quality of whoever you do choose that much more important.

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 giving you generic advice like "just use a planner" or "set more reminders," a coach using COM-B helps you identify whether a particular challenge comes 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 organize my files this week," an implementation intention sounds like "When I sit down at my desk after my Monday morning team meeting, I will open the shared drive and sort the first ten items in my inbox 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 "so, what do you want to talk about today?" Open-ended conversation can feel supportive in the moment, but without structure, it rarely produces consistent behavior change.

Between-session support matters more than most people realize. 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. That continuity between calls is often what 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 pretending they do not 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 not 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 over time. Regular supervision means a qualified professional is reviewing their work, providing feedback, and keeping them accountable to a consistent standard.

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

How much does ADHD coaching typically cost

Cost matters, and it is better to go in with clear expectations than to be caught off guard.

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 between calls.

The instinct to look for the cheapest option is understandable, especially in Memphis where one of the city's genuine advantages is its lower cost of living compared to Nashville, Atlanta, or other Southern metros. 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 Tennessee 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. Major Memphis employers like FedEx, International Paper, AutoZone, and the large healthcare systems often include strong benefits packages, so this is absolutely worth checking with your HR department.

When evaluating cost, it helps to weigh it against the cost of not getting support. Stalled career momentum because you cannot consistently deliver. 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 to you.

How do you find and evaluate coaches in Memphis

With a solid understanding of what coaching is, which credentials matter, and what strong methodology looks like, the practical search can begin. Memphis presents a few specific challenges worth knowing about before you start.

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. Memphis does not currently have a dedicated CHADD chapter. CHADD stands for Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. The nearest chapters are in Nashville and Little Rock, though virtual CHADD meetings and national support groups are widely available online and can still be a good source of coach recommendations from people in the region.

The Memphis-specific challenge:

Memphis is a major metro, but its ADHD coaching market is smaller and less established than what you would find in Nashville, Atlanta, or Charlotte. The local pool of specialists is limited, and that means directory searches may return only a handful of results. Some of those results may be therapists who mention coaching as a secondary offering rather than dedicated ADHD coaches. Others may be generalist life coaches or productivity consultants who use similar language on their profiles. With fewer options to begin with, the stakes of choosing well feel higher, and the research burden feels heavier because you cannot afford to make a wrong pick from an already small list.

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 pitching a package

• How clearly they explain their methodology

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

• 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 anyone talks about. You go through the whole search, commit to a coach, and after a few sessions, you realize the fit is not right. 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 market like Memphis, where the pool is already small, starting over feels especially daunting. New search. New vetting calls. New financial risk. New decision fatigue. For someone with ADHD, restarting that kind of open-ended research project 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 hard one when the executive function challenges you are trying to get help with are the exact same ones making sustained research feel exhausting.

Why a Shimmer ADHD coach might be the better option

Every frustration described above is exactly why Shimmer exists. We built it because we have been through that same draining search ourselves and knew there had to be a better way.

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 just 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 set of directory results 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 simply match with someone new and keep building momentum. In a market like Memphis, where the local pool of ADHD coaches is small, this fundamentally changes the experience. You are not stuck choosing between two or three local options. You have access to a full roster of vetted specialists.

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 begin. 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 again with someone else.

Virtual-first means all of Memphis is covered equally. Whether you live in Midtown, work at the FedEx hub near the airport, are based in a home office in Germantown, or commute from Olive Branch across the state line, you get the same quality of coaching without geography being a factor. No fighting traffic on I-240. No rearranging your afternoon around a cross-city drive. Just consistent, expert support that fits into your life where it already is.

Shimmer's coaches work with professionals across every industry that defines the Memphis economy. Operations managers and logistics coordinators handling high-volume, deadline-driven work at distribution centers and corporate offices. Healthcare professionals balancing detail-heavy responsibilities at Baptist Memorial, Methodist Le Bonheur, or St. Jude. Manufacturing and supply chain workers managing complex, shifting schedules. University of Memphis students and faculty navigating academic demands alongside ADHD. Entrepreneurs and small business owners building structure into inherently unstructured days. 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, 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 seek help in the first place.

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.