Dr Erica McIntyre | Specialist ADHD Coach

ADHD career coaching for overwhelmed academics and professionals

Are you a neurodivergent academic or professional who's exhausted from trying to keep up? Maybe you're working incredibly hard, but something fundamental feels off and you can't quite put your finger on what needs to change.

I specialise in ADHD coaching and career and leadership coaching for neurodivergent women in academia and demanding professional roles who are ready to transform from being overwhelmed and burnt out to flourishing at work.

Why traditional advice doesn't work

You've probably tried many strategies — better time management, productivity apps, wellness routines. But for neurodivergent professionals, these surface solutions miss the underlying challenges. It's about feeling disconnected from yourself when you're constantly trying to fit neurotypical expectations.

My coaching approach recognises what you're experiencing:

• You're exhausted from trying to keep up — working extra hours, juggling competing priorities, constantly feeling behind no matter how hard you work
• You're saying yes to everything — but you've lost track of what actually matters to you versus what looks good on paper
• You care deeply about your work — educating students, treating patients, conducting research, supporting staff — but the systems you work in are depleting your capacity
• You're tired of masking — performing the neurotypical version of success while your authentic voice gets quieter

What we'll work on

This is strategic, action-oriented coaching focused on creating a career that fits who you truly are. Together, we'll:

• Identify your strengths and how use them purposefully
• Figure out who you are when you're not performing — your authentic neurodivergent professional identity
• Sort out what genuinely energises you from what you've been told you "should do"
• Build systems that work with your neurodivergent brain, not against it
• Create your own measures of success

This is collaborative coaching where you're leading the way, and I'm meeting you where you are to help you get where you want to be.

Why I understand this deeply

I'm a late-diagnosed (over 10 years ago) ADHDer who spent over 10 years as a university academic. I know what it's like to work extra hours just to keep up, juggle multiple competing priorities, and to end up in cycles of burnout. I developed chronic fatigue and poor wellbeing because I didn't know what I needed to support my unique brain.

I've been through the transformation. I now understand my neurodivergent brain and have strategies that work with it. This means I can love work again and have energy for what brings me joy.

My coaching approach

My approach to coaching combines lived-experience, a portfolio career in education, research and service, including:

• Certified ICF organisational and specialist ADHD coach
• PhD and Honours degree in psychology and Health Science degree
• 11+ years as a university educator and researcher in public health and psychology
• Researcher specialising in self-care, mental wellbeing, health services, complex systems, ADHD and neurodivergence
• 50+ years lived experience as a neurodivergent ADHDer (diagnosed over 10 years ago)

My coaching is strengths-based, neuro-affirming, and trauma-informed. I use an evidence-based approach drawing on coaching psychology, positive psychology, behavioural psychology, and systems thinking.

Who this coaching is for

You're ready to take action, but you're experiencing:

• Constant overwhelm despite working incredibly hard
• Disconnection from what genuinely matters to you
• Exhaustion from maintaining the performance
• Uncertainty about how to create work that energises rather than depletes you
• The realisation that you're passionate about meaningful impact but trapped in systems that aren't designed for brains like yours
• An unsupportive work environment and unsure about the adjustments you need or how to communicate your needs

Your transformation is possible

I don't give you someone else's roadmap or measures of success. I help you discover your own path from performance to authenticity. As your ADHD coach, I hold the space and manage the complexity with you so you can find a way through the overwhelm and thrive more often.

Contact me to create sustainable success on your own terms — and love your work and life!