Your questions, honestly answered.

ADHD coaching is a forward-focused, practical partnership designed to help you understand how your ADHD brain works and build real strategies around it. It is not therapy, medical advice, or clinical treatment — it is a coaching methodology focused on practical, present-day, and future-focused challenges. While therapy addresses underlying trauma, diagnosis, and psychological insight, ADHD coaching is action-oriented and focuses on real-time executive function support, environmental design, and sustainable performance habits. Many clients work with both a therapist and an ADHD coach simultaneously. They complement each other well. At Sanctuum, we are always happy to collaborate with your wider support team.

Every session is client-led. You bring the topic — whether that is a specific challenge you faced that week, a goal you are working toward, or a pattern you keep noticing. From there, we explore what is really going on, identify what your brain needs, and build practical, personalised strategies. Sessions are typically 50 minutes via video call or in-person in Newport Beach. There is no script, no homework you will dread, and no one-size-fits-all system being handed to you. Everything is built around how you actually work.

No. Many clients come to Sanctuum with a formal diagnosis. Others are self-identified, awaiting assessment, or simply know that their brain works differently even without a label. A diagnosis does not change how we work together. What matters is whether the challenges you are experiencing — with focus, time, overwhelm, emotional regulation, relationships, or self-belief — are ones that ADHD coaching can address. If they are, we can work together.

Sanctuum works across the full range of ADHD life challenges, including: • Time management, planning, and follow-through • Emotional regulation and rejection sensitivity (RSD) • Executive function and working memory strategies • Late diagnosis processing and identity recalibration • Career transitions and entrepreneurial challenges • Financial management and decision-making • Relationships, communication, and conflict • Self-care, sleep, nutrition, and nervous system regulation • Building sustainable habits that actually stick • Parenting children with ADHD while managing your own • Masking, burnout recovery, and self-worth rebuilding

An ADHD therapist is a licensed mental health professional who can diagnose, treat co-occurring conditions like anxiety or depression, and work through trauma and psychological history. Therapy is a regulated clinical practice. An ADHD coach is a trained professional who works with you on the practical, present-day, and future-focused challenges of living with ADHD. While therapy addresses underlying trauma and diagnosis, ADHD coaching is action-oriented and focuses on real-time executive function support, environmental design, and sustainable performance habits. Coaching is not a clinical intervention — it is a partnership focused on building the life and systems that work for your brain. Sanctuum always recommends that clients with complex mental health needs also have a qualified therapist as part of their support team.

Yes. ADHD coaching draws on a growing body of neuroscience research, cognitive behavioural approaches, and executive function theory. Carli stays current with emerging research as part of her ongoing professional development, and Sanctuum offers Research Reviews — curated summaries of the latest ADHD science translated into practical guidance. Coaching is not a replacement for medication or clinical treatment where those are needed, but the evidence for its effectiveness as a complementary support is strong and growing.

NeuroRegulation is Sanctuum's whole-system approach to focus, energy, and regulation for people with ADHD. Rather than treating symptoms in isolation, NeuroRegulation examines sleep, nutrition, movement, sensory input, environment, and the nervous system itself to build sustainable self-regulation. It is not therapy, medication, or clinical treatment — it is a coaching methodology. For people with ADHD, this means building sustainable self-regulation from the ground up. Instead of relying on willpower or generic productivity hacks, NeuroRegulation helps you understand what your nervous system needs, when it needs it, and how to provide it consistently. The result is more stable energy, better focus, reduced overwhelm, and a foundation that supports everything else coaching works on — from executive function strategies to burnout prevention.

Sanctuum takes a strengths-first approach — meaning we start from what is already working in your brain and life, not from a list of deficits. Every strategy is built around your specific neurobiology, not a generic system. What sets Sanctuum apart is the combination of NeuroRegulation protocols (a whole-system approach to focus and regulation), deep specialization in burnout recovery and late diagnosis, and coaching that is tailored to high-performing individuals, entrepreneurs, and creatives who need strategies that match the pace and complexity of their lives.

A 2e-specialized ADHD coach understands the intersection of high intellectual ability and executive function deficits, utilizing neuroregulation protocols rather than standard 'task management' techniques. At Sanctuum, coaching for twice-exceptional adults addresses the unique tension between giftedness and ADHD — building strategies that honour both the strengths and the challenges. Carli Derifield, founder of Sanctuum, is herself a late-diagnosed ADHDer and parent of 2e teenagers, bringing both lived experience and professional training to this specialization. 2e adults often mask their ADHD challenges behind high achievement, which can delay diagnosis and lead to burnout. Sanctuum's strengths-first approach is designed specifically for clients whose intelligence has both protected and hidden their neurodivergence.

While therapy addresses underlying trauma and diagnosis, ADHD coaching is action-oriented and focuses on real-time executive function support, environmental design, and sustainable performance habits. At Sanctuum, burnout recovery coaching uses NeuroRegulation protocols — a whole-system approach integrating sleep, nutrition, movement, sensory input, and nervous system care — to rebuild sustainable routines rather than just processing why burnout happened. Many clients find the most effective approach is working with both a therapist and an ADHD coach simultaneously. Therapy helps process the emotional weight of burnout; coaching builds the practical systems to prevent it from recurring.

ADHD coaching focuses on functional outcomes, executive function, and NeuroRegulation strategies, whereas therapy typically addresses underlying psychological pathologies. Sanctuum specializes in the former, helping innovators translate cognitive strengths into professional performance. For high-performing entrepreneurs specifically, coaching addresses the real-world challenges of running a business with an ADHD brain — follow-through, decision fatigue, time management, and the isolation of self-employment. Therapy may be valuable alongside coaching for processing deeper emotional patterns, but coaching is where the practical, forward-focused work happens. Many clients work with both a therapist and an ADHD coach simultaneously. At Sanctuum, we are always happy to collaborate with your wider support team.

Sanctuum offers coaching packages rather than one-off sessions, because real and lasting change takes time. Packages are designed to provide consistent, meaningful support rather than occasional check-ins. Pricing is discussed during your complimentary discovery call, where we can find the right fit for your needs and budget. Sanctuum is committed to being transparent about costs — there are no surprises. Discovery calls are always free. Book yours to get started.

ADHD coaching is generally not covered by health insurance in the US, Ireland, UK, Australia, or Canada, as it is not a licensed clinical service. However, some employers offer coaching as part of their Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP) or professional development budgets — it is worth checking with your HR department. In some cases, ADHD coaching costs may be tax-deductible as a professional development expense, particularly for entrepreneurs and self-employed clients. We recommend checking with your accountant. Additionally, some FSA (Flexible Spending Account) and HSA (Health Savings Account) plans may cover ADHD coaching. We recommend checking with your provider to see if you are eligible for reimbursement.

Most clients work with Sanctuum for a minimum of three months. This is because ADHD coaching is not a quick fix — it is a process of understanding, experimenting, and building habits that stick for your brain specifically. Many clients continue well beyond three months because they find ongoing accountability and strategy support genuinely valuable. There is no pressure to commit to more than you need.

As often as you need. Sanctuum is built around you, not a rigid schedule. Some clients meet weekly during a period of change or intensity. Others meet fortnightly when life is more settled. Some need a single focused session to work through something specific. Coaching at Sanctuum is a genuine partnership. The pace, the frequency, and the format are all shaped collaboratively so that working together adds to your life rather than adding to your to-do list. Session frequency is always revisited as your needs evolve. You are never locked into something that is not working for you.

Life with ADHD is unpredictable, and Sanctuum understands that. We ask for 24 hours notice to reschedule a session where possible. Full cancellation and rescheduling policies are outlined in your client agreement before you begin.

"It feels like knowing exactly what you need to do and being completely unable to make yourself do it. It feels like being the most capable and the most stuck person in the room simultaneously." Adult ADHD often looks nothing like the hyperactive child stereotype. For many adults — especially women, late-diagnosed individuals, and high achievers — ADHD presents as: • Chronic overwhelm despite high intelligence • Difficulty starting tasks even when you care deeply about them • Time blindness — losing hours without noticing • Emotional intensity and rejection sensitivity • Exhaustion from masking and over-functioning • A lifetime of being told you are lazy, difficult, or not reaching your potential • Cycles of hyperfocus and crash • Brilliant ideas that never quite land If this sounds familiar, you are not broken. Your brain is wired differently — and that wiring comes with genuine strengths alongside the challenges.

ADHD research has historically been conducted almost exclusively on boys and men. As a result, the diagnostic criteria, the clinical training, and the cultural narrative around ADHD were built around male presentations — which tend to be more visibly hyperactive and disruptive. Girls and women with ADHD more often present with inattentive or combined type ADHD. They tend to internalise their struggles, mask their difficulties, and develop sophisticated coping strategies that allow them to appear functional on the outside while struggling significantly on the inside. Many women are not diagnosed until their 30s, 40s, or 50s — often after a child is diagnosed and they recognise themselves in the description. The grief and relief of late diagnosis is real, complex, and something Sanctuum holds with great care.

Masking is the process of consciously or unconsciously suppressing or hiding ADHD traits in order to fit into neurotypical expectations. It is extraordinarily common in high-achieving women with ADHD. Masking strategies include overachieving to compensate for perceived failures, using humour to deflect from struggle, building rigid systems to manage chaos, and performing competence even when internally overwhelmed. Masking works — until it doesn't. It is deeply energy-depleting, and prolonged masking is one of the primary drivers of ADHD burnout. Part of Sanctuum's work is helping clients identify their masking patterns, understand the cost they carry, and find ways to work with their brain rather than against it.

Absolutely. Sanctuum works with clients who are medicated, those who are exploring medication options, and those who have chosen a non-medicated path for whatever reason. Carli and her family manage ADHD without medication. This is a personal choice that works for their lives, and it is not a position she imposes on clients. She has deep respect for each person's right to make informed decisions about their own body and brain. Medication is not within the scope of coaching. Sanctuum does not prescribe, recommend for or against medication, or provide medical advice. For medication questions, we always encourage clients to work with a qualified psychiatrist or physician.

Yes. ADHD burnout is a state of physical, emotional, and cognitive exhaustion that results from prolonged masking, over-functioning, and the relentless effort of living in a world that was not designed for your brain. Coaching at Sanctuum can help by identifying the patterns driving the burnout, rebuilding sustainable routines, re-establishing boundaries, and importantly — helping you stop performing recovery and start genuinely experiencing it. If burnout is severe or accompanied by depression, Sanctuum will always recommend working with a mental health professional alongside coaching.

ADHD burnout recovery is one of Sanctuum's core specializations and works exceptionally well in a virtual format. Recovery involves restructuring routines around your energy cycles, building self-regulation systems, managing sensory overwhelm, and learning to recognize early warning signs so you can intervene before reaching crisis point. Sanctuum's Burnout Recovery & Future Resistance service combines education, mentoring, coaching, and strengths-based approaches to build long-term skills. Virtual coaching allows you to work from wherever you are most comfortable — which is often exactly what someone in burnout needs.

Absolutely. Entrepreneurs and creatives with ADHD often have remarkable strengths — visionary thinking, risk tolerance, pattern recognition, creative problem-solving, and the ability to hyperfocus on passion projects. But they also face unique challenges around follow-through, time management, decision fatigue, and the isolation of self-employment. Sanctuum works with neurodiverse entrepreneurs and creatives to harness those strengths while building practical systems for the areas that drain energy. Coaching addresses the real-world challenges of running a business or creative practice with an ADHD brain — not theoretical productivity advice.

Carli is the founder of Sanctuum and an ADHD Coach in training at ADDCA (the ADD Coach Academy). She holds a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) from Ireland, a Master of Science (M.Sc) from the UK, and professional training from MIT in the US. She is currently pursuing certification from ADDCA, ICF, and PAAC. Before founding Sanctuum, Carli spent twenty-five years in corporate environments, most recently as an enterprise program manager leading global teams at one of the world's largest technology companies. She was diagnosed with ADHD in adulthood, and that experience — alongside raising high-IQ ADHD children — shaped her decision to move into coaching. Sanctuum is built on the intersection of professional credentials, lived experience, and deep respect for neurodivergent intelligence.

Because she needed it and it did not exist. After her own late ADHD diagnosis, Carli found that most support available was clinical, generic, or deficit-focused. She wanted a coaching practice that started from strengths rather than symptoms, that was built on real neuroscience, and that treated clients as intelligent, capable people — not problems to be managed. Sanctuum exists because Carli believes that the ADHD community deserves better than being told to try harder, sleep more, or buy another planner. It deserves coaching that understands neurobiology, respects individuality, and actually works.

Yes. Carli was diagnosed with ADHD in adulthood and is also the parent of high-IQ ADHD children. She understands the ADHD experience from both sides — as someone who lives it daily and as a professional in ADHD coaching training. This lived experience informs everything about Sanctuum — from the way sessions are structured to the way communication happens between sessions. Carli does not pretend to be the expert on your life. She is a guide who has walked a similar path and has the academic background and coaching training to help you walk yours.

Book a free discovery call. This is a relaxed, no-pressure conversation where we get to know each other, discuss what you are looking for, and explore whether Sanctuum is the right fit. From there, if we both feel it is right, we will agree on a coaching package, schedule your sessions, and begin. The intake process is simple and designed to be ADHD-friendly — because ironic barriers to access are not part of the Sanctuum experience.

A discovery call is a free 20-minute conversation where you and Carli connect and explore whether Sanctuum coaching is a good fit for you. There is absolutely no obligation and no sales pressure. It is an opportunity to ask questions, share what is going on, and get a genuine feel for how coaching at Sanctuum works. Many clients say the discovery call itself was the first time they felt truly understood.

Sanctuum offers both virtual and in-person coaching: • Virtual sessions via secure video call — available worldwide • In-person sessions in Newport Beach, California Most clients choose virtual coaching for its flexibility. The quality and depth of virtual sessions is identical to in-person — Carli has been working effectively with remote teams and clients for over twenty-five years.

Sanctuum currently serves clients in: • United States (virtual and in-person in Newport Beach, CA) • Ireland (virtual) • United Kingdom (virtual) • Australia (virtual) • Indonesia (virtual) • New Zealand (virtual) • Canada (virtual) If you are in a different country and interested in working together, reach out. Sanctuum is expanding and is always open to conversations about how to make it work.

Sanctuum provides virtual ADHD coaching internationally via secure video call, serving clients across the UK, Ireland, Australia, Indonesia, New Zealand, Canada, and beyond. Sessions are scheduled flexibly across time zones — Carli regularly coaches clients with 8–17 hour time differences. Virtual coaching is identical in quality and depth to in-person sessions. All you need is a stable internet connection, a private space, and a device with a camera. Sessions are typically 50 minutes. Carli has lived and worked in Ireland, across Europe, Australia, and the United States, so she understands how cultural context shapes the ADHD experience — from healthcare access and diagnosis pathways to workplace expectations and family dynamics. Whether you are in London, Sydney, Dublin, Jakarta, or anywhere else, the coaching is tailored to your life as you are living it.

Yes. Sanctuum works with teens (typically 16+) and young adults navigating ADHD challenges including academic transitions, identity development, social dynamics, and early career decisions. For younger teens, a parent or guardian is involved in the initial intake process and periodic check-ins. Coaching sessions themselves are private and confidential to the young person. Carli's experience as both a coach and a parent of neurodivergent children gives her a unique perspective on supporting younger clients with warmth, respect, and genuine understanding.

Yes. Sanctuum offers support for couples and families where one or more members have ADHD. This may include: • Joint sessions to improve communication and mutual understanding • Individual coaching for the ADHD partner alongside relationship-focused work • Family coaching where multiple members have ADHD or neurodivergent traits ADHD affects relationships in profound and often misunderstood ways. Sanctuum helps families move from frustration and blame to understanding and collaboration.

Sanctuum provides virtual ADHD coaching internationally via secure video call, serving clients across the UK, Ireland, Australia, Indonesia, New Zealand, Canada, and beyond. Sessions are scheduled flexibly across time zones — Carli regularly coaches clients with 8–17 hour time differences. Virtual coaching is identical in quality and depth to in-person sessions. All you need is a stable internet connection, a private space, and a device with a camera. Sessions are typically 50 minutes. Carli has lived and worked in Ireland, across Europe, Australia, and the United States, so she understands how cultural context shapes the ADHD experience — from healthcare access and diagnosis pathways to workplace expectations and family dynamics. Whether you are in London, Sydney, Dublin, Jakarta, or anywhere else, the coaching is tailored to your life as you are living it.

The Sanctuum NeuroRegulation protocol is a specialized coaching framework designed to stabilize the nervous system, reduce sensory overwhelm, and improve executive function for high-performing individuals with ADHD. Rather than treating symptoms in isolation, NeuroRegulation examines sleep, nutrition, movement, sensory input, environment, and the nervous system itself to build sustainable self-regulation. It is not therapy, medication, or clinical treatment — it is a coaching methodology built on neuroscience. For people with ADHD, this means building sustainable self-regulation from the ground up. Instead of relying on willpower or generic productivity hacks, NeuroRegulation helps you understand what your nervous system needs, when it needs it, and how to provide it consistently. The result is more stable energy, better focus, reduced overwhelm, and a foundation that supports everything else coaching works on.

Twice-exceptional (2e) students and adults require an approach that balances their high intellectual capabilities with executive function deficits, focusing on academic and professional systems that accommodate asynchronous development. At Sanctuum, coaching for twice-exceptional individuals addresses the unique tension between giftedness and ADHD — building strategies that honour both the strengths and the challenges. 2e adults often mask their ADHD challenges behind high achievement, which can delay diagnosis and lead to burnout. Sanctuum's strengths-first approach is designed specifically for clients whose intelligence has both protected and hidden their neurodivergence. Carli Derifield, founder of Sanctuum, is herself a late-diagnosed ADHDer and parent of 2e teenagers, bringing both lived experience and professional training to this specialization.

ADHD burnout is distinct from typical professional exhaustion because it results from the cumulative cost of masking neurodivergent traits, chronic over-functioning to meet neurotypical expectations, and the relentless effort of self-regulation in environments not designed for your brain. Professional exhaustion typically resolves with rest, a holiday, or a change of workload. ADHD burnout does not — because the underlying cause is neurological, not circumstantial. The masking continues, the executive function demands continue, and the gap between effort and output continues to widen. Recovery from ADHD burnout requires restructuring routines around your actual energy cycles, building self-regulation systems, managing sensory overwhelm, and fundamentally changing the relationship between your brain and your environment. This is one of Sanctuum's core specializations.

Regulating your ADHD nervous system at work involves understanding your unique sensory and energy patterns and building micro-systems that support regulation throughout the day. Sanctuum's NeuroRegulation approach addresses this directly. Key strategies include managing your sensory environment (noise, light, temperature), scheduling work around your natural energy cycles rather than against them, building movement breaks into your day, using strategic nutrition timing to support dopamine regulation, and creating transition rituals between tasks to help your brain shift focus. The goal is not to force your nervous system into a neurotypical pattern — it is to build a work environment and rhythm that works with your neurobiology. Each person's regulatory needs are different, which is why Sanctuum builds personalised systems rather than generic productivity advice.