Diana van Walsum

I'm Diana, a neurodiversity-affirmative coach and counsellor. I help ADHD working parents like you optimize their ability to manage the juggle while pursuing their (work or personal) goals. Does it feel like despite the challenges of working and parenting with ADHD, you have managed to achieve certain things in your life - but you are not quite where you want to be? You have some specific goals for your career and/or personal/family life, but you're not sure if you will manage the extra challenges, or have found that you keep getting stuck because of everything you are juggling and the way your brain works? I use a blend of coaching and counselling (or pure coaching if preferred) to help clients to hone in on the details of what helps them to function at their best, and then to implement this in their daily life. This means looking at things like the structure of your day, sensory needs and stressors, motivators/energizers, getting "in the flow", how to get started and how to stop, prioritization, automation, boundaries, delegation, mindset, and more. I support clients in focusing on their needs rather than their 'deficits', in embracing progress over perfection, and in celebrating and leveraging their unique strengths. When needed, we work on stopping the "shame cycle" and offering yourself self-compassion and understanding, so that you can flourish and enjoy being "excellent not perfect". I am UK- and Australian-trained (Grad Dip Psychology and Master of Counselling), with a multicultural background (Dutch and Malaysian-Chinese), grew up on three continents, and now live in Rome with my husband and two young children. I have personal experience with ADHD, studying and working while parenting, and managing burnout. I have worked in counselling/ADHD coaching for six years and am now pursuing additional postgraduate studies to eventually also qualify as a UK Chartered Coaching Psychologist. I have a background as a teacher and am trained in Theraplay play therapy and parent coaching, alongside being a mother, so also have the perspective and experience to support you with parenting and family related challenges and goals as needed. I offer a free 30-minute Zoom call to see if we could be a good fit.