Coaching That Honours Neurodiversity: A Values-Led Approach
When I say my coaching is designed from a neuroinclusive perspective, I’m not just referring to who I coach.
I also mean how I coach.
For many of us, especially those who identify as neurodivergent or have navigated systems that weren't built with us in mind, traditional support models can feel performative, rushed, or disconnected from our own lived experiences.
My own path, shaped by my HR background, my lived experience, and my acquired neurodivergence, taught me that values matter - not only the identification of them, but how I define them and how I use them as my guide.
A combination of recent experiences led me to a place of getting even more clear on my values and how those show up in my coaching practice, both in service of myself and for my clients: (1) a branding bootcamp led by Ciara Siegal of CJC, a brand and marketing strategy consultancy, and completing a Neurodiversity at Work learning experience and program led by coaches Deborah Shukyn-Plageman and Alexandra Baltodano.
What I already knew: neuroinclusion isn't a niche offering within my practice.
What became clear(er) for me: neuroinclusion is the foundation of it, and it’s where I’m meant to be.
Why Coaching for Neurodivergent Clients Needs to Look Different
Traditional coaching can often assume a one-size-fits-all approach: fast-paced, high-energy, highly structured. As the client, this can feel like a pre-determined box you’re being asked to fit into. (Let’s also note the irony here: given that many neurodivergent individuals are being asked to fit into pre-determined boxes at their organization in terms of how to work, how to plan, how to succeed, a frustration and struggle that often brings people to coaching).
For many neurodivergent clients, a pre-determined approach can create more stress than support. It can reinforce the feeling that you need to change yourself to be successful.
My coach training was through a non-directive approach, so rather than me handing you answers, as your coach I partner with you to co-create our space, our conversations, your goals and next steps together. This is an approach that is centered around your pace, your process, and your truth. It's about us creating a space where your own voice gets louder, clearer, and more trusted.
What I’ve also learned through coaching clients is where this approach can be flexible, depending on you. I’m not asking you to show up to match any approach as it’s designed on paper. Our executive functions play a role. What you experienced in your day before our coaching call matters. The quality of your rest the night before matters. Have you eaten today? Do you need to, now? All of these can impact how you show up, and it’s important for me to understand how you’re coming to our call and what might we need to shift for you, today (and it’s 100% ok if we need to make a different shift next time).
“Flexibility…is a key principle for neuroinclusion across the board: recognizing that people are not uniform pieces and allowing for different approaches to achieve individual or team results.”
The Values That Guide My Practice (and Why They Matter)
Values have become a larger and more prominent guide in my life, and I’ve found myself revisiting them often. A common question I get from people around values is “are personal and professional values the same?”. For me, there’s definitely an alignment between the two, and as an entrepreneur, I want to bring my personal values into my business to serve my clients from a place of authenticity. The work I did recently to redefine my values led me to these four:
We all belong here
Coaching with me means you don’t have to perform or prove. You get to be fully yourself, even if you’re not sure who that is yet. This alone can be transformative. And for those who identify as neurotypical, it offers a rare space to release external expectations and explore their authentic path.
Your path, your pace
I don’t rush clarity. We go at the speed of nervous system safety. Whether that means visual tools, slower pacing, or naming what feels hard to name in the beginning, our work unfolds in a way that respects how you process.
Design for neurodiversity
This shows up in small, intentional ways in my practice: flexible session formats, using visuals or writing as part of our dialogue, co-creating structure in each session. These choices are rooted in access needs, but they often become supports that benefit everyone.
Lead with authenticity
I don’t play a role and I don’t expect you to either. My job is to hold space with kindness and clarity, so you can explore the parts of yourself that have gone unheard. The result? Real conversations, not rehearsed ones.
What This Looks Like in Real Life
Our sessions aren’t cookie-cutter. I don’t assume what will work best for you. Knowing this, I will invite the opportunity to:
Gain an understanding and a definition of how we can work together, based on your preferences.
Do you prefer Zoom with camera on? Camera off? Is closed captioning helpful? Is phone better?
Is there any technology that would support you for our conversations? Would you benefit from an AI notetaker to reference our call later?
What time of day is best for you?
Spend extra time clarifying what success means to you, not your industry or peer group.
How do you typically think about future goals or intentions?
Are metaphors helpful to you to bring clarity towards something that feels hard to define?
Pause and check in on how your body is responding to a certain topic throughout our sessions.
Would you benefit from a somatic, deep breathing session at the start of our conversation to let anything from earlier in your day be set aside?
Do you benefit from taking a break at any point to move your body? Stand up, open a window, grab a sweater?
Understanding how you best communication, and creating space to exploring options if one doesn’t feel right for you on a specific day.
Would screen sharing with a virtual whiteboard be helpful?
Do you like to draw or doodle during our calls?
Last but not least, share what would allow you to show up as your best self.
This is flexibility, and it isn’t an extra - it is the coaching.
The Bigger Picture: Coaching as a Tool for Belonging
The work I do with my clients isn’t just about professional growth. It’s about reclaiming who you are and how you want to move through the world. This is what belonging means to me.
Clients often tell me they feel more grounded, less frantic, and more aligned after our coaching. For neurodivergent folks, it can be the first time they’ve had a professional space that doesn’t ask them to filter who they are.
For those who identify as neurotypical, the work is just as powerful. The shift from trying to do things the right way to doing things their way brings relief, clarity, and momentum. They feel seen, not assessed. Supported, not scrutinized.
Whether you identify as neurodivergent or neurotypical, this flexibility allows you to show up as yourself. I believe that when we build from a place of identifying and leaning on our strengths, coaching becomes a space where clients can feel brave to show up fully and supported to move forward, on their path.
Curious what this could look like for you? My calendar is open for a no-cost introduction to explore together. Book here.
Gratefully,
Jacquelin