Skills and experience

My clients often tell me that I’m wise. If this is true, it’s because I’ve listened to and asked questions of so many different people over so many years in so many different situations. It all adds up!

Through all my work, volunteering and interests, I’ve build soft skills that motivate people to make their lives better. I use these same skills to support adult ADHDers to achieve their goals. I know how to help people to:

  • Understand themselves better

  • Name their strengths and skills

  • Build stronger communication skills

  • Proactively change their self-talk

  • Believe that they’re fundamentally okay


I’ve had a zig-zag life (sometime with cartwheels, sometimes with white knuckles). People, psychology, systems and transformation are special interests of mine, so over my life I’ve accumulated a surprising range of skills and experience that make me a great ADHD coach. It also helps to be an ADHDer myself!

Being an ADHD coach requires a thorough understanding of ADHD, a wide range of ADHD-friendly motivation strategies, experience helping people work with big emotions, and a knowledge of what drives behaviour change. It requires great listening skills, the ability to share ideas effectively, and an open-minded, safe and non-judgemental approach (because ADHD shame is tragically common among us). I’m so thrilled that I’ve ended up with these abilities, because it allows me to do something I love - helping people work out how to do what matters to them.

This is some of what I've done over the years that contributes to the skillset I use in my coaching:

  • Extensive research into ADHD and other neuroabilities

  • Lifeline counselling training and volunteering (including taking part in supervision)

  • Training in creative coaching

  • Working as a creative coach for a community organisation

  • Running a business doing creative coaching and workshops

  • Research into theory, structure and techniques of coaching

  • Tutoring at universities, including undertaking training in how to help diverse learners

  • Certificate in adult education

  • Working as an adult literacy and numeracy tutor in one-to-one and group settings

  • Support work in both mental health and disability sectors (including a Certificate in Disability Studies)

  • Extensive research into my special interest areas of psychology, personal growth and behaviour change

  • Learning ADHD support strategies to help myself

These things have built up my coaching skills, and my understanding of how to help people with ADHD to actually do the things that matter to them.

These are some things I’ve done recently:

  • Presented about ADHD study strategies in tertiary education for Neuorabilities Conference

  • Designed and run a workshop for New Zealand Society of Authors to help neurodiverse creatives

  • Designed and run many workshop series for adult ADHDers about living well with ADHD (in person and online)

  • Designed and run many workshop series for creative people , including time management and motivation

  • Written guest blog posts for ADDitude Journal

After my diagnosis, but before I set up my ADHD coaching business, I accidentally became the go-to person to have a chat with about ADHD for people who were wondering if they fitted the description - including having strangers sent my way! It was after my twentieth conversation about ADHD that I combined my coaching experience, interest in ADHD strategies, and fascination with humans, and began offering ADHD coaching sessions online.

I love working with people with ADHD-type brain patterns! We make the work fun, which makes it easier to do, and that really gets results.

Steffi Christie ADHD coach with quote: when someone encourages people to think outside the box, and you say: wait, there's a BOX???

Testimonials

  • Steffi has been so helpful and supportive. I learnt a lot about my ADHD, how to celebrate the positive parts, and mitigate the negative parts. Steffi is a great listener, very inclusive, and made me feel like I'm not broken, just different.

    Stef Morison

  • Steffi was an excellent coach and gave valuable strategies for helping with ADD challenges. I learned a lot and now feel happier with my "talents".

    Jane Brownie

  • Helped so much with my time management - I actually understand how to be on time now!

    Helen Howell

  • Steffi was able to give practical advice and tried and tested strategies to make living life with ADHD easier. Working with Steffi has brought about further self understanding and with that, greater self acceptance. I came away feeling heard and understood and like I had an increased toolkit for my personal and professional lives.

    Ashlee Walters

  • Steffi’s kind & gentle (& tbh also sometimes slightly hilarious) way of sharing her ideas & experience is helping me figure out new strategies for managing aspects of my life that have always been difficult - like money & sleep. I especially value how she’s my ND cheerleader, reminding me how far I’ve come but also holding me accountable whenever I need that 🩷

    Kathy McVey

  • Steffi always made me feel at ease and had a wealth of knowledge on useful strategies for coping with the effects of ADHD in my daily life (several of which have stuck and made a big difference for me). I really appreciated her friendly, non-judgmental style and felt like I was in very safe hands.

    Olivia Tidswell

  • I highly recommend Steffi Christie's coaching, I've gained practical tools and made significant progress with her sessions.

    Carl Meyer

  • Steffi is amazing to work with. She's got in-depth experience and understanding of how to work with our brains and get them to work for us. Coaching with Steffi has helped me face some really challenging fears, break through so many limiting beliefs, and establish new useful patterns. It has made a world of difference!

    Isa Pearl Ritchie

  • Steffi really helped me work through a project I'd been stuck on for a very long time. Very professional and friendly in her approach with lots of great tips and suggestions. Her ability to motivate and support is exceptional. Highly recommend.

    Rachael Mason

  • Steffi is as wise and insightful as they come. In my sessions with Steffi she has revealed her superpower! Steffi listens and understands very deeply and leaves me with some real practical steps to move forward and improve. Always uplifting and making it easier to believe in myself.

    Craig McClure

  • Often in the past, I may have gone off on a tangent and abandoned the work unfinished, then made excuses to myself about why, but having a plan of attack and setting goals to keep me on track really worked for me. Finishing something gave me a sense of accomplishment and a much-needed confidence boost.

    Jo Williams

  • Steffi you helped me so much! Such wise words and so intuitive...you’ll always be one of the main lifelines that helped me transition from stay-at-home mother for 10 years to fulfilling my creative dreams.

    Kate Woodcock

  • My sessions with Steffi were fun, inspiring and helped facilitate ideas into action. Together we formed a strategic plan with an attached timeline and our monthly meetings kept me accountable. Steffi is very supportive but was also able to challenge me when I needed it. My sessions with Steffi were super constructive and helpful.

    Julia Christey

  • Steffi was easy and fun to talk to, and was able to keep up with the sometimes complicated tangent I was on and give reasonable and logical feedback. Although it was a heavy topic for me Steffi made it an enjoyable process which I looked forward to.

    Kathryn Engerbretson

  • Steffi's skills are so diverse that she is able to take both my masters research, and work with people who have disability to the next level. I would definitely recommend Steffi as a support for both academic and professional roles.

    Nicolina Newcombe

  • Awesome lady, awesome service. Often it takes a lot for a man to reach out for help when things aren’t going as they should. I found Steffi to be supportive, empathetic and generally a good all round person. Steffi was able to identify things that were challenging me and assist in putting into place a plan to help me move forward in a positive way.

    Albert Jans

  • Steffi is very caring and respectful of her clients journey with ADHD. I am using many of her ideas and strategies to have a better lifestyle. My husband also finally understands why I do the things I do! Life is good :)

    Louise Treweek

  • I was a late diagnosis for ADHD which explained the great challenge I experienced with past academic tasks and planning ahead. Over the course of 6 sessions with Steffi they offered an extensive range of practical strategies that improved executive functioning and my ability to complete writing and revision. Their gentle, empathetic and non-judgmental approach meant I could feel comfortable sharing difficulties and be my authentic self.

    Robert Keith

  • I found Steffi to be knowledgeable about ADHD and she had useful strategy suggestions. She is kind and easy to talk to. I trusted her almost instantly. She genuinely wants to help and creates accountability without being forceful. I highly recommend her services.

    Delia Middleton

  • Steffi is an incredible person to talk to and truly meets you where you are at - her feedback and suggestions have made a world of difference, I am very grateful to her!

    Sally Harper

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