Executive Skills Coaching for Parents

When you're struggling with executive functioning skills, it can make everyday tasks feel overwhelming and almost impossible to complete. Ever try to start something and feel like there’s this mental wall in the way? You’re stuck, not even sure where to begin. Or maybe you glance at your to-do list and feel completely overwhelmed by all the tasks. You want to get it all done, you’re motivated, but the distractions just won’t stop. Big tasks and big goals can feel overwhelming, whether it’s at work, school, or in your personal life.

It’s easy to feel buried under the chaos, unsure how to even start organizing it all. Over time, that weight can build, leaving you feeling stuck, sad, or even hopeless. But here’s the thing, it’s okay to feel this way. The skills these tasks require aren’t easy to learn, especially if you’re struggling with executive functioning. Executive skills coaching can help you develop strategies and techniques to navigate these challenges and thrive in your daily life.

Executive function skills are key mental abilities. They help us handle daily tasks, pursue goals, and deal with challenges. These 12 skills help us make choices and take action. Here’s a breakdown to help you understand these important abilities:

• Working Memory helps us hold and use information. For example, we remember a phone number while dialing it. It also lets us keep project steps in mind as we work through them.

• Organization helps keep our belongings in order and manage responsibilities, ensuring we can find what we need and stay on top of tasks.

• Planning means thinking about the future. It’s about figuring out how to reach a goal or finish a task. This could be outlining a presentation or planning groceries for the week.

• Time management means using your time wisely. It’s about setting priorities and meeting deadlines. This way, you won’t feel rushed or stressed.

• Self-Control ensures we pause and think before acting, helping us resist impulses that might derail our focus or behavior.

• Attention helps us focus on tasks and block out distractions. It also lets us switch gears easily, like moving from one project to another.

• Task Initiation is the ability to just start—whether it’s tackling a chore or beginning a report—even when motivation feels low.

• Emotional control is important. It helps you handle your emotions and stay calm when faced with challenges or frustrations.

• Metacognition helps us examine our thinking. It allows us to assess if our strategies are effective.

• Problem-solving lets you adapt and find solutions, even in new or surprising situations.

• Self-Monitoring helps us recognize mistakes and adjust our behavior, fostering growth and self-awareness.

• Goal-Directed Persistence is the drive to keep pushing for a goal. It means staying committed, even when things get hard.

CBT, or cognitive behavioral therapy, is often considered one of the most effective approaches for improving executive functioning. This therapy helps people spot and change thought patterns and habits that get in the way of things like planning, staying organized, managing time, or controlling impulses. CBT helps people break things down and tackle challenges one step at a time with practical strategies. For example, CBT could mean learning how to break tasks into smaller steps, becoming more aware of yourself, and figuring out better ways to handle challenges.

It helps people recognize their emotions, question negative thoughts, and swap unhelpful thinking patterns for healthier, fact-based ones. This might mean taking a negative thought about your ability to finish something and flipping it into a positive, like reminding yourself of times you’ve succeeded in similar situations. The great thing about CBT is that it’s flexible. It adapts to fit each person’s unique goals and challenges. With time, these strategies help you build better habits, boost your confidence, and stay more organized every day.

Executive functioning challenges can show up in so many ways, and as a therapist and executive functioning coach for parents, I see how these struggles impact daily life. Neurologic conditions like brain injuries or dementia can disrupt the brain’s ability to organize and manage tasks. Mental health conditions like anxiety, depression, OCD, or schizophrenia often interfere with focus, memory, and problem-solving. ADHD frequently brings challenges with time management, organization, and staying on track with tasks. Even PTSD or addiction can create obstacles to managing routines and responsibilities. Understanding the "why" behind these difficulties is so important. It allows us to approach them with empathy and develop strategies that actually help. My goal is to help you navigate these challenges with clarity and compassion, for yourself and your family.

People often talk about executive functioning when discussing ADHD, but it’s important to know they’re not the same. Executive functioning disorder isn’t an official diagnosis, it’s a term used to describe challenges with things like planning, organization, emotional regulation, and memory. ADHD, on the other hand, is a formal diagnosis defined by ongoing patterns of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that affect daily life and development. That said, many ADHD symptoms are rooted in executive functioning struggles, which is why the two are so closely connected.

As a therapist, executive functioning coach, and parent, I’ve seen how often ADHD and executive functioning challenges are confused. That’s why clarity is so important when seeking support or strategies. While treatments for these challenges often overlap, understanding the differences allows us to create tailored solutions that address your unique needs, or those of your child, with care and effective tools. Strengthening executive functioning skills can have a meaningful impact on daily life, whether or not ADHD is part of the picture.

Struggling with executive functioning can feel exhausting and isolating, touching every part of your day. It’s easy to feel like you’re falling short—whether it’s as a parent, a partner, or just trying to keep up with life. Maybe you’re comparing yourself to others who seem to handle it all so effortlessly, and that frustration can spiral. Sometimes it turns inward into self-blame and anger, or outward into tension with others.

There’s also that constant sense of “falling behind.” Missing deadlines, rushing to get your kids ready, always running late—it can feel like life is slipping through your fingers. And then comes the anxiety, exhaustion, and burnout, leaving you stuck in a loop where joy and connection feel out of reach. But here’s the thing: recognizing these struggles is where change begins. With the right strategies, it’s possible to break out of this cycle and find a sense of balance and control again. You’re not alone in this, executive skills coaching for parents is here to help.

Stress can make executive dysfunction so much harder to manage. When stress kicks in, it’s like your brain decides to work against you. Tasks that were fine yesterday suddenly feel overwhelming.You might forget important things, like sending that email or skipping a step in your usual routine. Problem-solving gets harder too, especially when things don’t go as planned. Even small decisions, like what to focus on during a packed morning, can feel impossible.

Stress also messes with emotional regulation. Instead of calmly asking for help, you might snap at someone and feel terrible about it after. Explaining what you need or delegating tasks can feel like just another chore. It’s easy to feel like everything is spinning out of control. Recognizing how stress affects your executive function is key, it helps you figure out strategies to navigate those tough moments and keep moving forward.