About

About Mimi Handlin, MSW, Certified ADHD Coach

Why I Became an ADD Coach:

I became an ADD coach when I realized it was what I was meant to be. For most of my adult life, I’ve been surrounded by people who have attention deficit disorder – my son, past business partner, and some very close friends. All of them are bright, caring, and resourceful. And all of them have struggled with disorganization, impulsiveness, distractibility, and feeling overwhelmed.

For over 20 years, I have helped the people closest to me get organized, stay on track, and recognize their intrinsic worth. During that time, I also became aware of my own ADD-like traits and developed strategies to help us all. Finally, the light bulb went off. Why not turn what I was doing anyway into my life’s work? My personal experiences and professional background in social work gave me unique qualifications.

In 2003, I went back to school and graduated from a professional ADHD coach training program. It was the best career decision I’ve made.

ADD Coach Qualifications:

B.A. in Human Services, Western Washington University; MSW, University of Washington; Graduate of the American Coaching Association; Specialized ADHD coach training with Jodi Sleeper-Triplett; Continuing education through workshops, classes, conferences, and mentor coaches; Speaker at the National ADD Resources Conference; Senior Certified AD/HD Coach through the IAAC.

Stress Management Coach Qualifications – My Personal Story:

Throughout my life, I have known stress. Our relationship began when I was a child, growing up in a home where my only sibling was mentally ill and my father was disabled. It continued into adulthood when my husband died at a young age and I became the only parent of infant twins and a toddler.

My life has been a journey of learning to take care of myself in spite of numerous stressors and responsibilities. For many years, I have studied and used a wealth of mind/body relaxation methods and stress reduction techniques. These include cognitive awareness, energy healing, breathing relaxations, hypnosis, guided imagery, mindfulness meditation, and hysterical laughter. (That last one is not necessarily on purpose!)

For over 11 years, I have regularly practiced a Chinese moving meditation called Qigong. I have also studied and practiced the principles of mindful awareness and completed a Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Program modeled after the work of Jon Kabat-Zinn. During the creation of my class, Mindfulness Skills for ADD, I was supervised by the lead researcher in a promising study at UCLA that used mindful awareness as a treatment for ADHD.

I look forward to meeting you. Living with ADD and less stress is possible!