Testimonials
"Heather’s social impact in her community really stands out and you can tell the passion she has for her area of coaching. There is a creation of awareness and understanding on her part that sets her out from the rest."
ICF Ireland Coach of the Year 2022 Judging Panel
“Working with Heather has been an invaluable experience. She’s really helped me cut through the clutter, prioritise what really matters and focus on what I need to get done in order to be successful. Her approach is so tailored and unique, dipping into her massive wealth of experience to bring new and fresh ideas designed explicitly to help me come up with ways to get more done with less effort, less stress and a much greater level of satisfaction. As a result of her coaching I enjoy my work more and feel more confident in my ability to achieve my goals in a balanced, measured and predictable way. This has helped me immeasurably.” David Kenny
ADHD Coaching Testimonials
"I was diagnosed with ADHD 6 months ago and immediately started coaching sessions with Heather. I chose Heather because she was recommended to me. We had a long introductory chat before we started the coaching sessions. For the first time, I felt understood, that someone else could articulate the difficulties I faced each day. Until then, I was always stressed and felt like I was failing a lot of the time. Heather listened to me and explained how we could work together over 6 sessions.
These sessions have been enormously helpful in my day-to-day life. Heather has helped me to realize how ADHD impacts me and how to create strategies to cope with it. I have introduced things such as having a plan to minimize decisions and distractions, planning tasks to ignite my brain, mapping my work to my energy, doing 3-minute journaling in the morning and the evening. I understand the importance of meeting my basic needs to stay grounded. I have also gained a better understanding of my strengths and my values. Heather has extensive experience and knowledge of ADHD. She is also a brilliant coach who listens and who has guided me to being happier in myself, having a greater sense of achievement, and to reducing stress in my life." Natalie, Project Manager, Financial Industry
"Having been diagnosed with ADHD in my late thirties and having achieved relative success in my career up to that point, I was very interested to learn how to potentially leverage the upside of ADHD while also mitigating the challenges it presents. From the moment I met Heather, I knew I'd made the right decision. Heather is an empathetic, down to earth, action oriented, highly knowledgeable and passionate coach. Heather's straightforward and practical approach provided me with a framework to manage my ADHD. I've no doubt that the tools, techniques and recommendations Heather provided have enabled me to live a more enjoyable and fulfilling life.” Director, Irish Corporate
At a very challenging time in my career, I had the good fortune to read of Heather’s work in an Irish Times article. My direct experience of that work matched and exceeded my expectations. Heather has a coaching approach which is warm and empathetic while also being highly professional, focused and effective. Through a series of sessions, I made significant progress in enhancing key personal and management skills. I can heartily recommend Heather as a coach and I am delighted to now have the opportunity of her expertise as an on-going professional resource when required."
ME, Senior Manager with ADHD
"My coaching journey began with Heather asking me 'what would you like to achieve from our sessions?' I did not know how to answer this but I knew that I could not go on with this constant feeling of being overwhelmed and stressed in my personal and professional life. I mumbled an answer about wanting a better work/life balance. At this time I was falling behind in my admin in work, my relationships with family/friends/colleagues were all hanging by a thread, and I was struggling in every sense of the word. I couldn't see any positives in myself, and envied my friend's and colleague's ability to cope with life. In our coaching sessions Heather enabled me to examine my life in a more positive manner, to focus on my successes and to build on what is working and to put some strategies in place for what was not working. The first thing I discovered was that, I have a really good life, I was just bad at putting boundaries in place that protect my good life. Through the sessions Heather, helped me to look closely at my values and boundaries, and to put "Me", at the centre of my life. Through the coaching process I slowly built up a set of policies and procedures for me. Having a policy on how to handle being asked to work late, or take on extra duties, or even saying "no" at times to friends and family, allowed me to slowly take control of my life for me. After coming through the coaching process I have a much more positive view of my life. My life is still the same as when I began coaching. I still balance a full-time job with being a part-time carer, work life is still hectic, the pressure of juggling work/life/family/friends remains the same. However now I am in control of my life and I am balancing all of these things with me firmly in the driving seat. Heather coached me through a very difficult time in my life but while she was there through 1:1 sessions, by phone or email, I did most of the work between the sessions, under Heather's guidance. It is important to emphasise that the coaching process is not a passive process, you need to put the work in between the sessions. There is a lot of reflecting on your life in between the sessions, but this is good as in my case it turned my previously critical ADHD inner voice, into a much more positive inner voice. The coaching process for me has certainly been one of, if not the most positive pieces of work that I have undertaken on myself, with the wonderful coaching of Heather. I will always be grateful to Heather for her help and support." P. Jones
"I was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult. I set about getting out of the hole that had developed in my career as well as in my personal life. I met Heather at a HADD lecture in Dublin, in 2014. It was the first time I'd heard of an ADHD Coach. My regular coaching sessions with Heather have led to substantial improvements in work productivity. She has been a great asset in helping me develop structures and methodologies to identify, control & avoid what once were serious impediments including overwhelm, procrastination, and loss of motivation. I can be very open with Heather about my problems. She is highly supportive as well as being non-judgemental. I was surprised to discover how well Zoom worked for our regular coaching sessions." AW, Engineer with ADHD
"When I first started working with Heather, I was overwhelmed with managing my family of five; I was underachieving professionally and was not taking great care of myself physically. Heather is results oriented and has given me actual tools to effect real change in my life. As I now start to achieve goals in my life that had long been ignored, Heather often reminds me to acknowledge my success before tackling the next challenge. This has taught me to focus on my success and has given me energy to continue to move forward. Heather saw that I needed an organizational system that would allow me to track the many different aspects of my life that required attention. By observing my thinking style and by asking probing questions, she helped me to determine what system was likely to work for me. She introduced me to a system that has allowed me to juggle and organize my never-ending to-do list without being overwhelmed, and we no longer miss appointments or events. Professionally, Heather has helped me to remember what makes me passionate in my work, and we are now exploring new career opportunities. I am feeling reinvigorated by focusing with her on my past successes and my professional strengths. Since working with her, for the first time, I am able to say to myself, “one step at a time” and actually focus on each step until it has been successfully completed. At long last I can finally see progress and I know that I will make more in the future." M.R., Entrepreneur with ADHD
"I've only come to realise, in the last few years, that my life-long struggle with "getting stuff done" may be a diagnosable thing - ADD. More recently, changes in my career to a more entrepreneurial role have left me feeling overwhelmed, with the success of the business, now depending on my ability to get on top of my issues. When I discovered what Heather does, I had no choice but to contact her and I'm glad I did. Working with Heather has moved my attention from "I can't focus" to, "here's how I can do this". Heather clearly understands the issues I was facing and helped me to build a framework, my "Personal Policies and Procedures" document, to tackle them. I felt that Heather had a clearer picture of what I needed to do and discover, than I had. At the same time, Heather's skills as a coach, allowed me to set the pace and choose the steps while she provided the nudges to keep me pointed in the right direction. Some of my new policies and procedures could be dismissed as obvious, or common sense but... I wasn't doing it. I never got that level of organisation properly ingrained in my routines before. There were moments of insight, new tools discovered and learned, renewed enthusiasm, accountability (without judgement), significant personal decisions made, mindset changes and achievements acknowledged. Heather is very skilled at what she does, she is professional in her role as a coach and shows deep understanding of ADHD minds and how they work. She is also a lovely person to talk to. It's lucky that she was so good at keeping us on track because I could easily have spent the time just chatting. There! That's the only downside I could find! It's a journey. I've made some great progress. Once I've progressed a little further with getting a formal assessment and spent some time working with my new toolkit in this new role, I expect I'll get in touch with Heather again to tackle more sticking points. Thank you Heather! BM Entrepreneur
"Having been diagnosed with Adult ADHD in 2011, I have found it extremely hard to gain consistent routines at work and within my personal life. Having struggled with this for some time I eventually sought the help of Heather through the Dean clinic. I have found Heather's help to be crucial to my development, from organizing my daily routine to outlining my goals for work. Using an ADHD coach has been the most positive thing that I have done towards dealing with my ADHD." EM, Entrepreneur with ADHD
"When I first saw Heather, many aspects of my life were out of balance. I was stressed at work - being pushed out of my role, my relationship was strained and I was finding it hard to make sense why. How have I benefited from coaching? Right now things are much better. I like my new job and I am coping well with the demands. My life balance is sane and my relationship has been strengthened. My wife said I am the most relaxed she has seen me in the 10 years we have been together. Through Heather’s help I started to understand who I was more and now I am more accepting of myself. I clarified my goals and values which was key to me choosing how I wanted to be in the world and what really was my priority. Heather also gave me some tools that have helped me organize my work. What aspect of the coaching process did I find most useful? I think the insights you get into yourself and others. I wouldn't hesitate in recommending Heather, you can tell immediately she cares about what she does. She is insightful and she gives you 100%. She thinks about things that can help you after the session and often follows up later. With her encyclopedic knowledge she always has just the right video, website or research paper to point you in the right direction." M.O. Adult ADHD Client
"Heather is an exceptional ADD/ADHD coach. She has a wonderful understanding of the difficulties associated with having this disorder. She has a vast knowledge of how the disorder can affect people in various different ways. She has clearly done a lot of research on how to deal with and handle the disorder. Being coached by Heather has brought very beneficial results for me personally. I would highly recommend Heather as an ADD/ADHD coach. Her personable and professional manner and her obvious knowledge were what impressed me the most." Testimonial posted on Heather’s LinkedIn page by Laura Clinton
"Heather is a careful listener and asks insightful questions. At my request, we dealt for a significant amount of time with assertiveness. I saw an almost instant difference and was soon keenly aware of the situations in which I could apply the lessons learned with Heather and felt confident in doing so. I was impressed by how knowledgeable Heather was on ADHD and this enhanced my experience greatly. She was happy to refer me to literature, highlighting relevant chapters and her knowledge of services and resources was encouraging. I had the feeling at all times that I was understood where others would have judged. Ultimately, working with Heather helped me to recognise, assess and embrace my ADHD as an asset. To those who are willing to work with her, I would highly recommend ADHD Coaching." KC
"As an adult in my 30's, I was diagnosed with having ADHD. Suddenly my life made sense. However, there were many aspects of my life falling apart which lead me to come across Heather. Heather helped me with organisation, at home and at work, (I am a secondary teacher and was finding my job overwhelming), she helped me with decision making, memory tricks, anxiety, emotional regulation and showed me how I could use boundaries and better decision making to create an easier life and one with less overwhelm. Before I worked with Heather, I was always penniless as my impulsivity prevented me from saving money. I also was suffering from chronic disorganisation. I am happy to say that for the first time in my life I am now saving money and am proud to call myself organised. Heather is kind, empathetic and such a beautiful person that I can’t imagine finding a better person to have as a coach and help to enrich your life. I would recommend Heather 100per cent. The only thing I will say is that once you start working with Heather, you will find it hard to stop even when its time to say goodbye. She has changed my life." Secondary School Teacher with ADHD
"After receiving an official diagnosis in 2015 at the age of 28 Heather Blackmore had come recommended by the psychiatrist I was attending and we began working together in Jan 2016. After meeting with many Doctors, Counsellors and Psychologists over the years, I knew immediately that I liked this one and that I wanted to work with her. Working with someone who had personally struggled with ADHD made all the difference as I knew that she would understand me. She just got it. I have worked with Heather on and off over the last few years, we have had regular scheduled appointments for weeks at a time and for when I was not coping all that well, Heather always made time to get me back on track. At a very dark point in my life, Heather acted out of concern for my wellbeing by reigniting a link with a service that I badly needed. There has been so much learning for me which has impacted my life in a holistic way, not just in relation to my ADHD qualities. I have gained insight into how my brain works and why it is different from everyone else’s. I developed new coping skills and tactics to manage every type of situation you could imagine and I discovered the benefits of having ADHD and how to use them to my advantage. I was always given the space and the time to work through any issues that were arising for me, so that I could say I did the work myself. Heather has great skill in facilitating the sessions in such a way that even when you didn’t want to do the work, you ended up doing it anyway. Heather has been a massive support to me and has played a vital role in my progress of managing my extra special attributes. She is kind, patient, understanding, fair and firm and has a wealth of knowledge on the subject that she willingly shares even in between the sessions. The amount of research and preparation that takes place before each session is phenomenal and shows just how dedicated Heather is to her clients. Working with Heather has made a tremendous impact on my life thus changing my outlook, increasing pleasant experiences, managing difficult ones efficiently and in turn bringing on more positive outcomes. I am a different person now and I live a different life. A happy and a fulfilled one at that. The achievements of our coaching relationship spanning over 3 years made light work of the hardship of the previous 28. And in the lifelong scheme of things, I believe that the work I have done with Heather has greatly influenced the fact that I am still here. Heather taught me how to accept my ADHD but most importantly she taught me how to love my ADHD. While there will only ever be one Heather, I wish that there was enough of her to go around so that those who continue to struggle and those who cannot avail of services can have the same life changing experience that I did. My diagnosis and coaching journey with Heather has enabled me to return to education and change my career. It has inspired me to want to work with people who walk a similar path to me. I look forward to all the possibilities that lie ahead of me." Claire Twomey (now an ADHD Coach herself)
Mature student Part 1
"A year after receiving my ADHD diagnosis at 23, I had my first session with Heather. I desperately wanted to change the direction in which my life was headed although I could see no way forward having unknowingly suffered with ADHD all my life, and having not gotten enough Leaving Cert points to attend third level. I had little hope for my future. It was incredibly difficult to start - words such as 'study' and 'routine' terrified me, but Heather and I got to work on finding out what I wanted to do and how to go about achieving it. We built momentum as I researched and applied to different colleges as a mature student, all the while working on overcoming the obstacles that had previously plagued my life in school and as a working adult. Starting an access course in UCD in September was another difficult change, but Heather was with me every step of the way as I settled into this new, scary college life. As I write this nearly a year on from that first meeting with Heather, I am now preparing to sit the HPAT in 3 weeks as part of my application to undergraduate Medicine. I am also achieving the 'A' grades required by my course to qualify, and completing assignments way before their deadlines. In comparison, a year ago I was completely paralysed at the thoughts of completing simple tasks such as ringing mature student offices, or starting an online study skills course. To those of us with ADHD, the organisational, study, and coping skills needed to succeed in academia or business can appear quite unattainable. I certainly thought so, but with Heather's guidance I developed these crucial skills and have become a better student than I could have ever dreamed of. It is a slow, painful process to overcome the obstacles that come with ADHD, but as you gain more and more momentum and stay working closely with Heather you will conquer them and even learn to use your ADHD to work in your favour. She is extremely supportive, patient, firm, and she is non-judgmental and versatile in her approach. I am so thankful for having worked with her." Seán Henebry, 25
Mature student Part 2:
"6 months ago, I wrote my first testimonial for Heather as I prepared to sit the HPAT as part of my application to undergraduate Medicine in UCD. I was a year into working with her, doing the Access to Science course in UCD and achieving the A grades necessary to qualify for Medicine, having made significant progress with the obstacles that had so hindered me in school. I write this in August 2020, delighted to say that I successfully completed the Access course and have been accepted into Medicine! As outlined in my previous testimonial, Heather was instrumental in my development of skills I previously thought to be unattainable. Now my expectations of university life are no longer governed by fear, but by excitement, as I prepare to start in September. I am so grateful to Heather for her coaching." Seán Henebry, 25
"Before starting to work with Heather I was getting by in life, but I was repeatedly making the same mistakes and falling back into my old patterns which were causing me a lot of stress and anxiety. I had lots of aspirations and goals I wanted to work towards that I was never able to commit to. I often tried new things and quit extremely early which led to me being very under confident in my own abilities and potential. I wasn’t happy with my future prospects, I felt I was doomed to repeat the same patterns and never reach my full potential but just before my last year of college I decided to begin working with Heather as I really wanted to achieve the best result possible because I never felt like I achieved what I wanted throughout school. Working with Heather was truly life changing for me. Before starting I was unsure of how the sessions would go but Heather’s patience, understanding and lack of judgement put me at ease straight away. Before working with Heather, the thoughts of any long term goals/commitments were extremely overwhelming to me but since working with her my whole outlook has completely changed. Not only did she help me receive the best results possible during college but she has also helped me to understand myself, so I know how I work best, when I work most efficiently and how to structure tasks, goals and projects to break them down into more manageable goals so they are not as daunting. So apart from doing really well in college I’ve also begun my long-time goal of learning an instrument and Heather encouraged me to take lessons which has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. As a result of accomplishing so many goals throughout my time working with Heather my confidence has skyrocketed. I feel I can do anything I want to achieve; she has given me the skills and self-awareness to work at my best, manage my time responsibly so I consistently achieve my goals in both an academic/professional sense and in my hobbies. She often went the extra mile while working with me and gave me helpful tips, links or resources that helped me both academically and in my hobbies. I can’t recommend working with Heather enough. The thoughts of completely changing your habits, routines and life in general can be extremely discomforting but Heather makes the transition so much easier and the personal growth I received throughout my time working with her has been truly life changing. Heather helped me during a pivotal time in my life when I was genuinely worried about how I would cope in the working world without constantly needing help from my family and friends to get me out of whatever mess I’ve got myself into but I know now that I have the skills and abilities to live a fully independent, happy and successful life."
Tadgh Purcell - 25
Supervision Testimonials
"Since beginning having supervision sessions with Heather, I have noticed marked changes in how I show up for my clients. And for myself. Heather’s thoroughness and crystal-clear reflections were instrumental in empowering me to strengthen my boundaries within my practice. Heather has a wonderful, calming presence which really lends itself to the process of going on a journey of self-reflection in each session. After just a few sessions together I am thrilled with how much of an impact working with Heather has had on my own work with my clients. Her experience as an ADHD coach is priceless. If you are looking to deepen your understanding of the processes going on within yourself and within your practice as a whole, then Heather is the person to take that journey with." Siun Prochazka
"I have known Heather and benefitted from her generosity in helping me to answer questions around my work in supporting others for many, many years. Her genuine accompaniment has been very important to my development as a coach and as an ADHD coach in particular. When I trained as a coach 4 years ago she was the first to recognise and applaud me in getting my ACC seeing the value of credentialing in moving forward as a coach as crucial to serving clients. I was so happy when I heard Heather was now trained as a supervisor and jumped at the chance to work with her. Always a champion of ethics in coaching I wondered before seeing Heather how I can make my practice comply with the standards set by ICF which are both a protection for ourselves and our clients. The supervision Heather offered allowed a revisiting of these competencies and guidelines in the context of my practice and a real understanding of the nature and value of the contract in Coaching. The process offered a rich and creative space to explore using the relevant transactional analysis models the various issues that can impact me as a coach in meeting these, from the lens of a professional coach and as a person. The importance of reflective practice has been proven to me so much from these sessions which I feel have allowed me to become a much more aware, confident coach who can serve my clients better. Heather’s vast experience and capacity is held by her as a supervisor in a very humble way and she continues to be curious and ask penetrating and thought-provoking questions that show so much insight into the process the coach is going through. I wanted to learn though the supervision how I could think about the work strategically, support my own reflective process and allow questions to emerge in a safe and confidential space. All my expectations were met. Heathers qualities trustworthiness, curiosity, joyfulness, knowledge, generosity, and diligence shine through in her supervision approach. She is kind encouraging, interested and supportive. As a coach who serves the ADHD population, I especially valued this lens being available in supervision. I love what Heather has done to put ADHD coaching on the map and I consider her the reason why I specialised myself. Heather was the first ADDCA trained coach in Ireland and her work with agencies here and internationally to highlight ADHD coaching is inspiring. She is the reason why many coaches in Ireland who opt to specialise are extremely well trained." Maria McNamara, ACC
