Letters from our Readers

DEAR MADELYN AND LEE,

I appreciated your work on therapists v. coaches. We certainly have needed something more than the simplistic comparisons I've heard before.

Trouble is, there are so many different kinds of therapy. Your comparison seems to be based on a amalgamation of psychoanalytic and cognitive-behavioral models.

What about the radical behaviorists, the solution-focused brief Tx, and the Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy of Albert Ellis (just to name three). These don't fall so neatly into your description of therapy. I've been comparing coaching to a hypothetical combination of solution-focused and REBT. Such a therapist would not be interested in history, would confront and correct, would give advice, would not focus on feelings much, would be action and results oriented and would put up with very little bullshit.

I'm glad you two didn't get stuck in the sand like I did when I tried to differentiate therapy and coaching!

Marty

Dear Marty,

Excellent points you raised. How about taking them on for the July issue?

mgh (Editor's note: see Marty's reply in this issue's COACHES CORNER)

DEAR MGH,

Are you going to be handling specific topics in specific issues? I'm curious about submitting an article on ADD and Attorneys, and wonder if that is anything you are gong to cover.

A FRIEND OF KATO's

Dear Friend,

Yes, in addition to our regular features each month (and responding to reader mail generated by subject matter handled in prior issues), OFN will address issues on a particular topic.

Based on reader response and submission suggestions, some of the topics under consideration are listed below. Feel free to write with other suggestions as well. For those of you with questions about submissions, these are some of the things we will be looking for. (Please send all submission queries to addcoach@aol.com.)

mgh

I HEARD THERE WAS A NATIONAL NETWORK OF ADD COACHES? HOW CAN I GET IN TOUCH WITH THEM?

CURIOUS IN CONNECTICUT

Dear Curious,

You are referring to the National Coaching Network, founded by Susan Sussman and Nancy Ratey. They both have ADD, are professional ADD coaches, and have Masters degrees in education.. Yours truly has met them and they are both wonderful women and dedicated, hard-working professionals.

Their purpose is to inform the general public about the existence and benefits of ADD coaching, to connect people who want ADD coaching with people who do ADD coaching, and to serve as a professional/ educational forum for ADD coaches. They also publish a newsletter, Coaching Matters (see Resources & References in this issue).

mgh

I READ HALLOWELL'S BOOK (ed: Driven to Distraction and Answers to Distraction were both written by Dr. Edward M. Hallowell and John J. Ratey, two ADD doctors) AND I THINK I HAVE ADD. HOW DO I FIND A GOOD DOCTOR?

ADDLED IN ANDOVER

Dear ADDled,

A good place to start is to ask your local CH.A.D.D. chapter for recommendations of doctors in your area.The national headquarters for CH.A.D.D. (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder) is in Plantation, Florida and can be reached at (305) 587-3700. They are a national and international nonprofit parent-support organization, and can direct you to the chapter closest to you. The local members can give you the scoop on the doctors in your area. We will be running a feature on how to choose a doctor in the June issue.

mgh

I HEAR ALL ABOUT THESE GREAT BOOKS AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO FIND THEM. I LIVE IN A SMALL TOWN AND AM 3 HOURS AWAY FROM THE NEAREST CITY. MY LOCAL LIBRARY DOESN'T HAVE THEM EITHER. HELP!!

BAFFLED IN BOOLABOOLA

Dear Baffled,

Lucky for you there are several places you can order ADD books who will know immediately what you are looking for even if you can't remember the exact titles:Two that come immediately to mind are:

A.D.D. WareHouse

300 NW 70th Avenue, Suite 102

Plantation, FL 33317

The Attention Deficit Resource Center

1344 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 14

Marietta, GA 30068

Perhaps my readers know of some others? -mgh

HOW CAN YOU HAVE LETTERS IF THIS IS YOUR PREMIERE ISSUE? I THINK YOU MAKE THEM UP.

SKEPTICAL IN SCOTTSDALE

Dear Skeptical,

You caught me. I asked some questions I have read online and have heard from new ADD clients. Next time we hope to have REAL letters!

mgh