The Forums › Forums › Tools, Techniques & Treatments › Playing to Your Strengths › What do you all think about Mark Patey? › Reply To: What do you all think about Mark Patey?
Unfortunately, in a desperate situation the one intervention that is most likely to help is coaching, so if now is not the time to take it on, chances are there will never come a time when it will be possible, because I’ll never be able to get out of the situation I’m in without help. On the other hand, I’ve spent a lot of money on coaching, and the whole time my financial situation has only gotten worse, so maybe it really won’t help.
I agreed to coaching at a rate I know I won’t be able to stick with for more than three months because I can’t afford it, and shouldn’t even be doing it. But I feel like if I don’t, I’ll stay stuck and overwhelmed. It’s a huge gamble and another source of stress.
Meanwhile, the coaching services I’ve seen that are for families with children cost $150 an hour. My kid will be dead in the ground before that becomes possible. It’s become an urgent situation. I don’t know where to get help. It’s terrifying.
There are no free or public services. It’s a healthcare issue, not a luxury lifestyle issue. ADHD isn’t some rich person sitting around their house looking for a personal trainer. This is serious stuff.
Therapists are capable of stating up front when they offer a sliding scale. Coaches should do the same. Therapists usually ask for proof of income, so they know you’re not lying – it’s documented. That is standard procedure – not rocket science. They know how low they can go, and that’s as low as they go – but at least they are honest about it, so no one has to wonder, guess, or beg. Many therapists publish exactly what income level correlates to the fee they expect. There is no secrecy, no guesswork, and they don’t arbitrarily impose different rates on different people without their knowledge. It’s all out in the open, as it should be. They can do that presumably because they have taken charge of their own welfare and decided in advance what they’re willing to accept. That way, if they only attract the lowest-income clients by being honest, they already know they can live with the consequences.
Coaches should be trained to provide referrals to public services, which is something competent therapists also can do. They should know if programs exist, and where to find them.
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