About Mimi Handlin, MSW, Senior Certified ADD/ADHD Coach in Seattle

I became an ADD/ADHD 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 – family members, a business partner, and 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’ve been helping 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/ADHD-like traits and developed strategies to help us all. Finally, the light bulb went on. Why not turn what I was doing anyway into my life’s work? My personal experiences and professional background in counseling and social work gave me unique qualifications. So I went back to school and graduated from a professional ADD/ADHD coach training program. I’ve been based in Seattle and coaching since 2003 and my practice continues to evolve – now including classes and support groups.

Coaching Qualifications:

• B.A. in Human Services from Western Washington University
• Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Washington
• Senior Certified AD/HD Coach through the Institute for the Advancement of AD/HD Coaching (IAAC)
• Graduate of the American Coaching Association
• Advanced training with Jodie Sleeper Triplett of JST Coach Training and the Edge Foundation
• Continuing education about ADHD through conferences, workshops, and classes
• National Speaker for ADD Resources Conferences and for ADD Classes.com

Mindful Living with ADD Class Qualifications:

I have studied and practiced Qigong – a Chinese moving healing meditation for over twelve years. Forms I have learned are Soaring Crane, Spring Forest, and Zhineng Qigong (also called Chi-lel Qigong and Wisdom Healing Qigong in the U.S.)

I have also studied and practiced mindfulness meditation and mindful awareness and completed a Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Program modeled after the work of Jon Kabat-Zinn. During the creation and first few runs of the Mindful Living with ADD class, I was supervised by the lead researcher in a promising study at UCLA that used mindful awareness as a treatment for ADHD.