There�s this thing I do with Internet projects: I create something small and focused to meet my own needs, and then I turn my back for like, one minute and suddenly it has expanded way, way, way beyond my...
There�s this thing I do with Internet projects: I create something small and focused to meet my own needs, and then I turn my back for like, one minute and suddenly it has expanded way, way, way beyond my original scope.�
In college, I started a website to showcase my own poetry because I wanted to inspire my writing practice. Within two months it had expanded into a literary magazine for the whole university, and then transformed into an online writing workshop that served 5,000 people. In 2007, I created Genderfork.com as a photo-a-day blog to explore androgyny�because I was curious about my own fashion sense, and had difficulty finding it represented on other sites. In a flash, it had become a volunteer-run transgender and nonbinary community expression project that represented thousands of people and was really active for more than a decade (The lovely collage above highlights a few submitted images). Every time this happens, my project begins as a dance with curiosity and inspiration, and evolves into a rich sense of purpose, creativity, and service. I do this. It turns out that I�m never the only person who wants the thing that I�m currently making, and it�s so deeply important to me that whatever I do serves as many people as possible.�
But I really thought it would be a while before we�d get there with Queer ADHD.
The imposter syndrome was strong: I�m new. I�m in training. I�m coming from a different industry. All of the work I�ve done in the past to coach, mentor, support, guide, strategize, help others, and focus on my own growth has been in different contexts, so it will take a while to translate it. I felt that I needed at least a year of formal experience before I could offer something for groups or community. I was wrong, and I learned this in two ways:
First, through providing coaching to individual clients, and realizing that it could be very successful with what I already know. I�ve had strongly positive feedback from my early clients, and have been celebrating their progress, growth, and victories with them. I�ve gained confidence in what I am able to offer, and I am humbled by the truth that coaching is a partnership and growth is truly self-directed. I don�t need to be an expert with decades of experience to be of service today, in this moment. I do, however, need to bring my ADHD knowledge to the table�and recognize how comprehensive it already is thanks to the amazing education I�m getting through ADDCA�because education is such a big part of this role. However, the actual work�the perspective shifts, the testing, and the growth�this all comes from my clients. I am here to witness, to hold space, to recognize, to support, to guide, and to help unlock. But I am not the center of the story, and that has been freeing for me to understand.
While equally exciting, the second part of my realization came through a somewhat more logistical path: my waitlist is full. I intentionally limited my early clients to a fairly small number so that I could also focus on infrastructure, education, and ensuring that I was giving each client enough personal attention. When I hit that limit, I took my offer of individual coaching off the website and posted a waiting list signup form. What I didn�t anticipate was that even before I had a social media presence or a newsletter, new people would sign up for my waiting list. Every. Single. Week. Even knowing how new I was to my work, and even knowing that I couldn�t be available to them right away, people have been signing up consistently. This blew my mind. It was both affirming and alarming. I understood early on that the queer community is underserved in ADHD coaching and that there would be no shortage of potential clients. But I didn�t fully grasp what I was walking into until I saw those waiting list sign ups start rolling in.
So we�re doing this. Now. Queer ADHD is officially offering Group Sessions, and they�ll begin in May. I�ve designed this program so that it can immediately help people exactly where they are, while also helping them build a body of knowledge and skills over time. And most importantly, the program provides community�something that we, as queer folks, rely on heavily in order to recognize ourselves and not feel alone. A deeper experience of community is something that individual coaching cannot offer, and I�m excited about that. I�ve also designed this program so that its size doesn�t need to be limited by my own hours. I will at some point max out on how many sessions I can handle myself, but I�m crafting this so that I can bring in other coaches to help. It�s exciting to imagine the work opportunities this will create that will truly align with the right team members� passions. There�s built-in flexibility�I�m certain our sessions will look different in six months, and I�m honestly excited to see how they change. We�re going to evolve this program together, with input from everyone we serve and collaborate with. If you are seeking support for ADHD and would appreciate a queer community atmosphere, please take a look at what Group Sessions offer. I�d love to see you there.�
Community is a core value in my work at Queer ADHD. I don�t want to be the loudest or biggest voice in this space�I want to strengthen the existing ecosystem, add to it, lift up other resources, and build more connections across the board.
Wherever you are in this ecosystem, I�m glad that you�re here with me, and that we�re building this together.
Photo is a collage of content from Genderfork.com submitted by (top left to bottom right) Jo, Annica, Vita E, Emily, Skye, Sage, Chris, and Mae
The post April 2021 Update: We�re Launching Group Sessions! appeared first on Queer ADHD.
