Alana Stern

ADHD is a difference. Sometimes a difficulty. Occasionally a dysfunction. Only rarely a disorder.

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Alana Stern's style

Why Alana Stern chose to be in the helping profession

After 20 years in education as a teacher and remedial reading specialist, I grew tired of watching my smartest and most creative students struggle to focus, get organized, and reach their true potential. I originally certified as an ADHD coach to add another tool to my professional toolkit, but what I learned along the way changed my own life. At the time, I was undiagnosed myself, carrying far too much on my plate and moving quickly toward serious burnout. Understanding ADHD did not just help me support my students more effectively, it helped me finally understand myself.

That realization shifted everything and led me to go all in on this work. I now dedicate myself to helping overstretched neurodivergent adults and teens move past the overwhelm and actually get their lives working in a way that feels possible. I became a coach because I know firsthand what it is like to live with a gap between your potential and what you are able to do day to day. I also know that this gap is not a personal failure, but a challenge that can be understood and addressed with the right support. My approach is grounded in real life experience, practical strategies, and deep respect for the strengths that come with neurodivergence.

Alana Stern's approach

My approach to ADHD coaching is not about helping you become better at being normal. It is about learning to work with your neurodivergent brain instead of constantly fighting against it. I believe real change starts with understanding how you are wired and treating yourself with the same patience and respect you would offer anyone else facing real challenges. Coaching, for me, is about helping you build a life that actually fits you rather than squeezing yourself into systems that were never designed for your mind.

I focus on three core pillars in my work. The first is learning genuine compassion for yourself while living in a world that was not built for your brain. The second is uncovering your authentic self, not the masked version you have learned to present in order to get by. The third is strategically supporting your executive functions, but never treating productivity as the final destination. These pieces work together to help you feel steadier and more connected to who you really are.

Managing ADHD difficulties is only the starting point. The real goal is having enough energy and headspace to do what makes you come alive and to use your actual gifts in meaningful ways. I want you to be able to fulfill your unique tafkid in this world without feeling like you have to pay for it with panic or shame. Thriving with ADHD is not about fixing something broken, it is about understanding what your brain needs in order to activate.

When ease, interest, and impact come together in the right balance, moving from intention to action becomes possible in a completely different way. The world does not need you to become better at neurotypical tasks. It needs the fully alive, authentic version of you who has stopped fighting your wiring and started leveraging it instead. My role is to help you get there with practical tools, steady support, and a deep respect for the way your mind works.

What you can expect from sessions with Alana Stern

ADHD coaching is not about fixing what is wrong with you. It is about finally learning to work with your brain instead of feeling at war with it. In our sessions, you will move through a clear and supportive three stage process designed to help you shift from feeling frazzled and frustrated to feeling calmer and more in control of your life. Everything we do is grounded in who you are, how your mind actually functions, and what you want your days to feel like.

We begin with Foundations, a focused four week period of assessment, goal setting, and building your personalized roadmap. This stage is about understanding your patterns without judgment and getting honest about what has been getting in your way. From there we move into Action, where the real momentum begins. Through weekly one on one coaching sessions on Zoom or in person, you will implement practical strategies, track your progress through a private coaching portal, and have access to daily support when you need it most.

The final stage is Launch, where we create your personal blueprint for continued growth beyond our time together. We take time to recognize how far you have come and build a custom toolbox of strategies that truly work for your brain. The full process takes about six months because meaningful, lasting change cannot be rushed. I will be there to stand for your transformation, even on the days when your belief in yourself feels shaky.

This work is not about trying harder or forcing yourself into someone else’s mold. It is about discovering what you really want, recognizing what you are already good at, and learning how to build a life that flows from those strengths. When you stop fighting your wiring and start understanding it, progress begins to feel natural instead of exhausting.

Alana Stern's experience working with the Jewish community

Born in South Africa and living in Israel for the past 20 years, I have spent nearly a decade coaching within the observant and culturally Jewish community. What I have learned in that time is simple and clear: generic ADHD advice does not account for your life. The structure of Jewish living shapes everything, from the way weeks flow to the way responsibilities pile up, and most mainstream approaches completely miss that reality.

There are the constant transitions of Shabbat, the executive function marathon of Yom Tov preparation, and the ongoing mental load of running a frum household while still showing up for your family, your community, and yourself. Many ADHD resources assume a lifestyle that looks nothing like yours. They do not factor in halachic observance, the seasonal intensity of the chaggim, or the particular pressure of trying to be an Eishet Chayil when your brain does not work the way you think it should.

I understand this because I live it every day. My coaching is intentionally built around the rhythms and realities of Jewish life rather than asking you to bend your life around a system that does not fit. When we work together, you will not have to translate strategies or wonder whether they can survive a three day Yom Tov or a busy Shabbat table.

Imagine what could shift if your ADHD support truly understood all the things you juggle. Instead of feeling like you are constantly falling short, you could have tools that respect your values and your world. That is the kind of coaching I aim to offer, practical, grounded, and rooted in real life.

Alana Stern's Book Recommendation Zone

• Women with Attention Deficit Disorder, Sari Solden
  Psychotherapist Sari Solden's groundbreaking book explains how every year, millions of withdrawn little girls and chronically overwhelmed women go undiagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder because they don't fit the stereotypical profile: they're not fast-talking, hyperactive, or inattentive, and they are not male. This pioneering book explores treatment and counseling options, and uses real-life case histories to examine the special challenges women with ADHD face, such as the shame of not fulfilling societal expectations. Solden explains that ADHD affects just as many women as men, and often results in depression, disorganization, anxiety, and underachievement.
• Women with ADHD, Sari Solden & Michelle Frank
  Live boldly as a woman with ADHD! This radical guide will show you how to cultivate your individual strengths, honor your neurodiversity, and learn to communicate with confidence and clarity.
• How to Keep House While Drowning, K.C. Davies
  This revolutionary approach to cleaning and organizing helps free you from feeling ashamed or overwhelmed by a messy home. If you’re struggling to stay on top of your to-do list, you probably have a good reason: anxiety, fatigue, depression, ADHD, or lack of support. For therapist KC Davis, the birth of her second child triggered a stress-mess cycle. The more behind she felt, the less motivated she was to start. She didn’t fold a single piece of laundry for seven months. One life-changing realization restored her sanity—and the functionality of her home: You don’t work for your home; your home works for you.
• Stolen Focus, Johann Hari
  Why you can't pay attention - and how to think deeply again.
• The Smart But Scattered Guide to Success
  How to Use Your Brain's Executive Skills to Keep Up, Stay Calm, and Get Organized at Work and at Home
• The Explosive Child, Ross W. Greene
  A New Approach for Understanding and Parenting Easily Frustrated, Chronically Inflexible Children
• Kosher ADHD
  Kosher ADHD is a revolutionary guide to managing ADHD in a Torah-observant lifestyle. It synthesizes Jewish insights with contemporary psychology to offer practical strategies for children, teens, and adults to overcome challenges with prayer, Shabbat, Torah study, and other central aspects of Judaism.
• Your Brain's Not Broken, Tamara Rosier
  Strategies for Navigating Your Emotions and Life with ADHD

Approaches

• Biofeedback
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
• Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
• Energy Healing
• Inner child work
• Internal Family Systems (IFS)
• Life Coaching
• Logotherapy
• Mindfulness and Meditation
• Motivational Interviewing
• Neuro-Linguistic (NLP)
• Positive Psychology
• Sarno Method
• Somatic Therapy
• Tapping & Emotional Freedom Technique
• Yoga

Concerns

• ADHD
• Anxiety
• Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Emotion regulation
• Life purpose and meaning
• Perimenopause & Menopause
• Transitions & Change

10 years in practice

Degrees

• Bachelor of Arts by University of Cape Town 1993-1995
• Higher Teaching Diploma by University of South Africa 1996-1997

Certificates

• Life Coaching by David Yellin College 2016
• Coaching Specialization in the development of thinking in the processes of change in life cycles: childhood, adulthood, relationships, parenting and family. by David Yellin College 2016
• ADHD (& Learning Differences) Coaching by David Yellin College 2016
• NLP Practitioner by Habayit Shel NLP - Orit Peretz 2018-2019
• EFT Tapping Practitioner by EFT International 2023-2025

Trainings

• Remedial Reading in English by British Dyslexia Association 2010

Affiliations

• ACO by ADHD Coaches Association 2017-2026
• EFT International Certified Practitioner by EFT International 2025-2026

Average costs per session

$135

Payment Methods

• Free consultation
• Credit Card
• PayPal