Sabbir Ahmed

You may be managing a demanding career, leading a team or building a business while privately struggling with self-doubt, procrastination, overwhelm or exhaustion.

Perhaps you have ADHD, are autistic or identify as having both (AuDHD) and have spent years trying to work in ways that don't suit you. You might be successful professionally but find it difficult to organise your time, maintain momentum, make decisions or set boundaries.

Or perhaps you are at a turning point. You want to change careers, develop your leadership skills, become more confident or build a life that feels less driven by pressure and other people's expectations.

I offer therapeutic coaching that combines psychological understanding with practical, forward-looking work. We can explore what you want to achieve, what may be holding you back and how to make changes that are realistic for your circumstances.

About me
My name is Sabbir, and I am an EMCC-accredited coach and UKCP-registered psychotherapist with over 20 years' experience across the NHS and private practice.

I provide therapeutic, neuroaffirming, confidence coaching and executive coaching for adults, professionals, leaders and business owners.

My psychotherapy background informs how I understand behaviour, emotions, relationships and recurring patterns. As a coach, however, my focus is on helping you develop greater self-awareness, make informed decisions, strengthen your skills and take meaningful action.

I work collaboratively, adapting the coaching to your goals, circumstances and preferred way of working.

I don't believe that everyone needs to become more disciplined, productive or ambitious. Sometimes the more important task is understanding what already works for you, what creates unnecessary difficulty and what you genuinely want to change.

What is therapeutic coaching?
You may already know what you want to achieve but struggle to put it into practice.

For example, you might understand the importance of setting boundaries yet repeatedly agree to more work than you can manage. You may have clear career ambitions but hesitate when opportunities arise. Or you may develop detailed plans that are difficult to begin or maintain.

Conventional coaching can help with goals, strategies and accountability. Therapeutic coaching also pays attention to the emotional and psychological factors that may influence your choices and behaviour.

We might explore perfectionism, fear of criticism, self-doubt, avoidance, people-pleasing or longstanding beliefs about what you should be achieving.

The purpose is not to analyse everything about your past or turn coaching into psychotherapy. It is to understand what is relevant to your current situation and use that understanding to help you move forward.

Sessions combine reflection with practical work. This might involve developing new strategies, preparing for difficult conversations, reviewing decisions, experimenting with different approaches or identifying manageable steps between sessions.

ADHD, autism, AuDHD and neuroaffirming coaching
I have a particular interest in supporting neurodivergent adults, including those with ADHD, autism and AuDHD, people diagnosed later in life and those exploring whether they may be neurodivergent.

You may have strong ideas and abilities but find that everyday demands interfere with putting them into practice.

Perhaps starting tasks is difficult, priorities compete for your attention, time management feels unpredictable or your energy varies considerably. You might become absorbed in work that interests you while struggling with routine tasks.

You may also have spent years masking, overpreparing, working long hours or trying to meet expectations that do not suit your needs.

My approach is neuroaffirming. I do not see ADHD or autism as something that needs to be corrected, and I don't expect you to adopt rigid systems designed around neurotypical ways of working.

Instead, we can explore your particular strengths, needs and challenges.

Coaching may focus on executive functioning, planning, task initiation, prioritisation, accountability, communication, self-advocacy, sensory needs, emotional responses to workplace demands and managing energy.

For those recognising neurodivergence later in life, there may also be important questions about identity, confidence, career choices and years of trying to fit expectations that were never quite right.

I bring both professional expertise and lived neurodivergent understanding to this work.

The aim is to develop approaches that suit you rather than measure your progress against somebody else's way of functioning.

Confidence, self-esteem and self-trust
Confidence difficulties are not always obvious to other people.

You may be experienced, capable and respected professionally yet still question your judgement, struggle to speak up or worry excessively about making mistakes.

Perhaps you avoid difficult conversations, apologise unnecessarily, seek reassurance or spend too long preparing because you fear getting something wrong.

Confidence coaching can help you recognise these patterns and develop a more balanced relationship with yourself.

We may work on speaking more confidently, making decisions, setting boundaries, responding to criticism, communicating your needs or becoming more visible professionally.

I don't approach confidence as simply learning to think positively or appear more assertive. We can consider what affects your confidence and what helps you trust yourself, even when situations feel uncertain.

You do not need to become louder, more outgoing or fundamentally different to feel confident.

Executive and leadership coaching
Leadership brings responsibilities that are not always addressed through technical knowledge or professional experience.

You may be managing competing priorities, making difficult decisions, supporting colleagues, leading change or dealing with challenging workplace relationships.

Perhaps you find delegation difficult, take on too much responsibility or struggle to communicate firmly without worrying about how others will respond.

I work with executives, managers, clinicians, service leaders, entrepreneurs and professionals developing their leadership skills.

Coaching can provide space to examine your leadership approach and work on communication, delegation, decision-making, managing conflict, professional boundaries and responding effectively under pressure.

My systemic and psychological background is particularly relevant when exploring team dynamics, organisational relationships and the personal patterns that can influence how we lead.

We can also consider how your values, personality and neurodivergent needs shape your leadership style.

The goal is to help you lead effectively in a way that feels consistent with who you are.

Career direction, business and professional transitions
You may have reached a stage in your career where your current work no longer feels right.

Perhaps you are considering a different role, starting a business, changing direction or returning to work after a difficult period.

You might have several possibilities in mind but struggle to decide which to pursue. Or you may know what you want but feel uncertain about taking the first step.

Coaching can help you clarify your priorities, understand your strengths, consider realistic options and make decisions that reflect your values and circumstances.

For business owners and entrepreneurs, we may focus on planning, prioritisation, delegation, managing uncertainty, professional confidence and turning ideas into consistent action.

I understand that professional decisions rarely happen in isolation. Financial responsibilities, family commitments, personal values, confidence and wellbeing can all influence what feels possible.

Our work can take these factors into account while helping you develop a practical way forward.

Stress, perfectionism and sustainable performance
You may be meeting your responsibilities while feeling increasingly exhausted by the effort involved.

Perhaps you struggle to switch off, feel guilty when resting or believe you need to keep achieving to maintain your sense of confidence.

For some people, perfectionism and overworking have become familiar ways of managing uncertainty. For others, masking, executive functioning demands or workplace environments contribute to ongoing strain.

Coaching can help you review how you work, understand your relationship with achievement and make practical changes around boundaries, expectations, workload and energy management.

This may involve deciding what genuinely needs your attention, identifying tasks that can be delegated, changing unhelpful routines or developing more realistic ways to organise your responsibilities.

The aim is not to help you tolerate unlimited demands. It is to support a more manageable and sustainable way of working.

What working with me looks like
My coaching style is warm, collaborative, psychologically informed and practical.

We begin by understanding what has brought you to coaching and what you would like to be different.

Some clients have a clear goal, such as improving their leadership skills, preparing for a career transition or developing better planning strategies. Others know they feel stuck or dissatisfied but need some time to establish what they want.

Both are reasonable starting points.

We can agree priorities together and review them as our work develops.

Depending on your needs, sessions may include:

• Exploring decisions, priorities and personal or professional goals
• Recognising patterns that interfere with progress
• Developing practical strategies for planning, confidence and communication
• Working through difficult situations or upcoming conversations
• Building accountability without unnecessary pressure
• Reviewing what has worked, what hasn't and what needs adjusting
• Developing habits and approaches that can be sustained outside coaching

I may draw on CBT-informed, DBT-informed and systemic ideas where relevant, but these are used within a coaching framework rather than as treatment for a mental health condition.

You remain actively involved in deciding what we focus on. I will offer observations, questions, constructive challenge and practical support, without assuming that I know what is best for your life.

Is therapeutic coaching right for you?
Therapeutic coaching may suit you if you want to develop confidence, improve how you work, understand patterns affecting your progress or make changes in your personal or professional life.

You do not need to have everything worked out before starting. What matters is a willingness to reflect, consider different possibilities and experiment with new ways of doing things.

Although I am also a registered psychotherapist, coaching and psychotherapy are distinct services.

Coaching focuses on personal and professional development rather than diagnosing or treating mental health conditions. If significant psychological distress, trauma, addiction or other clinical needs become apparent, I will discuss openly whether psychotherapy, medical care or another specialist service may be more suitable.

Taking the next step
Choosing a coach is a personal decision, and it is important that you feel comfortable with both the approach and the person you are working with.

I offer a free introductory consultation where we can discuss your circumstances, what you hope to gain from coaching and how my work with you can best help you in this regard.

Coaching is available in person in Central London and online.

Whether you want to develop your confidence, work more effectively with ADHD or AuDHD, strengthen your leadership skills or make a significant career or life change, you are welcome to get in touch.

• Therapeutic coaching

I offer a range of coaching packages from between 3 to 6 months.

Sessions range from ~£396 to ~£416 per session (per-session equivalent). 

Please see full fee details on my website, Kind Soul Psych.

In upholding ethical responsibilities, including confidentiality, within my practice I maintain adherence to UKCP, EMCC and Professional Standards Authority guidelines, including fully GDPR-compliant record-keeping and secure data handling.