Sarah Withey

I am an executive function skills coach supporting children and adults to understand where their difficulties lie and help them develop those all important executive function (EF) skills. 

So what exactly are EF skills? Well they are things like: planning, organisation, getting started and staying on task, impulse control, being adaptable and resilient and emotional regulation.  Quite important life skills! Thankfully though, even if these are lacking or lagging behind now, they do continue  to develop throughout the first 25 years so there is an opportunity to catch up with siblings and peers.  These skills can also be supported and further developed  in adulthood.

A delay in developing EF skills is often associated with neurodevelopment differences such as ADHD and autism but I work with individuals with and without a diagnosis.  I often find it helpful to work with the  parents of children who are struggling at home, at school, in social situations and in relationships with siblings or friends.

So maybe you recognise some of these issues in your child?  They may be disorganised and forgetful. They may have difficulty getting started on a task and, when they finally get going, can be easily distracted. Perhaps they’ve lost their books or forgotten to bring back the things they need for their home work. Or, if they’ve managed to do the work, they may forget to hand it in. They may rush through their work making careless mistakes or go through it oh     so      very      slowly. Perhaps they won’t know how to begin an assignment and have no idea how long it will take.  And, very frustratingly, they will leave it to the absolute last minute. Their work spaces and backpacks are often disorganised. They may act impulsively or respond extremely emotionally when things don’t go their way at school, college and Uni or with their friends and within their family.

You may be an adult reading this and find it resonates with you as you reflect on your childhood. You may still be struggling with similar issues as you try to function in the workplace or just to manage your day to day living or your social life.

My EF coaching approach focuses on developing self-management and self-regulation skills giving my clients the opportunity and the confidence to be able to function more effectively and independently at home, in school and further education and in the workplace - both academically and socially. 

Together we identify one or two specific targets at a time that have measurable goals and focus on those to create functioning habits. We ‘check in’ with each other regularly to see how things are progressing. 

One of the most helpful adjuncts for parents is to make changes in their approach to supporting their child (and I know this from first hand experience).  I offer parent coaching which can be invaluable in the first instance or in parallel to individual coaching for children. 

I also work as a life coach specialising in health and wellbeing with my own coaching business and a decades experience.  

To discover if coaching is right for you, and if we are a good fit for each other, I offer a confidential, complimentary telephone session where we can identify your challenges and goals and discuss the coaching process in more detail.

Initial 90 minute session costs £110.

Subsequent 50 minute sessions each cost £100

If you sign up for blocks of 6 sessions (after your initial one) you will receive a 5% discount.

Payments should be made in advance and can be by bank transfer, credit card or cash.

Please contact me for further details.

Testimonials

Sarah is a fantastic coach! She truly understands the neurodivergent brain and brings a wealth of knowledge, skill, kindness and support to every session. The sessions were also great fun, which made a real difference. We're so pleased we chose Sarah as a coach for our daughter (8 years old).

I was pleased to have worked with Sarah. She has an in-depth understanding of different brain types and supported me as an adult recently diagnosed with autism. I’ve learned so much and now feel I understand myself better. I’ll definitely be recommending her and returning for more support in the future. Thank you Sarah!

Sarah was excellent in working with my daughter who is 9. She developed a good rapport, personalised the scheme to my daughter and helped her recognise key skills that she could utilise in managing day to day life. Very pleased we went ahead with coaching with Sarah. 

Sarah’s sessions have been of huge benefit to my 8 year old son.  Understanding about executive functioning has given him great insight into many of the things he finds challenging without impacting his (quite fragile) self-esteem.  It has also shown him the amazing strengths he has too.  Sarah was warm, incredibly patient and made the sessions fun and tailored to his special interests - such important traits as he isn’t a fan of ‘strangers’.  She has also been a huge support for me as his Mum.  Highly recommend!!  

"I would definitely recommend (and have recommended) Sarah! She has helped me to understand myself better, and to find my own way to meet the basic challenges of life that works for me, something I had always struggled with as a neurodivergent individual.”

"I’ve had the pleasure of working with Sarah Withey over the past 6months, and I cannot recommend her highly enough. From the very first session, she understood me quickly and deeply - not just my challenges, but the way my brain works, what motivates me and what I needed in order to make real, sustainable progress. She is incredibly knowledgeable and I loved the way she applied that knowledge in such a patient-centred, tailored way. Every session felt designed for me rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. She helped me to build strategies that actually fit my life, my routines, and my executive functioning profile, and I could feel my confidence and skills strengthening week by week.  I feel very motivated to continue learning more about myself and strengthening my Executive Function skills.”

Our 10 year old son is diagnosed with ASD and dyslexia. He was also struggling with executive functioning skills specifically the inability to control impulsive behaviours as well as trouble with friendships/relationships. Sarah helped our son through using different techniques and made the sessions fun by really understanding our son’s interests and personality. She is friendly and dedicated to the job. Thank you Sarah for all your work with our son! We would highly recommend you!

Working with Sarah has been such a positive and empowering experience for our family. From the very beginning, she built a strong connection with our daughter, A, and created a space where she felt genuinely heard, understood and supported. A has been very happy with her as a coach, and that sense of trust and ease has meant so much to us.

What feels especially significant is that Sarah is the first professional A has ever spoken to openly about her medical condition, PANS, and the challenges that come with it. For her to share that part of herself was a huge step, and I truly see that as a major achievement. Sarah created a space where A felt understood and safe enough to talk about her experiences - something we don’t take lightly. Through their work together, A has come to recognise that she understands herself far more than she realised. She has developed greater clarity about what works for her, what doesn’t and how to manage her energy levels in ways that feel sustainable, particularly alongside the fluctuations that can come with PANS. Our own conversations with Sarah have also been invaluable. She has helped me better understand A’s condition, her individual needs and reinforced the importance of supporting her unique approaches rather than pushing her toward more “standard” methods that may not suit her. That shift in perspective has made a real difference at home.  We’re incredibly grateful for the support, insight and understanding Sarah has brought. It has been a big win for A and for us as a family.

“I may feel young at heart but nature is dictating otherwise and as a female approaching her mid 50’s, the physical and mental challenges I am encountering have left me feeling unsure, anxious and fragile. Sarah has helped me develop strategies to overcome these feelings and advise me which way to go in a very practical and effective way. Her medical background and her compassionate nature are a perfect combination which has helped me step forward into this new stage of my life with vigour, confidence and a renewed sense of purpose.”Thank you Sarah.
BJ, Australia

Sarah is a marvellous coach. Taking advice from her has given me the opportunity to truly develop myself over the past 9 months. I have found her guidance to be accurate and individualised because she has taken my specific issues into consideration.
It is also great is to see how dedicated she is. Everything you learn from her will help you know yourself more fully. Sarah has given me the keys for change, as a result I now deal with life much more efficiently and also feel healthier in body and mind. She will truly listen to your needs, then target her coaching in the most perfect way to suit your individual requirements .
Sarah always gives thorough explanations along side her advice and support, which further instills me with confidence. She has been an exceptional guide, giving me the chance to really develop and move forward with my life. I know that her advice has change me lastingly.  MH (aged 20,) France

My younger sister and I lost our mother several years ago. We were both devastated however my sister found it more difficult to bear. Perhaps because of this and other personal problems her health has deteriorated more recently. Over 18 months ago she was diagnosed with breast cancer. I have found it difficult to deal with since she has encountered hurdle after hurdle in her treatment as her condition was further complicated by Fibromyalgia.
I found this difficult to counsel and support and a friend, recognising my problem, introduced me to Sarah.
At our first meeting I was impressed by Sarah’s quiet, sympathetic and understanding approach and was immediately able to articulate my concerns.
The sensible, practical and comforting advice that Sarah gave me was immediately helpful and reassuring and our continuing contact has been invaluable.  JC, London