Life coach Hilary Stern helps clients beat ADHD challenges

By Deb Silverthorn
A new coach has been tagged in the game of life. It is Dallas native Hilary Stern, who is bridging the gap between the assumptions, and the reality, of living with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
Through her practice, ADHD Advance Coaching and Consulting, Stern helps clients, ages 10 to adult, identify how they can benefit from potential challenges, resulting in productive and fulfilling lives.
“I was diagnosed with ADHD in high school and it was a relief to have an explanation,” Stern said. “I’ve been there, and done that. I’ve taken medication and then chosen not to. I’ve really worked through it all.”
The daughter of Dr. Aaron and Eileen Kreisler, and sister to Amy, Barbi and Stephen, Stern’s work is linked to her parents’ careers; her mother is an educator of children with special needs, her father, a pediatrician. Their care combined, Stern’s clients are in the right hands.
In 2017, one of Stern’s own children was diagnosed with ADHD. The time commitment to classroom success was more than she could share herself, explained the former teacher at Akiba and Levine academies, Greenhill School and Richardson’s Classical Magnet Elementary School. So she looked for a way to manage support for everyone around her.
“I’d thought about life coaching but didn’t know how to get there,” Stern said. “Timing is everything. Shortly after I left the classroom, I saw an ad for ADHD coaching and training, while in my own child’s therapist’s office.
“When someone takes the ownership, saying ‘I’ll’ make the change, empowerment begins,” she added. That notion served her, as she redirected her own life to become an International Coaching Federation-credentialed ADHD life coach. “I guide my clients, but they create their agenda. I help them make changes that work and it’s never the same for everyone.”
For college junior Gavin Shrell, Stern has been an integral part of his journey.
“She puts everything into perspective, and makes what I want to do seem possible. Her help in my creating a plan, and seeing how to make it happen, has been huge,” Shrell said.
With Stern’s help, Shrell identified his goal of summer travel. He created the budget, figured how to earn what he needed, and together they worked on interviewing and other skills. “She helps me make sense of what I need to do and she’s very supportive,” Shrell said. “I’ll continue to work with her while I’m in school, and I know that what she’s taught me I’ll apply in many areas.”
A graduate of Greenhill School and member of BBYO’s Jenny Zesmer chapter and regional board, Stern earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education at American University, and her master’s in education administration from the University of North Texas.
While Stern and her husband Josh met as preschoolers at the (now Aaron Family) Jewish Community Center, and their families were entwined in Dallas’ Jewish community, it was only after they graduated college did they become a couple. Married in 2002 at Congregation Shearith Israel, where they were both raised, they are the parents of Aidan, Benjamin, Noah and Sarah. The family has membership with Chabad of Dallas.
In addition to working one-on-one, Stern visits businesses, schools and organizations to work with professionals.
“Knowledge is power, and Hilary comes in loaded with knowledge, eager and able to pass it on,” said Dr. Paul Rubin at Frisco Kids Dentistry, where Stern led a workshop for the practice. “Hilary empowered us with an insightful look into the world of ADHD, and gave us tools to better help, treat and educate our patients and families!”
“We all have the right answers within us,” Stern said; “sometimes we just have to be asked the right questions.”
For more information on Stern, or to read her blog, visit adhdadvance.com. To schedule a complimentary consultation, email hilary@adhdadvance.com.