THE ADHD TOOLBOX

The ADHD Toolbox Integrated Wellness Provides Multi-Pronged Support

For parents of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, the following scenario might sound familiar: A doctor diagnoses a child with ADHD, spends 15 minutes educating the parents, and hands them a pamphlet and a prescription. But medication doesn’t change the circus at home, where certain events—getting ready for school, homework, dinnertime—regularly devolve into yelling and chaos.

That’s how Ashleigh Livingston, founder of Integrated Wellness, in Pensacola, recalls her own ADHD diagnosis and treatment in 1986. In the 33 years since, not much has changed, she says, “other than the fact that you can google yourself crazy.” Trying to deal with ADHD through medication alone is like trying to build a house using only a hammer, Livingston says. She finally received the tools she needed to deal with it when she joined the military at age 18. by Allison Gorman

“Boot camp showed me that exercise, structure, systems and routine were crucial to my success,” she says. Now Livingston uses those tools—and others, like nutrition and biofeedback—to help children with ADHD become more confident, independent and orga nized. She guides families through the tough times and teaches them various strategies to help with focus, concentration and impulse control.

“To build a house that can withstand the strongest storms, you need more than a hammer. You need a toolbox filled with tools. That’s the Integrated Wellness approach,” she says. Specialized Training Livingston is a graduate of the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, where she learned to recognize, identify and correct imbalances in the body with a holistic, wholefoods-based approach. She also graduated Ashleigh Livingston

from ADD Coach Academy, one of two fully accredited ADHD coaching schools in the world.

“ADDCA is an intensive 18-month program that has a special certification for working with children, teens, college students and their parents, with a focus on teaching emotional regulation and social skills,” she says. “ADDCA has given me the education and the tools to be able to help support families in need.”

In addition to her certifications as an ADHD/EFD (executive function disorder) and holistic health coach, she is a certified Interactive Metronome (biofeedback) clinician. “Interactive Metronome is a scientifically proven, evidence-based alternative to conventional methods to overcome problems with focus, attention, emotional regulation and similar issues,” she says. Her goal is to provide the strategies and support she and her parents could have used: Information on how food influences mood and behavior, and how ADHD shows up in daily life. Coaching to help children handle the roller coaster of emotions ADHD brings, especially in hard times, and to help parents set up structures and systems for the entire family to get and stay organized.

“I didn’t let ADHD get in the way of me achieving my goals,” she says. “I’m proof that with the right tools and support, anyone with ADHD can achieve their dreams too.”

For more information or to book a complimentary assessment, call Ashleigh Livingston at 334-313-3773 or visit Integrated-Wellness.net.