Client Testimonials

I was entering my 30s, a time that usually delivers a blow of reality check. What made it even worse for me was that I was entering into it as a - "single." In fact, involuntarily and inevitably jumping into it after a breakup with my fiance. Indeed, the event(for better or worse)served as a catalyst for self-reflection into my own behaviors, patterns, and temperament, esp. the destructive and toxic side. I realized that I might have ADHD(along with maybe some other co-morbid mental issues). I wanted to get better, though. I wanted to be the best version of myself. I knew it would be not easy and would be a life-long process of improvement. That is when I came across Ari.

Accountability certainly plays a big role in ADD management. Ari was both my accountability partner and motivator. His weekly reflection sheets cut to the chase while always keeping the goals in the vision. This is especially important since goals usually tend to take a back seat in an ADHD mind. The cherry on top is I got a sense that he cares. One who wants to deliver a message in a call without keeping track of every single minute. He does weekly and bi-weekly text check-ins, which again serve as a reminder of the vision and motivation.

I enjoyed his analogies, too, to explain concepts, the mind, and thinking processes. The analogies are usually tailored to a domain that you expertise in or has a solid grasp over. In my case, it was computer/IT.

Of course, it's not all talk. Ari tries his best to problem solve an issue with you. In my case, it was rumination, sleep, anxiety, supplements, changing present state etc. He provides sheets and actionable items to every problem that he can.

Ari has helped me see a take a problem-solving approach and accepting myself at the same time. Again, my work has not ended, of course. I need to keep on hustling and see the light at the end of the tunnel. And hopefully, to get out of a tunnel. Thanks to Ari, I have accelerated the journey.

- Hartej P. - Toronto, ON

When I started with Ari in November, I was highly unmotivated, very inactive and generally wasted 3/4 to 100% of my day sleeping, smoking weed. Although traction was slow to appear it feels like it has taken hold now somewhat. For 13 days in a row I have not been at condo pool later than 8am. Pool time is for swimming, meditating and isometric muscle exercise, and stretching.

The exercise feels great. I am down from smoking 1/2 O per week to less than 1/4 a week. Smoking is in evening. Sleeping patterns much better, days and nights not reversed anymore.

Doing more personal things that are important yet I neglected for months (years). Got a new doctor, did recommended blood tests and doing stress ECG. I’m more proactive looking for new career opportunities. Sending resumes and thinking more about possible career trajectories. This is very difficult and admittedly while I have come far from Nov and had a few interviews (unsuccessful) there is much more and more thorough work to do if serious about obtaining a quality position. However now it feels like if I keep up daily personal momentum (exercise, routine of getting out of apartment, doing things like seeing friends or going out on my own) job will come about organically.

Bottom line :
Daily exercise has led to more clear mindset, which has allowed me to do more cognitively. Cognitive distortions are caught more quickly and I'm able to adapt better to rejections re jobs. To avoid a fallback into bad space must continue exercise, increase exercise activity. That is 1 huge key.

Breaking day into several parts is important too, morning routine, early afternoon routine and late day routine. Solidifying these is preparing me for re-entering the workforce without a lot of personal psychological issues interfering.
Even though I’m not fully where I want to be yet, I’m quite proud of what I’ve accomplished in such a short period of time. I know working with Ari has definitely fast-forwarded the results and thanks to him, I have come quite far and am way more optimistic about each day.

- David Goodman - Thornhill, Ontario



As someone who has been recently diagnosed, I was unsure of what the next steps to take in addressing these issues were. I came across Ari's name online and decided it was time to set up some appointments.
In my first meeting with Ari, I was pleasantly surprised by his friendliness and supportiveness. Not only has Ari experienced ADD himself, but he understands how efficiently work through it, and use it to one's advantage (ADDvantage a very suitable title!). Ari was very good at explaining steps and things to work on, as he is very relatable. He lays everything that you will be doing out in the first meeting, so that you know what's coming. He has set up an extremely organized program.
Over the time I spent working with Ari, I witnessed a huge change in myself. I saw myself become an organized, clean student, rather than the messy, scatter-brain I was before. I'm very glad I decided to work with him, as I found it hugely beneficial to me.
Overall, Ari is truly a pleasure to work with, and I would recommend him without hesitation to anyone considering coaching.
Anna - University of Toronto Student, Toronto
I've been reading the words of Ari's other clients in this section and I definitely agree with what they've all said so I'll keep this short and to the point. He's amazing! You will be making one of the best decisions of your life if you call and have him as your coach whether you have ADHD or if you don't. Thank you Ari! God bless.

- Sherri K. - Edmonton, Alberta


I setup an initial consultation and we had a great chat. I wasn't yet diagnosed with ADD and Ari said whether it was official or not I obviously wasn't in a good place at that time and that I didn't need a label to validate that. I also questioned if he could help with my social anxiety since he was a coach as opposed to a therapist and also I really didn't like being labeled as something.

It took a few weeks and I decided to give it a chance. I'm glad I did because there's no way I could have accomplished what I've achieved in the 4 months we worked together on my own. The Key bullet points.

  • -My social anxiety is a fraction of what it was 
  • I'd been a smoker for over 15 yrs and wanted to find a way to quit. I quit in my first week with him and haven't gone back
  • Exercise more regular
  • Am now officially diagnosed ADD and don't see the label as the negative I once did.
  • He got me an ADD doctor as well and that's been a huge help.
  • Discovered what I want to do with my life (I had been stagnant for the passed few years, scared to even take a chance on anything). Now I'm back in school and loving it and have made some great friends as well.
  • Most of all my pessimism and irritability towards others has evolved into optimism and being kinder and not letting others determine how I feel overall.

All this and more in just 4 months. The guy is amazing at what he does and working with him has changed my life. If anything you've read here resonates to you in any way, pick up a phone and contact him and you'll be on your way to something better. Thanks Ari!

- Paul G -Toronto, ON


I've read what others have said regarding Ari's coaching and I definitely concur to what all have said. Here is my 2 cents.

I've worked with Ari for over 6 months. Initially I intended on only trying a month or two to give it a chance. I was skeptical which he was very happy to hear (I found that odd at first) and asked him why he felt that way and his response was golden "it will make your achievements just that much greater. A little extra icing on the cake." That's Ari for you. His optimism is so sincere.

I was also nervous if a man could coach a middle-age struggling divorced mother of 3, suffering from severe depression along with ADHD. He may not be a religious person, but I am and I truly believe he was sent to me from above in some way because he's done wonders working with me and listening to my endless rants.

He said from day one that he breaks the first rule of coaching which is to "never get attached." Saying that if he didn't, he wouldn't be half the coach he is. He gets it!! He's on the level. He talks to you, never down to you or that he knows all the answers for you. He's more of a teammate in a game with you rather than just calling shots from a bench. But most of all, he lets you in to his world, his life, his ADHD and all that goes with it. He's a friend, and mentor. I look so forward to our sessions because everytime I know that something in my life will be (or on the road to becoming) better once we're done. He told me from day one that "we'll probably get along well, but NOBODY is paying me to be their friend. You're here to get results." He's so right about that.

6 months later I'm still working with him and have achieved more in that time then the previous 5-10 yrs. The 2 month trial has tripled and the value he's brought to my life is priceless. Thank you so much for making lives better for those like me who could barely get out of bed before discovering The Coaching ADDvantage.

- Mary D - Ottawa, ON


I began having sessions with Ari in my third year of undergrad, a hectic time during my life. As exams loomed, I was stressed out of my mind and could not sleep for days at a time. My mother decided to do something about it, so she recruited Ari’s services to help me deal with my anxiety. Ari helped me regain control of my emotional wellbeing and I have not looked back since. We have been speaking on a regular basis for about three years and I owe him a lot of credit for the progress I have made in my life thus far. My goal when I began speaking to Ari was to get into law school. To do so, I needed to succeed on the LSAT, which was no easy task for me (especially for someone who suffers from ADD)- I had to write it multiple times. Ari’s counsel provided me with a structured regime for studying and accomplishing my weekly objectives. The guidance I received enabled me to ultimately gain admission into law school. To date, this is my greatest accomplishment, and it would not have happened without Ari. The results did not end with getting into law school. I was able to take many valuable lessons from our weekly sessions, such as channeling my anxiety into motivation and using it as a propeller. “If you aren’t happy with the status quo, change the way you’ve been doing things” is a common expression Ari has used and it certainly has resonated with me. In fact, all of his advice has left an impression in my mind. An important thing for me was that Ari understood me as well as I understood myself. For these reasons, I would highly recommend him to anyone, especially someone with ADD, who is looking for guidance and help in achieving their life goals.

- R. S. – Windsor, Ontario


We were at a point of desperation with my son, Zack. He had just completed his Freshman year at Arizona State University. He was dangerously close to failing out. He had also experienced a frustrating time finishing his final two years of High School. Zack is brilliant and expects great things. He also has high morals, so partying and laziness were never issues. The constant struggle with school and life, however, was beating him down. The failures were having an impact on his outlook, confidence, demeanor and personality. It was painful for me as a parent to watch him put himself out there and expect success yet to be consistently "slapped."

He did not exhibit a typical ADD personality. This led to incorrect analysis from some teachers and psychologists. We were delayed in determining the source of his challenge. Due to the persistence of his Mother in finding a solution and resulting from even more sophisticated testing, we discovered ADD and Executive Function difficulties.

We next pursued ADD medications which were catastrophic. Zack became "wired," irritable and more inefficient. Another challenge was Zack's seeming inability to acknowledge and to confront his problem. In retrospect, this was related to his Executive Functioning disorder. He simply lacks a "sense of urgency" and prioritization inherent in most of us.

We then contacted ADD coaching agencies and, after consultation with Ari Petroff, selected The Coaching ADDvantage. The transition has been phenomenal. Zack has progressed from near failure to obtaining mostly A's with occasional B's even while enrolled in a more strenuous class load. His success has been compounding and has contributed to his confidence. He is now applying to Dental school.

Ari has worked with Zack in a way to increase his understanding of his challenge and to promote productivity. He is now able to plan and to schedule his life and studies in such a way as to maximize efficiency and success. It has been a gradual progressive transition. Ari has served consistently as a coach, mentor and friend to Zack. I know the transition speaks for itself and highlights how an organized, tested program combined with faith can overcome an imposing challenge.

- Steve Ward - Flagstaff, Arizona


I wish I could explain how much the coaching I’ve received from Ari has influenced my thinking, and has actually changed my thinking. My psychiatrist did not, as far as I know, see any medical/psychiatric evidence of ADD. I had been misdiagnosed with bipolar. Finally at the end of my rope I decided to see if I could get a coach because I became convinced that what I really had was ADD and it was time to deal with it now or I’d spend the rest of my life in the same place I’d been stuck in for years. It’s like walking on a conveyor belt in the opposite direction.

As with most ADDers, I guess – I can’t speak for everyone, just myself – in whatever project I was involved, whether that be a job, writing fiction, or just about anything else you can think of, I’d never got beyond a certain step in whatever I was working on. I’d written screenplays which had great potential but were ruined by an inability to understand what the next step in the story should be. I’ve writing a dozen scripts or so that I never finished.

In talking about myself to Ari at our first coaching session, I described how my biggest problem was “getting traction,” as I called it, meaning that I either couldn’t get started or couldn’t get to the end of something. And the result was that I was always looking for something new to do, something I hadn’t screwed up yet, believing it had to work because it was something new, so I could start all over again. It’s like moving to another town to solve your problems. Well, it doesn’t work.

Ari has helped me to “reorganize” my brain, always working toward some achievable goal, and helping through affirmation and other techniques to alter the course, the direction, of my journey through life. The road I started on had taken me in wrong directions, and I was like a traveler without a map. Now I’m getting help in building a new road, one that’s pointed straight at where I want to go.

I had received help, of a kind, from various professionals in the medical field, and I always appreciated their help, but none of them ever hit on what was really going on with me. It may sound like I’m exaggerating when I say that Ari has helped me more than anyone else in the past, but I’m not exaggerating. Using the steps Ari takes you through ensures that this kind of structure becomes your normal way of functioning. Knowing now that I have ADD actually gives me confidence, because now I can see a lot of the wonderful, positive fallout there is once you accept your own ADD.

- Mike L - Toronto, ON


First let me first say, that I’m not quite comfortable giving me name just yet. I’d really love to endorse the work and success I’ve had with Ari and put my name behind it, but in my profession, the labels along with the negative stigma attached to the unknown such as ADHD and homosexuality. But my story hopefully will reach quite a few and you’ll hopefully take a risk and call Ari Petroff. He’s literally helped in ways that I don’t think words can do enough here, but I’ll try.

I’m a professional hockey player and I’ve had a successful career so far and I hope to be playing for quite a few more. I’ve been playing hockey pretty much since the day I was able to walk. I grew up on skates and have played for many coaches in my years. I put Ari up there at the best of his game just as I would a few of the coaches I’ve played for in my time. There are some that are good, and then there are those who just define what the role is and that’s how I see Ari.

I was drafted into the NHL a few weeks after I turned 18. As for any kid who grew up in Canada playing hockey, it was a dream come true. There were high expectations put on me. Some are able to handle this transition well, and I really struggled and my confidence in something that for years I was the best at was challenged as I made repeated jumps to the NHL and the AHL. I knew how to play hockey, but my life skills were greatly being challenged since I had none. I eventually got diagnosed with ADHD and that in itself proved to be an even greater struggle. I searched online and found a few coaches who I consulted (and be careful who you put your faith into with this sort of work because one company I dealt with was total crap and the woman who owns it should be ashamed of what she does at (name omitted…..though I’d love to list it as it pisses me off too), none of the ones I spoke to got me. I found Ari and the fact that he knew who I was threw me, but in our consultation he assured me that it was completely confidential…but he’s a hockey fan and I went with the fact that he has ADD and is a fan.

We’re still working together. I can write a lot here on what he’s done (is doing) for me and how it’s helped my career but mostly it’s helped me have my life outside of hockey. I’m now married and a father and it’s a huge burden being away from my family and also having success at what I do. I didn’t grow up with money, and now I make an amount that nobody in my life has ever seen. I didn’t know how to be successful. Hockey’s a game, life is not, and with Ari’s help we’ve been able to take my struggles due to having ADHD and now what was a struggle is becoming an area that I keep getting better at. I don’t know if any of this makes sense, so don’t go by my words, just call him and decide for yourself if you’re thinking about hiring an ADHD coach. Thank you for reading, and may god bless you the way he has me. I truly believe Ari is doing god’s work (I bet he’ll edit that part out J)

- Professional Hockey Player (Name held by request) Toronto, ON


I hired Ari to be my coach in November 2009. I was diagnosed the month before and at 39 years old; I had many questions regarding this “ADD” thing that I was told I have. My doctor is the one who initially referred Ari, but then his name came up again at an ADD support group I was attending at that time. Another person in the group said that they were working with him and that it was helping her tremendously. I personally found the support group to a great idea in theory, but the reality is when you have 10+ ADDer’s in a room, guess how much progress was made? Initial it was comforting to be around other adults with “ADD” but in the long run it just wasn’t for me. That’s when I decided to give Ari a call.

As many others have written on this page, it was one of the best decisions I’ve made. Of course I didn’t know that right away, but in 18+ months working together my life has been transformed. During that time we developed a great friendship and even though I stopped working with him last year, we’ve continued to stay in touch.

When I hired him we got right down to business, which was an very easy process. I was working through various issues I was having that were all attributed back to having ADD. I was working at a construction job, which I enjoyed for the most part, but really didn’t enjoy working for someone else. Carrying that weight around everyday was taking its toll on me as a husband and as a new father. Something had to change.

After taking some time to work through the day-to-day changes, we then focused on my dream of being my own boss and taking the steps to start my own business. We set a 6-month plan in motion and every week would take gradual steps to making the transition a reality. It worked! The process, didn’t allow me to get overwhelmed as much as it could have and when I would get stuck, we’d work together at overcoming the obstacles that stood in my way. His easy-going nature, sense of humor, and the fact that he also has “ADD” helped me to relax as I was tackling my greatest personal challenges.

Five months later, the dream became reality and I started my company “ PMW Renovations ” and have been going strong ever since. I continued to work with him through my first year in business and that was probably one of the best moves I made. I thought about stopping once I accomplished my main goals, but I also had the goal of not falling back to my old “ADD” habits. Through the many growing pains of starting my own business and being responsible as an employer, keeping Ari on board was a great asset so that I wouldn’t get overwhelmed as I might have on my own.

Once we finished our coaching relationship, he would still check in with me to see how things were going. And to come full circle, he hired me to do so renovations at his home. The ironic thing is that even though we had been working together for 18 months, all our work was done over the telephone. We actually met in person for the first time as I was pulling into his driveway and he was leaving to go to the hospital for the birth of his son. It was a great feeling finally meeting him face to face especially on such a memorable day. He’s awesome, and if you have ADD (or even if you don’t) and are reading this and are on the fence debating whether you should invest in hiring a coach, I give a huge endorsement to Ari.

- Paul Wilson - Toronto, ON


“Every week is like baking a cake.”

This quote is from my coach, Ari Petroff, of The Coaching ADDvantage. We would meet once every week to set goals and figure out what I needed to do to be successful for the coming week. One of his clients, a professional baker, noted that having a good ADHD week is like baking a cake: if you use the right ingredients, in the right amounts, and follow the recipe correctly, your cake turns out.

So it is with planning and executing a successful week with ADHD. I know the ingredients I need (like, sleep, exercise, medication, daily reflection, journalling and making lists) in the amounts and frequencies that work best for me, following the processes that work best for me. If I put them all together, voila! I have a very good week! If I don’t follow the ‘recipe’ then, like the cake, my week flops. Holding this idea in my mind helps rally my energy and motivation to “keep on keeping on” as Ari says.

I worked with Ari as my coach for just under years. I had turned 58 (I'm 60 now) and had been struggling with my ADD as many of us do. I decided I wanted to make some changes but really had no idea how. Through my doctor, I eventually found out about coaching, and this lead me to calling Ari.

I was skeptical, who is this kid? How could possibly he help me? It was probably the most important call I've ever made because in the past 2 years we've worked together and he's helped me transform my life for the better; personally, emotionally, and professionally. I was able to overcome fears in many areas that I had avoided for so long and together we broke down the process so that when it came time to take the challenge head on, it wasn't nearly as daunting as it was in my head. I thank Ari for all his kindness, support, and most of all his heart which really cares about his clients. I stopped working with him at the end of 2011, and he still checks in with me to see how I'm doing when he doesn't have to.

I found the best coach I could ask for, but what I didn't expect is that I also made a great friend as well. Thanks so much Ari for all you do, and for just being you.

- Adele - Ottawa, ON


When I started working with Ari I was in the middle of a busy semester. I wanted to make up for poor previous grades so I took on a course overload. It was an ambitious and ill thought-out undertaking. I had a clear goal, to get into a rehabilitation science graduate program, and a lot of motivation but I couldn't handle so many courses at the same time and found myself in a bad situation. Ari helped me organize myself and plow through the pile of work I had to do. He helped me trouble shoot and maintain my motivation when meeting my goal seemed impossible. I'm happy to say I finished all my courses with high grades and maintained my sanity. I also learned how to set more manageable goals and better schedule my time. I was accepted into the program I wanted at several schools. The strategies Ari shared will help me in the next phase of my life as a graduate student.

- Kathleen - Toronto, ON


My name is Joseph Griffin and I am a recent graduate of Ari Petroff’s ADD coaching program. I am 33 years old, married and a father of 2. I was diagnosed with ADD in October 2009 and what a ride it has been since then. My doctor gave me two options, go on medication and or see a psychiatrist to help with CBT. Neither of these options appealed to me and actually I left his office ticked off and went home and started researching online resources for adults with ADD. I bought 3 books and read through them very quickly. I looked into some counseling programs but none of them stimulated me enough to follow through nor could I afford them. My persistence paid off as I stumbled across Ari’s website. It took me a few days before I emailed him. He got back to me promptly and set up a phone consult. I had many questions for Ari and he answered all of them like a champion. What convinced me to give him a try was his answer to my last question, “why should I choose you?” I asked. Ari said, “go with your gut man!” That was it for me. Most people don’t say that kind of stuff. Ari was speaking my language and there was an instant connection and it just felt right.

It was an incredible few months with highs and lows. Ari brings tremendous value to the process. The fact that he has ADD is huge and when you add his authenticity, willingness to be vulnerable and share his personal experiences, his knowledge of ADD, and his ability to adapt quickly to what’s relevant in your life week to week and still help you stay focused is what helped make this a life changing experience for me. I have hope that I didn’t have before. Knowing why I have struggled with so many areas of life has brought freedom and has brought more clarity than ever before. I have more awareness of behavior patterns, thought patterns and symptoms of ADD that have had a negative and positive impact on my life. Ari’s coaching has helped unlock the door to a whole new world of possibilities to my life and as a result, I have begun a process designed to discover my gifts and talents so that I can continue living from a strength based approach instead of living a life of fixing my weaknesses and compensating for them. I still struggle at times and find myself overwhelmed with the dark side of ADD symptoms, but the difference maker now is that I have tools now to help ground me during these times.

My life has been forever changed from Ari’s coaching and the journey we went on together. What Ari does, has incredible value and can change people’s lives and I hope that more people can have access to ADD coaching and experience this life changing process.

- Joe Griffin - Plattsville, ON


I'm also a university student with ADHD, and I've been working with Ari since June, 2009. It was one of the best decisions I've ever made. I contemplated and wavered back and forth after seeing him speak to us back in March, but kept putting off calling him for some reason. What? An ADHD'er procrastinating? Never, Never!! :)

I'll just say that working through the summer to get myself ready for school was something I never did before and it's really created a momentum leading into this school year where I've done more work in the first month than I probably would have done over the first four in my first 2 years. Somehow we've developed a system that works for me and if you have ADHD and are reading this, let me just say that you if you're smart and are struggling at school, you MUST call him. You have nothing to lose. It's covered by the student bursary, and he provided me with all receipts to make my claims. It's FREE for students. FREE!!! Wake up and take the chance and make the phone call. Even if it wasn't, knowing what I know now would be worth every penny (and it's not as much as I thought it would be). The cool thing is that we barely even deal with school stuff for the most part. We just work on my day to day life and creating that structure is incorporated with my school work. He's a life coach, but man does he know ADHD. He has it too. He's one of us lol. Call him, you have nothing to lose and SO much to gain.

- Gill S. (York U)


After I was first diagnosed with ADHD, I asked myself what the heck is this ADHD, and more importantly what can I do about it? I found out that coaching is one option and I said to myself “I will give it a try”. To this day I am very happy that I made that decision, I started and have been working with Ari for about 3 months now and I have to say that my life is much more organized than it was 3 months prior. I am a university student and was diagnosed with ADHD quite recently. When working with Ari, I always learn something new every-time, and now I feel more confident to answer that same question I had 3 months ago
“What is ADHD?”

I think that whether one has ADHD or not, it is a must to give it a try because the benefits of having a coach are huge. I work with Ari over the phone on a weekly basis and together we tackle some of the issues that I face on a day to day basis with regards to focus and organization, but more importantly he’s helped me develop new ways to really emphasize and pay attention to what’s working as opposed to giving “too much undeserved respect” to the areas that are not. Ari’s commitment and passion to his work is unprecedented and he really cares and tries his best to help you through some tough times. Each call really gets me recharged so that I can’t become lazy in the ways that my ADHD seems to always affect me for the negative. Working with confidence rather than focusing on what I’m not doing is a big deal for me. From my work with him I really see that ADHD is truly a hidden gift that I’ve always had, but never knew it.

- Anthony (University Student) Toronto, Ontario


After a very rough and far below GPA in University. I decided to take some time away from school to figure out what was wrong with me. I had kept in contact with a councilor at York that advised me to take an Educational Assessment test, and I found out about my Learning Disability ADHD. It took me some time to build up the confidence to go back to school, but surely enough I went back. However, by the end of my fall semester I started to detect that things were starting to go down hill despite all the effort I made to improve my performance. In my mind I was saying, "I have all the pieces to this puzzle why isn't it working." I had all types of gadgets to make things more easier for me to do, I had a daily planner to get me on the right track, but I still felt myself going down the road of failure again.

I previously attended an information session about ADHD Coaches, and thought that it really was a waste of time and money. However, I was desperate to prevent the failure I had experienced previously, and sought out Ari' help at the recommendation of one of my counselors at York. After talking to him I was really excited and motivated to get started. I thought it would take a bit of time to get it going, but his energy really was contagious and right away I was motivated to do each task he had set out for me to do each week. I like that he didn’t make me do anything, or make me feel bad if I wasn’t up for it. He never had me do anything without my agreement before we finished our calls. I was expecting these huge difficult tasks, but they actually were very small that seemed kind of pointless in the moment, but he assured me to give it time and see how important these small steps were in the long run. Ari would constantly tell me we have to break things down and build momentum. He used a lot of analogies that I could relate to rather than just telling me things and hoping that I would get it. It was really simple and casual and most of all pressure-free. Kind of like a personal trainer to overcome my difficulties from my ADD

My first task was to change the place I was studying at. I didn’t love it at face value, but when he asked how my current plan was working, it kind of made me bite me lip and say I’m going for it. We agreed that I would try going to the library at least 2 times the first week. He just said, get yourself there and commit to 1 hour. I would have never have tried something like that before. Going to the library for an hour seemed pointless, but the result was that I got myself there and once I did that, 1 hour wasn’t such a big deal that it actually led to like 3 or 4. The tasks he gave me weren't difficult but just required me to be consistent. It was around my 3rd month during a conversation with him that I really started to see how big of an improvement I had made in such a short time. He gave a great comparison to it being a form of muscle building and that the little routines were building each week. The changes were so subtle that it really didn’t feel like work most of the time. But after 3 months of following through each day we stopped to reflect on the progress I had made to that point. I was amazed how easy it was and the result that spoke loudest was that my grades improved in a big way.

The biggest thing Ari made me realize was that ADHD does not have to be a disability. If shown how to harness your potential it will become your greatest asset. Ari really helped me with getting to know more about who I am, and what I can do. Sometimes you have all the keys in your hands, Ari helped me to figure out which key is right for me. All I can say is that for anyone with ADD (or ever those without), if you’re a student and you have a bursary that covers the costs of coaching, do yourself a favour and just call him and see what it’s all about for yourself. If you work with him, it’s covered. It doesn’t make sense to not even try if you’re struggling with school and not achieving the grades that you’re there to achieve in the first place.

- Ryan James (University Student), Toronto, Ontario


When I asked my doctor about what options I had beyond medication to help me cope with my ADHD, without hesitation he gave me Ari’s business card. I called him and I remember literally knowing that he was right for me within’ the first minute talking to him. For some reason I was nervous when making the call, after all I had no idea what an ADD coach was. His positive energy and sense of humor, (not too mention he was a human ADHD encyclopedia) put me at ease right away. We connected right away and I think I made an official appointment within’ the first 10 minutes. We’re still going strong to this day. I wanted help working through my ADHD challenges when it came to school. After years of repeatedly selling myself short, we worked together to get me over the hump that I’ve known all along I had in me to do, but for some reason I just couldn’t put the pieces in place in order to follow through. I’m struggling trying to keep this short since there’s so much we’ve accomplished in such a short time. So I’ll just make this statement, and if you take anything away from this make it be this: If you have ADHD (or even if you don’t), and you aren’t satisfied with the results you’re getting in your life, at least make the phone call to find out for yourself what I want everyone to know. Ari Petroff Rocks!!! Make the call and find out for yourself.

- Hilary Hall Toronto, ON


I am a student who recently newly found about my Learning Disability/ADHD. I struggled with university a lot, and the reason I started coaching with Ari was because, I needed structure in my life. I was always all around the place, doing everything at the last minute and not prioritizing properly.

Working with Ari was more fun than work. He uses a lot of out the box ideas, expressions and metaphors. We set a time that we both commit to every week and we work an issue that I am facing. The best thing is that I'm not limited to that 45 minutes a week. Ari has made himself available anytime via e-mail and is good with responding. Ari helped break things down for me and look at things from a different perspective. He made suggestions based on my lifestyle and what I can do outside of school to improve my school life. Ari saw where I had weakness and then worked with me to improve it. For example, I usually let myself off the hook for not getting anything done. He implemented structure and made me accountable so I had to work done. I would highly recommend it to anyone who needs to implement structure in their personal or school life. With Ari's help I was able to get awesome grades (lowest was a B). If you have ADHD/LD, you just aren't able to get things done and you don't know why... CALL ARI NOW!

- Himanshu Toronto, ON


Discovering I had ADD in my early 40’s was a hard pill to swallow. I was told about ADD coaching, and that eventually led me to Ari Petroff at The Coaching ADDvantage. Prior to working with him, I was iffy because I had seen therapist before, and he immediately made me realize that this wasn't the same as when I would see my therapist. He came from a positive direction helping me realize that there are so many positive attributes I already had that were directly the result of living with ADD for 40 years. He assured me that pretty much all people tend to focus on the negative side of things and this overshadows the positives. That’s what caught me right away.

His passion for what he does resonates loud and clear right off the bat, probably because he knows what it's like to have ADD as well. The best part was that he would have me make subtle fundamental changes daily that were far from overwhelming, and the next thing I knew it was 3 months later and things were really starting to change for me. I never felt a particular moment when it happened, and that was the beauty of working with Ari…the fact that it was fun and never felt like “work.” It was great having someone neutral to work with, but mostly just to have someone to listen to me, and not make me feel like I was being judged. I could be myself and not feel intimidated in doing so. All in all I still had to take all the necessary steps to make the changes I was after, and he would help steer me, and would challenge me.

I really feel it was worth the investment in working with a coach because there’s absolutely no price I can put on how much I’ve grown since I started working with Ari. I've now been working with him for 7 months and have no desire to stop, it's that empowering and it ignites my energy to keep myself moving rather than falling back into my old less productive ways.

- S.M. Collier Whitby, ON


In the beginning of 2007, I was having difficulty sleeping, quelling strong emotions, and repeated conflict with my wife over my lack of assertiveness to defend her and our needs as a married couple when it came to my parents. I found Ari Petroff through the ADD Coaching Academy, started working with him by phone, and things haven't been the same since. He started coaching me around these issues and I discovered how my ADD, which I had felt I was already well adapted to as an adult since diagnosis in 1997, was still manifesting in other ways to cause imbalance in my life. Ari really helped me discover how my lack of clear boundaries about what I expected of my parents and how my inability to articulate those boundaries to them was a barrier to attention that was harder for me to filter out due to my ADD. He showed me that I could learn to pause long enough to identify signals when my boundaries were being violated so that I could articulate and ask for what I wanted of them. This then freed up some of the hyperactivity of negative thought patterns that had plagued my mind and allowed me to start focusing better. I am now able to maintain more positive thoughts about my parents and defend issues my wife and I both have in the family in regards to family get-togethers and time demands. This has improved my relationship with my wife and started to do the same with my parents. I truly can't thank him enough for opening my eyes to how better things can be and how calming my thoughts can be if I am more in tune with when ADD is manifesting in ways that prevent me from filtering out negative thoughts and pausing long enough to see these patterns. I have found him to be very engaging, supportive, and creative in our coaching sessions. He uses wonderful analogies to generate awareness of patterns and beliefs I was maintaining that I was unaware of. I hope that any of you reading this get as much benefit as I have from working with Ari. There is no amount of money not worth the investment in self reflection and learning to ask for what you want from life; coaching has reaped dividends tenfold and made small ripples to improve the quality of my life and I hope the same for you.

- S. C. Laguna Hills, CA

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