About
Who I Am (& Why I Do This)
When I was a kid, I knew I didn't function like everyone else. Life felt confusing and overwhelming in ways I couldn't explain — and I remember thinking that growing up would eventually "fix" that. It didn't quite work out that way.
I was diagnosed with ADHD as a child, back when AuDHD (dual autism and ADHD) wasn't even a recognized concept yet. So I did what so many of us do — I learned to camouflage. I studied what was "acceptable," performed it well, and got through school looking like I had it together.
My twenties became a cycle of quietly rebuilding myself, over and over, without really understanding why I kept having to. At 25, I was diagnosed with autism — and spent the next six years unlearning everything I thought life was supposed to look like, and redefining it around who I actually am.
Eventually, I made the decision to leave the corporate world entirely and build a life — and a career — that actually fit my wiring. That's how my writing and coaching work began.
This is why I do what I do.
At every stage — as a kid, through the tangled years of adolescence, and into adulthood — neurodivergent people are handed a neurotypical rulebook and told to make it work. I spent most of my life trying to do exactly that. My purpose now is to offer the kind of support I always wished I'd had: someone who actually gets it, walking alongside you instead of handing you a script that was never built for your brain.
Life became genuinely manageable once I learned the language of my own functioning — and started taking real, tangible steps toward a life that could sustain me. That's the work I now do with my clients, meeting them wherever they are: one-on-one coaching, tailored packages, or ongoing maintenance support, built around real life, not theory.
Services
What Does Coaching Look Like With Me?
One-on-one coaching is for anyone who is diagnosed with Autism and/or ADHD, or who strongly suspects they are — you don't need a formal diagnosis. Our work meets you wherever you are, whatever "figuring it out" looks like for you right now.
I work with a range of neurodivergent clients and situations, including:
- Neurodivergent adults ready to take insight and actually apply it to daily life — executive functioning, sensory management, burnout prevention, boundaries, and self-advocacy.
- Parents of neurodivergent kids — supporting your own functioning while learning to guide your child the way every neurodivergent child deserves: with understanding, not correction.
- Neurodivergent couples and neurodiverse/neurotypical relationships, learning to navigate and thrive in a beautifully "neurospicy" home.
- Those ready to leave a neurotypical career path to build their own business or creative venture, on their own terms.
- Those staying in their current role, looking to feel genuinely empowered at work — so the end of the day feels like real, consistent progress, not just survival.
Wherever you fall on this list — or even if you don't quite see yourself in it yet — coaching is built around your life, not a neurotypical template.
Work With Me
How Do We Begin?
I believe in authenticity above everything — so that's exactly where we start.
Our first meeting (via Zoom, or in person if you're in the Midlands) is a relaxed, easy conversation. We'll talk through the challenges you're facing, the goals you're working toward, and get a feel for whether we're the right fit for each other.
If it feels right, wonderful — there's a long and rewarding road ahead of us. Together we'll build a path toward your goals, in a journey that's action-oriented, safe, and genuinely supportive.
From there, it's up to you how that journey looks: a 6-week package, a 3-month package, or ongoing maintenance support once you've built your foundation.
Ready to take the first step?
Book your free 30-minute consultation today via WhatsApp, or through the booking form below. (I schedule calls into set time blocks — a small accommodation for my own autism needs, and one I imagine you'll understand.)
I know that first step can feel daunting. If you're not quite ready to book, have a look through the FAQs, or send me a message via the form — no pressure, just an open door.
I'm based in the Midlands, KwaZulu-Natal, with both online and in-person meetings available.
Above everything, I believe in neurodiversity.
I understand the struggles — deeply. But I also understand the incredible strengths that come with how we're wired. It's never too late to build yourself, and your life, according to your own neurodistinctiveness.
Contact
Let's Talk
Not sure where to start? That's okay. Send me a message and we'll figure it out together.
Reach out via WhatsApp, the contact form, or check the FAQs if you're still finding your footing.
Business Hours
Monday: Friday: 09h00 – 16h00
Saturday: By appointment only
Sunday: Closed
Frequently Asked Questions
Please reach me at nera@neracoaching.co.za if you cannot find an answer to your question.
Honestly? A lot of traditional life coaching just wasn't built with brains like ours in mind. It leans heavily on things like "just build better habits," "stay consistent," "push through the resistance" — advice that can leave AuDHD folk feeling even more like something's wrong with them when it doesn't work. (Spoiler: nothing's wrong with you.)
Coaching with me starts from a completely different place — your way of thinking, feeling, and moving through the world isn't a problem to solve. It's the starting point we build from, not something we're trying to override.
In practice, that looks like:
- Understanding before strategy: Before we talk tools, I want to understand how your brain actually works including your sensory world, your energy patterns, what lights you up and what shuts you down.
- No more forcing yourself into boxes: If a routine, system, or "should" isn't working, we don't assume it's you failing, we assume it's the wrong fit, and we find another way.
- Space for the messy, nonlinear stuff: Time blindness, burnout, masking, rejection sensitivity, the AuDHD tug-of-war between needing routine and needing novelty — all of it is welcome here and something I live with myself, it’s not something to push past.
- Compassion first, always: So many of us come into this carrying years of self-blame. Part of this journey is simply learning to trust yourself again.
At its heart, this is coaching that actually sees you — not a version of you that's easier to coach.
No. You don't need a formal diagnosis to work with me. Self-identified, exploring the possibility, waiting on an assessment (that waitlist is no joke), or diagnosed years ago — wherever you're at, you're welcome here.
Just to be clear: I'm not able to give you a diagnosis. That's not where my qualifications or expertise lie, and it's not what this work is about. However, a diagnosis isn't a prerequisite for understanding yourself, building strategies that fit you, or moving toward the future you want. You already know your own experience and that's enough to for us to start.
So whether a diagnosis is part of your journey or not, we can still get to work on building you— your self-understanding, your systems, your confidence — right now.
This is such a good question, and an important one. Therapy tends to look backward — it's about healing, processing past experiences, and working through mental health conditions, often with someone qualified to diagnose and treat those conditions clinically. I was there for many years, myself.
Coaching looks forward. We're not digging into "why" as much as we're focused on "what now" — building strategies, understanding your brain, and moving toward the life and future you actually want. Think of it less as fixing something broken and more as building on the foundation you already have.
If you're currently in therapy, that's absolutely fine — many clients work with both, and the two can complement each other beautifully. And if something comes up in our sessions that feels like it needs more clinical support, I'll always be honest with you about that and help you find the right path.
Honestly, it varies — and that's kind of the point. Some sessions are focused and strategy-driven, working through a specific challenge or goal. Others are more free-flowing, especially if something's come up that you need space to think through out loud.
There's no script you need to follow and no pressure to "perform" or have it all together. If you show up dysregulated, overwhelmed, or not sure what you even want to talk about, that's okay — we work with wherever you're at that day. And if life happens and you need to reschedule, that's completely fine too. No shame, no stress about it.
My aim is for sessions to feel less like a rigid appointment and more like a space where you can actually think and be yourself.
That's more than enough to start. Truly. So many AuDHD folk feel stuck before they even begin, because they think they need a clear goal or a tidy explanation before they're "allowed" to ask for help. You don't.
"Something feels hard" is a completely valid place to start a conversation. Part of what we do together is figure out what's actually going on underneath that feeling — and often, just naming it is the first real relief. You don't need to have the answers before you reach out.
That's what the complimentary consultation is for.
Absolutely. I cannot emphasize this enough.
Everything you share with me stays between us. I know how much it matters to feel safe being honest, especially if you've had experiences in the past of being dismissed, misunderstood, or having your words used against you. That safety is something I take very seriously.
If you ever have questions about how I handle your information, just ask — I'm happy to talk it through.
The first step is a complimentary coaching consultation — no pressure, no commitment, just a conversation. You can book yours via WhatsApp or through my contact form.
This is our chance to chat about where you're at, what you're looking for, and explore whether we're the right fit for each other. Coaching is a personal relationship, so it's important we both feel good about working together before diving in.
This website uses cookies.
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.