Christelle Jorge, MS
ADHD Life Coach and Educator
Hi, I’m Christelle.
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I'm an ADHD Life Coach and late-diagnosed ADHDer. I help individuals with ADHD (diagnosed or not) identify their strengths and develop personalized strategies so they feel empowered and confident in managing their challenges, such as emotional regulation, impulsivity, and overwhelm.
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I've been working in the mental and physical health industry since 2004. Today, I offer my services to adults and college students with ADHD on Maui and online.
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I live on Maui with my mini dachshund, Luna, and my parrot, Joey. I am the mom of a young adult also diagnosed with ADHD. When I’m not coaching, I enjoy traveling, writing, and painting. You can find me working in my favorite coffee shop or reading at the beach.
My ADHD Journey: from diagnosis to coaching
At the age of 50, I was diagnosed with inattentive ADHD after my daughter insisted that I get an assessment. It was a time in my life when even using my masking skills was not sufficient to hide my struggles. With the validation of the diagnosis, suddenly, my whole life made sense: the social anxiety at a young age, the academic difficulties in high school, the various training I had undergone and the ones I didn't complete, the multiple careers, the risk-taking, the breakups, and the list goes on. All the labels I received, such as unstable, intense, on-off, and daydreamer, were just not true. All these comments, or worse, these judgments, were not a reflection of who I am. They were not flaws like I learned to believe; they were just symptoms of unmanaged and misunderstood ADHD.
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The diagnosis came as a liberation: all along, there was nothing wrong with me. With education and coaching, I could learn to manage my symptoms, but mostly learn to love myself for who I am with my unique brain.
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From the moment I understood I had ADHD and then the diagnosis, I spent all my time studying it: reading books and articles, watching webinars, and taking courses. I wanted to understand for myself, but I also knew that I wanted to be the help I had wished for all these years when I felt I was not good enough, when I thought I was broken.
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Because I was already a Life Coach, the choice was evident to me that I was going to specialize in ADHD to become an ADHD coach.
My Story
I was born and raised in France by a French mom and a Portuguese dad. I worked as a software engineer for ten years before leaving everything to explore the world and try a different path than the one that was decided for me.​
Since the day I left France in 2003, I've been following many dreams one chapter at a time. I've stayed in China and India for several months studying Yoga. I lived in Montreal, where I became an Assisted Animal Therapist for people with HIV, recovering from addiction. I spent a year in London, Ontario, where I reconnected with horses. I lived in San Francisco for a few years, where I became a Yoga therapist, primarily working with HIV patients. I also worked at a shelter for dogs and cats. It's only when I came to the island of Maui, Hawaii, in 2010 that I felt the pull to make it my home. Maui became my safe place on earth, surrounded by beauty, warmth, and nature, where I was going to raise my daughter. I started working as a Yoga therapist, but soon I missed the contact with animals, so I became an equine massage therapist while being a ranch manager, where I took care of more than twenty horses. I returned to teaching Yoga and eventually opened my own Yoga studio. Later, I also added health and life coaching services.
In 2020, my daughter inspired me to push myself to explore my passions. We started having watercolor painting dates, and I haven't stopped painting since then. My main subject has been animals, my guardians. At the same time, I also finished writing the first draft of my novella. I've always loved art and writing, but I never thought I was good enough until my daughter believed in me and showed me I could.
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Today, I am thrilled to use my experience and knowledge I've acquired in mental and physical health over the last 20 years to support people with ADHD in their journey towards a fulfilled life. My approach is deeply rooted in mindfulness and self-respect. My goal is to create a safe space where my clients feel understood, accepted, and supported, regardless of where they are in their journey.
My Education, Training and Certifications
Completed ADHD Life Coach Training (ADD Coach Academy)
ADHD Specialist Certification Course (PESI)
Certified Life Coach (Health Coach Institute) with additional certification in Therapeutic Art
Certified Health Coach (Health Coach Institute)
Certified Yoga Therapist (International Association of Yoga Therapists)
Certified Yoga Teacher (Iyengar Yoga Institute of San Francisco)
Animal Assisted Therapist (Ecole Internationale de Zootherapie, Montreal, Canada)
Master of Science (EPSI, France)
I'm a professional member of:
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ICF (International Coaching Federation)
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ACO (ADHD Coaches Organization)
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CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder)
Contact
I'm always happy to hear from you.
Let's connect.
808-419-1725