My journey to executive function coaching
Understanding the impact of neurodivergence and trauma
When they say hindsight is 20/20, that is so true for me. I never realized how much I struggled to "fit in" growing up and throughout my career. I realize now that I had been masking my true self to be who I felt others wanted me to be. I also saw this struggle with my son, Matthew, who was diagnosed with ADHD early in his teen years. He refused to let anyone see his challenges and he never wanted to be singled out for any extra help. I became his executive assistant throughout high school to help him stay on task with his homework and all his sports activities.
Advocacy and insight: My personal connection
I also advocated for him with teachers, doctors, and service providers, but it was at a time when there was still not a lot of acceptance or understanding of the challenges of ADHD. If I only knew then what I know now, there would be so much more I could have done. Learning how an ADHD brain works and also how trauma shows up in our bodies has provided me with increased insights on what strategies we can use to build up our executive function skills and become more successful in our lives.
What's Behind the Name
MB20 is in reference to my son, Matthew Baraniuk, who passed away in 2020 at the age of 20. I made it my mission to learn all that I could about the neurodivergent brain as well as the impact of trauma on our bodies and mind. I want to be able to help ease the struggles of those teens, parents and young adults that need someone to be in their corner who understands their unique challenges. I believe everyone deserves the support, guidance and tools to thrive and achieve their personal, career or academic goals.
"Shari provided invaluable support for our son. Her personalized approach made a significant difference in his academic performance and overall confidence. "
A grateful parent, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan