Kirsten Donaghey
What I am passionate about impacts the way I coach and edit
- Taking a holistic approach and seeing connections instead of pieces
- Finding the best way forward isn't always a straight line
- Disrupting education, pedagogy
- Wellness
- The ADHD brain
- Belonging, community
- Extroverts and introverts
- Highly Sensitive People (HSP's)
- Storytelling in various genres and mediums
- Complexities of memory
- Nature as therapy
Skills and Certifications
I am an ADDCA trained and certified ADHD coach.
I studied creative writing at Humber School for the Arts, and I'm a certified Copy Editor through Editor Canada
Degree in Art History and Psychology from the University of Toronto
I have worked as an editor, writer and writing coach for over 15 years
I have received two literary grants from the Canada Council for the Arts
My Story
I’ve always been someone who sees the world a little differently - as if it were a story waiting to be written so I can better understand it. I am drawn to explore behavior patterns, beauty in nature, structure, and meaning. Whether I’m working on a piece of writing, building a creative project, or helping someone shape their own, I’m at my best when I’m immersed in the process of making— and getting out of ruts.
My academic background is in psychology and art history, and I’ve spent years working in the world of photography, writing, and editing, where I learned to hone my visual sense and my love of language. I’m someone who gets excited about aesthetics, clarity, and the magic that happens when ideas finally click into place.
But like many creatives with ADHD, I spent a long time wondering why some things felt so difficult—why I had so many ideas but couldn’t always wrangle them into form, why my energy came in bursts, and why organization felt like a moving target. It wasn’t until later in life that I was diagnosed with ADHD, and everything shifted. The diagnosis brought clarity, and a deep sadness. If only I had of known earlier.
That diagnosis didn’t just explain things—it gave me direction. I trained as a coach, and now I specialize in working with writers and creatives who are also navigating ADHD. My approach is practical, intuitive, and rooted in a deep understanding of the creative process. I help bring structure to chaos without killing the spark. I help people untangle ideas, build sustainable systems, and reconnect with their unique creative rhythm.
Coaching is the culmination of everything I love—words, insight, creativity, and forward momentum. It's where my brain thrives, and where I’ve found the most meaningful work of my life: helping other creatives understand how their minds work and finally feel at home in their process.