Pippa Simou
BA (Hons) PGCE, MSc, CPsychol, MBPsS, ICF
My ADHD journey began when our son was diagnosed with the condition when he was at Primary School. I found help and support online and from a local Hertfordshire charity The ADD-vance ADHD and Autism Trust * (http://www.add-vance.org). I attended a ‘Time Out for ADHD’ six-week course and accessed parental coaching within the first year which transformed our family’s experience. It was a steep, but welcome, learning curve as it brought understanding, shining a light on the nature of the condition.
From that time I have been a supporter of the ADHD Foundation and have attended most of their annual conferences. It was here I was introduced to QbTech (http://www.qbtech.com), the company that developed QbCheck. Although I was aware I struggled with attention and could be quite impulsive, I did not suspect that I had ADHD until I undertook the QbCheck out of interest and discovered my symptoms were very high compared to my peers. This led to a formal diagnosis in 2017 and to our teenage daughter being assessed and diagnosed with ADHD following her own QbCheck. Late diagnoses such as these are too often the case for many girls and women with the condition and this can be very damaging. Many internalise their ADHD symptoms and end up developing a range of mental health conditions because their ADHD was never recognised or supported. I am passionate about using my experience to help girls and women in particular grow into their symptoms and learn to see ADHD as a strength, fuelling their drive and success.
My professional background is in education: I have over 20 years’ experience as a classroom teacher in a variety of secondary settings from mixed comprehensives to an independent boarding school. In addition to my teaching, I have held both pastoral and academic responsibilities and have been a GCSE and A Level examiner. I enjoyed positive relationships with my students and found working alongside young people a great privilege and very rewarding. Locally, I worked at both Presdales School (2005-2012) and Haileybury College (2012-2016). I left teaching in 2016 to allow more flexibility to support my children with their learning and shortly after I began work with ADD-vance as a Trainer and a Parental Coach. The ADD-vantage was established in 2020 to allow me to focus on supporting girls and women with ADHD. The majority of my work is one to one coaching or mentoring, but in addition I run workshops and train professionals. In 2021 I completed an MSc in Psychology (Distinction) from the University of Hertfordshire to support this work and in 2024 completed Level 8 qualification to gain full Chartered Coaching Psychologist status through the British Psychological Society. I apply my understanding of psychological theories of human functioning and behaviour, as well as my specialist knowledge of ADHD to facilitate the best outcomes for my clients.
I am a member of the British Psychological Society and as such I am committed to meeting the professional standards outlined in their Code of Ethics – Link here
Pippa Simou – Keynote Speaker Bio
If you are interested in booking Pippa as your Keynote speaker or Podcast Guest, please email into info@TheAdd-Vantage.co.uk
For Pippa’s Speaker Bio, please click here speaker profile
*For clarity, The ADD-vance ADHD and Autism Trust (registered Charity No. 158968) is a completely separate organisation that has been in existence since 1996. The ADD-vance ADHD and Autism Trust continues to operate from it’s office in Hertfordshire, supporting families of children with ADHD and/or Autism and the professionals involved in their care.