I am a warm, curious, empathetic self-proclaimed nerd as I LOVE reading & learning. I love to know why things happen and why people are motivated to do the things they do. I have tapped into my love of reading, my curious nature, and my resourcefulness to answer these questions and have relied on these traits as the cornerstones of my personal and professional growth and resilience.  I feel deeply for people who are suffering and need to help and be there for others. I am community-minded and believe it is my duty to give back to society. 

My career has been an evolution from psychology, to HR and now a certified life coach with a niche in developing executive function skills (click here for more information on this).  Because of my lifelong curiosity to understand what motivates people to do things, I especially wanted answers to the questions of why some people succeed effortlessly and why some people struggle.  

I was not always this self-proclaimed nerd who loved learning. As a child, I struggled in school and I struggled with many executive function skills.  Through time and willpower, I figured out how to learn and implement the tools I needed to succeed.  My love of learning developed as I discovered things I wanted to learn about.  My desire to help people was what led me to the Human Resource profession and kept me there for close to 20 years.  Things changed when my daughter was diagnosed with Cancer and I realized I wanted to have a more profound impact on the way I was helping people. When she was later diagnosed with ADHD and 3 learning disabilities and my son became a typical teenage boy I watched both my children learn and function differently which triggered my curiosity to understand what I was witnessing.  That was when I started to learn about developing executive function skills, Self-Reg as well as some neuroscience to help me uncover the mysteries of what was happening in their brains.

I decided to apply all the knowledge I acquired through my years of researching ADHD, Learning Disabilities, developing and teaching Executive Function Skills, Self-Reg, the science behind learning, and advocating for my daughter when I became a certified life coach with the International Coaching Federation (ICF). I finally found a way to have a profound impact on the lives of others by empowering my clients to find solutions to meet their unique blend of needs. I see my clients as resourceful, whole, and capable of change and I approach each coaching relationship primarily through my empathy, calm, respect, and kindness.

Joy Gandell received her Bachelor of Arts Degree with a major in Psychology from McGill University and her Master’s of Science in Administration with a major in Management, from the John Molson School of Business. For almost 20 years she worked in Human Resources. Joy discovered a passion for executive function skills and coaching after her daughter was diagnosed with ADHD Predominantly Inattentive Presentation. She shifted her career focus and delved into the world of coaching and executive skill development. She received intensive training, obtaining certificates in the Art of Inspiring Students to Study Strategically, Empowering Students Through Coaching, and The Foundations of Self-Reg. Joy has also obtained her Associate Certified Coach level through the International Coaching Federation.    

​Today, Joy coaches students (15 years +)  and individuals on how to learn and succeed in school and/or how to achieve their critical life skills goals. She also coaches parents of children with ADHD. She is particularly passionate about training, mentoring, and coaching people on Self-Reg because she believes that success in school and life is largely dependent on the ability to self-regulate, a cornerstone to building executive function skills. 

Joy believes her clients are all resourceful, resilient, and capable of achieving the goals they set for themselves through coaching and learning how to hold themselves accountable. Through the establishment of a trusting relationship and holding a safe space for her clients, she can help them achieve the self-awareness they need to develop the strategies and action plans for success. 

Joy is a member of the International Coaching Federation and the ADHD Coaches Organization. She actively participates in professional development by participating in various training courses.

Media

Please check out the following articles where Joy Gandell has been featured or quoted.

• The Second Act Project
• NY Metro Parents
• My Tutor Source
• Authority Magazine
• Authority Magazine
• CADDAC
• UpJourney

The following resources have been curated to assist you on your journey.

Websites:

Parenting:

• Self-Reg 
• Lives In The Balance

Education:

• Edutopia
• Learning How to Learn for Youth
• Learning How to Learn for Teens & Adults

Neurodiversity:

• Understood
• Learning Disabilities Association of Canada
• Learning Disabilities Association of America

ADHD:

• CADDAC Website
• CHADD
• Attitude Magazine

ASD:

• Autism Canada
• Autism Speaks Canada
• Autism Society

Mental Health:

• The Science of Well-Being
• Self-Reg
• Lynn Lyons
• Kids Help Phone (Canada)
• Canada Suicide Prevention Service

Coaching:

• ICF Website
• ACO Website

Books:

• Self-Reg by Dr. Stuart Shanker 
• Anxious Parents Anxious Kids by Lynn Lyons:
• Smart But Scattered Series by Dr. Peg Dawson & Dr. Richard Guare
• Spark by Dr. John Ratey
• Change You Questions, Change Your Life by Dr. Marilee Adams
• Atomic Habits by James Clear
• The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg

YouTube Videos:

Go to my YouTube Channel for playlists created just for you.