My 18-year-old nephew, who is on the spectrum with ADHD, has been working in a coaching and mentoring relationship with Sam Taylor since October, 2020. Sam has truly gone over and above, and my nephew is a very challenging case! Sam is very supportive and has helped my nephew with learning basic life skills – like showing up and being accountable, organizing your day and week to get things done. Sam is always right there and an excellent role model for his clients. He is passionate about the work he’s doing to make a positive impact on people’s lives. He’s supportive yet firm. And when the client falls down, he helps them get back up and understand where they went off track.
In the first several months of working with Sam, my nephew has made notable progress. We are optimistic that he may be able to start college in the fall of 2021. He’s gotten his first job and is learning the skills to become a responsible young adult.
People like my nephew need a lot of love and support, and I view Sam as an important pillar of support. While we have a long journey ahead, I’m very thankful to have connected with LaMountain Coaching. Sam is an outstanding young man. He truly has the gift for this work. His coaching and mentoring is creating a positive impact on my nephew’s life.
BC – Uncle of 18 year-old High School Graduate
Camille is the most dedicated coach/therapist I have ever encountered. She spends a great deal of time, often uncompensated, getting to know her students well. Her training as a therapist informs her as she dives into the deep background of students to determine what’s driving or impeding them.
Camille is an expert in ADHD and many other psych issues, and offers concrete suggestions for success to both students and their parents. This goes far beyond simple study habits; often they include vitally important life skills. She offers plain talk to her students and sometimes dishes out some tough love, yet it is always coated in a compassionate tone.
Students who take advantage of her coaching and other skills make great strides. In many cases, I am sure that Camille is the difference between failure and success.
KR – Father of Virginia Commonwealth University Freshman
I highly recommend Camille Harris as a Coach for any student/adult with organizational problems. Camille is dedicated and compassionate to her clients. She is both nurturing and demanding. On numerous occasions, in the short time she has worked with my son, she has gone above and beyond the call of duty. She has taken the time to get to know my son’s issues, to work with him to set goals (both long and short term) and to hold him accountable.
Camille began working with my college age son in early May of 2013. It was Camille who discovered, during exam week, that he had not submitted numerous papers for the three classes he was taking. Camille worked endlessly with him, having him obtain extensions where possible and getting him to complete and submit assignments in order to successfully complete each of his courses.
During the summer, Camille worked with my son to organize his daily schedule, planning out time for class, studying, meals, personal exercise and relaxation. She monitored assignments for the two summer school sessions, and assisted in editing his papers. In addition, she coached him thorough some very complicated academic situations and, when necessary, intervened with faculty on his behalf. His grades for his summer classes were A and B.
Camille continues working to get my son to make positive changes in the organization of his life, and we expect that her continued coaching will result in his successful completion of his collegiate studies.
SC – Parent of Virginia Commonwealth University Senior
Ms. Harris’s experiences as a teacher and counselor bring a gamut of knowledge to understand and help the students under her guidance. She is extremely motivated to help students acquire the skills that they need to succeed. Her caring demeanor is evident in her dealings with the students. She makes sure to know what services are available to students at the university and guide students to understand the need to use those services for their welfare and success. She is trustworthy and diligent in her work with the students and making students understand that parents are part of the process as well because it is their interest in the welfare of their son/daughter that has sought her services.
WJG and MVD – Parents of Virginia Commonwealth University Sophomore
As parents, we sought the help of Dennis LaMountain, as we were concerned that maybe our son could not handle the demands of college because of his ADHD. In high school, we were provided with a team of teachers who met regularly to keep our son on track. If assignments were not turned in or if he had other issues, we were alerted in a timely manner by his teachers. When our son became a legal adult and went off to college, we were left out of the loop regarding his communications. In his first semester of college, he had to drop two classes in which he had F’s. His remaining grades averaged 1.33 (F, D and B) at the end of the semester.
In short, our son’s first semester at college was a disaster. Over Christmas break, I called LaMountain & Associates to seek help. Dennis LaMountain began coaching our son at the beginning of his second semester, and the results were dramatic. Our son was taking 14 hours (including a 4-credit calculus course), and he ended his second semester with a 3.1 GPA. Additionally, he obtained an 89% average on three of his courses, so he was extremely close to getting A’s in several classes.
Our son has difficulty with executive functions: staying on a good daily schedule, being organized, and reading emails regularly. Because of sleep irregularities, he sometimes inadvertently sleeps through a class.
In the beginning of their coaching relationship, Dennis and our son met with one of his teachers and with his advisor to help our son get back on track. Dennis helped our son learn to be his own advocate in working with his teachers. He encouraged him to meet with them and to seek help when he was confused on assignments.
Dennis was instrumental in helping our son turn things around. We will be talking with Dennis over the summer to discuss a possible change in majors, and we plan to use him as a coach for our son in future years.
LM – Parent of Virginia Commonwealth University Freshman
As the parent of a college sophomore, we found Camille to be a caring, professional counselor and coach with assisting in organizational skills, study habits, and prioritizing overall well-being for managing one’s life. We highly recommend her services and program to any young adult who is struggling with these kinds of challenges.
PL – Parent of Penn State University Sophomore
I highly recommend Dennis to any parent whose child is disorganized and/or has attention problems that negatively affect his/her college schoolwork. Dennis was instrumental in my son’s successful completion of college. He worked patiently and attentively with my son during his last year in college, monitoring assignments and providing organizational skills that my son was able to carry with him into the working world. Without Dennis’s assistance, I am sure my son would not be where he is today.
SC – Parent of Virginia Commonwealth University Graduate
As a mental health professional, with a strong background in ADHD and its often related issues, I can unequivocally say that Camille has an excellent understanding of the challenges that face young people as they try to complete the tasks necessary to move forward (school, personal, professional) and orient themselves toward the future. She also has the ability to connect well with students and to give them the encouragement they need as well as the kind push they often require.
My son had encountered various obstacles during his years in college and Camille was able to help him through a very difficult period and one in which the potential negative outcomes could have had a huge impact. Instead, they worked together and she was able to help him think about his role in a positive way, establish helpful habits and monitor himself so that he could reach his goals. I am grateful that he had someone to work with who showed both strength and genuine caring. Thank you, Camille!
AAD – Parent of College of William and Mary Senior
My son has been diagnosed with severe ADD. During his freshman year in college, the academic demands came to a crossroads with his severe ADD and he was placed on academic warning – the step before probation – and had to interrupt his college studies. Fortunately, we became acquainted with Camille Harris. Through her efforts and guidance, my son’s college academic career was resurrected, to the point where he made Dean’s List for three different semesters.
While I imagine Ms. Harris coaches others, my family and I have always felt that Ms. Harris was focused solely on my son and dedicated to his success. That my son is on track now to graduate from college in the very near future and embark on a career is attributable directly to Ms. Harris’ coaching.
I can’t say enough for everything Ms. Harris has done for our son and our family; we were blessed the day we found out about her.
BG – Parent of Virginia Commonwealth University Senior
Written to Camille
THANK YOU SO MUCH for your informative email and your update on (our son). Thank you for coaching him on Accommodations/Tutors and on registering for a 5th class and for everything else you did with/for him!!! I think he learned so much from you.
NM – Parent of Virginia Commonwealth University Sophomore
Written to Camille
We are all very happy with the success achieved by (our son) this past semester. I can’t thank you enough for getting (our son’s) higher education back on track.
WJG – Parent of Virginia Commonwealth University Sophomore
Written to Camille
Thank you for your support. I think it was a blessing to find you because you have been instrumental in helping a bright kid to succeed and to feel good about his abilities. I think this is the lesson for (our son) – that with enough structure in his life, he can accomplish what he wants and that it is OK to have people around him to help him on the “peripheral” stuff, but he was the one who did the work, he was the one who earned those grades, and they are his forever.
(Our son) should be proud of himself as we are of him, for following through with the recommendations, with the accommodations, studying hard, controlling playing computer games…
I am sure as (our son) looks back he can see that the satisfaction of doing well is greater than the satisfaction that having a “fun” time all the time gives him. I hope he searches for this kind of happiness inside him for the years to come to continue on whatever path of education and work he chooses.
Good job to (our son) and to you, Ms. Harris. You can also feel proud of yourself for being able to guide (our son) to his success in a way that worked for him. Every child is different and you found the way to work with our wonderful and special son. Thank you for accepting the challenge and for all the time you have dedicated to understand him, understand his thinking, and his needs.
MVD – Parent of Virginia Commonwealth University Sophomore
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