Sophie’s Story: Becoming a Celebrant with ADHD

Sophie Stockton came to celebrancy in a fresh stage of life. She trained as a Master Celebrant with AMC while navigating ADHD, and shares what worked: mentor accommodations, self-paced structure, and the moment she found her spark of joy.

Sophie Stockton is an AMC graduate and celebrant with ADHD who trained across all three ceremony types (weddings, funerals and namings) while starting over in a fresh chapter of her life. Her story is not one of overcoming her ADHD. It is a story of what happens when a training course is built in a way that suits the way an ADHD brain actually works, and a mentor who recognises what a student needs before they have to ask.

The training let her be curious, deep-dive into the modules that lit her up, restart when life got in the way, and set her own rhythm through the practical modules with a mentor who adapted to her, not the other way round. By the time she finished, she had booked her first wedding before she had qualified.

What celebrancy training actually looked like with ADHD

Sophie enrolled on AMC’s Master Celebrant triple accreditation, the route that covers weddings, funerals and namings. She began with the funeral certification.

“I started with funerals as part of the Master Celebrant triple accreditation. The self-study modules were really accessible. There were short-answer quizzes, longer written assignments that required proper research, and explorations into cultural and religious practices I’d never studied before. It encouraged me to be curious, and I found myself diving deeper than I expected — I loved it.”

The pace was hers. Nothing about the self-study modules asked her to keep up with a cohort or sit through hours of live teaching she could not skip back through. She could hyperfocus on the reading that had her attention and come back to the rest when she was ready. She passed her assessments first time.

How my mentor built the training around my ADHD

The single most useful thing anyone did during her training happened at the start of her nine-week mentor block. Her mentor, Rosalind Miles, is a working celebrant on AMC’s mentor team, and once she knew Sophie was an ADHDer, she adjusted the whole rhythm of the mentoring around it.

“When I reached my nine-week mentor period, I worked with Rosalind from the Mentor Team, who was just wonderful. She recognised that I had ADHD and really tuned in to what I needed. Instead of one big nine-week block, we set ‘false deadlines’ so I stayed on track. Her feedback was precise, supportive, and gave me new ideas I’d never considered.”

The ‘false deadlines’ tactic is worth naming for what it is: a mentor accommodation. Rosalind broke a nine-week window into smaller, closer horizons so Sophie’s attention had something concrete to land on. It is the kind of small, targeted adjustment that makes the difference between a training programme that works with an ADHD brain and one that quietly punishes it. AMC does not have a rigid protocol for this; it has mentors who are working celebrants themselves, close enough to their students to spot what will help.

“She recognised that I had ADHD and really tuned in to what I needed.”

How the assessment format helped, not hindered me

The written assignments came with proper research. The live assessment, where Sophie delivered a ceremony to be marked by her mentor, was where the nerves lived.

“Rosalind’s written feedback was fantastic. She gently suggested different ways of writing things, offered new presentation options, and always kept me motivated. The live assessment was nerve-wracking, but with her guidance, I passed.”

Two things about that format matter for an ADHDer. First, the assessment is a live ceremony, not a timed written exam sat in silence. That format rewards the same skills the actual job requires: preparation, presence, adapting on your feet. Second, if a student needs to make multiple attempts, they can. The bar is getting to competence, not clearing it in a single window.

When life got in the way, and I timed out

The other realistic thing about training with ADHD as an adult is that life will happen. Sophie’s did.

“I timed out of my first assessment period, but AMC let me restart for a small fee. They made it so easy to pick up again. I always felt supported, not judged.”

The twelve-month completion window per certification is generous by industry standards, and the restart route means a student who runs out of time is not out of the course. For an adult learner already carrying ADHD-related shame from years of missed deadlines, being met with ‘pick up where you left off’ rather than ‘you’ve failed’ is not a small thing. When she needed extra help mid-training, Penny from the AMC team was on it fast.

“I had problems during the course and reached out to AMC. Penny responded almost immediately with advice to get me back on track. That’s what I loved — there’s always someone there to help.”

The confidence to start booking work before I’d finished

Confidence is where most ADHDer career-change stories get complicated. Years of unfinished projects, half-done qualifications and small daily doubts stack up. Sophie’s experience of the training pointed the other way.

“AMC just bolsters you. Whatever confidence you already have, it boosts it. Whatever worries you carry, it eases them. You always feel like there’s someone cheering you on. For me, it was that spark of joy I needed.”

By the end of her funeral certification she was ready to work. The wedding side came fast too.

“I’m in a fresh stage of life, starting again. Thanks to AMC, I’m already confident enough to go out and work as a funeral celebrant. I’ve even booked my first wedding before qualifying. That’s how much they empower you.”

She is clear about what she is looking forward to.

“The chance to be with people in the most vulnerable and yet wondrous moments of their lives. Helping families feel safe, laying loved ones to rest, and bringing warmth and compassion to their ceremonies, that’s what I’m excited about.”

What I’d say to another ADHDer considering training

Sophie’s advice is short and it is not a hedge.

“They are just great. Don’t be afraid to reach out. Don’t be afraid to try. AMC sparked my joy and gave me the courage to begin again.”

If there is a piece of that worth pulling out for another ADHDer weighing up whether they could do this, it is the first line. Reach out. Ask before you start about how the mentor block works, about the completion window, about the flexibility of the assessment format. The accommodations that helped Sophie are available because she asked to be seen. The training is built to flex around a student. It cannot do that for anyone who does not say what they need.

“AMC just bolsters you. Whatever confidence you already have, it boosts it. Whatever worries you carry, it eases them.”

AMC training: what the experience looks like

AMC’s celebrant training is fully online and self-paced. From the moment you enrol you have access to professionally recorded video modules, downloadable workbooks and a resource library that covers ceremony writing, cultural and religious traditions, business set-up and everything in between. You move through the modules in your own rhythm, with a twelve-month window per certification, which is enough room for life to happen without pushing you off course.

When you reach the practical stages you are paired with a dedicated mentor for one-to-one support. Your mentor is a working celebrant, not a trainer who stepped back from the field years ago. They review your scripts, give feedback on your delivery and adjust their approach to how you learn, including the sort of pacing adjustments Sophie’s mentor made for her. Weekly live Q&A sessions give you access to the wider mentor team, and AMC’s 1,700+ member community stays with you long after you graduate.

AMC is an Ofqual-registered training provider, subject to rigorous, ongoing checks against Ofqual’s quality standards, and is IAPWO Accredited™ — the first UK celebrant training provider to earn IAPWO’s international professional standard for wedding officiants. Graduates receive three months’ free Celebrant Guild membership on completion of a single certification, and six months for Master Celebrants, covering professional insurance and setting you up for a properly supported start.

What support is there after the course?

“They even think about what happens once you qualify. There’s an optional website package, all your certificates, hosting for two months, and even a listing on The Celebrant Directory, all included in your course. It’s everything you need in one package.”

This end-to-end support helps new celebrants launch their careers with confidence. Plus there’s ongoing support in our exclusive Facebook Group, and all AMC students get 3 months free access to The Celebrant Guild, which offers professional insurance, tailored CPD training, support drop-in sessions, networking opportunities and our Celebrant Hive community for the most comprehensive wrap-around support you’ll find anywhere in the industry.

Ready to find out if celebrancy is for you?

Sophie came to celebrancy in a fresh stage of life and found her spark of joy in the middle of it. If her story sounds like your own thinking, that recognition is worth paying attention to. Ask what you need to ask, then decide.

Inspired by Sophie’s story? You could be next.

Explore our Celebrant Training Programs and discover how you can build a career filled with purpose, creativity, and connection. Not sure if celebrancy is right for you? Take our Celebrant Quiz to see if you’ve got what it takes to become a modern celebrant.