What is your personal definition of a recovery coach?
My personal definition of Recovery Coaching is, a trained professional who uses one’s own personal experience and education to work with individuals to assist, guide and help them remove personal and environmental obstacles to recovery. Progressive Recovery Coach serves as a personal guide, mentor, motivator, confidant, truth-teller, problem solver, advocate and community organizer to establish support networks, that will then become the basis of a plan for building out an individual’s Recovery Capital. Progressive Recovery Coach can work with any individual regardless of where they fall in the “Stages of Change”. Coaching engagements typically start with individuals who are contemplating recovery or are in the preparation stage of leaving treatment or those participating in an outpatient program who want to make a change in their life.
Can you please describe how recovery coaching impacts an individual’s recovery?
Connection is one of the most valuable impacts I feel that our Progressive Recovery Coaches have on an individual’s recovery. All of our coaches have experienced their own substance use disorders and recovery, and so they are able to connect with clients on a personal level to understand and identify with what they are going through. We work with clients on a daily basis to help them establish habits and behaviors that encourage and reinforce a healthy lifestyle. Our coaches help our clients navigate through various challenges and connect them to different types of recovery resources and activities, including support groups, therapists, psychiatrists, treatment centers, and exercise facilities. Coaches assist clients in gaining sturdy support structures, helping them through the overwhelming choices and decisions they are facing. Progressive Recovery Coaches are there to walk side by side with them to develop goals and utilize the client’s own strengths and resources to make decisions in all areas of their life as they begin that transition into recovery and a life of sustained wellness.
