The concept of Recovery Coaching has been utilized for years but it is just recently being brought back into mainstream recovery.  There are so many different ways people use the term Recovery Coach and ways organizations employ people with this title.  At RealYou Revolution we believe a Recovery Coach is someone who has gone through their own journey with addiction and can use that experience to assist others in moving through the recovery process.  We believe therapists, sponsors, and professional recovery coaches are the foundational trifecta critical in helping people turn their life around.  Below are just a few ways a coach makes the difference:

1)   Navigating the Recovery World – Recovery Coaches can get to know you and figure out which methods of treatment might be the best for you to start off with.  They also typically have connections within the Substance Use Disorder field and can assist with admissions and insurance challenges.  A good recovery coach will continue to stay in touch with treatment centers throughout the process and adjust course accordingly along the way.  They will also be the one solid link in the continuum of care, for example, guiding the client from detox to inpatient to outpatient to sober living, etc.

2)   Around the Clock Availability – Because Recovery Coaches are not therapists’ restricted by state licensure, and they are not sponsors who kindly donate their time, they should be available 24-7 when a client is in need.  This means if you are concerned about using at 1:00am and call your Recovery Coach, you should be able to expect them to answer for support.  This is a invaluable resource in the early stages of sobriety.

3)   Family Support – Addiction is a family disease.  Whether the issues are from past family troubles or the family has just gotten sick with the addicted person, there is ALWAYS work to be done here.  What good is it to send your child to treatment and not expect assistance for the rest of the family? A strong Recovery Coach will identify where the work needs to be done and connect the family with the proper resources.  Coaches can also assign specific activities for various family members to work on in accordance with areas needing attention.

4)   Power of Example – A Recovery Coach should be all of the things that one aspires to be.  While no one is perfect, a strong coach will be healthy, fit, confident, happy, and well balanced.  There are obvious benefits to spending time with a coach who has their life together, who is thriving day to day, and is a living breathing example of what is possible in recovery. Putting down the drink or drug may be enough for some, but it is not TRULY living in recovery where one is growing and learning at all times and reaching their highest potential.

5)    Judgment Free Zone – Many people who struggle with addictive behaviors also have issues with beating themselves up and self worth.  What they aren’t used to is unconditional listening and support.  A Recovery Coach is a safe person the client can trust and go to for anything.  If a client relapses, their recovery coach should be one of their first calls knowing it will provide the assistance needed and not a scolding.  There is a time and a place for everything and coaches understand this well.

RealYou Revolution, LLC. is New England's premier resource for cutting edge substance use disorder services.

Advanced Intervention - Sober Companions - Recovery Coaches - Family Support Services Case Management -DUI/OUI Support - Anger Management Assistance - Self Esteem Development - Anxiety Management

I have had exercise induced asthma my entire life and when I get a cold it stops me in my tracks.  I cough so bad that I become scared to move for fear of aggravating it.  As someone in recovery who has given up any external chemicals for stress release, exercise is a critical piece of my life.  A good workout releases the same chemicals that make us feel good from drinking or drug use.  Well, due to the cough, it had basically been a month since my last workout.  Here is the deal, I could have done more yoga, I could have lifted weights, but I still struggle with all or nothing, black or white behavior. Regardless of what I should have done, the fact of the matter is I didn’t, and then became faced with the “Getting Started Again” dilemma, as I have been so many times in my life.  What I have come to realize is that in the Getting Started phase, I morph back into a young girl, probably about 13 years old who is terrified of letting any of her coaches down.  I remember being taken off the field at 14 in the softball world series for dropping a ball.  I can’t even count the times I had been yelled at or berated by a coach in all my years playing sports.  I was on my way to a new kickboxing class today for day one and the good old motor in my head started up with a vengeance. “Maybe I can start tomorrow”, If I don’t like the vibe there I won’t go back”, “I’m walking 3 miles today isn’t that enough?”.  I can’t tell you how close I was to skipping class.  But I know better these days.  FEAR for me means F#!k Everything And Run, and I am a runner.  What I know now is that every day I continue to run, and this applies to anything in life, the more difficult it becomes to get back to where I started.  I went into that class today, and the woman at the front desk was rude, I was terrified everyone was in better shape than me, and I was scared I looked stupid, but I smiled and I finished the class.  It makes me sad when I think of that little girl who is still playing small in some ways and is scared to push through her fears entirely.  It makes me sad that a collegiate athlete could still have so many horrible things to say to herself when it comes to fitness.  But now I work on progress and not perfection and that means I address myself with firm compassion.  Feelings are not facts.  It’s completely ok to be scared, but it’s not ok to run.  There is no excuse at this point in the game.  Every second I deny myself the opportunity to face a fear I am chipping away at my self worth and digging a great big hole in my self esteem.  Now I am good to go back to working out instead of making it two months, or even three of avoiding it.  Just remember, as Jack Canfield says, everything you want is on the other side of fear!!!


RealYou Revolution, LLC. is New England's premier resource for cutting edge substance use disorder services.

Advanced Intervention - Sober Companions - Recovery Coaches - Family Support Services Case Management -DUI/OUI Support - Anger Management Assistance - Food Addiction -Self Esteem Development - Anxiety Managemen

There are numerous ways that those of us with addictive behaviors and tendencies continue to self-sabotage, long after a drink or drug is out of the picture.  One such way is when we over promise and under deliver.  If you do this, make the commitment to yourself to stop IMMEDIATELY, like this minute. Stop pretending that people can’t see through your BS.  Doing this is a direct reflection of your self-worth and how you show up to life.  If you make commitments and don’t stick to your word, if you say you will be somewhere at a certain time and show up late, you are really saying, “ Well, self, I don’t think we are worthy of follow through, so therefore nothing else in our life is either.”  Let’s also take into consideration respect for the other parties involved.  Your word is your bond not only to others but also to yourself.  I have known many people working on recovery who are chronically late or don’t do what they say they will do.  Your inability to set healthy boundaries with yourself and others such as “ I need to go now or I’m going to be late for my plans” is really giving a big fat F-You to the person you are late to.

So how do we fix this you ask?  Make the commitment from this point forward to under promise and over deliver, and work on it.  When we are not in active addiction it is imperative for the motor between our ears to quiet down and  slow down.  Once we slow ourselves down, it becomes easier to maintain a schedule and know when to say “yes” and when to say “NO”.  If it’s not a “Hell Yes” it should be a “Hell NO”! You can do it! Progress, not perfection!



RealYou Revolution, LLC. is New England's premier resource for cutting edge substance use disorder services.

Advanced Intervention - Sober Companions - Recovery Coaches - Family Support Services Case Management -DUI/OUI Support - Anger Management Assistance - Food Addiction -Self Esteem Development - Anxiety Management