SOME THOUGHTS ON RECOVERY COACHING
As with many of you, I have set some goals for myself for 2010. One of them is to be far more actively engaged in my life mission, and that is to be of service to others and to do my part in helping increase the rate of success in recovery.
I coach, plain and simple, and the results achieved by those I have worked with indicate a high success rate. I am not a therapist or addiction counsellor, I am a recovered addict professionally trained and experienced in coaching success. Folks, I can tell you from first hand knowledge, coaching is not well understood and I hope you find some enlightenment in this blog!
Each time I write anything relating to coaching I get blow back about self-promotion, money making, veering away from what is tried and true and the like. I accept that some feel this way. That being said, anyone who has taken the time to look through my site (www.hopeserenity.ca) will see the statement that no one is turned down for financial reasons. This has been, and will continue to be, a part of my practise. I ask no more, and often far less, than what was being spent on active addiction and operate as a not for profit.
I am an active member of a 12 step fellowship and have been for years. I work the steps as best I can on a daily basis and incorporate the steps into my coaching practise. Is there a healthier way for people to live? I work with people, who for whatever there reason, chose not to go to groups or need more. Their reasons for engaging a coach (as were mine) are their reasons. The ultimate goal is individual success. Whatever works is the RIGHT WAY for the individual that succeeds, and there is no ONE RIGHT WAY!!
A few things I do want to share because I think they might be important to some who read this. If not for them, then for someone they know.
-Addiction is a chronic relapsing disease. But does it have to be? When problems with alcohol and other drugs are characterized as chronic relapsing it is then considered normal to drink and drug again. It’s considered normal to go through detox and treatment again at great cost. Addiction may be a disease, but is it necessary to chronically relapse?
Recovery Coaches don’t think so. We believe that with the support of a coach people don’t have to relapse. That means they don’t have to experience loss of health, problems at work, disappointment of family, or problems with the law that often accompany relapse. They don’t have to bear the cost of repeated treatment. Recovery Coaching helps protect your investment in treatment by preventing relapse, and helps those who have relapsed prevent harm and get turned around.
Are you saying that there is a shift away from primary treatment? Not exactly. Many people who are experiencing addiction will need detox and treatment, but they will also need support when they get out. Crisis stabilization is not enough. There must be support after treatment—otherwise three out of four people typically relapse. That’s why the emphasis is shifting to recovery support. We all know that staying in recovery isn’t easy and that people with addictions often have complicated lives. That’s why having a Recovery Coach makes such a difference. Whether you need help managing money or meds, Recovery Coaches help you stay in recovery and make recovery worth it.
What is Recovery Coaching like? It’s like having someone smart in your life that cares about you and believes in you and wants to help you with whatever is important to you. That could be getting a job, quitting smoking, doing something about food, sex, internet habits etc. Or finally exercising more, managing your money better, or getting out a relationship that no longer works, or doing something to have more fun. Recovery Coaches help you enjoy life and take care of things before they become stressful. So you aren’t in danger of relapse because you feel good about your life. It is a co-creative holistic approach to life.
Can you work with someone who is still using? Yes, if they can show up for the calls and take positive action between the calls. Recovery Coaches only take clients who we believe can benefit from coaching. We don’t diagnose nor offer treatment, but we do help clients get ready for treatment, or create a harm reduction plan, or face their life challenges when they come home from treatment.
“I thought Recovery Coaching would be quite clinical. I would be the patient and the coach would work on “how to fix Jen.” It wasn’t like that. My coach helped me know that I have all the answers, and we are working together to come up with the best solutions for me. I like that my Recovery Coach understands my twisted scary brain and world and helps me with my beliefs and family. Having a coach is having someone who sees the best in you and roots for you but doesn’t buy your bullshit. Your coach knows what you are capable of and helps you become it. I’m surprised how useful coaching is. It applies to my family, my business, and my own self-esteem. It saves me grief because with my coach I troubleshoot and go over things before they come up. I avoid the pitfalls that way. I think everyone leaving treatment should have a Recovery Coach because we all need someone to walk with us down the dark scary road of recovery.” —Jenifer B.
Tags: ICF Certified Life And Addictions Coach
