A recovery coach is someone who provides support to a person who has or who is recovering from addictive behaviors. A recovery coach helps a person make responsible choices, engage in positive change and see how unhelpful, addictive behaviors affect or has affected the person’s life.
Tasks of a Recovery Coach
The tasks of a recovery coach are action-oriented and focus on helping a person achieve goals, identify and stick to one’s values, create plans of action and identify strengths that can be utilized in the person’s life. A recovery coach will help a person choose recovery or at least reduce the negative consequences related to active addiction.
A recovery coach usually encourages a person to be part of a 12-step or non-12 step support group. Finding resources that aid in stopping or reducing the effects of the addiction is another task a recovery coach will help a person with. A recovery coach can be something of a general “life coach” and provides an element of accountability for the person desiring to make changes.
A recovery coach might or might not have a clinical or other type of professional credential. If the coach does not have a clinical credential, the coach does not engage in any of the tasks associated with clinical treatment such as addressing the past and processing feelings.
Types of Coaches
For a person wishing to become or who already is a recovery coach there are many training programs, certification programs and resources available. Certification and training programs are becoming more and more numerous. A recovery coach will offer paid services or will be a volunteer.
There are different types of recovery coaches; they serve different support roles. Coaches vary in formality and services offered. A recovery coach might be utilized for short-term goals, such as traveling from one place to another without relapse. Or a recovery coach might offer long-term assistance to someone wishing to make positive life changes.
Some coaches specialize in coaching only one specific type of person such as a sex addict, compulsive gambler, cocaine addict, alcoholic, ex-prisoner, etc. Each type of recovery coach is referred to by a different title depending on the service the coach offers. Just a few examples of coaching niches and titles include:
- family recovery coach
- financial coach
- legal support specialist
- recovery support specialist
- personal recovery assistant
- sober companion
- sober escort
- telephone coach
- virtual coach
No matter what the title of a recovery coach, a coach helps a person become independent, make wise decisions, plan, take action, avoid or reduce relapse and gain access to valuable resources for building a better life and a stronger recovery.
