Recovery Coaching in Addiction Therapy

The roles of recovery coaches are becoming increasingly popular among the addiction treatment industry as the demand for addiction treatment continues to grow. Having a recovery coach available to clients is a highly valuable asset once a client is discharged from inpatient care. The recovery coach can provide their clients with a personalized aftercare plan to enable their client to succeed in maintaining their sobriety.

What is a recovery coach?

For people who suffer from substance use disorder, it can be extremely intimidating when they are discharged from an inpatient treatment center that has provided them with extensive therapy, counseling, and emotional support for an extended period of time. The role of a recovery coach is to provide clients with proper guidance, emotional support, and encouragement while they are new to the recovery process. A recovery coach will also help the individual devise a plan of action in regards to employment, housing, and finances, as well as formulating a day to day schedule to keep their client on the right path. This helps clients develop better decision making and life skills for the future.

What are some characteristics that make for a good recovery coach?

A recovery coach should ideally be in recovery themselves and have a significant amount of sobriety to ensure that they can personally relate to their clients. This is also important so the coach can understand exactly how the client is feeling and share their own life experiences in order to be of maximum service to their clients. Prospective coaches should be passionate about helping others and enjoy devoting their time to a person in need of guidance. Coaches should feel a sense of joy when they are able to help another person recover from addiction. They should take recovery seriously, as it can be a life or death matter.

How does someone become a certified recovery coach?

The International Coaching Federation (ICF) provides individuals with the basic training and certification needed to become an accredited recovery coach. This training will teach coaches how to effectively interact with clients in a thought-provoking way that can help improve one’s outlook on life as well as their aftercare recovery plan. ICF training involves at least 60 hours of coach-specific training where they will learn the appropriate counseling techniques and proper resources that will be most beneficial to the coach and their future clients as they help guide them through the recovery process.

What are the benefits of having a recovery coach?

Having access to a certified recovery coach increases the accountability of individuals who are new in recovery. Clients are responsible for regularly reporting to and checking in with their recovery coach, which provides individuals with an extra source of motivation to do the things formulated in their aftercare plan. In addition, coaches meet one on one with clients on a regular basis. This provides an intimate and safe setting for clients to discuss their progress as well as their struggles with a professional who has been through early recovery as well. This allows individuals to feel supported even after completing inpatient treatment.

Cassidy Webb is an avid writer from South Florida. She advocates spreading awareness around the disease of addiction.