Our recovery program can include multiple components to help us get well, and one that is growing in popularity is working with a recovery coach. Our treatment usually includes therapy, most commonly psychotherapy, traditional talk-therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapies. As treatment centers are taking on even more holistic approaches to recovery, they’re incorporating recovery coaches as some of their main care providers. Can a recovery coach really help us get and stay sober?
Recovery coaches are like counselors in that they counsel us as we’re working towards recovery, but in addition, they coach us to be able to counsel ourselves. This means they’re working with us to develop our own coping strategies and important life skills that we’ll continue to use long after we finish treatment, and that will become part of our wellness regimen. Coaches work with us in our recreational and occupational therapy programs. Similar to sponsors, they provide emotional support and guidance, and they’re there for us whenever we’re feeling down, defeated, disheartened, or nervous we’ll relapse.
Coaches also train us to be able to function independently and in good health. A recovery coach can help guide our education as we’re in recovery. They can give us great literature to explore, ideas to consider, and things to try. They can help point us in the right direction for resources and sources of support that we might need. For example, they might suggest a particular support group meeting that’s helpful to our individual issues and needs. They might suggest a certain kind of specialized therapy program. Their job is to prepare us for the next part of our journey, where we won’t have the same level of supervision and structure of an inpatient facility and will need to develop the autonomy, self-assuredness, independence, and willpower necessary to stay sober.
Recovery coaches teach us how to be conscious and intentional about how we’re approaching our sobriety. Oftentimes we’re dealing with so many different issues at once. We might be struggling with multiple forms of addiction and mental illness at the same time and be diagnosed with co-occurring disorders, adding layers of complexity to what we’re trying to heal from. We can feel overwhelmed, confused, lost and scared. When we’re in this place, we’re not always mindful of how we’re going about our recovery. We might try to take on too much, or we might become complacent. Our goals might be lofty and unrealistic, and we might need help breaking them down into manageable steps, or we might have given up on ourselves and stopped trying. We might be struggling with addictive urges that are clouding our thinking, impairing our judgment, and weakening our willpower, causing us to be even less mindful in our daily lives. Recovery coaches can help teach us intentional goal-setting and other practical and holistic methods, such as starting a daily gratitude practice, journaling, creative self-expression, meditation and other forms of mindfulness, and energy healing. They support us as we do the work, as we go to therapy, attend meetings, work with our families in family therapy, go to workshops, and heal our minds and hearts. They’re coaching us on how to live a sober life.
If you or your loved one is struggling with addiction, you are not alone. Reach out for support. The community of Riverside Recovery has personal experience with addiction and recovery, and we’re here to help you reclaim the life you love. Call (800) 871-5440 today.