Addiction thrives in isolation.  Isolation is often what pulls an addict into relapse. You’re lonely and isolating, so out comes the laptop or phone and hours go by and you’re deep in your addictive behaviors. Recovery coaching opens up a huge toolbox to prevent isolation and loneliness. 

A Recovery Coach is not a sponsor, therapist, or physician. Sponsors from 12-step programs are not paid, not professional, and encourage abstinence from addictions by advocating the use of a specific 12-step program. Recovery Coaches can suggest a wide variety of pathways to recovery. The Recovery Coach encourages the recoverree to select their path and works with their recoveree through that selection. (Recovery Coaches International).

Therapists focus on how past unresolved issues affect the present. While this information can inform a recovery coach’s advice, coaching focuses on the present and what can be accomplished today to move the recoveree forward. 

Your Recovery Coach will not be your accountability partner, but will help you establish accountability parameters and check on your progress. This is simlar to how a physician will not follow you around, track your eating habits and call you out if you eat too many donuts, but will notice that you’ve gained some weight or your cholestrol has gone up and advise you to eat healthier.

There are a number of recovery coaches that focus on sex and pornography addiction, and we each have our own background, style, and personality. After several appointments with your coach, you can determine whether an individual coach is a good fit. 

However: It is important to not change a coach because you feel the coach is advising you to do things that you know are for your own benefit, but are difficult. A coach works to balance pushing a recoveree to succeed and the gentle compassion required of someone dealing with recovery in general.

I have been in recovery for more than a year and have completed the CCAR Recovery Coaching Academy through the Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery (CCAR) and received the Recovery Coach Professional (RCP) Designation. My recovery journey has included residential treatment, recovery coaching, twelve-step meetings, sponsorship, individual and group therapy, mindfulness, and music.

All current coaching counts toward the required 200-hours of supervised coaching hours towards the NCPRSS certification.

I faced significant legal consequences as part of my active addiction and, now in active recovery, I am grateful to be able to use my experiences to help others with life and legal consequences.

Coursework Completed: 

• CCAR Recovery Coach Academy (30 Hours)
• CCAR Ethical Considerations for Recovery Coaching (16 hours)
• CCAR Professionalism in Recovery Coaching (12 Hours)
• CCAR Spirituality for Recovery Coaching (12 Hours)

NCPRSS Supervisor:

• Melissa Killeen, MSOD, MPhil, NCPRSS