The Role of Life Coaches in Drug and Alcohol Rehab
The Role of Life Coaches in Drug and Alcohol Rehab
Table of Contents
What is Life Coaching for Recovery?
- Hope: A life coach can lift your spirits and give you hope for the future. You can work with them to set and achieve goals during your path to recovery.
- Discovering: Life coaches can help you discover new knowledge, opinions, and paths you can take. They will help grow your sense of self and can help put you on the right track to maintaining long-term sobriety.
- Understanding: Life coaches can help you better understand yourself and the recovery process. A life coach will work with you to understand yourself and your addiction, along with creating a plan for success that is tailored to your needs.
- Focusing: Life coaches will work with you to focus your goals on what’s most important. Every individual will have different needs and it is vital to have a focused plan that is right for you.
- Solutions: At times, there will be bumps along the road during recovery. Your mentor can work with you to find creative solutions that will keep you on the right track.
Types of Life Coaching
There are different types of life coaching that may be used during drug and alcohol rehab. Depending on the individual, one or multiple of these areas may be useful and will benefit your recovery.
Relationship and Family Coaching
Addiction not only affects the individual struggling, but it also affects those who care about them the most. Working on repairing relationships that may have been affected by addiction can be a critical part of recovery. A life coach helps you work through these issues and brings family members closer together. By doing this coaching, the family can become a part of the recovery process and learn how they can offer additional support.
Career
A life coach can also offer you career advice and guidance. They can help you put together a resume, find opportunities that will be suitable for you, work on interview skills, and create goals that will get you on the right track.2
Finance
At times, the effects of addiction can put you in a bad place financially. Life coaches teach you how to budget your money, give advice on where to allocate your funds, and create a plan with you for long-term success.
Mental Health
Substance abuse and mental health issues can often go hand in hand. During recovery, working on your mental health is critical. A life coach works through mental health problems with you and gives you coping skills to apply to everyday life.
Health and Wellness
Focusing on health and wellness can be a good way to create positive habits that benefit your behavioral health. Life coaching can teach you about creating an exercise program and eating healthy, and it will help you stay motivated. Focusing on healthy outlets will benefit your behavioral health and help keep you on track during recovery.
Spiritual
Life coaching can also help you connect with your spiritual nature. Your coach can guide you through meditation, yoga, and other spiritual outlets that center your mind and can be positive outlets for your recovery.
What Can Life Coaches Help You with?
- Setting goals: Life coaches will help set goals based on your needs. They will work with you to track your progress, offer encouragement, and give positive feedback as you reach new milestones.3
- Planning: The recovery process can seem daunting, but a life coach can help you create an actionable plan with small steps to take every day. Your mentor will work with you to learn about your wants and needs, and they will create a plan that satisfies what you want to achieve.
- Addressing fears: At times, there are fears associated with recovery. This time is a big change, but you do not have to go through it alone. Therefore, having a mentor by your side can be a good idea. They can address your concerns and work with you to make this process as easy as possible.
- Reaching financial security: Life coaches help create a plan for financial success. They can help you find work that is suitable for you, form a budget, and aid you in determining financial goals for the future.
- Finding a balance: aintaining sobriety long-term requires finding a comfortable balance. Life coaches seek to create a balanced plan that covers all your needs.
Who Can Benefit from Life Coaching?
Many people going through the recovery process can benefit from life coaching. Those who struggle with drug abuse, alcohol abuse, or co-occurring disorders like trauma or other mental health issues can see many benefits from the guidance of a life coach. These figures help you work through tough points in your life and will be someone who you can lean on for support and guidance.
Substance Abuse Counselor vs Recovery Coach
A substance abuse counselor is a therapist that can help you work through mental and behavioral health issues that commonly occur with substance abuse. A substance abuse counselor can provide you with coping mechanisms and strategies to maintain sobriety long-term. They can also work with you to discover any underlying issues that may be causing addiction to occur and help you work through any additional issues that may arise.
A recovery coach is a bit different than a traditional substance abuse counselor. The recovery coach acts as a mentor and is a combination of what you would get from both a counselor and a recovery sponsor. A recovery coach works with you through mental and behavioral health concerns and creates a plan for success just like a substance abuse counselor. In addition, the recovery coach can be there to provide you with support in all aspects of recovery. They can create a financial plan, give you guided coaching in different health and wellness techniques, and escort you to 12-step program meetings.
How to Find a Life Coach
If you are trying to find a life coach to help you with recovery, there are a couple of different places you can look. Many life coaches work with recovery clinics, and you can often find life coaching services through a clinic in your area. Working directly with a clinic can help you find a life coach that will fit your needs.
You can also find many different life coaches online that can provide you with recovery services. When searching for a life coach, make sure they offer services that will be of benefit to you and your recovery. It is helpful to take the time to do research and reach out to some individuals you think may be of benefit to you.
Take the chance to talk to some different life coaches and get an idea if they are someone you will be comfortable working with.4
Other Sober Living Supports
Peer Support Groups
Peer support groups, such as 12-step programs, can also help provide you with support and guidance from others who understand your struggles. These support groups can provide you with a sense of community and give you a structured program to follow.
Relationship Support
If you have supportive relationships in your life, such as friends and family members who care about your well-being, you can get additional support from them. Take the time to talk to them about your recovery and what you are going through. Let them know if there are specific ways they can help and take the time to talk to them if you’re struggling.
Health and Wellness
Health and wellness programs can also provide a sense of community and a supportive environment for you. Health and wellness communities are filled with positive people who can help you stay on track by motivating you to take positive actions that benefit your overall health.
Resources
- https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-a-life-coach-4129726
- https://positivepsychology.com/benefits-life-coaching-mentoring/
- https://www.chopra.com/articles/4-benefits-of-having-a-life-coach
- https://www.huffpost.com/entry/how-to-find-a-life-coach_b_11992070
