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HomeThe Scope and Limits of Recovery Coaching

The Scope and Limits of Recovery Coaching*

  • Recovery Coaches do just what other professional coaches do, but we serve those who are either in recovery or who are seeking recovery from addiction.
  • We cannot diagnose any addiction.
  • We don’t treat addiction per se.
  • We can help someone become ready and willing to seek treatment.
  • We can help someone explore their options for recovery or treatment.
  • We know we aren’t chemical dependency counselors. We know we aren’t nurses, doctors, counselors, therapists, or psychiatrists. We are coaches and what we do is coach. We help people explore their wants, needs, and choices. We help them get clarity and move into action.
  • We don’t dictate what recovery will look like for our clients.
  • We don’t tell them what to do or how to do it.
  • We are coaches—that means we ask questions, we offer reflections, and we hold our clients whole, resourceful, and capable of choosing what is best for them at this time.
 
*This material is courtesy of one of RCI's early presidents, Melissa Killeen, who was instrumental in creating the field of recovery coaching.  It is presented, along with a lot of other great material, in her ground-breaking book, "Recovery Coaching: A Guide to Coaching People in Recovery from Addictions," and the latest version is available here.

Recovery Coaches International