We know how important it is for our clients to feel supported throughout the duration of their addiction treatment program and beyond. A Sober Coach is a sober companion who provides one-on-one support for newly recovered addicts. The purpose of a Sober Coach is to help individuals maintain their new found sobriety and provide support through their re-entry into society. Sober coaches are compassionate individuals who are experts in the field of drug and alcohol rehab. It is understood that making the choice to enter into a substance abuse treatment program is a crucial step on the road to recovery. They will also help to further reinforce and establish healthy routines once the individual has left the residential treatment facility.
Sober coaches are here to help make the transition back into society as a newly sober individual as smooth as possible. We take pride in being affiliated with some of the highest quality sober coaching services available today. Our partners offer a wide range of services with endless possibilities. With all the various forms of sober living and sober coaching programs offered today, it can quickly become overwhelming when trying to select one that will fit your individual needs. A sober coach’s primary job is to be an advocate for a newly recovering person. They help guide the individual through the overwhelming adjustment period to living on their own again. This could also include removing the addict from their old environment of hidden stashes, or completing searches for hidden drugs in an effort to prevent a relapse. The relationship a newly recovered addict experiences with their sober coach is life changing, and often a life-long friendship.
There are many different types of sober coaches and they each subscribe to different techniques. Think of it as their personal style if you will. Some coaches follow the 12-step based recovery program and others follow more alternative methods. For the relationship to be most beneficial it would be helpful for the recovering addict to identify which recovery theory they resonate with the most. Techniques frequently used by Sober Coaches include: chiropractic adjustments, acupuncture, meditation, distraction, massage, healthy diet and nutrition, exercise, prayer, and affirmation of sober choices. Not all Sober Coaches have completed a formal training to be a life counselor, but their personal experience is usually more practical and relatable to a newly sober addict anyways.
Since addiction varies from person to person—in severity, longevity, etc.—it goes without saying that there’s no single sober coach style that will work best for every addict. Those who have experienced severe long-term addiction would get the best results by participating in a sober living program and having a longer term relationship with their sober coach. Those individuals who have dependents or an inflexible work schedule might prefer a more lax sober coach relationship. Anyone who participates in a relationship with a sober coach can expect to get a lot of one-on-one time, advice from personal recovery experts who provide the necessary education, life skills, and coping tools to sustain recovery long-term. A sober coach bridges the gap between the ending of a treatment program and the local recovery network. They can also be referred to as a sober companion. They provide recovering addicts with personalized support that supplements current treatment options in preparation for life outside of addiction treatment. For many individuals, the assistance of a sober coach can often be a crucial add-on to addiction treatment as the sober coach can address what an addict in recovery needs on an individual basis.
When an individual in recovery has a sober coach, the coach’s primary duty is to reinforce recovery by ensuring the addict maintains sobriety. As part of the personalization that sober coaches provide they are able to accurately perceive and determine a client’s individual needs. Sober coaches often take an empowerment approach, which is used to build confidence, self-esteem, and to make individuals more secure in their recovery. Sober coaches are able to define necessary and constructive boundaries, and explore how community resources can be utilized in order to promote the recovering addict’s ongoing sobriety. As a liaison between a recovery program and the local recovery community that consists of twelve-step programs and other support groups, sober coaches helps the newly recovered maintain abstinence by assisting the individual with establishing him or herself outside of the treatment facility.
Sober coaches have demonstrated insight into recovery, allowing them to understand how barriers to a client’s recovery can be overcome and to devise a course of action using a variety of treatment and community resources. During this process, the addict in recovery and the sober coach identify the most effective treatment techniques and process for the individual. Since many individuals either forgot how to take care of themselves over the course of addiction or never learned at all, sober coaches can give individuals one-on-one life coaching in order to teach recovering addicts the life skills required to survive. Over the course of treatment clients will recognize which types of treatments and techniques are most effective for them individually. This is important because each sober coach or sober companion has his or her own approach to recovery.
There are a number of benefits to incorporating a sober coach into a recovering addict’s treatment plan. For those individuals who feel insecure and unsure of their sobriety, sober coaches can help individuals to be more accountable for their recovery. They offer an ideal opportunity to not only reinforce addiction treatment, but also to experience an even higher level of personalized care. Sober coaches also encourage addicts in recovery to identify and thrive in stable alcohol and drug-free environments. In addition to being able to identify external barriers to recovery such as dangerous environments, sober coaches are trained to help individuals overcome internal boundaries as well. This includes issues such as low motivation, discouragement, emotional or spiritual problems, etc. Much like a life coach, a sober coach motivates the recovering addict and becomes a consistent, ongoing recovery resource. Sober coaches help addicts in recovery with skills-building, goal-setting, relapse prevention, and recovery maintenance. They are especially valuable to those who have struggled with the idea of going to rehab in the past or have relapsed. Sober coaches are imperative to people who have been resistant to getting help but who must complete treatment in order to fulfill medical, legal, contractual, or familial obligations.