Well-meaning yet disempowering traditional recovery solutions focus primarily on the obstacles people are facing, which in fact may not be as helpful as once thought. Still other approaches remain focused on diagnostic criteria that point toward accepting limitations. As a Recovery Coach speaking from personal experience, my coaching focus is on strengths and the potential for self-determination. I sincerely believe that you do have the power to overcome your addictions and that when you focus on your own future you can then begin to recover and step fully into your hopes and dreams.

7 Steps for the Beyond Recovery Program

1. Clearing: The coach goes through a brief process of attitudinal clearing that prepares you to engage in a process that is genuine, respectful and loving.
2. Connecting: This part of the process focuses on building rapport in the interest of establishing a safe and healing partnership with the client.
3. Empowerment: This step includes reinforcing self-efficacy through validation and magnifying accomplishments and strengths which provide the energy and motivation necessary for taking additional steps. The client is recognized as the “expert” in his or her life. A key aspect of this step includes identifying meaningful roles the person can play which have value for others.
4. Planning: This step brings the person’s aspirations into focus and provides a hopeful context, giving perspective to the present difficulties. Choice and self-determination are critical aspects to personal success. Risks are assessed and outcomes are shared in partnership between the coach and the client.
5. Solutions/Resilience-Building: This step looks at what could get in the way of the plan being successfully carried out (limiting beliefs) and may identify alternate routes and solutions. This step also identifies and re-frames potential obstacles, with the reminder that “If you hit a bump in the road, it’s just a bump, not a mudslide.”
6. Accountability: This final step is a mutual assessment of the “meeting” that includes an informal feedback process for the coach, the client, and the process, and identifies any changes that could stretch the growth process further.