It takes courage and a whole lot of emotional, physical, and spiritual effort to enter residential treatment at Waypoint Recovery Center in South Carolina. If you or your loved one completed treatment, you’re also probably actively invested in managing your substance use disorder (SUD), developing sustainable coping strategies for cravings, and rebuilding trust with others and yourself. But once residential care in Cameron wraps up, life continues. Intensive outpatient treatment in North Charleston may come next, followed by regular therapy, peer meetings, or alumni events. But what happens after that?
Recovery coaching can be a dynamic next step, usually later in the recovery journey. In this guide, you’ll learn what recovery coaching is, how it can help you stay regulated and substance-free, and what it takes to become a recovery coach if it’s a path that feels right for you.
What is recovery coaching, and how can it support you?
Recovery coaching is a type of peer support delivered by individuals with personal experience navigating substance use recovery. Coaches aren’t therapists or doctors, so they don’t provide clinical care, but they do accompany you throughout recovery, helping you shape your own plan and define what recovery looks like in your daily life. Ultimately, the purpose of recovery coaching is to continuously provide tools and support to continue building on your strengths and goals.
Trained recovery coaches can offer several kinds of support:
- Emotional: They act like a support system, always listening without judgment and responding to you with empathy.
- Informational: They’re a source of information, helping you find health and wellness resources, wellness community events, or educational tools for healthy living.
- Instrumental: They might help you take concrete steps to build social connections, secure housing, land new jobs, or figure out transportation.
- Affiliational: They might help you enter substance-free communities, get connected with recovery-safe activities, and encourage you to spend time in spaces that keep you aligned with your goals.
Studies show that people who get recovery support often have more stable housing experiences, visit the hospital less, and don’t interact with law enforcement as much. But beyond research, it’s about finding someone who believes in you and that long-term recovery is possible.
Who Can Be a Recovery Coach
Beyond personal recovery, coaching could be a viable career choice if you feel pulled to help others who are just starting out on the recovery path. Many coaches are people who’ve gone through recovery themselves and want to walk alongside others without judgment or pressure. Coaching could also help you experience and enrich the professional environment of a variety of different emergency support centers, including:
- Hospitals
- Shelters
- Recovery residences
- Child welfare agencies
While you don’t typically need a clinical degree to become a recovery coach, possessing a helping heart and having a lived SUD or recovery experience—whether personally or from knowing a loved one with SUD—can make you an ideal candidate.
The best coaches typically:
- Play an active role in outreach, support, and upliftment, and possess strong listening skills
- Have an open mind and a patient demeanor
- Have a way with words that helps motivate others through hard times
- Possess a strong respect for boundaries
- Have a clear understanding of the difference between coaching and therapy
- Master proven techniques like motivational interviewing and strengths-based case planning to help others succeed in recovery
A typical coach can also support clients with self-care, goal-setting, and even budgeting. They may lead sessions, track progress, and extend support to your family members. While some roles involve direct work with treatment centers, others may focus more on outreach and real-life support. Essentially, being a recovery coach isn’t about telling someone what to do but helping them craft a path forward.
How to Become a Recovery Coach
If becoming a recovery coach interests you, here’s a basic outline of steps you can take to get there:
- Gain experience: Maybe begin with volunteer work, especially if you’ve never personally struggled with SUD.
- Enroll in training: Complete a certified training program that teaches peer recovery principles and best techniques. A future employer may even require certification, which might involve logging hours, passing a test, and submitting a background check.
- Develop your resume: Potential employers may ask that you have a CPR certification, a valid license, or basic computer skills.
Explore Recovery Coaching in South Carolina
If coaching doesn’t appeal to you, Waypoint Recovery offers other services to help you create meaningful, supportive connections. But if becoming a coach is up your alley, consider looking into open roles at Waypoint Recovery Center’s Cameron or North Charleston locations. And if you or someone you love needs a hand, don’t hesitate to contact us.
