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Addiction Recovery Coaches in New Jersey
When a person leaves residential rehab, they need to apply the life coping skills they have learned in their new environment and everyday lives. However, in real life, there are no safety nets and for some people, the difficulties and challenges they face soon make them lose perspective. While it is super helpful to have a network of support, including mutual-aid groups, a sponsor, or a professional therapist, the role of a recovery coach achieving long-term recovery cannot be understated. Our addiction recovery coaches in NJ have years of experience in helping men, women, and families affected by substance abuse.
What is a Recovery Coach?
A recovery coach is someone who has been trained to work with others based on their own lived experience of addiction and recovery. Unlike therapists, coaches do not necessarily focus on evidence-based coaching strategies. Instead, the goal of a recovery coach is to allow the client to find their niche in the recovery world by reminding and encouraging them to explore new activities that are healing and supportive. For example, a recovery coach may escort you to treatment appointments or 12-step meetings, take calls during periods of intense cravings, or have a regular hangout with the aim of helping you put your recovery goals into perspective.
How Exactly Can a Recovery Coach Help Me?
Addiction induces a sense of hopelessness as well as feelings of failure, shame, and guilt. In the first few months post-rehab, there is an increased likelihood of depression, anxiety or other issues. These may prevent a recovering addict from being committed to their recovery goals.
In those months, recovering addicts know they want to overcome addiction, but often time do not necessarily know how to, what to do or where to start. Your recovery coach is someone who understands the process of recovery and is there to guide you through.
Concisely, a professional recovery coach will help you:
- Navigate sobriety after you leave an intensive treatment program. He or she helps you determine and understand what more you might need (through guided self-screenings and self-assessments) and how to go about finding evidence-based treatment.
- Engage in treatment in a motivated way using effective strategies designed with just you in focus.
- Stay committed to treatment and recovery-related activities that keep you engaged in and successfully moving toward long-term recovery.
- Reduce relapses by being reachable during times of intense cravings, urges and/or crises. If you do relapse, your coach will be there to motivate you to continue in recovery and maintain communication with your therapist without judging.
A Recovery Coach is Not a Substitute for a Therapist
Healthcare professionals and psychotherapists have expert knowledge that they impart in the form of advice, diagnosis, or providing a solution. Recovery coaches, on the other hand, do not diagnose. Instead, they work with you to come up with your solutions, to make your own choices, and they support you to stay on track and take the actions that bring about transformation. Recovery coaching also has less of a stigma than seeing a psychotherapist and can be done virtually, allowing for privacy and flexible schedules, as well as having a safety barrier.
Find a Addiction Recovery Coach in NJ
An addiction recovery coach in NJ recognizes that addiction is a medical condition in which a person compulsively pursues certain behaviors or substances despite detrimental consequences to them and their loved ones.
By incorporating certain strategies including motivational interviewing and strengths-based management, a coach helps you channel your strengths to meet your recovery goals. Life after rehab is like a fresh start, thus your coach works with you to develop plans to address daily needs such as transportation, housing, nutrition, income supports, medical care, legal assistance, personal safety, emotional support, and other factors that may affect your ability to maintain long-term sobriety.
NJ Addiction Resources can connect you with the best New Jersey recovery coaches who will personally invest in your journey to long-term recovery. Contact us for more information.