Services

People are individuals and need individual support

What does a Recovery Coach do?

Recovery Coaches can assist the client on almost any terms, ranging from full companionship 24/7 or weekly half hour phone sessions or monthly face to face meetings.

• A Recovery Coach is available to escort a client from treatment to home, working with the client for the first few days, weeks or months. It is as if an employee of the treatment center actually accompanies the client on the journey home, making a normally difficult transition, much smoother.

• A Recovery Coach is daily contact by phone, acting as a personal guide to introduce a client to healthy daily behavior. A Recovery Coach is a weekly link to the recovery community, meetings, and finding a sponsor. A Coach is an inspirational example of recovery.

• A Recovery Coach is a mentor to help hurdle physical and emotional obstacles as well as a friend when support networks are lacking.

• Recovery Coaches are available for emergency assistance, to escort clients to treatment directly after an intervention, or transport a client from treatment to attend a court appearance, a funeral or to return home.

• Recovery Coaches are available for the family. Addiction is a family disease, effecting all members involved with the addict. Family Recovery Coaches help the partners, children, extended family adjust to the circumstance of a recovering addict in their home, and cope with the feelings that have been caused by the addiction.

Below is a list of processes and strategies I use to help people make the successful transition from addiction to well being.

Coaching

Coaching is the key to a successful transition from treatment to your ordinary life. Our coaching services are discrete and effective. We will guide you through the transition period and give you the tools you need to continue your success for the rest of your life.

Actors and athletes use coaches to bring out the best in them. You can use the same strategy during this critical time in your recovery to bring out the best in you. Executive coaching is the hallmark of Fortune 500 leadership programs. You will have this ability to work with a leadership coach, merged with the special coaching attention a recovering person needs.

Melissa is a proven expert. A free one hour consultation is provided to help you evaluate your options. Melissa will outline her approach, at this first meeting she will inquire about your personal  recovery plan. After the initial consult, you decide whether face to face contact or telephone sessions are best. You set up or improve your recovery plan with the guidance of the coach. Next, a contract is established between the coach and you, the client, outlining the goals you want to achieve. Next, a behavioral assessment is completed, additional assessments are suggested for your spouse, children, business partners or subordinates. From these assessments communication and interpersonal skills are developed and you are coached on how to rebuild your relationships with your peers, colleagues and family. Every step of the way, recovery models like the 12-step peer recovery model, harm reduction and the recovery coaching models (these are therapeutic models developed by professional addiction counselors and physicians and are backed up with years of research) are blended with standard executive coaching models used to guide you through the same steps that other successful executives and recovering individuals have taken. Usually, a coaching assignment will last about six months. Many of my clients have contracted my services for over two years. Some clients just need the coaching service for a week, when they first leave a treatment center, which is called aftercare. People are individuals and each coaching assignment is unique and tailored to meet the goals you want to achieve.

For the Families

Showing compassion with a purpose.Addiction is a family disease. The spouse, partner, children, parents and siblings are affected by the addict’s actions. They have hid, lied, enabled, yelled, stolen, flushed and inhibited the actions of the addict for years. Now they need to start to rebuild trust. This is a very difficult task in itself, but they also must stop acting co-dependently with the addict. Acting in a non co-dependent manner is a  behavior that is as different for the family, as it will be for the addict. Luckily, there are Recovery Coaches for Families. Melissa works with several top family recovery coaches with recovery coaching as well as marriage and family therapist backgrounds that will work with the family during the first months of the recovery process..

Interventions: Not many can handle the intensity of an intervention, which is a meeting where the entire family and friends tell the addict what harm their behavior, under the influence of drugs or alcohol has done to them and how much they want to addict to seek treatment. An intervention of a loved one takes an emotion toll on the family. But, the goal is common: that the client must go into treatment. I recommend only certified, experienced certified interventionists that use the care, consideration and focus that is required to meet this goal.

An intervention is a delicate moment in the life of a family. Most decisions to go to a treatment facility are not often made by the individual addict/alcoholic. Many times the family decides that an intervention is necessary. If you have ever seen the reality TV show “Intervention” you have witnessed the most troubling aspects of an intervention. If handled well, the addict/alcoholic will know they need help. An experienced and certified intervention specialist will be recommended by any recovery coach. But many things must be put in place prior to the intervention. I will assist the family in careful preparation selecting the right treatment center, which is a necessity. Insurance companies have to be contacted, as the treatment center’s costs have to be evaluated for coverage. This often takes at least a week, prior to the intervention. Transportation needs to be arranged, either the recovery coach transports the addict to a treatment center that is close, or airplane arrangements need to be made. Again, it is advised the coach go with the addict to ensure a sober client enters the treatment facility. Then, the intervention happens and hopefully, the individual decides to seek treatment. The individual will be monitored closely during the treatment entry process, usually the client will leave immediately after the intervention for the treatment facility. I prefer to escort the individual to treatment. In addition, I will communicate frequently with the client to ensure throughout the 30 or 90 day stay, that the facility meets their outlined services and a positive result will be met.  There are no guarantees. If you want to hope for the best, but prepare for the worst, then hire a recovery coach and I will be there to guide the individual, the spouse and the family.