Family Recovery Coach

We can do better than “hit bottom”.

You walk into a support group, your mind is racing and you are scared to death. The terminology may be hard to follow. It comes at you from all angles.

Detach…

Don’t rescue…

Don’t worry…

Pray…

Set boundaries…

Don’t enable…

Wait until they hit bottom and want it…

You can’t control it…

You can’t cure it…

You didn’t cause it…

Let go and Let God…

Good advice! But, many of us need more. We leave the meeting. Keep coming back and it will get better. But in the meantime?

FAMILY RECOVERY COACH

Every family should have a family coach attached to them, regardless of the status of the addicted individual. The family should be able to self-referral and receive long-term, unconditional support (without “intervention” being the end game).

A family coach should be supervised by a clinician(s). There should be an evidence-based model guiding the coach. Family coaches are not Alanon or Naranon sponsors. Family coaches are not marriage and family therapists. They have lived experience to build on. They should meet certain qualifications and should be held to high expectations. This is a professional discipline. Families should shop around for services.

Be careful, the Facebook superstars are NOT qualified to support families.

Family coaches should be reimbursed by 3rd party payers. And the entire family should be the “identified patient(s)”. Commercial insurance should step up.

That may not happen quickly or easily. But, progressive, forward-thinking partners are stepping forward. The future will bring a paradigm shift.