What I Wish more People Knew About Recovery Coaches
Lately, I’ve been talking to everyone who will listen about Recovery Coach training, and most of the time, I have to begin by answering the question, “what is a Recovery Coach?”
Recovery coaching is one way peer support is put into practice. Peer support is an evidence-based practice that recognizes the unique value of lived experience in supporting recovery. People with lived experience can offer hope, understanding, and practical support that complements traditional behavioral health services. Recovery coaches use that lived experience along with specialized training to help people build meaningful, self-directed lives in recovery. As awareness of peer support grows, so do the questions about what Recovery Coaches do. Here's what I wish more people knew:
Recovery Coaching can be a valuable Part of Recovery
Often times, people don’t immediately see the value in Recovery Coaches and other peer support. It gets dismissed as “fluff.” But peer support fills a gap that clinical services often can't. This is not to say that clinical services are not important, but recovery doesn't stop when treatment ends. It happens in everyday life.
Recovery Coaches are there to support people through the practical side of recovery: community, goal setting, and reconnecting with purpose. A lot of the time, we’re also helping folks build routines and navigate employment and transportation.
Having someone in your corner who has been through recovery, knows what it’s like, and has no agenda other than to support you is so valuable. That being said…
We're Professionals, Not Paid Friends
This might be the biggest misconception. The relationship is genuine and has mutuality, but the relationship dynamics between my friends and me are completely different than what happens in Recovery Coaching. I always want to be sure I am helping my peers through empowerment, not dependence - my goal is to eventually not be needed.
Furthermore, Recovery Coaches receive training and supervision. It is a crucial part of our role to follow ethics and professional boundaries. Boundaries that I don’t have for friends, but make the peer support relationship safe and effective.
We're Not Therapists (And That's a Good Thing)
As I mentioned before, I never want to downplay the importance of clinicians and their role in successful recovery. But Recovery Coaches have a different role. Therapists treat mental health conditions. We do not diagnose. Many forms of therapy focus on processing past traumas, and we’re here to support someone today and in their future goals.
We know our lane, and being a resource broker is one of our greatest strengths. We often collaborate with therapists, case managers, and other professionals rather than replacing them.
Peer Support Is Evidence-Based
Lived experience is backed by research - peer support is recognized as an evidence-based practice in behavioral health. More and more, we are seeing hospitals, emergency services, and DOCs utilizing peer support.
The relationship between Recovery Coach and participant is conducive to building trust because of shared lived experience, mutuality, and the absence of a power differential. Research has shown that peer support can improve quality of life, increase engagement with services, strengthen self-management, reduce hospitalizations, and lower the overall cost of care. Studies have also found improvements in employment, community integration, and mental health outcomes.¹
In short, it’s been proven to help.
Recovery coaching isn't about befriending people or replacing clinical services. It's about using our success in recovery to offer hope, practical support, and connection. And I believe that the more people understand what Recovery Coaches actually do, the more people can benefit from a service that has the power to make a meaningful difference in someone’s recovery.
References
Mental Health America. (2019). Evidence for Peer Support. https://mhanational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Evidence-Peer-Support-May-2019.pdf
Interested in becoming a recovery coach?
Join us for an upcoming Recovery Coach Academy© - CCAR’s signature 5-day training for people who want to support others in or seeking recovery from addiction.
This immersive training introduces the core skills of recovery coaching, including how to build trust, listen with intention, support without taking over, and walk alongside people as they define recovery for themselves.
Recognized across the United States and beyond, Recovery Coach Academy© helps prepare participants to serve as peer recovery coaches in a variety of community, treatment, healthcare, and justice-related settings.
