Using my lived experience as a foundation, I seek to provide a safe space for exploration, with a non-clinical point of view. Together, as peers, we work to discover the interconnection between curiosity, wonder, love, creativity, sobriety and mental wellness. For me, this work is a sacred act of courage. At my core, I am a talented creative, a reliable and true friend and family member, a spiritual being and a dependable worker. My time in recovery shows me that these roles come easy to me when I am well. But when I’m not taking care of my mental health and lack self care, I compulsively sabotage my every desire. For this reason, I continue to need support. What cannot be done alone, can be done together.

A lifestyle of untreated mental health issues, drinking and substance use is all-consuming.  Living a life based in self destruction compromises the sense of self. Self destruction breeds more self loathing resulting in even more shame. Stuck in a loop of negativity, it is impossible to dream of a better life. When I entered recovery, I dared to create and dream again. Being present with my work, I felt vulnerable doing things I used to do with ease, for the first time sober. My relationship to substances, to loved ones and to art began to change as I started to change.

Even good change can feel destabilizing. Holistic wellness is structured like a table. To stay balanced, one needs all four legs. If one of the supporting legs is taken away, it needs to be replaced with some other form of support. When I extracted substances from my life, I had to learn how to cope without them, even though they had stopped working. One-on-one sessions with a recovery coach can be this support. In our work, a goal can be to strengthen coping strategies to feel confident in balancing a life of wellness, independently.

My work is most successful meeting weekly with my clients in individual in-person or virtual sessions. The first sessions are spent diving courageously into the wellness plan of goals.The plan creates a loose structure for our work together, and can grow and change as you continue to do so. To begin, we engage in gentle discussion prompted by a series of possible questions related to but not limited to the following ares of life:

1. Community- What does community mean to you? Is community interest based? Do you have a community or network of individuals to support you? Is it of interest to you to  build or grow your community?

2. Relationships and family- What is your relationship to friends, family and loved ones? What do healthy relationships look like in your life? What do you want relationships to look and feel like in your life? Who do you want to be in these relationships, romantic and otherwise?

3. Physical health- Are there physical health issues you need support in? These might include sobriety, harm reduction and abstinence, weight loss, fitness, managing pre-existing conditions.

4. Mental health- Do you have a therapist and or psychiatrist? How would you describe your mental health and do you need support in this area of your life? Do you have trauma that you are recovering from? Does trauma keep you from living the life that you dream of?

5. Spiritual health- Is spirituality important to you? Do you have goals in this area of your life? These could include becoming part of a spiritual community like 12 Step Fellowships, church, temple, or are you interested in developing an individual spiritual practice like meditation and chanting? Is spirituality about movement for you, such as exploring a yoga practice, for example?

6. Creative health- Do you have any creative interests? Acting, writing, filmmaking, dancing or crafts like crocheting and knitting, textiles, visual art. Do you have a passion or anything you have always wanted to explore?

7. Education- Are you happy with your studies in the past? Do you have goals in this area that you would like to explore?

8. Employment- Are you happy with your job? Is there an area of work you have alway felt called to? Does your employment line up with your values? Are there any changes you would like to make in this area of your life?

9. Housing- Does where you live bring you joy? Does where you live line up with your vision? Does where you live support your recovery?

As your recovery coach, I support you in your journey to these goals. The approach can be expansive, beginning with the situations that need immediate change, and working upward and outward in a ripple of positive change. For example, in my own life, I put my sobriety first and everything else seemed to fall into place. You may find in our discussion that not all of these goals apply to you. My role as the recovery coach is to walk along side you, using my lived experience to support your discoveries, desires and actions. The path may not be linear. The journey is about you. You lead me. I use a person-centered approach, believing that the client is the expert on their own lives.