What really is a recovery coach?

From what I understand of the internet there can be a lot of misunderstanding out there around what exactly a recovery coach is, and what exactly they do. I’m hoping that this blog post can clarify what a coach is, what it isn’t, and how it might differ from other forms of support. 

I’m in the fortunate position to be a recovery coach who has also been through the coaching process in my own recovery. I know what it is like to be on both sides of this equation. And with this experience I can say that the role of a coach is to walk this journey alongside you - to help guide and support and validate the ups and downs of this non-linear process. A coach is able to provide practical, in-the-moment support and advice in order to continue taking steps towards recovery. We focus on building accountability so that you can follow through on your commitments, building skills to both tolerate distress and support seek, challenging beliefs to reframe your mindset, practical considerations to make it easier to take the recovery steps, and a real focus on empowerment - that you are the one in the driving seat with full autonomy to decide which actions you will take. This is not the same as saying whatever actions you choose to take will result in recovery, but it is to say that you are the only one who can make those decisions.In coaching, you do not have to do anything. You call the shots. But of course there are things that will move you towards recovery and those that won’t. The thing is, you get to make that choice.

We work in the present and help you move forward in your recovery. One of the most important parts of ED recovery coaching is setting actionable, achievable goals that will move you towards recovery. You cannot think your way out of an ED - you have to start with action. And a coach can help you figure out what those actions are and maintain that accountability. Many coaches, like me, bring lived experience to the coaching relationship. The very fact that I have walked a similar path brings an inherent trust and also a sense of accountability. I know many of the rocks to look under in order to find the ED and the behaviours. Yes, your ED will be unique to you but with lived experience there is a pretty good understanding of how these things present and what behaviours or thought patterns might exist. This is one of the reasons I have found the coaching relationships to be so special - there is accountability, vulnerability, trust and validation. A coach with lived experience truly understands the wild and wacky things you might have done due to the ED and won’t judge. 

However valuable this is, I want to emphasize that a coach is not a medical professional and that there are some very clear boundaries. A coach is not a therapist, dietitian, medical provider, or crisis support service. That means:

• I do not diagnose eating disorders or mental health conditions - but rather I consider your behavioural profile

• I do not provide therapy for trauma, depression, anxiety, or other mental health struggles

• I do not create personalised meal plans or address medical complications like electrolyte imbalance or refeeding syndrome

I will absolutely support your emotional process, and talk through hard things but I stay within my lane. Often a coach will work alongside other medical professionals as part of a larger recovery team. Other times it is, in my opinion, appropriate for coaches to work with individuals without a full treatment team in place. Each person and situation is unique but safeguarding is always the top consideration.

So who then is coaching for? Coaching can be helpful if:

• You’ve finished treatment and want ongoing support

• You're in therapy, but feel stuck implementing things in daily life and need practical tools and support

• You’re struggling with meals, body image or motivation

• You want someone who truly gets it and will hold you gently accountable

• You feel like you have autonomy and are willing to put in the work to reach the outcome you really want

Regardless of what stage of recovery you might be at, coaching offers compassionate, practical support that meets you where you are. I cannot emphasise enough that coaching is a practical form of support aimed primarily at action taking and skill building in order to fully nutritionally rehabilitate and neurally rewire. This is the path to freedom from an ED and a coach can help you get there. I know a coach certainly did that for me once upon a time.