How to Become a Recovery Coach: A Complete Guide

Have you ever wondered what it takes to become a recovery coach? With over 48 million Americans struggling with addiction, the demand for recovery coaches has skyrocketed. Many turn to addiction recovery coaches and sober coaches to help them maintain long-term sobriety and overcome daily challenges. As this field grows, so does the opportunity for those seeking a fulfilling career.

Becoming a recovery coach offers the chance to make a real difference in people’s lives. You’ll experience career growth while guiding clients through their recovery journey. With the rise of recovery coaching services, there are more ways than ever to find a recovery coach or find a sober coach, ensuring a solid foundation for your future in the field.

What is a Recovery Coach?

As a recovery coach, your role will be to support individuals navigating their recovery journey. You’ll focus on key areas like accountability, motivation, and goal-setting to help clients stay on track. Unlike therapists, recovery coaches don’t diagnose or treat mental health conditions. Instead, you’ll guide your clients through the daily challenges they face and help them maintain their commitment to recovery. 

Types of recovery coaches

• General recovery coaches: Assist clients with a broad range of recovery needs, including addiction recovery and personal life transitions like career changes or rebuilding relationships.
• Specialized recovery coaches: Focus on specific recovery areas, such as substance abuse, eating disorders, or gambling, helping clients tackle focused challenges with a tailored approach.
• Peer recovery coaches: Use your personal recovery experience to offer empathy and understanding, building strong connections with clients facing similar challenges.

Difference between recovery coach and therapist

When it comes to recovery, understanding the difference between a recovery coach and a therapist can help you choose the right support for your journey. Here’s a breakdown of the key differences between the two roles:

Recovery Coach	Therapist
Doesn’t require a degree (though certifications are available)	Needs a degree (in psychology or counseling, and often a specialization)
Focuses on action (creates actionable recovery plans and uses accountability)	Uses therapeutic (clinical) techniques to work on trauma
Has clear goals for you, aiming for measurable progress	Works more fluidly and is less goal-oriented
Peer recovery support (if they have lived experience)	Provides clinical recovery support based on psychological theories
Helps you with daily challenges and maintaining motivation	Treats mental health disorders and emotional issues
Works alongside other professionals like therapists to provide practical guidance	Works independently to address deeper mental health concerns

For firsthand perspectives on the role, you might find this Reddit discussion insightful: Difference between support coordinator and recovery coach?

What Does a Recovery Coach Do?

As a recovery coach, your day-to-day tasks will involve providing consistent support to clients on their recovery journey. Your key responsibilities will include goal setting, accountability, motivational support, resource guidance, and relapse prevention. You’ll help clients stay focused on their recovery goals, encourage them through setbacks, and provide practical advice.

Since the role is non-clinical, you won’t be diagnosing or treating mental health conditions. Instead, you’ll complement the work of therapists and counselors by providing hands-on, actionable support that helps clients tackle day-to-day challenges, maintain motivation, and implement strategies for long-term recovery.

Skills and traits needed

To be an effective recovery coach, you’ll need the following essential skills:

• Empathy: Ability to understand and share the feelings of your clients, offering support without judgment.
• Communication: Clear and effective communication to ensure your clients feel heard and understood.
• Patience: The capacity to remain calm and patient, especially during setbacks or challenges in the recovery process.
• Active listening: Being fully present and listening attentively to your clients, ensuring they feel valued and supported.
• Motivational interviewing: A coaching technique used to explore a client’s motivations and help them make positive changes in their recovery.
• Problem-solving: The ability to help clients overcome obstacles and find solutions to challenges they face in their recovery.

How to Become a Recovery Coach

Becoming a recovery coach is a rewarding path that allows you to guide individuals through their recovery journey. To get started, you’ll need proper training, certification, and practical experience. Here’s a concise breakdown of the steps involved:

1. Training and credentials 

To become a certified recovery coach, you’ll need specialized training programs that teach you the necessary skills and knowledge. Here are some well-regarded programs:

• North Shore Community College Recovery Coach Certification Training: Focuses on addiction, proven coaching techniques, and ethical practices, ensuring you’re equipped to help clients.
• CCAPP Academy Alcohol and Drug Treatment Studies: A 56-week program that dives deep into addiction psychology, relapse prevention, and practical counseling.
• Minnesota Recovery Coach Academy: A 46-hour program providing essential coaching skills and addiction knowledge for non-clinical support.

Why certification matters: Certification gives you the expertise, ethical grounding, and credibility needed to guide clients effectively and build trust.

Also explore the Steps to Become a Successful Health & Wellness Coach blog, which provides valuable insights into becoming a certified health and wellness coach—an area closely aligned with recovery coaching.

2. Gaining experience

Experience is crucial in recovery coaching. Here’s how to gain practical exposure:

• Volunteer work: Start by offering your services in addiction recovery centers or support groups.
• Internships: Look for internships in rehab centers to work closely with professionals and clients.
• Mentoring: Seek guidance from experienced recovery coaches who can help you grow in your role.

3. Getting certified

Once you complete your training, you’ll need to pass an exam and meet specific certification requirements, such as completing a set number of training hours (usually 30 to 100). Certification costs vary, typically ranging from a few hundred to over a thousand dollars, depending on the program.

Choosing the right program: Consider factors like cost, reputation, and the focus of the program. Whether it’s a broad recovery approach or a specialized focus, certification ensures you’re well-prepared.

4. Personal growth and development

In addition to formal training, personal growth is essential for success as a recovery coach:

• Self-awareness: If you have personal recovery experience, it can be an asset, but it’s important to ensure you’re in a stable place emotionally.
• Continuous learning: Stay updated with new techniques, research, and recovery coaching trends through workshops, webinars, and networking.
• Networking: Build relationships with other coaches and professionals to learn from their experiences and broaden your professional growth.

How Much Does a Recovery Coach Make?

If you’re considering becoming a recovery coach, you might be wondering about the earning potential. On average, a recovery coach in the U.S. earns around $19.30 per hour, which translates to roughly $40,144 per year for full-time positions. Salaries typically range from $10.57 to $35.25 per hour, and factors like experience, certifications, location, and client base play a significant role in determining your pay.

Factors that influence salary:

• Experience: As you gain more experience, your earning potential increases, often allowing you to charge higher rates.
• Certifications: Having recognized certifications, such as from the IAPRC or other established programs, can boost your credibility and earning capacity.
• Location: If you work as a coach in an urban area, you’ll likely earn higher wages due to the increased demand and higher cost of living.
• Client base: A strong client roster can significantly increase your income by allowing you to provide more services.

Career opportunities and job outlook

The demand for recovery coaches is growing steadily. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the employment of substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors (which includes recovery coaches) will grow 19% from 2023 to 2033, which is much faster than the average for all occupations.

Opportunities for specialization:

• Specific addictions: You can specialize in areas such as alcohol, drug, or gambling addiction recovery, which allows you to tailor your services and potentially increase your rates.
• Corporate coaching: Providing recovery coaching in corporate environments can be another lucrative opportunity, addressing workplace stress and mental health challenges.

Becoming a recovery coach not only allows you to make a difference in people’s lives but also offers strong career growth, a competitive salary, and opportunities for specialization.

How Do Recovery Coaches Get Clients?

Getting your first recovery coaching clients requires effective strategies. Here are a couple of proven approaches:

Treatment centers

Treatment centers are excellent places to start networking and building your client base. By volunteering or working at a local addiction treatment center, you can connect with clients and gain hands-on experience while honing your coaching skills.

• Build relationships: As you interact with staff and clients, you may have opportunities to advertise your services directly to patients. Treatment centers often look for external professionals like recovery coaches to help their clients, providing a natural avenue for you to offer your services.

Tip: Target centers that align with your coaching niche. For instance, a food addiction recovery coach would approach a center specializing in eating disorders, while a substance abuse coach would focus on addiction treatment centers. Zero in on your specific area for the best results.

Get interviewed on podcasts

Podcasts are a powerful tool for increasing brand awareness and establishing yourself as an expert. With many niche podcasts available, you can target ones that cater specifically to your audience, whether it’s those struggling with shopping addiction or looking to stay sober.

Create a list of relevant podcasts and pitch yourself as a guest expert. This gives you the chance to showcase your expertise, get your name out there, and start building your client base.

To grow your recovery coaching business, diversifying your income and attracting more clients is essential. 🎙️ Listen to this episode on “How to Create Multiple Revenue Streams as a Coach” with Karas Wright for valuable insights on building a sustainable business. Listen now on Spotify.

Benefits of Becoming a Recovery Coach

Becoming a recovery coach offers many rewards, both personally and professionally. Here are some key benefits of pursuing this fulfilling career:

• Making a difference: Helping clients overcome challenges and achieve long-term sobriety brings deep emotional rewards. You’ll play a key role in guiding people toward a healthier, more fulfilling life.
• Job flexibility: With the option to work one-on-one or in group settings, including remote coaching, you can create a flexible schedule that suits your lifestyle while still supporting clients.
• Career Growth: There’s potential for growth into leadership roles or business ownership. As demand for recovery coaches increases, you can expand your practice or move into specialized areas within the field.
• Diverse work opportunities: You can work in various settings—treatment centers, private practice, or corporate coaching—providing a range of career paths and opportunities for growth.
• Job satisfaction: Working as a recovery coach offers high job satisfaction by helping others improve their lives, which contributes to personal fulfillment and a sense of purpose in your career.

Conclusion

As a recovery coach, you’ll play a vital role in supporting individuals on their journey to long-term sobriety. By providing accountability, motivation, and personalized guidance, you’ll help clients navigate their recovery and stay committed to their goals. With the growing demand for recovery coaches, now is the perfect time for you to pursue certification and start making a real impact in the recovery field.

Ready to get started? Simply.Coach offers the tools and resources you need to build and manage your coaching practice. Schedule a demo today or start your 14-day free trial and see how Simply.Coach can help you grow your business and support your clients effectively.