Compassion. Courage. Change.: A Trauma-Informed Approach to Addiction Recovery

"Compassion. Courage. Change." These three words appear on the back of my company T-shirt because they represent the philosophy that guides my work as an addiction recovery coach. Recovery often requires compassion for ourselves, courage to face our fears, and commitment to creating meaningful change.

A friend of mine created a T-shirt to help them advertise their business. This inspired me to do the same for mine. My website is on the front of my shirt. It was an easy decision to put these three words on the back of the shirt.

Compassion

I spent years volunteering in an agency for addiction recovery and stabilization. This agency had a zero-tolerance policy for relapse or slips. I remember one woman that arrived at the agency. She attended my discussion group where we talked about facing fears during recovery. I didn't get to know her well. When I arrived for my next volunteer shift a few weeks later, I'd learned that she had consumed some alcohol. The agency required her to leave. I felt empathy for her. The road to recovery is not a smooth one.

I don't question the legitimacy of a zero-tolerance policy. This policy kept the space safe for those already at the agency working toward abstinence. A new resident had arrived at the agency, quickly filling the available space.

I simply believe in providing choices. Compassion meets people regardless of where they are in their recovery journey. This could look like practicing harm reduction, revisiting recovery, wanting to take a break from the potentially deadly risks of addiction or exploring the idea of recovery for the first time.

Recovery often requires facing fears with support rather than shame. Compassion respects people's autonomy. Compassion saves lives.

Courage

You build courage when you take uncomfortable steps in your recovery. You don't start with courage. Courage develops when you face your fears and take action anyway.

I could have added another 'C' word — commitment! Commitment to make an effort, one day at a time, is necessary to help you act when you're afraid. You may be facing fear of failure, fear of rejection and even fear of success. You need to commit to act despite your fears.

When you act, you build your courage. Your confidence grows. Then you're ready to take another step.

I remember another woman I met at the same addiction recovery agency. She showed tremendous courage as she moved through difficulties in her journey. She had to let go of relationships that were working against her recovery. She eventually moved on to raise her child and gain meaningful employment. She created positive change in her and her child's life.

Change

Change doesn't happen overnight. Change requires a lot of commitment and courage. Change happens when you dedicate yourself to your recovery journey. You hope for your future while working through the challenges of today. One day at a time, you create positive changes in your life. These changes have a beneficial ripple effect on your life and your relationships.

As an addiction recovery coach, my role encompasses compassion, courage and change. I provide a compassionate and emotionally safe environment for my clients. I want my clients to experience compassion and respect. I want them to feel safe enough to gradually venture out of their comfort zone to act courageously.

My Trauma-informed Addiction Recovery Approach

As a trauma-informed addiction recovery coach, I believe lasting recovery grows from compassion, courage and change. Whether someone is pursuing abstinence, harm reduction, or exploring recovery for the first time, these principles help create a foundation for sustainable recovery.

My role is to emphasize to my clients that they have the power to create transformation. They create transformative changes for themselves. They come to believe in themselves as much as I believed in them from the beginning.

If you're navigating addiction recovery and want support as you create meaningful change, you're invited to learn more about my recovery coaching services or join the free Courage Cultivators Recovery Group.

Welcome to your journey.