We created this guide to help people who feel driven to help others find lasting peace with food.
Whether you’re someone who:
- Has overcome their own food struggles and wants to help others do the same.
- Works in a support role or healthcare position and wants to learn more about helping people with food issues.
- Dreams of living a more meaningful, flexible, and rewarding life helping others.
- Or is just curious to learn about recovery coaching.
We’re glad you’re here!
What You’ll Find in this Guide
In this guide, we’ll cover a range of topics about recovery coaching, including:
- What it feels like to work as a recovery coach.
- What to expect from a recovery coaching session.
- Different ways to work as a recovery coach.
- The benefits of working as a recovery coach.
- Strategies for taking care of yourself while working as a recovery coach.
- How to become a recovery coach.
If you’re ready to start learning more about recovery coaching and how to become one, let’s dive in!
Why the World Needs More Recovery Coaches
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, more people than ever are experiencing eating problems (as shown in the image).
Just think of your friends and loved ones—how many of them ‘eat their feelings’, constantly ‘excuse’ their food choices, label themselves as “good” or “bad” for eating a certain way, can’t eat pleasurable foods without fear, guilt, or shame, or secretly binge eat, purge, restrict, or exercise to the extreme?
Unfortunately, only limited services are available for people with diagnosable eating disorders, and many who struggle with food issues are told they’re not “sick enough” for help.
That’s why recovery coaches are needed to help those who would otherwise slip through the cracks.
Recovery coaches support people to get off the roller coaster of guilt, shame, and food obsession, so they can find lasting peace with food.
The support recovery coaches provide depends on their clients’ individual needs, goals, and aims. All recovery coaches:
- Empower and excite their clients for change.
- Share evidence-based strategies to help their clients develop new skills and coping mechanisms.
- Work in partnership with their clients, making suggestions and offering guidance.
- Help their clients break down larger goals into smaller, achievable chunks.
- Encourage mindfulness and focusing on the present.
Ultimately, recovery coaches create safe spaces for people to talk about their food issues, often for the first time.
Who are we?
We are a group of expert recovery coaches with over a decade of experience in recovery coaching.
Our mission
We are here to revolutionise recovery support by ensuring ensure every single person experiencing food issues can access the support they need!
Gain Clarity
Throughout this guide, we encourage you to reflect on your reason(s) for being here and to think carefully about your personality, experiences and background so you can make an informed decision about whether becoming a recovery coach is right for you.
What is a Recovery Coach?
A recovery coach is someone who supports people to break away from guilt, shame, and food obsession, so they can achieve lasting peace with food.
The type of support a recovery coach provides depends on their clients’ needs, goals, and aims. All recovery coaches:
- Empower, excite, and prepare their clients for change.
- Implement evidence-based strategies to give their clients new skills and coping mechanisms.
- Work together with their clients, providing suggestions and guidance, but never dictating decisions.
- Break down larger goals into small achievable tasks.
- Promote mindfulness and the importance of focusing on the present.
Ultimately, recovery coaches create safe spaces to foster conversations about food issues, often for the first time.
In a nutshell
Recovery coaching is a form of evidence-based support that guides and empowers people to heal their relationship with food.
What’s it like to work as a Recovery Coach?
Recovery coaches are generally a bunch of enthusiastic and positive people who get a lot of emotional fulfilment from the work they do.
Recovery coaches often wake up excited and energized, as they get to spend their time connecting with courageous and inspiring people.
- Can you imagine the joy of witnessing a client taking their first steps toward change after years or even decades of difficulty?
- Or the feeling of knowing someone is thriving in life thanks to your compassion and guidance?
- Think of the awe-inspiring moment when a client says, “I feel fully healed.”
Of course, life as a recovery coach is not always easy.
Recovery coaching has it’s challenges too.
Therefore, recovery coaches must learn how to take care of themselves and set healthy boundaries to prevent emotional exhaustion.
Recovery coaching also comes with its own specific challenges, such as dealing with clients who push professional boundaries.
At times, you might even find yourself questioning how you can support someone so accomplished, intelligent and insightful (hello, imposter syndrome).
However, when it’s right for you, the benefits outweigh the difficulties.
Moreover, as a recovery coach, you can enjoy an excellent work-life balance.
You can work on your own terms, in a way that reflects your skills and personality.
You can also avoid long commutes, office politics and having to work according to someone else’s schedule (unless that’s what you prefer!).
It’s not just your clients who experience life-changing transformations!
Yes, recovery coaches profoundly impact the lives of others and leave a lasting legacy.
Yet, many potential recovery coaches don’t realize that this work brings personal transformation as well.
Coaching is a two-way street: you give to your clients, and they give back to you.
You learn how to support and nurture your clients, and in turn, you learn how to further support and nurture yourself.
Recovery coaches are constantly learning, growing and evolving.
Don’t just take our word for it!
Later on, you’ll hear from some existing recovery coaches as they reflect on their experiences and life transformations since choosing this path.
Recovery Coaches Work in Many Different Ways
Some recovery coaches prefer to work with clients face-to-face, while others prefer to connect via telephone, video call, email, social media, or health coaching apps.
All are valid options, and coaches are free to choose whichever works best for them and their clients.
Moreover, recovery coaches can work from home, an office, or even while travelling, as long as they can provide confidential sessions.
The freedom to work flexibly is one of the biggest benefits of recovery coaching.
Reflection
Thinking about your preferred communication styles, if you were to become a recovery coach, how would you like to connect with your clients?
Knowing you have complete freedom to choose where you work from, do you imagine you’d like to work from home, from an office, or somewhere else entirely?
Recovery Coaches can be Employed or Self-Employed
Sometimes recovery coaches work for larger health organisations, eating disorder charities and well-being practices.
Then there are recovery coaches who choose to work side-by-side with other well-established recovery coaches.
However, most like to work for themselves.
Take a few minutes to imagine your life as a recovery coach
Do you see yourself working for a big organisation, in collaboration with someone else, or through your own small business?
What pulls you towards that particular style of working?
Recovery Coaches Choose Their Own Working Hours
Working part-time as a Recovery Coach may be a good option.
Part-time Recovery Coaching allows you to fit your coaching sessions into your existing work and life commitments, creating a better work-life balance and freeing up time for the things that matter most to you.
Plus, Recovery Coaches are well paid for their time and expertise, making part-time work a viable option for many.
Alternatively, some people choose to work as a full-time Recovery Coach.
Full-time Recovery Coaches still enjoy the flexibility of setting their own client appointments and working the days and times they choose.
Reflection
How much time would you like to commit to recovery coaching if you decide to go ahead with this new career path?
Would becoming a recovery coach encourage you to make any big changes to your current work-life balance?
Is Recovery Coaching Right for you?
Some people decide to become recovery coaches because of their personal experiences with food issues…
Recovery coaches with experience of eating problems are, in many ways, experts through experience.
If you are someone who has overcome eating problems, then you can use your unique insight and recovery experiences to better help, guide, and support others facing similar issues.
That said, you do NOT need to have personal experience with eating problems to become an excellent coach.
You might be motivated to become a coach because your partner, sibling, or child is dealing with food issues, and you want to help them as much as possible.
Or, you might work in healthcare and feel training as a recovery coach will help you to better support people who experience food issues.
Every recovery coach comes to this work with different motivations.
The one thing they all have in common?
A desire to engage in truly meaningful work that changes other people’s lives for the better!
Reflection
What motivated you to learn more about becoming a recovery coach today?
Your personal qualities matter more than your education or background!
There is one really important thing you should know about recovery coaching:
There is no one type of person best suited to becoming a recovery coach.
Maybe you’ve noticed that some recovery coaches have existing qualifications and professional experience in areas like nutrition, psychology and social work.
Still, there are so many wonderful, highly skilled recovery coaches out there who do not have such backgrounds.
When it comes to helping others to navigate their issues with food, it is far more important for you to be naturally empathetic, caring, and non-judgemental than it is for you to have a certain educational background or a specific type of work experience.
If you are someone who is:
✓ A good listener
✓ Respectful, open-minded and welcoming towards others
✓ Likes to help people to solve problems
Then you already have some of the most important skills a recovery coach needs!
Reflection
Do you have any educational or professional experience relevant to the role of recovery coaching?
What personal traits and skills do you have that you think would be helpful if you were to work as a recovery coach?
What life experiences have you had that could help you in your role as a recovery coach?
Am I right for the job?
Gain a better sense of your compatibility with recovery coaching here:
Develop more insight into whether your core values are compatible with recovery coaching here:
Does it matter if I am an extrovert or an introvert?
Put simply, no!
Some recovery coaches are extroverted people who are talkative, social and outgoing. If you’re someone who considered themselves to be a “people-person”, you likely fit into this category.
Extroverted coaches are high-energy, generally confident in guiding their coaching sessions and are great at keeping a conversation moving.
Some recovery coaches are introverted people who may be somewhat reserved and proactive in protecting their energy.
Introverted coaches are talented in generating creative solutions and tend to have high levels of natural insight into others’ motivations.
Both extroverts and introverts communicate and see the world differently.
Still, both extroverts and introverts can (and do) make excellent recovery coaches.
Not sure whether you’re introverted or extroverted?
Still not sure if becoming a recovery coach is right for you?
As with any important life decision, there is no way for us to ever be 100% certain we are making the best choice.
Big career decisions (like the decision to train as a recovery coach) undoubtedly impact our health, happiness and overall well-being, so it makes sense if you still feel apprehensive or unsure.
To gain even more clarity, we’d like to encourage you to:
1. Make a List of the Pros and Cons
What excites you about the prospect of becoming a recovery coach?
In what amazing ways might your life change?
Take some time to list all of the positive things you can think of!
But then, for balance, make some space to list your worries and concerns too.
What makes you question whether becoming a recovery coach is right for you?
What is holding you back?
What makes you think this is not the right path for you?
2. Visualise Your Life 5 Years From now
Imagine for a few minutes you have been magically transported into the future.
It’s five years on from this very moment.
You’re a little older and a little wiser, and so much has changed because you are now working as a recovery coach.
Try to imagine how your life looks as you answer the following questions:
- How happy are you?
- Are you satisfied with your day-to-day life and work-life balance?
- Are you working in a way that ignites your soul?
- What are the main differences now compared to life before you became a recovery coach?
You can then repeat this exercise, but this time imagine you decided not to become a recovery coach.
Reflection
Which life sounds more appealing? It’s okay to be completely honest with yourself. Recovery coaching is not for everyone, and that’s okay!
3. Talk the Decision Through With Someone you Trust
If you have a trusted friend or loved one you can turn to, it might be helpful to ask for their guidance.
You might ask them what they think about your idea of becoming a recovery coach or whether they, as an outsider, think you’re suitable for the role.
You might find yourself motivated by their input.
Or, you might find their opinion conflicts with your overall gut feeling.
There is no right or wrong here, only further steps towards clarity.
4. Above all else, Trust your gut!
Gut feelings are intuitive feelings that occur when the neurons in your gut talk with the neurons in your brain.
Listening to those gut feelings is a great way to ensure you are choosing the path that is right for you.
Put trust in yourself and your intuitive pulls when making this decision.
What’s the difference between coaching, counselling and therapy?
Sometimes people mix up recovery coaching with counselling or therapy, which makes sense because there are some similarities.
Working with Clients
As a recovery coach, you have the opportunity to work with a variety of clients.
Including those who:
- Regularly binge eat or feel out of control around food.
- Experience excessive emotional overeating.
- Experience guilt, fear or shame after eating.
- Need help to overcome habitual fasting, overeating or over-exercising.
- Are trapped in a cycle of “clean eating” or “orthorexia”.
- Have dieted for their entire lives and want to stop but are unsure of how to break the cycle.
- Have been diagnosed with (or have self-diagnosed) binge eating disorder.
- Have been diagnosed with (or have self-diagnosed) bulimia.
- Experience any range of eating issues considered “sub-clinical” (e.g. not meeting a formal diagnosis for an eating disorder).
But Some May Choose to Work With Certain Types of Clients…
As a recovery coach, you can decide what type of clients you’d like to work with.
For example, if you’ve previously overcome binge eating, you might feel more confident choosing to support clients who binge eat.
Or if you’ve previously overcome bulimia, you might feel especially skilled at helping other bulimia sufferers to heal.
You could also decide to specialise in supporting people of certain ages, genders or backgrounds or to work exclusively with people from marginalised groups.
Remember, as a recovery coach, you always benefit from:
✓ Choice
✓ Freedom
✓ Flexibility
Recovery coaches generally do not work with clients with anorexia
Or anyone who is showing chronic symptoms of an eating disorder.
The only exceptions are when:
(1) The recovery coach forms part of a larger treatment team and works collaboratively with other professionals.
(2) The clients’ doctor, therapist or other qualified health professional has given the recovery coach written permission.
Recovery Coaches Find Their Clients in Lots of Different Ways
The exact approach taken depends on each coach’s preferences.
For example:
- Coaches who like to work face-to-face with their clients might go out into their communities and find clients through connections with small charities or by advertising their services through local media outlets.
- Coaches who like to work via telephone, video calls or the internet, in general, might find clients by creating their own websites, blogs, podcasts and/or informative resources that clients find through search engines.
- Outgoing coaches who enjoy having a strong social media presence can find their clients by developing a strong presence on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and TikTok.
- Introverted coaches who prefer a more reserved approach can find their clients via blogging, email marketing, paid marketing (including targeted ads on social media) or by reaching out to members of existing online communities.
Reflection
Imagine for a moment you have decided to train as a recovery coach. What method of finding clients sounds the most appealing to you?
Does your personality feed into this decision?
What about your existing skills, knowledge and experience?
However recovery coaches choose to find their clients, their impact is immeasurable.
Just look at some of this incredible feedback from recovery coaching clients:
“A kinder, more encouraging and more knowledgeable person I cannot imagine. My coach led me out of a fiery inferno to a place where the anguish stopped, and I could heal my wounds. I am not the same person I was.“
“Because of coaching, I was able to become familiar with my true feelings and my true self once again. It’s the greatest gift that anyone could ever receive.”
“It feels natural and permanent. I’m armed with the knowledge of what works for me and what doesn’t. I’m settling into my set-point weight. I have healthy coping mechanisms.”
“No food is off-limits. I’m in love with my bulimia-free life and out of love with the binge.”
Are all Recovery Coaches 100% Confident and Self-Assured?
It’s easy to convince yourself all recovery coaches start out feeling 100% confident and sure that this work is right for them.
But in truth, most new recovery coaches find themselves lacking confidence at first.
After all, committing to helping someone through their biggest life struggles is no easy feat.
But the important thing to know is a lack of initial confidence does not mean you’re not cut out for recovery coaching.
If anything, struggling to feel fully confident at first shows you are clearly aware of the importance of your role as a recovery coach – and that is a very good thing!
Your role as a recovery coach is important.
Your work as a recovery coach will touch and transform lives.
Being aware of these truths will make you an even better coach in the long run.
Confidence grows with time and experience!
When we train our recovery coaches, we teach evidence-based strategies for building confidence.
As a result, our coaches tell us even though challenging situations can and do arise, thanks to their training, they navigate these challenges confidently.
Reflection
Right now, does anything, in particular, intimidate you about becoming a recovery coach?
Are there any particular skills you feel you need to build upon in order to boost your confidence?
Has imposter syndrome been a problem for you in the past? If so, how did you navigate it?
How do Recovery Coaches Avoid Emotional Burnout?
Yes, as a recovery coach, there are those exceptional moments of progress and celebration that will leave a lasting positive impact. But you are also there to support your clients during times of struggle, desperation and devastation.
It’s important to remember that recovery coaches are not working the same hours as many other people and that it’s possible to create a balance between the emotional demands of the role and time for rest, relaxation, and rejuvenation.
All new recovery coaches should take the time to ensure that they are taking care of themselves, as this work can be emotionally demanding at times.
We train our recovery coaches to thrive!
When we train our recovery coaches, we ensure adequate time and attention are given to teaching advanced self-care and boundary-setting strategies.
We also ensure all of the recovery coaches we train have the opportunity to become part of a large supportive network of existing recovery coaches.
What Do Recovery Coaches Do When They Don’t Have Answers to Clients’ Questions?
A common misconception among new coaches entering this field is that they must know everything.
Recovery coaches need to develop a strong foundation of knowledge over time, but it doesn’t have to be comprehensive.
Answering questions may be part of your coaching, but it’s not the primary focus. Your job is to provide ongoing empathy, support, and a listening ear. Plus, help with problem-solving and making goals more manageable, and encourage clients to find their own answers.
When a recovery coach doesn’t have the answer to a client’s question, they should face the situation with openness and honesty and remember that their role is much greater than being a walking FAQ service!
Reflection
When you think about the idea of training as a recovery coach and the new knowledge you would be required to build, how does it make you feel?
How do you think someone can become an expert recovery coach without knowing every answer?
Hear From Current Recovery Coaches
In this section, you get to hear from recovery coaches currently working in the field.
We hope you’ll enjoy reading about their inspirational journeys!
I’m Catherine Liberty, and I’ve Been Working as a Binge Eating and Bulimia Recovery Coach Since 2011.
I am so happy to be contributing to this beginner’s guide to recovery coaching!
I was someone who had always struggled with food and self-hatred.
Even from birth, I had had an insatiable appetite and doctors had advised my parents to water down my milk.
By age 6, I was binge eating and experiencing my very first highly restrictive diet.
Throughout my childhood, I was bullied profusely for my size.
At 15, I developed bulimia, and I spent the next decade living in vicious cycles of binge eating and purging.
But then, as if by some miracle, when I had lost almost all hope, I stumbled upon the original online recovery program, “The Bulimia Help Method”, and it changed everything.
I won’t go deeper into the ins and outs of my own recovery right now. I share this only so you can gain a little more insight into my motivations for becoming a recovery coach.
You see, I had suffered so much. I had been so lost. But I had still recovered so completely. From the day that I deemed myself to be fully recovered, I knew I was experiencing a calling, something deep from within, that told me my purpose in life was now to help others to do the same.
Back then, the words “recovery coach” were almost unheard of, and there were no online services offering recovery coaching, but all of that was about to change.
The very people who created the recovery program that allowed me to heal from a lifetime of food issues agreed to train me as their first-ever recovery coach.
Their expertise was undeniable, and while I was somewhat intimidated, I jumped at the chance.
I remember the day as if it was yesterday.
With tears rolling down my face, I reached out to all of those closest to me, telling them of my “dream job” and even sharing with most of them for the first time that I had ended up in the role due to my past struggles and ultimate recovery.
It was the biggest turning point in my life.
The most empowering feeling I had ever experienced.
I have tears in my eyes right now as I share this experience with you.
Training as a recovery coach felt effortless. I already had so much insight into food issues and a lot of experience guiding others in recovery, as I had been very active on peer support forums after healing.
As for new information? I was so eager to learn I soaked it all up like a sponge. I was ready, or so I thought!
Then, my very first week working as a recovery coach arrived, and I think I experienced every possible human emotion.
I was elated one day and terrified the next.
I was confident and self-assured in one breath, only to be lost and unsure in the next.
During that first week, I received some lovely feedback from one of my clients. I laughed and smiled and rejoiced. Finally, I was where I was supposed to be!
But during that first week, I also received some impossibly hard questions and harsh criticisms from a client who questioned my true ability to help. I sat and sobbed for hours after our exchange. Clearly, I was not cut out for the role!
Thanks to my training and support network, although there were some big initial challenges, I persevered through them, I rose above them, and I am so glad I did.
It took me about three months to truly settle into my role as a recovery coach, which is no time at all when you really think about it!
I love this work.
I love my clients, and I have even grown to love being challenged because I see how it pushes me to do more, to be more, to learn more and to never stop growing and evolving as a coach.
As I sit here writing to you, I can’t help but reminisce about all of the amazing people I have had the privilege of connecting with thanks to my work as a recovery coach.
I have coached people from across the globe. From Ireland to Afghanistan, the USA to Japan, India, Finland, Spain, Italy… the list seems endless and thinking of all of those wonderful souls in all of those incredible places is overwhelming in the most beautiful way.
Our potential reach is a huge benefit of recovery coaching – we are not bound by geographical constraints, and therefore, our potential impact is limitless.
It’s nice to think of the personal journey recovery coaching takes us on too.
When I think of the version of me that started this journey, coaching from the corner of her tiny damp bedroom, using a rickety old picnic table as a desk, wondering if she was really “good enough” to be guiding others through recovery… that person was already an excellent new recovery coach, but she was lightyears away from the version of me that sits here writing to you today.
Today I know my worth.
Today I am not afraid to say I see my expertise shining through in the work that I do.
Today, I run towards every challenge with a smile on my face knowing of the growth I will receive in return.
Today I am the confident, self-assured professional recovery coach I always dreamed I could be.
Becoming a recovery coach isn’t just about the journey your clients go on; it’s also about the journey you go on as an ever-learning and changing person too.
Knowing the work I have dedicated myself to over the years has touched so many lives makes me endlessly thankful that I was given the opportunity to become a recovery coach all those years ago.
In a nutshell…
If you are someone with a drive to help others, if you are open to learning, growing and changing, then the journey to becoming a recovery coach can surpass each and every expectation you have.
Becoming a recovery coach is a rewarding journey that requires dedication, knowledge, and a willingness to learn, grow, and evolve as a coach. With the right support and training, you can become an expert recovery coach and make a lasting impact on your clients and our world.
I would like to become a recovery coach, what is the next step?
We’re thrilled that you’re interested in learning more about training as a recovery coach with us! Becoming a recovery coach is an incredibly rewarding journey, and we’d love to help you take your first steps.
→ Check out our Recovery Coach Certification to learn more about our training and discover how you can start your journey to becoming a recovery coach today
