admin August 18th, 2008
August 18, 2008
We open a door
To where there is no road
We take it.
–Philomene Long
This poem illustrates the journey many of us choose to take when we move forward in our lives with purpose and intention yet uncertain of what truly lies ahead. Philomene was considered to many here in the Venice Beach community as the “Queen of Bohemia” and I was lucky enough to know her for the past decade before her untimely death a year ago. Her words resonate for many of us who choose to take the road less traveled but know in our heart of hearts that it’s necessary to do so.
On the 1st anniversary of her death it reminds me of my gratitude to visionaries like Philomene and to others who carry the intention even when the road seems darker than usual. Recovery Coaching has brought together a community of visionaries and trailblazers and together we continue to move forward one door at a time, one day at a time.
admin August 2nd, 2008
August 2, 2008
This past week I attended the first Board of Directors meeting for Recovery Coaches International (a virtual meeting via conference call), and it brought forth the realization that RCI has developed from an idea to a vision to a full-fledged non-profit organization. When we began discussing the possibility of creating RCI more than 3 years ago, it was crystal clear that this was a necessary addition to both the coaching and addiction recovery communities. Now the vision has turned into momentum and expansion as we are developing pilot projects, marketing strategies and collegial friendships with like-minded professionals. Moving from a few voices to a chorus of voices energizes me and fuels my passion toward expanding our collective vision.
My current focus is to study the effectiveness of Recovery Coaching on those in the first year of addiction recovery and more will be revealed as we continue collecting data in this direction. It’s an exciting time of establishing more credibility and visibility and I’ll keep you posted as things continue to unfold.
admin July 26th, 2008
July 26, 2008
After returning from the Big Island of Hawaii recently, I feel compelled to write about my experience of the volcano called Kilauea, possibly the most active volcano in the world. It caught me by surprise. Not only was it mesmerizing to watch, but it acted as a perspective-builder and a reminder of the power lurking beneath the earth’s surface. We are only here for a short time as each of us borrows a bit of space on our planet. Yet, the earth is re-generating and re-creating itself all the time as volcanoes and other natural miracles take place all the time. My life feels so small in comparison to the magnificent energy that Kilauea possesses and it was truly awe-inspiring as I witnessed the “natural fireworks” where its lava makes its deposit into the mighty pacific.
Where does all of this leave me? It certainly allows me to put into perspective my life and the day-to-day challenges that I face, and it also reminds me of how my recovery has given me the gift of taking myself on more adventures and being present for them. Isn’t that the challenge for most of us? How do we create adventure in our life and how do we stay present enough to experience the joy and wonder of the moment? I wish all of you joy, wonder and adventure this summer and beyond and highly recommend a visit to Kilauea, the perspective-builder.
admin July 6th, 2008
July 6, 2008
On this Independence Day Weekend it reminds me of the freedom that recovery from addictive and compulsive behaviors offers each of us. Before I stumbled into the world of coaching back in 2001, I had been feeling quite stuck and tunnel-visioned about what the future had to offer. I had been working as a psychotherapist for more than 10 years and had been in recovery for 7 years, but something didn’t feel right to me. I knew I wanted to create something different in my life and in my career, but I wasn’t sure how to make this happen. As a result of working with a terrific coach, I began to open the aperture to limitless possibilities such as developing a coaching business, travelling more frequently and most recently, adopting a cocker spaniel after 25 years of living without a dog. This is the freedom and expansiveness that recovery and coaching brought into my life, and I invite you to ask yourself what will create more freedom in this next chapter of your life.
admin June 15th, 2008
Sunday June 15, 2008
As I write this entry on Father’s Day morning I’m reminded of the gratitude I hold for my father’s presence in my life even though we live three thousand miles away from one another. Last October we had a chance to celebrate his 80th birthday together, and as I look back in time, my dad has always shown up in my life from the time he was an umpire in my little league to becoming the coordinator of my band trips in high school. Nowadays gratitude has become a bigger part of my consciousness as well as a tool I share with all my coaching clients.
On Friday I had the pleasure of sharing the stage with two of my favorite Recovery Coach colleagues, Pat Moomey and Linda Landon as we spoke at Milestones Treatment Center in Malibu to a group of approximately 70 addiction professionals. We put together an informative, educational 1-hour presentation that gave the audience a terrific introduction to Recovery Coaching and what we bring to the addiction recovery community. Two days later I continue to bask in the gratitude and the energy that was created at this event and feel even more energized to build upon our momentum and continue to share the tools and resources we have to offer as Recovery Coaches. I’m always curious to hear how your efforts are going with educating others about Recovery Coaching so feel free to let me know your experiences.
admin June 8th, 2008
June 8, 2008
It’s now the second Sunday of June as I write to you from my home office in sunny Santa Monica. It’s been quite a month, and I’m feeling very grateful to let you know that my article entitled Purposeful Recovery: What’s Coaching Got To Do With It? has just been published in the June 2008 Steps for Recovery newspaper and can be read on-line at www.steps4recovery.org. It was my privilege to be asked to write the article after the new editor heard me give a presentation on Recovery Coaching back in January, and it feels like a wonderful launching pad for more publications and presentations in the future. I welcome all comments and ideas so please let me know your thoughts as we continue to expand our discussion about Recovery Coaching and how to spread the word efficiently and effectively.
admin May 7th, 2008
Welcome to the first entry in my Recovery Coaching blog, a place to create dialogue, meet like-minded folks and share resources around the globe.
It’s been more than two and a half years since I co-founded Recovery Coaches International with my colleague, Alida Schuyler and it’s taken shape and gained more and more collective energy and momentum since that time. We recently received non-profit status from the state of Washington and await approval from the IRS. In addition, Linda Landon, a Business and Recovery coach recently facilitated a very moving inaugural ceremony for the newly-elected officers, and I was reminded once again about the limitless possibilities of Recovery Coaching and the growing community around it. In fact, there are officers-elect waiting in the wings for next year which speaks to the enthusiasm and passion we share in RCI.
Not only is the energy within the RCI community growing, but it’s also spreading nationally and internationally — one person at a time, one treatment program at a time. It becomes vividly clear every time I talk about Recovery Coaching, and recently I was invited to give a presentation to approximately 45 addiction professionals who are members of the San Fernando Valley Employee Assistance Professionals Association. Not only was the discussion very well-received but I was asked to write an article in The L.A.-based publication STEPS for RECOVERY. This is not an isolated event — I find enthusiasm and powerful energy wherever I speak on the topic.
I welcome you to become part of my blog community as well as a member of RCI, and please let me know if you have any questions or comments along the way.
Gratefully,
Andrew