What is a recovery coach and how can they support you in recovery?
Unlike a therapist, a recovery coach cannot diagnose or treat eating disorders or other co-morbid issues like depression and anxiety. Instead, they support your recovery by helping you achieve the day-to-day goals already established by you and your clinical treatment team. Working through daily challenges can help you shift your behavioral patterns quicker by addressing triggers in the moment. Coaching sessions can take place wherever you feel comfortable and whenever you need them. This could mean before work, in the evening, while walking, at a park, while cooking, or even during a special event. Services include meal and snack support, food exposure, meal planning and grocery shopping, and clothes shopping and closet clean out. See below for more information on each service.
Meal and Snack Support
Whether you’re just starting your recovery journey or have been on it for a while, meals and snacks can be challenging. Eating disorders are sneaky and often tell you behaviors like eating too quickly, too slowly, or having food rituals are normal when they are not. Not being aware of such behaviors can hinder your progress in recovery. A recovery coach can help you establish an appropriate rhythm of eating and support you when difficult emotions arise. Meal sessions can take place at a restaurant, while cooking at home, or at a special event.
Food Exposure
Exposure to foods that provoke anxiety or distress is a crucial part of recovery. The more you do it, the more you learn to trust your body and the recovery process. Exposure is also a great way to challenge beliefs surrounding food and remove labels such as good or bad food. Allowing yourself to eat foods that you have given such strong labels can trigger eating disorder thoughts making it feel impossible. A recovery coach can help affirm your progress and give you confidence to overcome food fears and meet your goals.
Meal Planning & Grocery Shopping
Goals are often easier to accomplish when an action plan has been created. Regular grocery shopping and planning meals in advance gives you time to work through any fears associated with them which may weaken distressful emotions when the time comes to eat. While a dietitian can help you plan meals, a recovery coach can support you at the grocery store by keeping you accountable from reading food labels or purchasing diet or low-fat options.
Clothing Shopping and Closet Clean Out
Even though eating disorders often run many layers deep psychologically, they materialize as food and weight obsessions. When recovery is accompanied by weight gain, needing new clothes and ridding your closet of those that no longer fit can feel overwhelming because there is a sense of loss. Having a recovery coach by your side to provide words of encouragement can help you process your emotions and reassure you of your strength in recovery.
Please contact the office directly if you are interested in scheduling an appointment with our recovery coach, Vanessa Huynh.