Coaching and recovery : an exploration of coaching employed professionals in recovery from alcohol misuse
Date
2015-12
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Recovery coaching is described as one service within a group known as non-clinical recovery
support services. Its purpose is the pursuit of recovery from substance dependency, and takes a
developmental, individualistic view on what recovery means. However, little is known about the
perspectives and processes employed by recovery coaches in pursuit of that goal. The aim of the
research was to address the following question: What can we learn about coaching through
exploring the experiences of coaches working with employed professionals in recovery from
alcohol misuse?
This research was a qualitative study. A narrative inquiry research methodology was chosen to
explore the experiences of recovery coaches. A purposive sampling approach was used to select
seven credentialed recovery coaches with at least a year’s experience of coaching employed
professionals in recovery from alcohol misuse. Data was collected using seven narrative interviews
that were digitally recorded and transcribed, and the data was analysed using a specific narrative
analysis model in order to generate the findings.
The key findings revealed that recovery coaches worked in the field of recovery, not addiction.
They were primarily credentialed by their skills as a coach, coupled with an understanding of
recovery. An understanding of recovery might have come through their own recovery journey, or
from working in the recovery support services industry. All coaches agreed that recovery was a
developmental journey grounded in the assets, resources and choices of the individual who sought
coaching for recovery. However, it was found that the deployment of coaching models, and the
effective use of coaching skills and techniques were the foundation of a recovery coaching service.
These core coaching competencies, suggestive of the need for professional training, were
concerned with relationship building between coach and client, managing relationships with clients
and interested parties, and adopting a forward-focused client-centric approach in which the client
sets the agenda. It was found that this approach was well received by professionals who came
from an organisational background and who identified with its forward-focused and goal-centred
approach. In this respect, the purpose of recovery coaching was recovery by any means through
the effective use of an appropriate coaching process. Recovery coaches identified their work as
only one of a multi-disciplinary set of recovery support services.
These findings were limited by the lack of a prolonged engagement with each coach, and the fact
that the author was the researcher, the interviewer, a credentialed recovery coach, and himself a
professional in recovery. The results might be useful to other coaches, to other recovery support
services, and to business leaders and managers. The findings position recovery coaching as a
valuable service within non-clinical recovery support services, and may be of particular interest to
employed professionals who seek recovery.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Geen opsomming beskikbaar
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Geen opsomming beskikbaar
Description
Thesis (M.Phil)--Stellenbosch University, 2015.
Keywords
Personal coaching, Alcoholism, Alcoholism -- Treatment, Employees -- Coaching of,