What this is, and what it isn't

Worth being precise about, because the words in this field get used loosely and the difference matters.

What peer recovery coaching is

• A conversation between two people, one of whom is in recovery themselves. That shared experience is the whole basis of it. It is not a credential standing in for understanding.
• Practical and forward-looking. Routines, obstacles, the specific thing you are avoiding this week, what to try next.
• Accountability you agreed to. You decide what you are working on. I remember it and ask about it.
• Non-clinical. Nothing here is a diagnosis, a treatment plan, or a clinical assessment, because none of those are mine to give.

What it is not

• Not therapy or counseling. I am not a therapist or a licensed counselor and this is not psychotherapy. If what you need is therapy, that is a good thing to want and this is not it.
• Not medical care. No diagnosis, no prescribing, no advice about medication, dosage, or tapering — ever, including if you ask.
• Not a crisis service. I am one person with a calendar. I am not reachable at any hour and I am not a substitute for emergency help. See crisis resources.
• Not a referral service. I will not steer you toward a treatment centre, recovery residence, sober living, or lab, and I do not accept anything of value from any of them. If you want to understand what a level of care means, I will explain the category. I will not name a business.
• Not a promise. No outcome is being offered here, by me or by anyone honest.

Confidentiality, and its limits

What you say stays between us, with real exceptions you should know before you say anything rather than after:

• If I believe you or someone else is in immediate danger, I will act on that, including contacting emergency services.
• Anything the law obliges me to report, I will report.
• Peer coaching does not carry legal privilege. A conversation with a licensed therapist can be protected in a legal proceeding. A conversation with a coach generally is not, and my notes could be subject to a subpoena. This is an uncomfortable thing to put on a website and you should know it anyway.

The full version of all of this is in the written agreement, before anything starts.