Recovery Coach in Delray Beach & Boca Raton: What Comes After Treatment
Delray Beach has a nickname in the recovery world: the recovery capital of the country. Between Delray and Boca Raton there's a treatment center, sober home, or meeting on almost every corner. If you need help getting sober in South Florida, it's here.
But here's what nobody puts on the brochure: treatment ends. The 30, 60, or 90 days run out, IOP tapers off, and one day you're standing in your kitchen on Atlantic Avenue or in an apartment off Glades Road, sober — and completely unsure what to do with the life you just got back.
That gap is where a recovery coach comes in.
I'm Scott Russell. I'm a recovery and life coach based in Delray Beach, ten years sober, a former program director in addiction and mental health treatment, and the host of From The Grave Podcast. I've sat on both sides of this. Here's what recovery coaching actually is, who it's for, and how to find the right recovery coach in Delray Beach or Boca Raton.
What a recovery coach actually does
A recovery coach helps you build the life that makes sobriety worth keeping. Not just staying clean — living.
Treatment gets the substance out and stabilizes you. Meetings give you community and a program. Therapy helps you understand where the pain came from. All of that matters. A recovery coach works on what comes next: what you do on a Tuesday afternoon when nobody's watching.
In practice, that looks like:
Structure. Building a daily rhythm that holds when motivation doesn't.
Accountability. Someone in your corner who will tell you the truth and hold you to what you said you'd do.
Rebuilding the basics. Work, money, relationships, boundaries, the conversations you've been avoiding for years.
Identity. Figuring out who you are when you're not the person who's using, and not just "the person in recovery" either.
Purpose. Turning what you survived into something that means something.
Recovery coach vs. therapist vs. sponsor vs. sober companion
People in South Florida get offered all four, so it's worth being clear about the difference:
Therapist: A licensed clinician who diagnoses and treats mental health conditions and works through the past. If you're dealing with trauma, depression, or anything clinical, you need one. Coaching works alongside therapy, not instead of it.
Sponsor: A fellow member of a 12-step program who walks you through the steps. Free, invaluable, and based on their own recovery.
Sober companion: Someone who stays with you, sometimes around the clock, usually right after treatment, to keep you from using.
Recovery coach: A forward-focused partner who helps you set direction, take action, and build a life — with structure and accountability between sessions.
If you're still in active addiction or withdrawal, start with medical treatment. Coaching is for building forward once you're out of crisis.
Who recovery coaching is for
You just finished treatment in Delray or Boca and you're scared of what comes next. You've got the tools on paper. You don't have a plan for actually living. That first year is where most people lose it, and it's where structure and accountability matter most.
You've been sober for years and something still isn't moving. You're not drinking. You're not using. But you feel stuck, flat, or like you swapped one compulsion for another — work, relationships, your phone. You know there's supposed to be more, and you can't find it.
You keep relapsing and you're tired of starting over. You can explain your patterns better than anyone. You just can't seem to break them. Insight isn't the problem. Follow-through is.
You're done performing recovery. You know the language. You can share in a meeting like a pro. But behind closed doors, your life doesn't match what you say.
What working with me looks like
I didn't learn this from a weekend certification. I learned it through addiction, rock bottom, a spiritual awakening, and years of doing the hard, unglamorous work of becoming someone new. Then I spent years in treatment as a program director, and I've spoken in treatment centers, prisons, high schools, and college programs including LSU and Ole Miss football.
I'm not going to give you more motivation. Motivation fades by Wednesday. I'm going to tell you the truth, help you build a plan with teeth, and hold you to it.
My signature program is The Rebuild: 12 weeks of private 1:1 coaching built around where you actually are. That includes:
Twelve private sessions with me — in person in Delray Beach and the Boca Raton area, or over Zoom anywhere in the country.
A personalized roadmap, not a cookie-cutter curriculum.
Practices and challenges between sessions, so you build real evidence instead of just more insight.
Direct support between sessions, within clear boundaries.
We don't start with "How do we fix you?" We start with "What's keeping you from trusting yourself?"
How to choose a recovery coach in Delray Beach or Boca Raton
South Florida has no shortage of people calling themselves recovery coaches. There's no state license required to call yourself a recovery coach in Florida, so you have to do your own vetting. Here's what I'd look for:
Lived experience and professional experience. Someone who's been through it understands you. Someone who's also worked in the field knows where coaching ends and clinical care begins.
Honesty about what coaching isn't. A good coach will tell you when you need a therapist, a doctor, or a higher level of care — and won't try to replace them.
A clear structure. How long is the program? How often do you meet? What happens between sessions? "We'll see how it goes" isn't a plan.
Clear boundaries. Support between sessions is great. A coach who blurs every line isn't helping you build independence.
No pressure tactics. If someone is rushing you to sign up tonight, walk away.
Real reviews. Look for reviews from actual clients on Google, not just testimonials on their own site.
Chemistry. You're going to be honest with this person about the hardest parts of your life. Talk to them first and trust your gut.
Frequently asked questions
Do you only work with people in Delray Beach and Boca Raton?
No. I meet clients in person around Delray Beach and Boca Raton, and I work over Zoom with people across South Florida — Boynton, West Palm, Fort Lauderdale — and nationwide.
How long do I need to be sober before working with a recovery coach?
There's no magic number. What matters is that you're out of medical crisis and ready to do the work. Some clients come to me weeks out of treatment. Others have ten years and feel stuck.
Is recovery coaching covered by insurance?
Generally, no. Coaching isn't a clinical service, so it's usually private pay. We'll talk through what working together involves on our first call.
Is this a replacement for meetings or therapy?
No. Plenty of my clients keep going to meetings and keep seeing a therapist. Coaching fills a different role: turning what you know into how you actually live.
Ready to stop surviving and start rebuilding?
If you're in Delray Beach, Boca Raton, or anywhere else and you're tired of being sober but stuck, let's talk. The first step is a short application. I read every one myself, and if it looks like a fit, we'll set up a free, no-pressure conversation.
Not ready yet? Start with how I approach recovery coaching, or listen to From The Grave Podcast for real conversations about recovery, spirituality, and what it actually takes to rebuild a life.
If you're in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline). For help finding addiction treatment, call the SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357. Coaching is not a substitute for medical or mental health treatment.
