1:1 Coaching
A Personal Path to Recovery, Growth & Connection
You are not broken. You adapted to survive.
Personalized coaching grounded in nearly four decades of lived recovery experience, practical wisdom, and compassionate exploration.
At The Safe Recovery Practice, we believe meaningful change begins when we approach ourselves with curiosity rather than judgment, compassion rather than shame, and a willingness to understand the experiences that have shaped us.
Whether you're navigating addiction, have been in recovery for years, have struggled to find your place in traditional recovery programs, or are simply seeking greater emotional well-being and personal growth, our work together begins wherever you are.
What If There Is Another Way?
Many of the behaviors, beliefs, and emotional patterns we struggle with began as ways of adapting to life's challenges.
What if, instead of asking, "What's wrong with me?" we became curious about what these patterns were originally trying to accomplish?
At The Safe Recovery Practice, we explore addiction and compulsive behaviors through the lens of adaptation rather than defect or moral failure.
From this perspective, many behaviors that eventually become harmful may have begun as attempts to manage stress, soothe emotional pain, find connection, or create a sense of safety.
These adaptations can become deeply ingrained, even when they no longer serve us.
Rather than fighting against ourselves, we begin by understanding the protective strategies that developed along the way.
Through awareness, compassion, and practical mind-body approaches, we can begin exploring new possibilities for how we respond to ourselves, others, and the world around us.
Recovery isn't just about changing what we do. It's about exploring what we've experienced, understanding how we've adapted, and discovering new possibilities for how we live.
Who Is 1:1 Coaching For?
There is no single path to recovery, healing, or personal growth.
At The Safe Recovery Practice, we recognize that what works for one person may not resonate with another.
Our approach offers a different perspective — one grounded in curiosity, compassion, and the understanding that many of our behaviors began as adaptations to life's experiences.
Individual coaching may be a good fit if you:
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Have struggled with traditional recovery programs. Perhaps you've tried 12-Step or other recovery approaches but haven't found the connection, understanding, or support you're looking for.
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Are seeking an alternative perspective on addiction. You may not identify with the disease model or the belief that you are powerless, defective, or destined to struggle indefinitely.
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Have struggled with the spiritual language or beliefs of traditional recovery programs. Concepts such as God, a Higher Power, surrender, or powerlessness may not resonate with you or may bring up difficult experiences. At The Safe Recovery Practice, there is no required belief system. Whether you connect with spirituality, nature, community, your own inner wisdom, or none of these, your perspective is welcome and respected.
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Have experienced repeated interruptions of abstinence. What is traditionally called "relapse" may have left you feeling discouraged, ashamed, or as though you've lost everything you've worked toward. We view these experiences as opportunities for greater understanding, not as erasing your recovery.
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Have been in recovery for years but still struggle with underlying patterns. You may have changed your relationship with substances or behaviors but continue to experience shame, emotional distress, relationship challenges, or limiting beliefs.
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Want to understand what lies beneath addictive or compulsive behaviors. Rather than focusing exclusively on stopping a behavior, you want to explore the emotional experiences, protective strategies, and unmet needs that may contribute to it.
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Are navigating stress, emotional overwhelm, or recurring relationship patterns. You may not identify with addiction at all but want to develop greater awareness, emotional regulation, and self-compassion.
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Are curious about a more holistic approach. You're interested in exploring EFT tapping, parts work, nervous system awareness, and practical tools for personal growth.
A Different Way of Understanding Addiction
At The Safe Recovery Practice, we approach addiction through the lens of adaptation rather than disease.
We explore the possibility that addictive and compulsive behaviors developed as learned responses to stress, emotional pain, trauma, or unmet needs — strategies that may once have offered relief or protection but eventually created new challenges.
This perspective does not dismiss the seriousness of addiction or the value of medical treatment and traditional recovery programs. It offers another way to understand our experiences and approach change.
You are not defective. You are not broken. And an interruption of abstinence does not erase the growth, courage, and awareness you've developed along the way.
Whether you're beginning your recovery journey, returning after a difficult period, or looking for a different way forward, you are welcome here.
Honoring Your Beliefs, Whatever They May Be
For some, spirituality and a relationship with God or a Higher Power have been meaningful sources of strength, connection, and hope in recovery.
For others, these concepts may feel unfamiliar, uncomfortable, or inconsistent with their personal experiences and beliefs.
At The Safe Recovery Practice, we honor both.
You don't need to believe in God, embrace a Higher Power, or adopt a particular spiritual philosophy to begin exploring recovery.
And if spirituality is an important part of your life, there is room for that, too.
We recognize that meaning, connection, and inner resources can be experienced in many different ways.
Your beliefs are your own. Your recovery is your own.
Our work is not about telling you what to believe, but creating a supportive space where you can explore what brings you greater awareness, safety, connection, and meaning.
You don't have to believe what others believe to explore what might be possible for you.
Our Work Together
Every person arrives with a different story, different experiences, and different hopes.
Our work is collaborative and guided by your needs, comfort, and readiness. There is no single roadmap or expectation that you must follow a particular path.
Depending on what emerges, our sessions may integrate several complementary approaches.
Emotional Freedom Techniques
(EFT Tapping)
EFT is a gentle mind-body practice that combines tapping on specific acupressure points with focused awareness.
It may help support emotional regulation, reduce stress, explore limiting beliefs, and create space for new perspectives.
Parts Work
We all have different parts of ourselves that carry emotions, beliefs, fears, and protective strategies.
Rather than judging or trying to eliminate these parts, we explore them with curiosity and compassion, recognizing that many developed in response to earlier experiences.
Nervous System Awareness
Our nervous systems are continually responding to experiences of safety, stress, and connection.
Developing greater awareness of these responses can help us recognize automatic patterns and explore new ways of responding to life's challenges.
Recovery & Life Coaching
Drawing upon the practical wisdom of traditional recovery programs and contemporary mind-body approaches, we explore habits, relationships, boundaries, personal beliefs, and opportunities for meaningful change.
The intention is not to impose a particular philosophy or outcome, but to support your growing awareness, agency, and connection with yourself.
What to Expect During Your First Session
Initial Coaching Session — 90 Minutes
Beginning something new can bring curiosity, uncertainty, or even a little apprehension. That's natural.
Our initial 90-minute session provides time to connect, explore your experiences, and begin understanding the patterns, challenges, and possibilities that bring you to coaching.
Together, we may explore:
1. Getting to Know You
We begin with a conversation about your experiences, what's happening in your life, and what you would like support exploring.
You decide what and how much to share.
2. Exploring Your Goals
Together, we identify areas where you would like greater awareness, freedom, or change.
Your goals may evolve as our work unfolds.
3. Understanding Your Patterns and Resources
We may begin exploring recurring emotional or behavioral patterns, protective responses, and the strengths and resources that already support you.
4. Introducing the Practice
Depending on your needs and comfort, we may explore EFT tapping, grounding, body awareness, or ways of approaching protective patterns with greater curiosity.
5. Considering the Path Forward
We reflect on what felt useful, discuss possibilities for continued exploration, and consider what ongoing coaching might look like.
There is nothing you need to prepare or perform. You are welcome to arrive exactly as you are.
Ongoing Coaching Sessions
60-Minute Individual Sessions
Meaningful change rarely happens in a straight line.
Some sessions may bring new awareness. Others may focus on strengthening resources, working with difficult emotions, or integrating what you've already discovered.
Over time, our work may include:
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Recognizing recurring emotional and behavioral patterns.
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Developing practical tools for emotional regulation and resilience.
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Exploring beliefs and protective responses that may no longer serve you.
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Strengthening boundaries, relationships, and connection.
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Practicing greater self-compassion and self-trust.
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Integrating new insights into everyday life.
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Exploring how earlier adaptations influence present-day choices and experiences.
Between sessions, you may be invited to notice patterns, practice tapping or grounding, or reflect on questions that emerge.
These are invitations, not assignments.
The intention is to support your growing awareness and agency, not create another standard you must meet.
We move at a pace that honors your capacity, readiness, and individual experience.
Our Work Together
Every person arrives with a different story, different experiences, and different hopes.
Our work is collaborative and guided by your needs, comfort, and readiness. There is no single roadmap or expectation that you must follow a particular path.
Depending on what emerges, our sessions may integrate several complementary approaches.
Awareness
Noticing our thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and experiences without judgment.
Embodiment
Developing a greater connection with our bodies and the signals they communicate.
Curiosity
Exploring what our patterns and protective responses may be trying to tell us.
Compassion
Meeting ourselves and our experiences with kindness rather than criticism.
These are not steps to master. They are practices we return to as we grow.
Honoring Traditional Recovery, Exploring New Possibilities
Traditional recovery programs have offered generations of people practical steps, fellowship, accountability, and hope.
My own recovery journey has been deeply shaped by these experiences.
Over nearly four decades in recovery, I've learned invaluable lessons through traditional recovery programs, the fellowship of others, and the practical application of recovery principles in everyday life.
Those experiences continue to inform my life and my work.
At the same time, I recognize that traditional recovery programs do not resonate with everyone.
Some people struggle with the language, labels, or beliefs associated with particular approaches. Others may have participated for years but continue to experience repeated interruptions of abstinence or unresolved emotional patterns.
For some, the disease model of addiction may not reflect their lived experience or how they understand themselves.
For others, the challenge may be spiritual. The language of God, a Higher Power, or surrender may not align with their beliefs or experiences. While these concepts have been deeply meaningful to many people, they are not prerequisites for participating in Safe Recovery. We honor each person's right to discover their own sources of strength, meaning, connection, and hope.
My perspective is different. I see addiction primarily as an adaptation — a learned response that may have developed to help us survive, regulate emotions, or cope with difficult experiences.
This perspective does not mean addiction is harmless or that professional treatment is unnecessary. It means we can approach the person and the behavior with greater curiosity and compassion.
Safe Recovery does not ask you to abandon what has worked for you.
Instead, we explore how the practical tools and wisdom of traditional recovery can be complemented by EFT tapping, parts work, nervous system awareness, and compassionate self-exploration.
It's not about replacing the path you've traveled. It's about expanding the possibilities of where that path may lead.
Meet Bruce Whittemore
Founder, The Safe Recovery Practice
Holistic Recovery Coach | Advanced Certified EFT Practitioner
My approach is grounded in nearly four decades of personal recovery, professional training, and an ongoing curiosity about what helps us heal, grow, and reconnect with ourselves.
Traditional recovery programs provided me with invaluable tools, practical steps, fellowship, and a foundation for meaningful change. Those experiences continue to inform both my life and my work.
Over time, I began to recognize that recovery can extend beyond changing behaviors or maintaining abstinence.
Beneath many of our struggles are learned patterns, protective responses, and earlier experiences that deserve our attention and compassion.
This curiosity led me to explore Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), parts work, nervous system regulation, and the science of how our brains and bodies adapt to life's experiences.
Today, my coaching brings these perspectives together, honoring the wisdom and practical tools of traditional recovery while creating space for deeper self-awareness, emotional growth, and personal transformation.
My intention is not to tell you who to become or what your recovery should look like.
It is to create a supportive environment where we can explore your experiences, discover your resources, and open the door to new possibilities.
I believe recovery is not about fixing what is broken. It's about reconnecting with what has always been whole and creating new possibilities for how we live.
Let's Begin With a Conversation
You don't need to have everything figured out before reaching out.
Our free discovery conversation is an opportunity to connect, explore what you're looking for, and see whether working together feels like a good fit.
There is no pressure or obligation.
Just an opportunity to begin.
Your journey is your own. We can explore the possibilities together.
Important Note
The Safe Recovery Practice provides coaching, education, and complementary mind-body practices.
Coaching is not psychotherapy, medical treatment, addiction rehabilitation, or a substitute for licensed mental health or medical care. Coaching does not diagnose or treat mental health or substance use disorders.
If you are experiencing alcohol or drug withdrawal, or require medical detoxification, please seek appropriate medical care. Some forms of withdrawal can be medically dangerous.