I've been there.
I know what it's like.
I can help.
When I say I’ve been there, I mean it.
I've done the all-nighters, sometimes several days in a row. I was often the last one up. I've experienced blackouts, trauma, job losses, financial difficulties, brushes with the law, and I hurt many people. I hid, justified, and lied about my problematic drinking and cocaine use. I lived a double life with cover ups, irritability, anger, sadness, and depression.
I've been through an alcohol detox facility twice, in-patient drug rehab twice. I’ve attended hundreds of support groups and many counselling and therapy sessions to get to where I am today.
I am a different person now and I love what I do! For the past 15 years I have worked in various capacities in the field of substance use, addiction and mental health.
Don't let my brief bio scare you if that doesn't align with your experience or where you're currently at! I work with a range of clients from low-to-moderate consumers of alcohol and other substances to full blown dependancy and addiction and everything in between.
Ways We Can Help
Services include: drug and alcohol counsellor, mental health counsellor, psychological assessments, registered psychiatric nurse, online addiction treatment, virtual rehab, alcohol coach, pornography coach, gaming coach, sober coach, transportation and case management. We are experienced in helping clients learn how to stop drinking alcohol, stop smoking weed or consuming cocaine, opiates and prescription medication. Some of the best private addiction treatment available on Vancouver Island British Columbia — also accessible online to anyone in Canada or around the world.
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Coaching & Therapy
Quit Drinking | Quit Cannabis | Quit Cocaine
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Interventions in Canada
Not Like On TV
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Family Therapy And Support
CRAFT Model of Addiction
Online Addiction Treatment
Home Based Recovery provides affordable intensive alcohol and drug virtual treatment services. Accessed from anywhere in the world.
Connect When You’re Ready
It’s normal to feel overwhelmed when you’re struggling with substance use concerns. We’ll help make sense of what’s going on and walk you through your options. You’ll get confidential and judgement-free answers to your questions — with no pressure to make any decisions. Let's have a conversation.
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1.250.896.8494
Phone/Text
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Coach@MichaelWalsh.com
Send an Email
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Send message
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As Featured In
Find Lasting Change and Recovery With a Substance Use & Addiction Coach
Michael Walsh is one of Canada's leading Substance Use & Addiction Experts.
- Michael has worked in the field of mental health, substance use, and addictions for 15 years in non-profit, public and private health services.
- Michael co-created and is the Director of Strategy and Operations of Home Based Recovery Canada. HBR is an online addiction treatment program that combines Recovery Coaching & Therapy with psycho-educational and skills-building content created by a multi-disciplinary team that include psychologists, psychiatrists, recovery coaches, counsellors, therapists, and addiction medicine physicians.
- Michael has curated a strong and diverse team of some of the best Recovery Coaches, Therapists and Counsellors, and Sober Companions in Canada.
- Michael and his team works with clients in a variety of cities in Canada including but not limited to Victoria, Nanaimo, Vancouver, Burnaby, Kelowna, Edmonton, Calgary, Regina, Saskatoon, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, and Halifax. We also work with American clients in a variety of cities including but not limited to Portland, Seattle, and Los Angeles. We work with clients in India, Switzerland, London UK, Germany, France, Australia and several other countries and cities around the world.
- Services are provided online, to clients across Canada, the USA, Europe and any country in the world. Some services available in-person depending on the city — just ask.
- To learn more about how we’re impacting the lives of our clients and their loved ones, visit our testimonials page.
If you're looking for alcohol treatment, outpatient treatment for alcoholism, online drug and alcohol counselling, alcohol rehab programs, support before or after alcohol detox, psychologist services, family therapy, family counselling, or any type of mental health counselling in Victoria, Nanaimo, Vancouver, across Vancouver Island and British Columbia or any city in Canada — we can help.
Is Recovery Coaching Right For You?
As Recovery Coaches, we support you in achieving your goals, whether that involves cutting back, maintaining abstinence, or seeking formal treatment. Whether working with an individual client one-on-one or as part of a clinical team — we'd love to support you.
Our relationship is built on open and honest exploration, and is beneficial to people at all stages of recovery whether:
- You are sober curious, want to cut down, take a break or quit drinking
- You want to learn how to quit smoking weed
- You are working with an addictions counsellor and want to add a Recovery Coach
- You want to get back on track after a slip or relapse and want to build an addiction recovery plan
- You want to explore alternatives to Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12-step programs
- You have stopped many times, but can’t seem to stay stopped
- You want to prioritize recovery, but life is busy and it’s hard to find time
- You want to explore the reasons why you drink or consume other substances in the first place
- You recently completed an in-patient or out-patient program or just got out of detox
- You don’t feel things are bad enough for alcohol inpatient rehab or intensive outpatient addiction treatment, but you want to change
- You are not sure if you have a problem with drugs and/or alcohol in the first place
- You are exploring online and virtual addiction treatment options
You’re in the right spot, and we’d love to help.
Together, we'll help you explore your relationship to alcohol and work toward cutting back, taking a break, or quitting alcohol altogether.
Looking to Help a Loved One?
The addiction of a loved one brings up many difficult questions and scenarios that may leave you feeling like you’re stuck on a never-ending emotional rollercoaster.
My other service, run by me and my team of passionate recovery professionals, offers support specifically for family members who want help to conduct an alcohol, alcoholism or drug intervention in Victoria BC or Vancouver BC. Or if an Intervention feels like too much we offer Family Coaching & Consulting using the CRAFT Model of Addiction and Family Systems Therapy.
Through Interventions.ca, we provide invitational drug and alcohol interventions and family counseling sessions. These services are geared specifically at those with a loved one who is struggling with alcoholism or substance use concerns.
Areas We Serve Across Canada and the United States
Areas We Serve Across Canada and the United States
While based in British Columbia Canada, our addiction recovery services are available across Canada, the U.S., and globally including but not limited to:
Canada
United States
“Michael Walsh is the best of the best.”
J.L. - USA
Powerful Addiction Resources
Sober Coaching FAQs
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When is the best time to utilize a Sober Coach?
- Are you ready now? Most people know inside if it’s the right time.
- Ask yourself, if you’re regularly saying yes to alcohol or drugs, what are you saying no to?
- The beauty about Sober Coaching is it serves your needs, no matter where you’re at in your life or recovery process.
- Maybe you’re just starting to become concerned with your level of consumption and want to begin cutting back.
- Perhaps you’ve successfully stopped drinking several times, but struggle to remain alcohol-free.
- Even if you have a significant amount of recovery and sobriety under your belt, Recovery Coaching helps you stay engaged in your process of change.
- Sober Coaching serves as an excellent place to triage your needs. When you aren’t sure what level of treatment you need, your Recovery Coach will help you put together a plan that includes additional mental health support.
- Your Recovery Coach can also help decide if you are a good candidate for more formal recovery programs, such as detox facilities, inpatient treatment centres, and intensive outpatient programs.
- You may first be connected with a Recovery Coach while at an in-patient treatment centre. In this scenario, your Coach will help develop an aftercare plan during your transition to home life, or into a sober living residence.
- No matter where you’re currently at, there are many ways a Sober Coach can fit into your plan.
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How are Sober Coaches different from a sponsor or mentor?
- Sponsors are volunteers with lived addiction recovery experience who assist others within a 12 Step Recovery program.
- Sober Coaches are well-trained professionals who specialize in helping you improve your relationship to drugs or alcohol, no matter which program or pathway of recovery you choose to explore.
- Sponsors use 12-Step philosophy, and tell the sponsee what to do in order to stay sober.
- Sober Coaches are experts in many pathways of recovery. A Sober Coach helps you figure out which pathways and support systems will work best for you.
- In this way, Sober Coaches honour your evolving preferences and needs throughout the recovery process.
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Are Sober Coaches worth the cost?
- If you’re regularly saying yes to alcohol or drugs, what are you saying no to? What costs – both literal and figuratively – are you already incurring by saying yes?
- If you are exiting in-patient treatment or detox, a Recovery Coach could be a bit of an insurance policy on your investment.
- Coaching sessions are always about more than drugs and alcohol. Often once you’re working with a Sober Coach and in a stable state of recovery, leaps previously thought to be impossible, like changing careers or going back to school, become realistic goals.
- With a Sober Coach, you dig deeper to find out what makes you tick. Together, you leverage that as motivation to help you stay sober while exploring your dreams, values, and what it looks like to live with greater meaning, intention, and joy.
- Substance and alcohol misuse often impacts those around us, and Sober Coaches consider the entire family in their work. There are opportunities for your Sober Coach to speak with loved ones who have been impacted by your substance use to help facilitate understanding and healing.
- The peace that is restored when a Sober Coach enters the picture is quite profound for many individuals and their families. What price can you place on peace within yourself and your household?