My name is Drew Migdal, and if you’re ready to transform your life, I’ll be your Recovery Coach!

Years ago, when I first heard the term “recovery,” I had no idea what it meant. The word conjured up images of a joyless existence filled with self-deprivation and endless hours of mind-numbing boredom. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) working definition of recovery helped to change my perspective:

“Recovery is a process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live a self-directed life, and strive to reach their full potential.”   

Wow, I wasn’t even close! Recovery couldn’t have been more different, more positive, and more fun than my old thinking could have imagined.

If SAMSHA’s definition of recovery appeals to you, I have some excellent news. You can change your thinking, your actions, and your life. That incredible you will be revealed through the “process of change.” That’s where I come in as your Coach.

What is recovery Coaching?

Coaching is about helping people transform themselves and their lives. A Coach asks powerful and thought-provoking questions to help clients discover their heartfelt vision for their life, strengths, and challenges.

The coaching relationship’s trust, authenticity, and positivity create the magic. Coaching is often the key to empowering each person to unlock their inner strengths and abilities.

Coaching isn’t therapy. There isn’t too much emphasis on the past or related traumas, although they’ll probably come up. Coaches don’t diagnose or treat mental health, behavioral health, or active addiction issues. Instead, Coaches focus on the client’s strengths, goals, dreams, objectives, choices, and the actions they take each day.

Why choose Drew as your recovery coach?

I’m a Certified Professional Recovery Coach who’s been clean and sober for over 22 years, so I know what it takes to get and stay that way. In addition, I have 22+ years of experience working with hundreds of people through my recovery service work. I’ve spoken at conventions, treatment centers, recovery centers, and jails.

Although I have extensive knowledge and experience with the 12-step model, I have effectively worked with people in non-12-step modalities and on a secular basis.

Together, we will create a space that helps you visualize how you want your life to look and how you can start living it today. Maybe you already know what you want but seem stuck somehow, or perhaps this will be the first time you describe the life you’ve always wanted “out loud.” Either way, my goals are to inspire you by helping you change your thinking about yourself and any limiting beliefs about what is possible for you.

My primary purpose as your coach is to support and encourage you. However light or heavy a conversation might be, you’ll always know and feel that I’m in your corner and have your back.

Coaching Certifications

I earned my Professional Recovery Coach Certification through the International Association of Professional Recovery Coaches (IAPRC). I have finished their program to qualify for and am awaiting the IAPRC Certified Professional Coach (Life Coach) certificate. Then, I’ll take the Cognitive Behavioral Practitioner and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Practitioner certification classes.

The IAPRC programs are accredited by the International Coaching Federation (ICF). The ICF is the only globally recognized, independent credentialing program for coach practitioners (and programs). For 25 years, the ICF has been the leading global organization dedicated to advancing the coaching profession by setting high standards, providing independent certification, and building a worldwide network of trained coaching professionals.

ABOUT DREW

I was born in Chicago and grew up in the shadow of Wrigley Field. After a 22-year struggle with substance use, which began in my early teens, I finally got clean and sober at 34 on 3/27/2001 and have remained so since.

I began a career in the CBOT and CME trading pits, eventually becoming a broker and “local” trader on both trading floors for 15 years. Then, I left the trading industry to co-found a recovery home operation in Chicago. After running what became three recovery homes for six years, I felt it was time for a change. I knew I had an intense passion for helping people work toward living the life they honestly wanted to live, and Integrative Recovery Coaching was born!

I currently live in the Chicagoland area. I love dogs, and I’m an avid photographer. I shoot primarily candid street & architecture, with some landscapes and the occasional portrait. Check me out on Instagram (drew_migdal_photography)!

Contact me now, and we'll begin to walk a path that can take you wherever you want to go!