Recovery Nation is a self-help, educational site. The insights, experiences, coaching, workshops and exercises offered are provided to you so that you may develop your own healthy foundation for recovery and/or life. Coaching is offered for those seeking a more structured approach to pursuing a Health-Based Recovery. This guided learning is to facilitate the implementation of a Health-Based Recovery into one's life/relationship--it is in no way intended as a guarantee that your full transition to health will be achieved. Only you can achieve that.

Coaching vs Counseling

• Recovery Nation observes strict boundaries surrounding the responsibilities between coaching and counseling. Specifically, we recognize that coaching involves the education and training of those seeking to learn and implement a Health Based Recovery process into their lives. Within this goal, we will do everything we can to provide objective observations and feedback, and will use a variety of learning techniques to help you implement what you are learning.

• We subscribe to the Health on the Net (HON Code) ethical principles.

• We do not diagnose or treat mental health disorders. This applies even when Recovery Nation coaches have the credentialing/licensing to do so. We will, however, share general opinions and encourage you to seek counseling when the need to do so is obvious to us.

• Except under extraordinary circumstances, we do not permit coaches to 'recruit' members of this community into private treatment.

• It is your responsibility to manage your own mental health--including obtaining necessary exams and ongoing support as needed. Coaching should be seen as a supplement to such a support system; it should never be seen as a replacement for it.

• In situations where you are under the care of a professional counselor and conflict arises between the recommendations of that counselor and a coach on Recovery Nation, you have the responsibility to follow the guidance of your counselor. He/she will typically have a much deeper understanding of the unique situations that you face and will have a mastery of the plan that is in place to manage your recovery. Should such conflict in judgment occur, we will always defer to their judgment--unless it is obviously destructive and/or potentially harmful. In which case we will encourage you to confront your therapist for clarification and explanation.

• We do not offer professional counseling in any capacity. Because of the deeply personal nature of the issues involved with the sex and love addictions, and the intensity of the emotions elicited...the line between counseling and coaching can be quite thin. If at any time a coach recognizes that they have crossed that line, expect open and honest recognition from them and for them to work with you to develop a plan for resolving the issue with a professional counselor. If at any time you feel that a coach has crossed the line, contact us immediately.

Forum Coaching

Coaching in the forums are provided by volunteers with a 'take what applies to you and leave the rest' approach. You are responsible for what you do with the information that you accumulate. Volunteer coaches are here only because they have been through the process of a health based recovery (either as those in recovery or as partners) and have selflessly chosen to share their experiences and knowledge with others. Professional coaches on this site have all gone through (or are currently engaged in) a formal training process with Jon Marsh and have achieved a level of competency that allows them to explore more complex and comprehensive issues relating to healing and recovery.

Your Right to Refusal, Support

Everything that we offer on Recovery Nation and in coaching is voluntary. We do not accept clients who are not here willingly and who are not self-motivated to learn about and/or implement a Health Based Recovery. You are free to end your involvement with Recovery Nation and/or its coaching program at any time.

The workshops at Recovery Nation can be excellent supplements to your involvement in a HEALTHY twelve step support group. However, certain secondary aspects of a health-based recovery and a diseased-based recovery do collide. You have the right to pick and choose which elements are right for you.