Every week I see new ads for “alcohol recovery coach certifications” popping up online. £99. £79. Sometimes even less.
Self‑paced. No mentoring. No supervision. No risk assessment. No personal mastery. And no real understanding of the complexities of supporting someone who is changing their relationship with alcohol.
And iit worries me. One of the coaches who signed up for The Sober Club Coach Training told me he had been offered a training that cost a bit less then our training, and had been guaranteed a ‘system that turns off the desire to drink’ ..Mmm, I call BS on that, there is no magic bullet if you’re going to make this forever. The inner work has to be done, and when clients who are drinking and want to quit, work with a holistic coach, they can properly uncover the roots of the issues, get future focused, and create a life they don’t need to escape from – with support and skilled mentoring.
Its true, sober coaching is an unregulated industry, but the work itself is not casual. It’s not something you can learn from a few videos and a downloadable certificate. And it’s certainly not something you should be doing if you haven’t done your own inner work first.
Let’s be clear: It is dangerous to coach someone through alcohol change without proper training., so you need to be very clear on who you work with.
The Sober Club Accredited Sober Coaches know how to stay in their lane!
Stopping drinking suddenly can be medically risky. Misunderstanding the signs of dependency can put someone in harm’s way. And offering “recovery coaching” without trauma‑aware foundations or ethical boundaries can do more damage than good. This is why The Sober Club Accredited Sober Coach Training exists – and why it is intentionally premium, high‑touch, and deeply comprehensive.
What Makes Premium Training Different?
- We proudly only work with grey‑area drinkers
This is a specialised niche, not a general “recovery” space. Grey‑area drinkers make up the majority of people struggling — functioning, successful, outwardly fine, but quietly stuck. They need support, not medical intervention. And they need coaches who understand the nuance.
- Risk assessment & ethics are non‑negotiable
Every cohort is trained to recognise red flags, stay in their lane, and protect client wellbeing. This is not optional. It’s foundational.
- Tiny cohorts + 1:1 attention
You are not left alone with videos. You are mentored, supported, guided, and supervised. You get real feedback, real practice, and real growth.
- Holistic training that goes far beyond “alcohol talk”
You learn:
- NLP‑based tools
- Trauma‑aware foundations
- Nervous system regulation
- Nutrition & lifestyle support
- Coaching structure
- Client journey design
- Business building
- Personal mastery
- Experiential practice
This is not a course you consume. It’s a transformation you experience.
- You must be alcohol‑free yourself
Because integrity matters. Because lived experience matters. Because you cannot ethically coach someone through a journey you haven’t walked. And yes — this means the investment is higher. Because the responsibility is higher. Because the depth is higher. Because the outcome is higher.
Why Premium Training Creates Real Coaches (Not Just Certificates)
Another thing that often gets overlooked is that The Sober Club Accredited Sober Coach Training isn’t just sober‑coach training – it’s a full life coach training, giving you all the frameworks, tools, and modalities you need to work confidently and professionally as a coach. You’re not just learning how to talk about alcohol. You’re learning how to support the whole person.
Inside the training you get:
- Life coaching foundations
- NLP tools and techniques
- EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique)
- Matrix Reimprinting principles
- Nervous system regulation
- Holistic wellbeing coaching
- Experiential practice with real feedback
- Business building support
- Client journey design
Plus, you get something no £99 course can offer: A real pathway to clients.
Graduates have the opportunity to be featured in the Find a Sober Coach Directory, which means people actively seeking support can find you instantly. Many coaches get all their clients through this alone.
And here’s the part that matters most: – Most coaches say they came out a different person.
Not because of the certificate -but because of the personal mastery, the inner work, the mentoring, and the deep identity shift that happens when you train in a high‑touch, holistic environment. It’s transformational. It’s experiential. It’s human.
And yet – the investment is still around 70 per less less then a well known training in the US, and not much more than what many people already spend on personal development programmes that don’t give them a career, a framework, or a way to help others. This isn’t just training. It’s becoming.
The Truth About “Cheap Certifications”
They’re appealing because they’re easy. But coaching is not easy. It’s intimate, emotional work.
A £99 certificate might give someone permission to call themselves a coach… but it will never give them the mastery, confidence, or ethical grounding to be one. I shudder to think how someone who hasn’t done their own inner work would fare trying to sell coaching to vulnerable people.
Your clients deserve better. And so do you.
If You’re Feeling the Pull…
If you’re sober, unfulfilled in your work, and wondering whether you’re meant to support others… If you want meaningful, heart‑led work that aligns with who you’ve become… If you want to build a coaching practice with integrity, depth, and confidence… Your next step is simple:
Book a call with me We’ll explore whether the Accredited Training is the right fit for you.
Register for our next live webinar where we walk your though what it means to be a sober coach, and there is a chance to hear from coaches who trained with me and are rocking their biz. Register HERE
Premium training isn’t only about about the investment. It’s about responsibility. And it’s about becoming the coach you’re truly meant to be.