The Official Gray Area Drinking
Coach Training Program
The training program for coaches to effectively and successfully resource their Gray Area Drinking clients.
This training program is for:
Certified coaches who are currently working with clients. This is NOT a general coach training; it is for coaches who already have their business up and running. This training has been approved for 30 hours of continuing education by NBHWC (National Board for Health and Wellness Coaches).
If you are a former Gray Area Drinker who is also a coach, welcome, you’ll love this training! However, you must have 12+ months of continuous sobriety before enrolling in this training.
The world we live in tends to think about alcohol consumption in terms of
black and white
As a coach or healthcare practitioner – whether you’re a recovery coach, therapist, physician, social worker, nutritionist, nurse, or something else – you’re probably pretty aware of addiction and sobriety.
You know the stereotypical signs, you have some tools, and you’re familiar with the stumbling blocks.
But what about that level of drinking that looks normal?
It can be passed off as social and doesn’t come with a rock bottom, but is still unhealthy for the people doing it.
Welcome to the world of
Gray Area Drinking.
But what about that level of drinking that looks normal?
It can be passed off as social and doesn’t come with a rock bottom, but is still unhealthy for the people doing it.
Welcome to the world of
Gray Area Drinking.
If you have clients in front of you on a daily basis, you’re working with Gray Area Drinkers – whether you realize it or not.
Gray Area Drinkers are people who frequently drink more than they want to be drinking.
This means they’re exhibiting a lot of the symptoms associated with excessive drinking like weight and sleep issues, hormonal imbalances, high blood pressure, anxiety, and depression.
But, they almost always slip through the cracks when it comes to getting the support they need.
Hey, It’s Not Anyone’s Fault.
Often the clients themselves aren’t entirely sure whether their drinking is a problem, and you’re stuck with tools that aren’t nuanced enough to pick up on the signs and start the conversation.
Seriously, if you want to run an experiment, instead of asking the usual “How many standard drinks do you have a week?” Try asking “When was the last time you took a break from alcohol?”
This reveals so much more about your client’s relationship with alcohol, and its impact on their health.
Support for Gray Area Drinking is a rapidly expanding niche in need of qualified coaches who have a practical and scientific understanding about what the body and brain needs when quitting drinking.
When you add this string to your bow, you can charge and receive much higher rates for your work, and make a bigger impact in the lives of the people you work with.
You Just Need Someone To Show You The Ropes.
Hey!
If you’re looking for a story about “rock-bottom,” you won’t find it here. Because the truth is my life looked pretty normal from the outside.
I’d get into cycles where I’d stop drinking for weeks or months, then think to myself: “Why am I being so restrictive? I can be a social drinker.” So I’d quickly return to a level of drinking that I’d regret.
Actually, I functioned really well.
I knew how to eat well, I worked out on a regular basis and I loved to read and study everything health and wellness.
But what people didn’t know was how much I loved the “off” switch that wine provided to my “on” and often anxious brain. And people also didn’t see how easy and frequent it was for one glass of wine to turn into one bottle of wine.
I eventually got off this back and forth drinking merry-go-round in 2014, and since then, it has been my mission to guide and support others as they do the same.
I have:
- Completed over 1,000 hours of continuing education in functional nutrition since 1999
- Facilitated corporate wellness workshops since 2004
- Provided nutrition consultations for patients in internal medicine, neurology, and family practice medical offices since 2009
- Coached thousands of high-achieving professionals through their own Gray Area Recovery process since 2016
And, in 2018, after being asked repeatedly to share my knowledge about supporting individuals in the Gray Area, I launched an online coach training program.
And this, right here, is your invitation to join me inside to access 25+ years’ worth of insight, resources, and techniques (aka stuff you can’t get anywhere else).
INTRODUCING
The Official Gray Area Drinking Coach Training
The only professional development program offering real-world resources, recorded sessions (with real clients!), plus the science behind the problem and the solution.
So coaches like you can specialize and implement in just seven weeks.
Here’s What You Get Inside The Training
30 HOURS OF TRAINING SESSIONS
Every week you’ll receive training sessions from Jolene. There will be time for you to get all your questions answered during these weekly calls. This is where you will learn the techniques to use to change your client’s relationship with alcohol forever. And yes, these will be recorded, so if you can’t make it the live sessions, no problem!
WEEKLY PRACTICE SESSIONS
You’ll receive actual case studies from real Gray Area Drinking clients to practice your coaching. Hone in on which questions to ask and how to guide effective coaching sessions. You’ll practice this each week during our Q&A call, which will set you up to see various client needs, dynamics, and unique situations that arise in coaching Gray Area Drinkers.
REAL WORLD RESOURCES
Power packed list of resource tools, and protocols (how to address challenges your clients have) which will give you more to offer and further enhance your client’s results.
COMPREHENSIVE TRAINING MANUAL
Quizzes & tests you can give your clients to mark progress, understand their trauma level, assess anxiety and depression markers, check neurotransmitter levels, and create action steps with exercises to repair the limbic system to further customize your client action plans.
THE TOOLS TO OFFER YOUR NEW SPECIALITY
You’ll learn how to establish value based fees and gear your business toward the Gray Area Drinker Community with intake and evaluation forms.
And, you’ll be learning from an instructor certified by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners, The National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching and The Association for Addiction Professionals.
CE-000092-1 | The NOURISH Method
More Praise For
The Official Gray Area Drinking Coach Training
“I am the last person who ever thought I would become a ‘coach.’ A word I never really took seriously and gave more than a couple side eyes. But no matter how much I resisted this work, I finally realized it was exactly the right path and the right time for me.
I finally decided to take the leap and to build on my nursing education with a coaching program. I wanted to do my part in reaching more women who are in this vast area of gray.
The area of drinking that is very real and personally one I know all too well. So I put out my feelers but I took my time.
I wasn’t going to sign up with just anyone or any program. It had to be the right fit and it had to feel good, Jolene immediately had my attention and my respect. I was blown away by Jolene’s ability to describe on a chemical level why we are so prone to drinking and how we can actually stop the cravings by using certain tools.”
– MIA MANCUSO
Registered Nurse, California
“This training has been incredible and way exceeded my expectations. Before I ever finished the training I was signing up new clients and I have already made my money back.
I started making a profit working as a grey area drinking coach and I only finished the cohort two weeks ago! I am now confident and very sure that I have an offering for my clients that really works. I have created a tailored 30 day program and it’s selling well.
Jolene is incredibly approachable, knowledgeable and wise. I learnt so much and I really enjoyed the structure of the program.”
– SARAH RUSHBACH
Health + Wellness Coach, Australia
“I highly recommend this training for any coach. It will be an invaluable asset to your coaching business. The knowledge I have now (after completing this training) allows me to specialize in gray area drinking, which I know will expand my already growing business.
This training catapulted me to a whole new level with my coaching business.
I’m now able to support my clients with the proper resources to help them with nutrition, and detailed somatic experiences. I also have a whole library of other resources including practical videos and essential books to support me in my work forward. The training has also helped me massively on my own journey and I’m so grateful to have attended and completed this course.”
– DAVE WILSON
Life Coach, United Kingdom
“This training has helped me feel more confident that I can coach effectively in this arena.
It was also great to have real life case studies of actual clients to discuss as part of the training.”
– JANEY LEE GRACE
Health Coach, United Kingdom
Here’s What We Will Cover In Our Seven Weeks Together
Week One
Assessing Gray Area Drinkers
- Determine exactly what kind of offerings and services you want to provide your Gray Area Drinking clients.
- I’ll walk you through all the ways to assess a potential client to know if you’re the right coach to help them and if they are the right client for you.
- You’ll learn what and how to identify and rule out in a client’s history regarding certain medications, past trauma (particularly sexual) and drinking dynamics that will determine your coaching action plan.
- Learn how to create a step-by-step action plan that inspires your clients to follow through and get results.
Week Two
Regulating The Nervous System
- You’ll learn how to effectively work with your client’s fight/flight/freeze emotional responses and the energetic stumbling blocks that happen from drinking too much alcohol.
- Cutting edge training on the second brain (the gut!), attachment patterns, the adverse childhood experiences study, the impact of trauma on the brain and body and how this is relevant to every conversation you’re having with clients.
Weeks Three + Four
The Biochemical Components of Alcohol Cravings
- You’ll learn how to effectively work with your client’s depleted biochemistry, discover how nutrient deficiencies are connected to specific moods and cravings.
- You’ll get cutting edge training on neurotransmitters and blood sugar balancing, adrenal dysfunction, hormone imbalances, pyroluria and histamine disorder.
- When you understand these important biochemical pieces you’ll be very well equipped to coach Gray Area Drinkers effectively.
Week Five
Navigating Stumbling Blocks
When your clients stop drinking, they often start to experience things like insomnia, sugar cravings, increased anxiety and low energy.
- You’ll get step-by-step protocols for how to handle all those complaints specifically, one by one. You will always know what to do.
- You’ll have access to apps, websites and books, specific to help the body and brain with the side effects of quitting drinking that you can recommend to your clients for extra support.
- You will also get help with unique client situations like, what do you do with someone who doesn’t want to quit forever, or has a spouse who drinks a lot and their relationship was built upon drinking a lot together.
Week Six
Working With The Stress Response
- In this week we will address how your client deals with outside stressors – like going on vacation, social situations and unexpected triggers.
- When we’re under stress the cognitive, logical brain isn’t running the show, it’s the animal brain and I’ll show you how to connect with that part of the brain to better help your clients.
- I’ll show you how to help your client move past the self-sabotage patterns that keep them stuck.
- You’ll learn how to keep your client and yourself on track throughout the coaching engagement so you don’t get burned out and frustrated with your client’s weekly ups and downs.
- We will also be tending to your own energy and triggers after working with clients.
Week Seven
Expand Your Practice
Gear your business toward the Gray Area Drinkers and establish your boundaries with clients.
- You’ll get intake forms, wrap-up evaluations & online system recommendations to streamline your practice.
- Learn best practices for establishing yourself in the recovery coaching, sober coaching, and Gray Area Drinking coaching industries.
- Get support in charging value-based fees and help creating your coaching offerings (and integrating your new skillset into your existing consults).
- Learn how to protect yourself from compassion fatigue and set boundaries within your client/practitioner relationships so you can confidently lead your clients through a transformational experience.
I want to give you everything you need to implement what I’m teaching right away, which is why these additional bonus audio trainings are part of the deal.
Bonus 1
RECORDED COACHING SESSIONS WITH JOLENE AND HER REAL-LIFE GRAY AREA DRINKING CLIENTS
These sessions span the entire client journey, so you can hear how I put everything I teach into practice.
Bonus 2
HOW TO MAKE REFERRALS WHEN TREATMENT BECOMES NECESSARY
Allison Hardin works in community outreach—including for the Center for Dependency Addiction and Rehabilitation (CeDAR)—and took on numerous volunteer positions in the prevention, treatment, and recovery field. She has been awarded the National Certification Commission for Addiction Professionals’ (NCC AP) National Certified Peer Recovery Support Specialist (NCPRSS) credential. Her most recent adventure, launching Beyond Betty, is anchored in Allison’s deep understanding of long-term peer recovery support services and their life-changing power.
In this masterclass Allison covers:
- Why treatment is beneficial for some clients and which types of treatment are available
- Allison’s personal experience with treatment
- Aftercare (where Gray Area Drinking coaching comes in)
Ethical considerations
Bonus 3
ADDICTION THROUGH THE NERVOUS SYSTEM LENS
Sukie Baxter is an embodiment coach and author of Perfect Posture. Sukie helps people change their lives by changing the way they move. She works with both the mind and the body to heal the nervous system. She helps her clients resolve stress and anxiety at the biological level for optimized health and performance in all areas of life. Sukie has over 15 years clinical experience seeing clients for integrative bodywork while observing and treating the tension patterns of emotions stored in a person’s body.
In this masterclass, Sukie covers:
- How addiction is defined through the neurobiological lens
- The polyvagal nerve in simple, relatable language
- How to help clients break out of the stress cycle and soothe their nervous system
Bonus 4
MONEY MINDSET FOR COACHES
Lacy Young is a coach, retreat leader and meditation facilitator who guides her clients into a deep-dive to their emotional, physical and spiritual well-being. Her process is truthful, gentle and supportive. Lacy provides an opportunity to listen to your body, feel your feelings, find balance and a sense of control. Lacy says, “transformation lights up my heart, and it is my divine superpower to guide, encourage and witness others as they walk through transformation again and again. It’s not that we need to improve; it’s that we deserve to feel free. We deserve to experience ourselves in the fullest expression of love and joy and creativity and fun.”
In this masterclass, Lacy covers:
- Money beliefs and how to work though your personal money baggage
- Setting rates that are aligned with your energy and values
- Imposter syndrome, step by step guide to work with self-doubt
As you can probably tell by now, The Gray Area Drinking Coach Training Program is a different and better training compared to other programs.
Here’s how it compares…
FOUNDATION
OTHER PROGRAMS
Leave out the biochemical implications of Gray Area Drinking.
MY PROGRAM
Grounds everything in physiology and neuroscience so that you understand the stress response in the body and can provide clients/patients with techniques, practices, and physiological tools that help regulate the nervous system and help Gray Area Drinkers achieve long-lasting, life-changing results.
SUPPORT
OTHER PROGRAMS
Offer pre-recorded videos and worksheets to get the job done.
MY PROGRAM
Is built around live trainings, so you have plenty of opportunity to ask questions, get support, and then start implementing right away. You also gain access to the training resources, as well as ongoing connection to Jolene and other like-minded practitioners working with Gray Area Drinkers.
REAL WORLD KNOWLEDGE
OTHER PROGRAMS
Are taught by people one or two-steps removed from 1:1 client work, like academics or program creators and marketing/business managers
MY PROGRAM
Is taught by me – a certified functional nutritionist, health coach who is somatic/trauma aware and a former Gray Area Drinker who has been working with Gray Area Drinkers, day-in, day-out (a full-time 1:1 coaching practice with 7-10 clients every month) since 2016.
PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE
OTHER PROGRAMS
Lack practical information and hands-on practice.
MY PROGRAM
Is full of real-world application, like intake and evaluation assessments, and built around components that are designed with practice and implementation in mind. We look at different case studies (based on real clients I’ve worked with), talk through how to use the tools I provide (so they don’t just become pieces of paper you don’t know what to do with), and you can listen to recorded calls with me actually coaching a Gray Area Drinker, so you have a real-time, real-world examples to learn from.
What You’ll Get From
The Official Gray Area Drinking Coach Training
- 30+ hours of trainings + Q&A and unlimited access with Jolene
- Seven LIVE weekly practice sessions with actual gray area drinker case studies
- Cutting edge nervous system regulation techniques
- Practical nutrition and biochemical support for anxiety and cravings
- Ready to use and implement resources
- Bonus masterclasses to help you implement everything quickly and confidently into your practice
In other words, you get everything you need to hit the ground running.
Once you start charging for your new expertise (and the results it allows you to help your clients achieve) you’ll make your investment back with just a few clients.
Ready to Get Started?
If you’re still here, wondering whether it’s really worth joining me for this training, I bet you’re wrestling with one of these prickly thoughts…
Is this really worth the money?
“My hesitations were financial because of the amount of money I’ve invested in my business thus far, and I was worried about another expense. However, now that I’m finished, I realized it was one of the best investments I’ve made for myself and my clients.” – Devon Donkin, Nurse Practitioner, San Fransico, CA
“I’ve had many coach certification trainings, but I knew in my gut that this would be my missing piece to help my clients, and it was just that and so much more!”– Coach Courtney Peters, Winchester, MA
I’m interested, but I don’t want to niche down into gray area drinking…
Great. Because this program doesn’t need to be about hanging a shingle. It’s about improving your current practice with specific tools and resources, no matter what kind of practitioner you already are. And, as far as I’m concerned, the more of us who are trained in working with client’s nervous systems, cravings and stress response, the better. I love the thought that people who struggle with their drinking can get the support they need regardless of which practitioner they’re working with.
I’m already qualified and experienced, so I’m just not sure this would give me anything new to work with.
Over 200 certified coaches have gone through the program since 2018, including therapists, social workers, nurse practitioners, nutritionists, addiction specialists, recovery coaches, life coaches and nurses, so you can’t be too qualified to take this training!
I’m on the other end, and wondering if I’ll be able to keep up!
Okay, this is a great place for me to pass you over to one of my previous students, who was wondering the same thing before she joined. Here’s Cheryl…
“I had heard of Jolene in other coaching circles. I was interested in loading my toolbox with an assortment of tools. I believed this type of training would be perfect because it was so different. I was right.
Jolene has a gift of explaining the nervous system, what it needs, and how to support it. She teaches that this is completely possible to accomplish. I’m now helping women work with their mind, body, and soul to live their best lives. The need for numbing out or outside coping mechanisms is off the table. I’ll sing Jolene praises from the rafters as long as I have breath. This training changed my life.
– Cheryl Young, Coach, Atlanta, GA
I’m just not sure if I really need this…
It’s time for some tough love. If you’re a coach, therapist, or healthcare practitioner and you’re not talking with your patients or clients about their alcohol use in conjunction with whatever physical, emotional, or life issue you’re supporting them on, you’re missing the mark.
You HAVE to address the alcohol piece, and more importantly, you have to know how to support Gray Area Drinkers who present with various physical/emotional symptoms because Gray Area Drinkers make up the majority of your practice today.
And, this, right here, is your opportunity to learn how to do all of that, comfortably and confidently, in just seven weeks.
This training has closed the loop by offering me a more scientific perspective on how to work with gray area drinkers. I had a strong skill set based on intuition and personal experience, but needed and wanted the technical understanding and application to bring to the table.
– AMANDA KUDA
Holistic Life Coach, Texas
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to have a certification or degree to take this training?
Yes! It is important that you are a certified coach. You need to be comfortable working with clients on a 1:1 basis and running a business. This is not a program for a new career start, this program is continuing education to build upon your current professional health and wellness skills.
If you just quit drinking recently and want to become a recovery coach, that’s awesome! But this is not a general coach training, it’s for coaches who have already completed their foundational training and education.
What time are the training sessions? Will they be recorded?
The live practice sessions will *be determined with each cohort regarding the day and time that work best for everyone in the training group. Everything will be recorded (video and audio), in case you can’t make the live Q&A sessions, you’ll be able to rewatch at your convenience.
*Depending on time zone and schedule needs within each cohort.
Will I receive an official certification?
Upon completion of the training, and practice sessions, you will be granted a certificate of completion. You’ll also receive a badge to place on your website to show others that you’ve been trained in this specialty.
Do I need to be sober to sign up for this training?
If alcohol has been a problem for you in the past, then yes! 12 months or more of continuous sobriety is ideal before taking this training. It’s important that you’ve spent time developing your own physiological regulation and emotional agency before coaching individuals in the Gray Area.
How soon can I start using what I learn?
Right away. You’ll get case studies featuring actual clients (*privacy ensured), as well as access to audio recordings from real sessions, so you’ll know what everything looks like and how to respond. In short, you’ll be integrating what you learn into your practice in real-time.
Will you teach me how to start a business?
First up, I’m not Marie Forleo (but, damn, I wish I had her hair!). So if you’re looking for a training that shows you how to set up an online business, this is not it. Yes, you get intake forms, and support setting your pricing and developing your offers, but all of that is couched in the context of integrating what you’re learning with the work you’re already doing. The program is specifically designed to help you work effectively with Gray Area Drinkers, which means the bulk of our time together is spent on assessment, physiology, and nuanced coaching techniques for gray area drinkers.
How many people will be in the training?
This is a small group training, with approximately 10 coaches in each cohort. You will not be lost in a crowd, your questions will be answered and you will get persoanl attention from me. I’m here for you throughout the training.
Payments & refunds.
A $1500 non-refundable deposit is required to reserve your space in this training. Your remaining balance of $6400 is due 30 days before the start date. Installment plans are available! Please inquire during your interview for those payment details. All payments once made, are non-refundable. If you decide to leave the Gray Area Drinking Coach Training program, you will still be responsible for the entire program fee and you need to be comfortable with that commitment upon registering.
I have another question…
Great! Send an email to support@healthydiscoveries.com and we’ll get back to you ASAP.