A Nutritional Recovery Coach is a certified professional who helps individuals in recovery rebuild their health from the inside out using food as medicine. Addiction often leaves the body depleted — years of poor eating habits, nutrient loss, and chemical imbalance take a toll on energy, mood, and overall wellness. As a Nutritional Recovery Coach, you guide clients through practical steps to restore balance. This includes teaching them how to make healthier food choices, create meal plans that support healing, use vitamins and supplements safely, and understand how nutrition impacts cravings, withdrawal symptoms, and long-term recovery.

Yes. In fact, this certification is designed to complement your existing role in treatment or clinical care. Most programs focus heavily on therapy or counseling but leave out the nutritional component — even though poor diet, nutrient depletion, and chemical imbalances directly affect mood, energy, and relapse risk.

By becoming a Certified Nutritional Recovery Coach, you’ll bring an extra layer of expertise to your clients and your team. You’ll be able to:

Educate clients on how food impacts withdrawal, cravings, and long-term recovery

Provide simple, client-ready tools like meal plans and substitution guides

Position yourself as a more versatile professional with a unique skillset that most treatment centers don’t yet offer

This certification doesn’t replace therapy or medical treatment — it enhances it, making recovery more holistic and effective.

While dietitians are excellent at building traditional nutrition plans, their focus is usually on calories, weight management, or general health conditions. A Nutritional Recovery Coach is different — the training is designed specifically for the recovery process, where food plays a much deeper role than just fueling the body.

When someone is healing from addiction, they’re not just dealing with nutrition basics — they’re dealing with:

Nutrient depletion from years of alcohol or drug use

Cravings and withdrawal symptoms that can be eased or worsened by food choices

Mood swings, fatigue, and brain chemistry imbalances directly tied to diet

Damaged organs and digestive systems that need targeted repair

A Nutritional Recovery Coach is trained to recognize these unique needs and provide practical, client-ready tools — like detox-friendly meal plans, substitution strategies, hydration protocols, and “food-as-medicine” approaches tailored for recovery.

Unlike a dietitian who may focus on textbook nutrition, a coach works hands-on with clients to change behaviors, address cravings, and rebuild a healthy relationship with food — often in ways that fit tight budgets, busy lives, and the emotional ups and downs of recovery.

In short: dietitians manage diets; Nutritional Recovery Coaches help people use food to stay sober, heal, and thrive.

Nope. This certification is designed for coaches, mentors, educators, parents, and people with lived experience—no clinical degree or license needed. As long as you’re committed to helping others grow, and move forward, this program will give you the tools and credential to do it.

Your income potential depends on how you choose to use your certification. Many graduates launch private coaching practices, add nutritional recovery services to their existing treatment or counseling work, or contract with treatment centers looking to offer more holistic care.

On average, coaches charge $75–$150 per session, with package rates often ranging from $1,000–$2,500 for a 90-day program. If you choose to work in a treatment center, you may earn a salary or contract fee in addition to private clients. Some graduates even leverage their certification to create group programs, workshops, or online coaching, multiplying their income while reaching more people.

Most students complete the training and earn their certification in 8 to 10 weeks. You’ll have access to on-demand video modules, plus 10 weeks of live mentorship, so you can move at your own pace with expert guidance along the way.