What is recovery wellness coaching?
Recovery coaching is a journey of healing and growth. A journey to reclaim our best selves. To recover the infinite potential we are all born with by healing inherited and acquired trauma and emotional wounds.
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A Calm Lion coach will help you gain awareness of, and change, repetitive, self-sabotaging behaviours (for example, in relationships, with substances, food or anger). These coping strategies often learnt in childhood and in challenging times cause us suffering and get in the way of achieving our dreams, goals and potential as adults.
addiction -
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Attachment, craving or grasping not only to a substance, but anything external in the hope of addressing some inner pain or discontent. In this way addiction is universal and part of the human condition. It can be found with substances like alcohol or drugs, but also with food, screens, work, relationships, spirituality, emotions like resentment, or negative self thoughts. Anything that takes us away from being fully present.
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Learnt behaviours used to deal with inner discomfort, that ultimately become the problem and the cause of suffering. Recovery is the process of reclaiming peace, stillness, and contentment. Being present without grasping.
Become a Recovery Coach with Calm Lion
Calm Lion (in conjunction with UACT) offers a Certificate in Professional Wellness and Recovery Coaching. Bring your inner coach and mentor alive. Support clients family, friends, children identify self limiting beliefs that sustain self destructive behaviours and towards becoming the best version of themselves. This transformative in-person or online program helps clients through a model that starts with helping ourselves. It brings out the best in professions working in the wellness and services space. Suited to professionals working in addiction recovery, birthing support (doulas), yoga practitioners, nurses, doctors and other health care professionals.
How does one to one coaching work?
It is very easy to book a session through our online booking system. Answer a few questions and we will match you to a coach. Once your session is booked you will be sent a link for a 'zoom' call with your coach, so that you can experience your session live online from the comfort and privacy of your home. If you are not familiar with the zoom technology please don't worry, it's very easy to use and you will be amazed at how personalised and friendly it feels once you get used to it.
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Calm Lion sessions are based on a model of recovery coaching developed by David and Buddhi which draws on the best of neuroscience, trauma focused care, developmental psychology, medicine and Eastern modalities for healing and self-discovery. Calm Lion and its sister organisation U-ACT have trained hundreds of coaches and helped people around the world heal destructive behaviours and addictions.
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We focus on the false beliefs that leave people stuck in self-sabotaging , self harming cycles. We empower clients and help them find their own solutions to achieve their goals and develop the relationships they want be it with loved ones, food, substances and their world. We work at your pace and you will never be pushed beyond where you are comfortable to go. We are not psychologists or therapists or "experts", but mentors and coaches who walk with you together, so you are not alone.
What recovery coaching is not
It is not a replacement for therapy, mental health care, counselling or substance abuse treatment, but an adjunct service where the coach assists the client in strengthening relationships with other professionals such as therapists, social workers, counsellors, doctors and psychiatrists. It is an extremely complementary model in many ways to these professions and recovery coaches are encouraged to form alliances and positive professional relationships with others assisting in the field of recovery.
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Please note: we are not a crisis, or mental illness support service.
If you or someone you know is in crisis or in danger, please do not use this site but seek help from emergency service providers. Click here for some useful resources.
What is Calm Lion?
Calm Lion is an international network of recovery and wellness coaches founded by Buddhi Lokuge and David Collins.
We are here to guide you on your journey of growth and self discovery. And as you change self-harming behaviour, we offer transformative recovery coaching training and a community of mentors and supervisors to grow your skills and career so you can give back through supporting others. Our coaches are affordable, highly experienced and work with you online, in the privacy of your home, at a time that suits you. We are committed to high quality service, ethical standards of practice, and reaching all those who are struggling alone.
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Founders and Vision
Founded by Dr. Buddhi Lokuge and David Collins, our vision is to provide a global community for recovery of our best selves and growth.
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Each Calm Lion coaching and training session contributes to addiction recovery support in the developing world. We donate a matching coaching and training to our sister organisation Ubuntu Academy of Coaching and Training (UACT) based in South Africa, to support recovery wellness in resource poor settings.
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Calm Lion is certified by the International Coaches Register (ICR) as a coaching and training provider.
Dr. Buddhi Lokuge
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Buddhi is the co-founder of CalmLion and an addiction medicine specialist doctor and a certified addiction recovery coach. He is a dual Addiction Medicine and Public Health Medicine Specialist with the Royal Australian College of Physicians, and a certified recovery coach with the International Coaches Register.
Buddhi is a Staff Specialist in Addiction Medicine in Newcastle, Australia and is a lecturer and researcher at the University of Newcastle. He is Chief investigator on trials studying the neurocircuitry of addiction, habit formation and change. He is Clinical and Harm Reduction advisor to U-ACT, an international non-profit involved in addiction recovery and rehabilitation work across the globe including in South Africa, Australia, the US, Singapore and the UK.
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David Collins
David Collins is co-founder of Calm Lion and developer of the Ubuntu Academy of Coaching Training (U-ACT) Recovery Coaching methodology. He is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (Coaches Training Institute, USA), an internationally accredited Master Coach (IMCSA - Institute of Management Consulting & Master Coaches South Africa). As a result of the stigma, judgments, shaming and harm he saw when seeking help for his own addictions, in 2001 David established the Foundation Clinic for addiction recovery in Johannesburg, and the U-ACT school of recovery coaches.
Close to a thousand coaches have undertaken U-ACT professional recovery training throughout the world including in South Africa, US, UK, Singapore and Australia. David is a National Director and a certified leader of the Mankind Project in South Africa, supporting men's personal growth and transformation. David holds a Certificate in Drugs, Drug Use, Drug Policy & Health from the University of Geneva, is a member of the International Coaching Federation and is the National Director of the Mankind Project in South Africa. He is a specialist coach, facilitator and consultant with an extensive background in the addiction and financial sector.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING...
Mandy 38, Newcastle
"Simultaneously challenging and supportive, packed with tools and insights."
Recovery coaching has not just been valuable to my clinical practice with patients struggling with chronic pain and other challenging health issues,, but also for living.
Katie 42, Marrickvile
"Calm Lion coaching and training has been of great support and a hugely positive impact in my life."
Calm Lion has offered me more than many other modalities combined in seeing my deep seated patterns and the damage they can do when unexamined. Through Calm Lion I’ve been given the tools and confidence to compassionately make powerful changes in my behaviour and break harmful unconscious cycles.
James 29, Sydney
"Working with Buddhi and David really gave me a deep insight into recovery coaching."
The framework was so clear and easy to understand, as well as being delivered in a caring manner. I received a lot from the connection to the group and a real sense of community, it inspired me to venture in and discover my full potential.
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Bec 41, Newcastle
"Powerful training with fantastic facilitators, thank you David and Buddhi."
In the course I learnt how to move from complete overwhelm and collapse to being able to hear and support my true self, wounds and needs included. This continues to deepen, helping me live more authentically, not collapsing into doing for others and negatating my own needs. l can't wait to do more with you!
Tess 35, NSW
"A balancing and inspirational experience, providing connection as well as support, that flowed over into life and relationships beyond."
I was impressed by the way Buddhi and David held space for each group member, and showed us how to do that for each other. It created a strong group in which every voice was valued, encouraged and heard.
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Dave 28, NSW
"Listening can be balm for both parties involved. I felt human again after the talks."
At the time I was quite isolated and disconnected. I learnt that listening to other people's issues does not mean you will be burdened by them. There was a sense that we all bonded together and a secular kind of communion with people. It reminds me that a problem shared is a problem halved and that humans have two ears and one mouth. We do have time to listen and be listened to.
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