Recovery Coaching: How Two Sessions Can Transform Your Mindset and Self-Care
How Two Recovery Coaching Sessions Can Change a Mindset
Recovery is a journey, but mindsets can shift quickly. Coaching isn’t about quick fixes — it’s about creating a space where clients see their patterns in a new way. That new lens often creates immediate relief and opens the door for different choices.
In just two sessions, clients can:
Name the real blockers holding them back (beyond “willpower”)
Reframe self-care from punishment into nourishment
Practice small, rebellious choices that interrupt old cycles
Begin to trust themselves with change
Sam’s story shows how this works. In Session One, he viewed self-care as a form of rebellion against external noise. By Session Two, he wasn’t as focused on rebelling against the external — he was seeing nourishment as choosing himself. That reframe changed everything.
The Client’s Context
Sam came to recovery coaching exhausted and frustrated. While he didn’t have a traditional eating disorder, he was dealing with disordered eating patterns, which were impacting his physical and mental health. Not to mention the weight gain…
He described his days as “junk in, junk out” — junk news, junk connections, and junk food. He scrolled through Fox News on autopilot — even though it made him furious. He answered every call from his mom out of obligation, then resented the conversation when she ranted at him. Sam’s meals were lots of processed snacks and takeout…eaten while working, watching, or scrolling.
When asked to rate his desire for change, Sam said, “10/10.” He was done. He wasn’t looking for another restriction plan, which would fail after a week or two. He wanted to flip the script on all of this.
Session One: Turning Anger Into Action
We began by identifying his biggest obstacle: his biochemical and nervous system state. Years of stress and inconsistent eating had left his brain and body in survival mode. “It sounds like your nervous system may be exhausted, “ I said.
Together, we mapped out a rebellious self-care experiment:
Starting with a quick, easy breakfast: to begin the day with a nourishing mindset.
Using anger as fuel: instead of scrolling news or venting, he would channel frustration into something nice for himself — making a healthy snack, going for a walk with his dog, or sitting in his “plant corner” while working on his side hustle.
Removing “junk connections”: limiting calls with his mom, muting social media accounts that spiked his stress.
Sam left the first session with a mantra of sorts: “F**k off, I'm going to tend to myself.”
Session Two: Rebellion as Cocooning
When Sam came back, he looked lighter despite even more stress in his life. “I’ve been cocooning,” he said. At first, he’d called it “isolating,” but then he realized he wasn’t running away — he was reducing external stimulation to create space more for himself.
Instead of feeling guilty for staying home, Sam reframed it as rebellious self-care: withdrawing from social noise and expectations to nourish himself. He tried new foods, noticing how whole, fresh meals actually tasted better and left him feeling clearer.
He also experimented with short home workouts while watching a new series, not to burn calories but to reconnect with his body. “It feels like I’m rewiring something, even a few minutes at a time,” he said.
We built on these small wins:
Noticing: slowing down enough to feel and name what felt good.
Removing: questioning pseudo-healthy foods like protein cookies.
Adding: including more novel ways to nourish himself.
Key Shift: “My Choice” Regardless of the External
By the end of the second session, Sam had identified what was critical: making his own choice regardless of external pressure. He was no longer rebelling against someone; he was choosing for himself. Sam reported “less self-harm” — not just around food, but in his overall mindset. This should be my path,” he said. “Not in relation to them. Just mine.”
We planned the next steps:
Writing a mantra about his new reflex: “Nourishing myself first is my rebellion.”
Tending to his nervous system through small, consistent actions throughout the day.
Creating space each week to explore what his path forward looks like without guilt.
The Takeaway
Sam’s story shows how recovery isn’t always about big, dramatic changes. It can begin with a shift in meaning: seeing self-care not as indulgence but as defiance against systems, habits, and relationships that drain you.
Over two sessions, Sam went from:
Junk connection = junk food → intentional connection = whole food
Reacting to external triggers → choosing regardless of external
Self-neglect → rebellious self-nourishment
This is how a nervous system begins to rewire. Not by punishing, but by practicing. Not by rejecting yourself, but by learning to choose yourself.
About the Author
Minal Kamlani is a trauma-informed ADHD recovery coach based in NYC. She works with neurodivergent adults in recovery from trauma, burnout, and survival-based coping. Her coaching blends structure and nervous system awareness to help clients reclaim function—without shame or perfectionism. Learn more at Higher Vibes Coaching.