Vancouver Recovery Coach
Meet Norman
Alongside my own recovery, my life has taken me through many roles — as a father of two now-adult children, a foster parent, a shelter worker, and a baker. I’ve worked in treatment settings both as a client and as an employee, and I’ve spent years living and working in Vancouver, building a deep familiarity with the realities people face here.
I also bring curiosity and creativity into my work. Photography has been a long-standing practice for me — a way of slowing down, paying attention, and learning to see what’s actually there. That same attentiveness shows up in how I work with people: listening carefully, noticing patterns, and staying present to what matters.
Recovery, for me, has never been a straight line. It’s been shaped by decades of lived experience, including setbacks and hard-earned learning along the way. What that’s given me is not certainty, but steadiness — and a genuine respect for how personal and non-linear change can be.
I care deeply about this work — and about the people I do it with. I bring seriousness when it’s needed, humor when it helps, and a steady, human presence throughout. My role isn’t to fix you or tell you who to be — it’s to walk alongside you while you find your own footing and your own way forward.
A free consultation gives us a chance to talk through what’s happening, answer questions, and see whether this approach feels supportive for where you want to go next.
Things That Have Come Up in Conversation
This page isn’t a list of recommendations or a reading plan.
From time to time, people I work with mention a book, podcast, article, or idea that stayed with them — something they returned to, argued with, or found unexpectedly helpful.
Nothing on this page is assigned, required, or endorsed as “the right way.” These are simply things that surfaced naturally in conversation.
What matters most is what resonates for you.
A note on how to use this page
You don’t need to read, listen to, or explore anything here to work with me.
If something catches your attention, you’re welcome to follow it.
If nothing does, that’s just as fine.
Recovery doesn’t move in straight lines, and it doesn’t follow a syllabus.
Items Shared So Far
(This page will grow slowly over time.)
Science of People — Personal Development Blogs
This came up in a conversation about what actually changes when someone decides to pay attention to how they think, interact, and show up in life. A client shared this collection not as a prescription, but as a place to explore nuanced perspectives on growth.
How Childhood Trauma Leads to Addiction — Gabor Maté
This came up in conversation around the ways pain can get carried forward — quietly — and how substances can become a kind of relief that later asks for a price. A client shared this not as “the explanation,” but as a frame that helped something click.
The Slight Edge — Jeff Olson
This surfaced in conversation and stayed with us as a reminder that progress usually looks quiet and unflashy.
What Alcohol Does to Your Brain — Dr. Andrew Huberman
This came up in conversation around how substances affect both mind and body. A client mentioned this video not for definitive answers, but because it invited curiosity about what’s happening beneath the surface and how awareness changes experience.
What Alcohol Does to Your Brain — Dr. Andrew Huberman
This came up in conversation around how substances affect both mind and body. A client mentioned this video not for definitive answers, but because it invited curiosity about what’s happening beneath the surface and how awareness changes experience.
What Alcohol Does to Your Brain — Dr. Andrew Huberman
This came up in conversation around how substances affect both mind and body. A client mentioned this video not for definitive answers, but because it invited curiosity about what’s happening beneath the surface and how awareness changes experience.
What Alcohol Does to Your Brain — Dr. Andrew Huberman
This came up in conversation around how substances affect both mind and body. A client mentioned this video not for definitive answers, but because it invited curiosity about what’s happening beneath the surface and how awareness changes experience.
What Alcohol Does to Your Brain — Dr. Andrew Huberman
This came up in conversation around how substances affect both mind and body. A client mentioned this video not for definitive answers, but because it invited curiosity about what’s happening beneath the surface and how awareness changes experience.
A Charlie Brown Christmas — Vince Guaraldi Trio
This came up in conversation as something people return to during heavy or uncertain periods — not for nostalgia exactly, but for the quiet, spacious feeling it creates. A reminder that gentleness, simplicity, and rhythm can be grounding in ways words sometimes aren’t.
A Final Word
This page reflects something I believe strongly:
People already carry pieces of their own understanding.
Sometimes those pieces show up through a conversation, a story, or a shared reference.
My role isn’t to curate a path — it’s to walk alongside you while you find your own.
Recovery doesn’t happen all at once — and it rarely happens alone.
Having someone beside you can bring steadiness, perspective, and relief when things feel uncertain. Recovery coaching isn’t about fixing you or telling you what to do. It’s about walking with you as you regain clarity, confidence, and a sense of direction — at your own pace.