Michael Walsh Sober Coach + Interventionist + Recovery Coach + Family Consultant

My work in residential mental health and addiction treatment means working with like-minded skilled and caring professionals across Canada. Michael is our go-to guy in Victoria and, for the past couple of years, Vancouver and beyond.

Months ago, I was in desperate need of compassionate help and guidance. I had tried other avenues of recovery and wasn't finding the perfect fit for me. Upon reaching out to Michael Walsh, I received an immediate response and was matched with a Sober Coach by the name of Connor O'Reilly. I was reassured that if this wasn't the right fit for me, we would reevaluate. Connor has been my rock. He is not judgmental, he helps me form my own conclusions, and he is always out for my best interest. This company literally saved my life, and I cannot thank them enough for their kindness, patience, and expertise. I would recommend them to anyone looking for help navigating recovery!

Michael's exceptional knowledge, expertise and guidance have been invaluable while navigating the difficult, scary and emotional reality of a family member's SUD. Before I met him, I had no idea where to turn as there is not a SUD resource center in Victoria. I feel so fortunate that I was referred to Michael who provided intervention support, referrals to treatment facilities, case management, recovery coaching and ongoing family support. Michael and his team are pioneering a much needed comprehensive care and resource program on the island. Michael has been an incredible resource for myself and my family during a time of crisis, I will be forever grateful and I highly recommend working with him.

Michael helped me when I thought that all hope was lost, I struggled with addiction to many things in my life. He was able to open the door to recovery and set me up with tools to help manage the mine field of this thing we call life. I would recommend this resource to anyone struggling with addiction and recovery and looking to move forward
Thanks again Michael

Michael has been one of the best counsellors I've had the pleasure of working with. I was going through a very hard time in my life and he was there to encourage me to get back every time I fell down. If six stars were possible I'd rate him that. I can't recommend him enough.

Michael was very helpful for our family, ensuring our son got the help he needed. Michael was very thorough, professional, cordial, followed through on all that he said he would.

When our family member had hit her bottom, destitute and self-sabatoging, Michael and his team helped us find a way forward. His vast network of caring professionals provided quality options for care, connections to legal help, and a coping strategy for us. He is patient, kind, knowledgable, and dedicated to treating every member of our family with respect. We're convinced his careful and non-confrontational approach was the only one that had a chance of working on our family member, who is bright and creative and in her senior years. Thanks to Michael and his team, she now has a chance at a much better life.

About 7 months ago I was in a pretty horrible place. I was drinking from 5 in the morning on, 7 days a week, and basically hit rock bottom. A friend of mine fixed me up with Michael's number. Michael and his staff were more than sympathetic and welcoming to me and my situation. Michael placed me with a like minded guy named Luke, who was awesome. I'd go as far as to say that I consider him a friend. He got me through some hard times in a very un-judgemental way. I know that this sounds cheesy, but it has changed my life. I have not had a drink in 7 months, nor do I feel the need to. I couldn't recommend these guys more. 2 thumbs up!

Michael Walsh is a professional I work with very closely, and I consider him a specialist and recovery coach of the absolute highest calibre. His expertise and professionalism are outstanding, and he always "greets clients where they are, " with respect, compassion and humility. I would recommend him to a friend or family member, in a heartbeat! He is the best of the best.

If you or a family member, need help or support dealing with substance abuse and addiction that has become unmanageable, I would encourage you to reach out to Michael Walsh Sobriety Coach. My experience with Michael and his team has been one of acceptance, non-judgment, and compassion; with the expertise to guide you down a new path of hope and recovery. I've witnessed Michael help others turn their lives around due to his caring nature, intuition, and professionalism. If you are serious about making a change in your life, I highly recommend contacting Michael.

As parents, we live halfway across the country from our son. He has both substance misuse and some complicated mental health issues, so having someone on the ground locally has been a godsend. Michael W has a great rapport with our son, and can be a little more detached than we are surrounding all the issues that have arisen; he has the trust of our son, and so can assist him in ways that we cannot. When trying to detach with love, it is very important not to cut the legs out from under the loved one; they did not ask for this life, but do not let it take over yours. Michael W can be trusted to be there when you aren't; so take a few steps back, breathe occasionally. Good advice if you can follow it.

I retained Michael and Dylan to help plan an Intervention for a loved one. The invitational approach was different than what we did the first time and it was surprisingly relatively smooth, calm and seamless — and most importantly it was successful! Michael and Dylan are responsive, efficient, patient and organized. They walked my family through every step of the way leading up to and including inviting our loved one to join in the family meeting, attending in person the day of the family meeting and providing regular and continued support after.

Ayaz Shah

Whether you are in recovery or active addiction, Michael and Dylan are an excellent resource for you and/or your family. Knowledgeable and responsive, they truly care about the client.

Michael and Dylan helped our family immensely. Very calm and helpful with the process to help our son to treatment. Their continued support and guidance with aftercare enabled us all to learn.
Thank you for this help as our son has a new healthy life.

I am grateful to Michael and Dylan for sharing their experience, strength, wisdom and understanding. I have had a long journey with alcoholism and when it was hard to feel heard by the people around me or I was struggling to keep it together.they listened. I was met without judgement which made me comfortable enough to share anything. Truly caring and compassionate team. Thank you for the tools, help and advice you have given me to help me on my journey. I will continue to practice many of them as I work to improve my life and stay present.one day at a time. Carpe diem.

Michael is very helpful and professional. I really appreciate and value his knowledge and experience. Michael is understanding and kind which is one needs when going through a difficult and trying time.

Our family is immensely grateful for the help and support my brother received from Michael & Dylan. From the start, they were professional, non-judgemental, understanding, knowledgeable, helpful, empathetic and supportive. We were at a point where we were unsure on how to get our family member to seek help & treatment. Michael & Dylan spoke with all of us individually to understand our situation. I appreciate their approach from a love-first perspective. I think this was the key to our success in helping my brother go to treatment and he is now 7 months sober! We are forever grateful for all the help & support we received from Michael & Dylan. I highly recommend their services to anyone who needs help for themselves or for a loved one.

I have talked to many different professionals from many walks of life regarding drugs and alcohol. I have never had a connection as real as the one with Dylan. The progress I have made working with Dylan far exceeds the progress anyone else over the years battling drug use.

I have not touched drugs or alcohol since my first meeting with Dylan many months ago and I am very grateful.

We have been working with Michael for over 8 months and he has been both professional and compassionate. We have come a long way in our journey which despite setbacks is steadily moving forward. We trust his judgement and appreciate his knowledge and ongoing support.

My wife and I are very grateful for Michael and Dylan’s support to our son and ourselves. We were at a crossroads, not knowing what to do to help our son, when he had tried many avenues without success. We wouldn’t give up on him as we knew he wanted help. We were very fortunate to have found Michael who responded to us immediately and guided us forward in a way that worked for all of us. They both continue to be there for us when all kinds of stumbling blocks have emerged. We cannot express our gratitude enough.

My family and I got together with Michael and Dylan recently. These guys were simply fantastic in helping with our family situation. They made us all feel so comfortable and helped us in so many ways. Our family member that needed their help and advice was so comfortable talking to them from the start. They amazed all of us with their calm and open demeanour. It was like we had known these two guys forever. I can't thank them enough for being there for us and would recommend them to help anyone having a family problem with alcohol and drugs involved. Just so wonderful that my family member that needed the help was so very comfortable discussing this issue with them and will always be so thankful for what they done for all of us. Please don't hesitate to get in touch with Michael and Dylan if you find yourself in need of help.

I am a 74 year old female that needed help to stop drinking. I had tried other approaches that did not seem to work for me and also I don’t think I was quite ready until I met Michael. I have been managing multiple health issues and then Covid hit. Covid kept me inside more and I found that drinking became a daily occurrence to cope with boredom and simply to escape. The five o’clock happy hour became habitual. I was sometimes starting earlier in the day. We normally go away in the winter months and was not able to do that due to Covid and that actually turned out to help me focus on the work with Michael so not to be exposed to others drinking. Michael helped me create a plan with strategies and tools and built in accountability that helped transition me from a drinker to a moderate drinker to eventually a non-drinker! Yes, a non-drinker which is what I wanted but did not think I could do it. Michael did not force anything on me and instead was able to create a pace that I felt comfortable with. When I felt I was not progressing well — he never judged and instead always supported and encouraged forward movement. Thank you, Michael!

I can’t say enough good things about Michael. He helped me hold onto my sanity — not with sympathy — but just by being the compassionate and direct person he is. Michael doesn’t just counsel the person with the addiction but he’s there for the entire family. Always professional and never judging or critical. When my husband first met Michael I now realize it was too late — Korsakoff Syndrome (alcohol dementia) had already started to ravage his brain. Michael counselled him, drove him to rehab and listened to me — never being critical — instead asking questions and gently guiding. Michael never forced his ideas on my husband — just pointed him in the right direction. If you have substance use and addiction concerns whether you're an individual or family — Michael can likely help.

I recently had to make a trip from Ottawa to VIctoria to help my son who had succumbed to his alcohol addiction. He was in really bad shape and he needed to get into a rehab centre quickly. I had no knowledge of the rehab centres in BC or how to get him into one. A counselor recommended contacting Michael Walsh. I am so glad I did. Michael was a life saver. Michael is thoroughly knowledgeable of all of the rehab facilities in BC.and he coordinated the route to getting my son admitted into an excellent rehab facility. Michael was very supportive and understanding throughout the process and provided wonderful guidance in many ways to both my son and myself. He was also someone I could confide in. My son is out of rehab now and doing great! I am so grateful to Michael for everything he did. I totally recommend MIchael.

I have been working with Michael and Dylan for a year. A huge asset to my recovery - great guys with practical tools and lots of wisdom. 100% recommend.

Michael helped me get to a place where drugs and alcohol were not a priority in my life. I managed to accumulate several months of abstinence a few times since working with Michael and while I did slip a few times — Michael never judged and always supported me in continuing forward on my journey. Michael was able to connect with me clinical counselling resources that helped me unpack some issues I’d been carrying around while at the same time Michael helped with the practical and functional approach to changing my relationship with alcohol and drugs. My life has changed significantly since beginning my work with Michael. As of today I am completely abstinent from all substances and not looking back! I couldn’t have done it without Michael’s help and for that I say thank you!

I have been working with Michael for several years now. What really sets him apart is that he has been through the struggles himself. He understands that everyones journey to sobriety does not look the same. Michael has always been there to help me in times of crisis and coach me to get back on track or to make suggestions of how to get out of it.
Often when life is not going as well as I would hope Michael would often remind me of how much progress I have made which is partly to do with his suggestions and ideas. He walks the path with you and empowers you to make your own decisions instead of telling you what you should do.

My son Richard, who has an addiction to alcohol was struggling with binge drinking which was escalating in its frequency and intensity. I was at a loss of what to do so asked a counsellor if she could recommend someone. She immediately recommended Michael Walsh and after talking with him about my concerns I decided to engage him and his assistant associate, Dylan to help my son.
At first he was in denial about talking to them and wanted nothing to do with help because “he didn’t have a problem”! However he eventually contacted them to pacify my somewhat insistent urging to seek professional help. After a few sessions they really connected, primarily because Michael and Dylan had lived the life that he was living. They understand the problems and issues of alcohol addiction that are common amongst those afflicted by this disease. They used this knowledge and with their non-judgemental patient approach and common sense demeanour to crack Richard’s shell. It struck a chord with him and it has helped Richard come to terms with his addiction. He is currently in a treatment Center and wants to continue using Michael and Dylan as a resource for his aftercare program.
Thank you guys, I would recommend your services to anyone who needs help or has a loved one requiring guidance you’re A1 in my book.

A friend referred me to Michael. Although I was sober for three months when I met Michael — my mental health was not great. I wanted to maintain my sobriety while also needing to move beyond the situation that was holding me back in many ways. Michael met me where I was at in my life and then helped me move along to a place of 11 months of sobriety and a new outlook on life. Even when I didn’t necessarily believe in myself — Michael looked beyond that and saw the greater good in me and helped me write a new narrative. I feel like I have turned a corner. Things are much better in my life — still some barriers — but nothing I can’t tackle.

My story is one of trial & error — and ultimately successful recovery. I have, in the past had stints of mediocre recovery — this ultimately led to relapse. So what's changed? I included Recovery Coaching!

In my lowest point, I was overwhelmed with shame, guilt, denial and no self esteem. One of the key tools I incorporated into my "tool box” this time was Michael as my Recovery Coach. What he gave me was guidance, resources, friendship, and most importantly, a sense of safety at a time I had none. Michael was able to act as my guide to what life in recovery can be.

With a shared lived experience, Michael understood what it felt like to be misguided, hurt and lost. This in turn gave me confidence that if I followed him I could live the life I had always dreamed of — free from the destructive nature of my addiction and a productive individual in society.

Michael's method started by meeting with me twice a week to help pull me out of the disaster I then called my life. Having someone I knew was "team Kees" allowed me to trust again and is still a key component to my recovery today. As we moved through the early days, I started to rely on him for how to get to the life I wanted. We started discussing career aspirations, connecting with others, staying safe when I felt unsafe, how to commit and follow through with myself and others — and ultimately how to create accountability and responsibility in my life.

Along the way, he introduced me to helpful resources such as counsellors, career development advisors and social communities of like minded people. These resources I still use today.

That is all the boring stuff. You're sitting there reading this review wondering why: Michael Walsh Recovery Coaching.

Today, I have a career I never ever thought I was worthy of having, I have a community of people who know and care about me, I don't fear living my life, I have solid enduring recovery, I have people and an amazing dog Bella who rely on me and most importantly family in my life I thought had given up on me!

Best of all, Michael has taught me that I can say "I love you" in the mirror and mean it.

“There’s not a word yet for old friends who’ve just met. – Jim Henson

I knew I both wanted and needed to get sober. Too many blackouts and the repercussions that came as a result. Michael helped me to rewrite my relationship to myself. With his unconventional approach to create and support sobriety, I can proudly declare that my life is richer than I could have ever imagined!

Michael and Dylan helped me get sober- a feat that I never thought would be possible. From accompanying me to my first recovery group to helping me plan daily life, they were there for me in some pretty dark periods. I only have good things to say about these guys.

I had never heard of an interventionist when the decision was made by my friend’s sister to get Michael involved as our only alternative to save her life. My friend, 61, was in dire straits from alcohol abuse and her sister was her only family. Both of us were living in the US so couldn’t manage her help adequately from this distance. Our time was limited so as soon as we arrived, Michael was there to consult with us about our approach, involvement, timing; really any and every scenario that could unfold the day of the intervention. The coordination is so integral to the success of something like this and you need someone like Michael with a clear head who has handled many of these situations before to almost orchestrate the event.

My friend needed to be convinced that we were all in this for her well being and to support her and she needed to feel that it was her decision to proceed. Michael was able to communicate with her and make her feel secure enough to make the decision to accept help. He then accompanied us to the rehabilitation center where she was moved through their system smoothly. Michael knows the staff and works with other clients there so we felt she would have someone checking in on her and letting us know if she needed anything.

I suppose what Michael is: is the head coordinator or choreographer of a very emotional situation in the case of an intervention. Michael not only helps the person in need feel capable of making their decision to accept help, but he also assists his clients who feel helpless during this difficult situation, cope and contribute constructively. It is a tricky edge to balance on and I think he manages it very well. Thank you Michael.

I was referred to Michael by a counsellor my wife was working with while I was in treatment at the Edgewood facility in Nanaimo. The counsellor recommended that Michael could help in the inevitable transition from in-patient therapy to “normal” life. I had not had a positive experience at Edgewood because many aspects of the therapy were incompatible with my personal beliefs, however I left with a very strong resolve never to relapse into abuse. I met Michael weekly for several months while I explored options for further therapy, deciding on weekly meetings with the Smart Recovery Program and subsequently being accepted into the excellent Vancouver Island Health Authority’s Relapse Prevention Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Program. Michael was very accepting of my choices for on-going therapy and provided a very useful weekly “sounding-board” for my views on, and reactions to, those programs. I have now been sober for a year and nine months. Thank you Michael for all your help.

Our brother had, over the past few years, shared his concern about his excessive drinking and how his family doctor was not able to help. His excesses were becoming apparent to people working with him, especially as his stresses mounted and his responsibilities became overwhelming. After working with him for a year to understand his issues, my sister and I found the perfect time to push for rehab to deal with his pain. But we knew we needed professional guidance. My sister’s vigilance brought us a referral to Michael Walsh. Michael is a knowledgable, skilled professional who helped us stage a family meeting for our brother that proved very successful in getting him to quickly enrol in a rehab program. I was very impressed with the way Michael solicited background information to assess and understand our brother and his situation. I was particularly impressed with the way he related to our brother and his sincere, authentic demeanour.

Because of Michael our brother has a great chance to improve his life, his health and his future. We are forever grateful.

As a Registered Clinical Counsellor, I am fussy about referrals. But I recommend Michael to my clients without hesitation. He has the experience, expertise, knowledge and skills. He's also a great guy, which really helps.

After a 20+ year addiction and dependency to alcohol my body and mind were desperately ready for change, but I had no idea how to do it. My counsellor at the time suggested rehab which I knew was not for me. She also suggested AA which is a model I know was not the answer for me either. In our next session she recommended Michael and the idea of a sober coach. Which was a model I hadn't heard of as I don't think a lot of people have. It intrigued me enough to ultimately look into it. And I could not be happier with the decision to do so. This was the approach I needed to transform my life and relationship with alcohol. The gratitude I have for Michael and his approach with compassion, knowledge and genuine intent is far beyond words I could express. I told Michael the first day we met that I had set a goal for myself of a year, that I didn't want to put the pressure of a lifetime commitment on myself at the time. And he supported that. I don't count the days, but I am coming up on my 11th month and know wholeheartedly that when that 12th month comes my desire for the life I have chosen will far surpass the life I once lived.  

I again thank you Michael for everything you offer. I truly believe that this approach should be used more widely throughout mental health and addiction treatment. I am living a life I never knew I could live.

I started experimenting with cocaine socially. Very quickly, I discovered that I liked it so much it started interfering with my business and personal life. I feel fortunate to have been keenly aware [early on] to notice myself sliding from a person with healthy living values to someone who developed a liking and habit with the consumption of cocaine. I did not like who I was becoming so I did some research online — came across Michael and sent him an email that said “unfortunately, my partying has gotten out of hand and I am hoping to gain some tools to break some habits. ” Michael got back to me within three hours on a Sunday and made an appointment for the next day.

I felt instant trust with Michael and disclosed some very personal things. I don’t have a sordid history that got me in to consuming cocaine — it happened, in part, because of who I was associating myself with. Michael helped to create a disciplined multi-point change plan with built in accountability and structure. Michael helped me to identify my triggers to want to consume cocaine and to take steps to mitigate and or avoid exposure. One of those triggers was once I drank a certain amount I wanted to use cocaine. I knew how it was I wanted to show up in the world for myself and my friends, family and clients and the way I was living was not congruent. My values were not aligned with the person I wanted to be and I desperately wanted to change that. Michael helped immensely.

Our late 20’s son disclosed to us he had a serious issue with cocaine and that he could not stop on his own. We had limited knowledge on how to handle this situation. We did some research online and found Michael. We provided Michael as a resource to our son and left it to him to make contact. Our son went to see Michael and disclosed everything including “I think I need to go to rehab. " Four days later, we met with Michael and our son at our home and within a matter of days our son went to treatment in Vancouver. We can not believe the change in our son — ‘we have our son back with his full potential’. As parents we also utilized Michael for support and guidance. We also participated in a “realtime” weekly online program specifically for those affected by someone else's substance use as recommended by the treatment centre. Michael helped us make sense of our situation at a critical time and provided practical solutions to help make a dire situation much better. We highly recommend Michael!

Michael is an amazing support. Dedicated, responsive, communicative and caring, he was exactly the right person at the right time. He was able to help in ways that we didn't think were possible. Michael used compassion and expertise to address addiction and give our family a second lease on life. We highly recommend Michael especially for those who are in crisis, have few choices left and who are dependent on drugs and/or alcohol to make life bearable. Words cannot possibly express what Michael has done for our family when so many others had tried and failed. Thank you Michael for the joy, love and laughter you've returned to us.

Michael was instrumental in assisting our family and specifically our daughter to accept help and attend treatment. From the first call we were impressed with his knowledge and ability to get everyone on the same page. He walked us through the Invitational Intervention process including holding a "family meeting. " Michael continued to be involved in supporting and guiding the family for several months including ensuring our daughter received everything she needed while in treatment. We do not hesitate to highly recommend Michael.

I contacted Michael to assist a family member in need of recovery treatment & sober coaching. I was at a point of extreme stress. Michael answered my contact message very promptly and scheduled a telephone meeting. Within minutes of that first meeting I felt much more at ease and confident that help was achievable. Michael's professional coaching has been, and continues to be, an important foundation of the recovery journey for our family. I highly recommend and thank you Michael.

At 10am on a February Sunday morning in 2018 I made a call for help — which was answered right away. I asked the person if this was really “Michael” to which he said, “yes” and so I proceeded to spill my story and situation to this person I did not know anything about, yet I felt safe. We arranged to meet the next day and there started a [so far] one year professional relationship. Michael helped guide and support me through the intricacies of changing my relationship to alcohol and attempting to repair family relationships. I have a successful business that I had to step away from for a bit in order to do the deep work necessary to change. Michael was extremely knowledgeable on what resources would be appropriate at each stage of the process including a very nice sober-living residence and out-patient program that both turned out to be quite helpful. Michael has been unwavering in his support to me and I can’t say enough about his professionalism and knowledge.

I reached out to Michael after finding him online. Very quickly, I felt an incredible sense of relief knowing he could help guide our family in helping us and my brother. Michael was a constant support to all of us all the way through — patient in his resolve to eventually meet my brother who struggled with addiction and mental illness and to help him get better. Michael guided us all gently and efficiently and was always there when called upon including when the day came that my brother would finally meet Michael. The law unfortunately became involved. However, Michael appeared in court, wrote letters, took my brother to treatment and back to Victoria to live in sober living and supported him all the way through. I highly recommend Michael as someone with a high degree of integrity, empathy and knowledge in the field of substance use, addictions and mental health.

Michael is great at helping you seek the answer you need. I thought social drinking was the answer but with Michael’s help I realized that abstinence was the answer. No judgment and great help and resources.
Thanks Michael

Michael has been a source of support for the recovery community for many years. He has also worked closely with several of our clients within the Intensive Recovery Program. We are so grateful to experienced the relentless support Michael provides his clients! We have seen significant improvement in the lives of many who work with him. We value his collaborative, strengths-based approach to recovery.

Michael courageously shares his story of overcoming addiction and weaves this personal experience with his extensive training and experience within the field of mental health and addictions. We value Michael's dedication for supporting those on the path of addiction recovery.