I spent 10 years in active addiction. At my worst, I was drinking a litre of vodka a day, spiralling into drug binges, and completely unable to sit with my own emotions for five minutes without something to numb them. I had no self-worth, no sense of who I was without substances, and no idea that the life I have now was even possible.

I've been through domestic violence, coercive control, and childhood trauma that I didn't even recognise as trauma for years. I hit rock bottom — more than once. And I tried everything to get sober. Willpower. Meetings. Promises to myself. None of it stuck.

It wasn't until I discovered DBT — Dialectical Behaviour Therapy — that everything changed. Not because it was magic. Because it gave me actual skills. Tools to regulate my emotions, understand my triggers, and stop running from the feelings I'd been medicating my whole life.

That's when I got sober for good. And that's when I knew I had to share it.

What I do now

I'm a certified DBT skills coach and addiction recovery coach, and I've spent years building qualifications to back up what I know from lived experience. I work with people who are sober but still struggling — who've stopped the substance but haven't yet stopped the suffering. And with people who are ready to finally stop for good.

My approach is grounded in DBT and ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy). It's not about willpower or white-knuckling your way through. It's about rewiring the emotional patterns underneath the addiction — the ones that were never your fault, but are now your responsibility to heal.

I believe recovery shouldn't cost £3,000. It should be accessible to everyone who needs it.

A little more about me

When I'm not coaching, you'll find me painting — often for hours in complete silence, which is something the old me could never have imagined. I speak at events and festivals about recovery, mental health, and emotional resilience. And I show up honestly online, because I know how much it matters to see someone who's been where you are and made it through.

I'm a coach with deep clinical knowledge, real lived experience, and a genuine passion for helping people build lives they don't want to escape from.

Ready to take the next step?

Book a free discovery call — let's talk about where you are and where you want to be.

Or explore 1:1 coaching, online courses, and digital workbooks — whatever feels like the right place to start.

Get in touch: info@oliviaeliserecovery.com Instagram: @sobercoasterlife