About David
I come about my ability to relate to our clients honestly.
My strongest qualification to serve those struggling comes from my own hard and fast fall to rock bottom, a few years spent chipping away and digging deeper, and the long slow climb up and out that followed.
For all intents and purposes, I was dealt a good hand. Emotionally and psychologically speaking, however, grief and misadventure are something of a family tradition. As a young man, I struggled to develop a sense of self, and the harder I searched for meaning and purpose the less of it I found. Eventually, I did develop a sense of self, but it was ugly, undeserving, less-than, and unsalvageable. I leaned into this newly formed identity hard and set out on a mission to experience everything and feel nothing. I failed. The years that followed were a lonely whirlwind of high highs and low lows punctuated by the need for more. More drinks, more drugs, more isolation, and more pain.
Through a series of events in late 2014, I decided I was ready to make a change. At the time, however, I was under the impression that I could do it on my own and I was unaware that my freedom would come through community, connection, and authenticity. After two more years of digging deeper and allowing my ego to steer me away from seeking help, I checked into a treatment center and began the real work towards becoming whole again.
Through genuine connection and practical support, I came to believe that the climb up cannot be made alone. In my time of need, I received guidance from those who had made the climb before me. It was during that time of transformation in my life that I came to value the type of strength that only comes from struggle and the power in helping others to develop a sense of self and the resilience necessary to build a meaningful life.
How I Got Here
I started my career working in the field of recovery at Firebird Transformations, a men’s sober living community here in Asheville. There I learned to take an individualized approach to work with others and developed the skill of meeting people where they were (developmentally) rather than where they, or others, expected them to be. It was also at Firebird where I came to appreciate the power of working one on one with clients to develop the life skills necessary to achieve their goals and become self-actualized.
In April of 2018, I was offered and accepted the job of Recovery Coach with Pavillon’s (a long-standing, well-respected inpatient treatment center for addiction and co-occurring disorders) Young Men’s Program. Over the next three years, while at Pavillon, I had the opportunity to work alongside and learn from some of the brightest working professionals in the field of substance abuse and mental health. During that time, I came to appreciate the efficacy of taking an experiential approach to working with young adults and teaching mindfulness-based techniques for evaluating and processing feelings and patterns that emerged as a result of those real-world, rubber on the road, situations.
Why I am Here
When working with young adults who’ve found themselves in need of support and guidance, my objective, though sometimes challenging, has always been simple: to help them build and maintain meaningful forward momentum in life, governed by self-accountability, and driven by values specific to themselves.
As a Lead Transition Coach for RCT I’m encouraged to do the same: to work with our clients in a supportive purpose-driven way that aligns with values specific to me.
I am registered with the North Carolina Addictions Specialist Professional Practice Board as a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor
I am also a husband, a father, a recovery carrier, and a believer in the human spirit.
Introduction VIdeo
Please take a few minutes to hear from Buckey about his experience in Asheville.
