Career, Education and Therapeutic Consulting
Individualized support for education, career, and long-term stability in recovery
Recovery is not just about stopping a behavior — it’s about building a life that can actually hold sobriety and wellbeing. At Recovery & Wellness Services, our consulting work helps individuals and families make thoughtful, realistic decisions about education, work, and next steps, especially during transitions out of treatment or periods of instability.
Our approach is practical, personalized, and coordinated, designed to meet people where they are — not where they “should” be.
Consulting Services
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Many of the individuals we work with have disrupted educational paths, learning differences, or mixed experiences with traditional school environments. Our educational consulting helps clients and families clarify realistic options and build a plan that supports both recovery and long-term independence.
Educational consulting may include:
College planning and re-entry after treatment or leave of absence
Evaluation of traditional, alternative, and non-degree programs
Guidance around certificates, vocational programs, and skilled trades
Support navigating accommodations, learning differences, and executive functioning challenges
Identifying programs with real recovery infrastructure (not just marketing claims)
Coordination with treatment teams, therapists, and academic programs
Our role is not to push a specific path, but to help clients choose an option they can actually sustain.
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For many people in recovery, work can either support stability — or quietly undermine it. Our career coaching focuses on helping clients build structure, purpose, and momentum without overwhelming them or creating unnecessary pressure.
Career coaching may include:
Clarifying strengths, interests, and realistic work options
Career exploration aligned with recovery needs and lifestyle stability
Resume support and job search strategy (as appropriate)
Executive functioning support related to work (organization, follow-through, accountability)
Coaching through early employment transitions and setbacks
Aligning work expectations with mental health and recovery capacity
We focus on progress, not perfection, and help clients move forward at a pace that supports long-term success.
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Not all needs are best met through a single provider or program. Our therapeutic consulting helps families and individuals think strategically about support — especially when prior treatment has not led to lasting change.
Therapeutic consulting may include:
Continued care and discharge planning
Evaluating levels of care and treatment fit
Coordinating wraparound support (therapy, psychiatry, coaching, sober living, education, work)
Supporting families in setting boundaries and realistic expectations
Acting as a neutral guide during complex or emotionally charged decisions
Helping clients transition from high structure to independent living safely
We do not provide therapy or diagnose. Instead, we help ensure that the right supports are in place and working together.
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Recovery & Wellness Services provides independent, outcomes-focused treatment placement for clients with substance use disorders, co-occurring mental health conditions, and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs).
We match each client to the right level of care—detox, residential, partial hospitalization (PHP), intensive outpatient (IOP), or specialized outpatient—based on a thorough assessment, clinical fit, and privacy needs. Our recommendations consider program licensure, medical/psychiatric capabilities, neurorehabilitation resources, family programming, and real-world outcomes—not marketing.
We coordinate everything end-to-end: pre-admission paperwork, direct clinician handoffs, discreet travel logistics, and, when needed, clinical/medical transport. For high-profile or safety-sensitive cases, we facilitate secure, low-visibility admissions and work closely with legal, corporate, and medical teams.
Post-admit, we stay engaged to ensure continuity of care and a clear aftercare plan that supports stabilization, neurocognitive recovery, and long-term success.
Consultants
Steve Pulley DPT
Founder, Therapeutic Consultant, Interventionist
Steve Pulley is the founder of Recovery & Wellness Services and has spent over 15 years supporting individuals and families navigating recovery, transition, and long-term life planning. In recovery himself since 2008, Steve brings a grounded, experience-based perspective to his consulting work, helping clients build sustainable routines, emotional resilience, and meaningful direction beyond treatment.
Steve has toured more than 100 treatment programs across the country and has visited dozens of collegiate recovery programs nationwide. He is the founder of the Collegiate Recovery Program at the College of Charleston, one of the earliest programs of its kind, and has remained deeply involved in recovery-focused education and advocacy.
As a therapeutic consultant, Steve works closely with families and referral partners to help clients make informed decisions about continued care, recovery support, and next steps—always prioritizing fit, transparency, and long-term success.
Fred Palmer brings over a decade of experience in behavioral health, higher education, career development, and independent consulting to his work at Recovery & Wellness Services. Prior to joining RWS full-time, Fred worked in career services at an R1 research university, where he supported students and young adults with career exploration, graduate and professional school planning, and education-to-employment pathways.
In addition to his university work, Fred founded and operated an independent career and education consulting practice focused on supporting young adults in recovery, individuals with non-traditional educational paths, and families navigating complex academic and career decisions.
At RWS, Fred specializes in helping clients clarify realistic education and career options—whether returning to college, exploring graduate or professional programs, pursuing certificates or vocational training, or building alternative career pathways that support stability and independence. His work emphasizes practical planning, informed decision-making, and long-term sustainability.
Fred Palmer MPH
Career Coach and Educational Consultant
Ethical Standards & Disclosure
Recovery & Wellness Services provides independent consulting only. We are never paid for referrals by treatment programs, sober living environments, colleges, universities, or other service providers. Recommendations are based solely on the individual needs, goals, and circumstances of each client.
Our role is to help individuals and families understand options, ask the right questions, and make informed decisions—not to steer clients toward specific programs or institutions.