The Compassionate Recovery Project
Recovery Was Supposed to Feel Better Than This
A Guided Path Toward a More Fulfilling Life in Recovery
Three paths. One steady invitation to go deeper.
BEGIN HERE
The Five Shifts in Recovery
This introduction explains the five shifts that help transform recovery from mere abstinence into a more fulfilling and authentic life.
A quiet place, a notebook, and twenty minutes is all you need.
Sobriety, on its own, can sometimes feel incomplete. The substance is gone, the meetings are familiar, the days are stable, and still, something inside has not yet settled. For many people, the next layer of healing begins with the quiet exhaustion of trying to manage everything.
Compassionate self-awareness offers a different way forward. It traces a slow, honest progression: from self-management, to self-awareness, to self-trust, to self-leadership. Each step softens the next.
If This Sounds Familiar
You Have Done the Work.
And Still, Something Feels Unfinished.
You stopped drinking, or using, or acting out. Maybe years ago. You showed up. You worked the steps, the meetings, the readings, the meditations. Many people find tremendous support there, and many also discover, quietly, that there is more healing needed.
Life looks fine on the outside. Inside, there is a different story. A low hum of dissatisfaction. An old resentment that will not quite settle. A new compulsion that slid in where the last one used to live. You manage everything, and the management itself has become exhausting.
– Dissatisfaction with life in recovery
– Ongoing resentment that resurfaces
– Switching addictions, in subtle or obvious ways
– Overworking to stay ahead of feelings
– Overwhelm that does not lift
– Stress that has become a baseline
– Emotional exhaustion
– Relationship struggles that keep repeating
– Poor self care, even while caring for others
– Feeling like a fraud
– Pressure to look better the longer you are sober
None of this means you have failed. It often means you are ready for the next layer.
THE FRAMEWORK
Three Deep Recovery
Recovery happens in layers. Each layer makes the next one possible.
Level 1, The Addiction Itself
The work of getting sober, getting safe, and beginning to rebuild a life that the addiction had cost you. This is where most recovery begins, and where many people quietly plateau.
Level 2, What It Was Managing
Beneath the substance or behavior is the pain it was attempting to numb, the chaos it was trying to organize, the parts of you that were carrying too much. Level 2 turns toward that, with compassion.
Level 3, The Authentic Self
The self underneath the protections, calmer, clearer, more in contact with who you actually are. Not a destination so much as a steadier relationship with yourself.
THE shift
From Self-Management to Self-Leadership
The effort to constantly manage yourself and everything around you becomes exhausting. There is another way.
Compassionate awareness changes the relationship you have with the protective patterns you have carried for years. Instead of fighting them, you begin to understand them, and slowly, they begin to soften.
What follows is quieter than most transformation language suggests: more emotional freedom, healthier relationships, and a grounded sense of leading your own life from the inside out.
About the Work
Grounded in Decades of Recovery Experience
The Compassionate Recovery Project was developed by Bill Tierney, a Compassionate Results Coach and Certified IFS Practitioner. Bill has been coaching since 2011 and has been working with Internal Family Systems since 2016.
His work supports people who are ready to move beyond abstinence-only recovery into something more whole. Out of that work came the Three Deep Recovery framework, a way of mapping the layers most people sense are there but do not yet have language for. IFS is woven lightly into the broader coaching process, alongside reflection, community, and steady practice.
The aim is simple: to make the deeper work accessible, honest, and survivable, and to walk it alongside others.
TESTIMONIALS
What others are saying
"Loved everything so far"
"I was twelve years sober and quietly miserable. This work gave me language for what was still unfinished, and a way to actually meet it. The exhaustion lifted in ways I did not think were possible anymore."
"My life changed forever"
"For the first time, I am not performing recovery. I am living it. My relationships are calmer. I trust myself in rooms I used to leave."
"Highly recommend this"
"The compassion piece changed everything. I stopped fighting the parts of me I had been managing for years, and they actually started to settle."
Levels of Support
Choose the Path That Fits Where You Are
Three ways to walk this work. Each one is complete in itself, and each one supports the next.
Level 1
$1,200
Paid in full, non-refundable, or $700 deposit + 2 payments of $325
Supported Self-Study Community
9 months of platform access
Downloadable PDFs you keep permanently
3 live Q&A calls per month
Private online recovery community
Home practices and journaling exercises
Self-paced, with community and live support when you want it.
Level 2, Women's Pilot
$2,400
50% of standard Level 2, paid in full or $1,250 + 2 payments of $625
Guided Women's Cohort and Fellowship
Everything in Level 1
3 additional 90-minute cohort sessions per month
Guided integration of the deeper work
Fellowship and optional peer support
Deeper accountability and community engagement
Pilot participants help shape the future of the program through monthly feedback.
Level 2, Men's Pilot
$2,400
50% of standard Level 2, paid in full or $1,250 + 2 payments of $625
Guided Men's Cohort and Fellowship
Everything in Level 1
3 additional 90-minute cohort sessions per month
Guided integration of the deeper work
Fellowship and optional peer support
Deeper accountability and community engagement
Pilot participants help shape the future of the program through monthly feedback.
Standard Level 2 pricing is $4,800 paid in full, or $2,500 deposit + 2 payments of $1,250. Pilot pricing reflects the collaborative nature of the initial cohorts, not a sale.
Community and Confidentiality
A Private, Respectful Space to Do Real Work
Participants join a private online community organized around support, normalization, connection, and fellowship. Engagement is optional. You do not have to share to belong, and the spaces are designed so that quieter participation is fully welcome.
Confidentiality and safety agreements apply to every space we share. Respectful participation is expected of everyone, including the leadership. These are the conditions that make deeper work possible.
An Inclusivity Note
The current pilot groups are organized as separate men's and women's cohorts to support safety, connection, and shared experience within each group setting.
We recognize that not everyone identifies within these categories. As interest grows, additional groups, including a non-binary cohort, may be added in the future. If you are interested and unsure which current offering would feel like the best fit, we invite you to reach out directly.
Community and Confidentiality
When We Meet
Live Q&A Sessions
Thursdays
12:00 PM to
1:30 PM Pacific
Starting July 9, 2026
Open to Level 1 and Level 2 participants
Women's Pilot Group
Tuesdays
12:00 PM to
1:30 PM Pacific
Starting July 9, 2026
Maximum 12 participants
Men's Pilot Group
Tuesdays
3:30 PM to
5:00 PM Pacific
Starting July 7, 2026
Maximum 12 participants
Questions, Honestly Answered
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this therapy?
No. This is a coaching, education, and community experience. It complements therapy and other recovery support, and it does not replace them. If you are working with a therapist, we encourage you to continue.
Do I need to be sober?
This work is designed for people in recovery. You do not need a specific length of sobriety, but you do need to be in a place where you can engage with reflective, group-based work without active crisis.
What if I am already in another recovery program?
Wonderful. Many participants are. This work sits alongside whatever path you are already on and is not in competition with any other approach.
What if I am nervous about group participation?
That is common, and welcome. The groups are designed for safety, and quiet participation is fully respected. You will never be required to share before you are ready.
Why is pilot pricing different?
Pilot pricing reflects the collaborative nature of the initial cohort. Participants contribute monthly feedback that helps shape the future of the program, and the pricing acknowledges that partnership.
What happens after I apply?
You will receive a confirmation email. Bill reviews each application personally. If it looks like a fit, he will invite you to a 30-minute conversation. If both of you feel it is right, he will send a registration and payment link.
What if I miss sessions?
Life happens. Sessions are recorded where possible, and the home practices are designed so that occasional absences will not derail your experience.
How much participation is expected?
Consistent attendance is the most important thing. Beyond that, participation is paced by you. There is no minimum amount of sharing or homework required.
The Invitation
Take the Next Step in Your Recovery
Whichever path you choose, the invitation is the same. Something deeper is possible, and you do not have to find it alone.