How Blake Cohen Has Been Able To Use His Personal Experiences To Help Aid Others Overcome Substance Use Disorders And Mental Health Issues

Blake Cohen, best selling author, is a Substance Use Disorder Professional and Personal Growth and Recovery Coach. As a teenager and young adult, he found himself lost in an addiction to opioid pain medication. Like many who have gone through addiction before, Blake was stuck living a double life – trying to appear like he was okay, but truly being ashamed and embarrassed of himself. Blake lost track of who he was and who he wanted to be; however, Blake was able to overcome addiction with the help of his family. While doing so was one of the hardest things he has ever done, it completely changed his perspective on life. Hence, his own experience with battling addiction encouraged him to dedicate his own life to helping others to overcome similar struggles with substance use disorders and mental health issues. 

“My recovery has taught me that if I am patient, if I work hard, and I am willing to ask for help from other people, I can accomplish anything,” shares Blake. 

Blake now has his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, has a professional certification in addiction counseling, and has even written a bestselling book, “I Love You, More.” In addition to these accomplishments, Blake has owned multiple companies and is now earning his Master’s Degree in the field of Leadership. 

Blake believes that, while overcoming adversity if not unique, it takes a team of people to help us do so. This is why Blake and his partner, Amanda Marino, started “Next Level Recovery Associates, Inc.” so that they are able to help and encourage others to be the best version of themselves. Given the gaps that are oftentimes left by traditional treatment models or therapeutic interventions, their goal is to help fill this gap by offering an all-encompassing treatment. They offer clients substance use disorder interventions, recovery, family, and life coaching, case management services, public speaking and education services regarding substance use and mental health, sober companion and transport services, and more!

“Our goal is to help the entire family system reach the next level in their lives while offering support, accountability, guidance, and expertise. We have a large team that can help us address the various individual needs of our unique clients,” states Blake.

As Blake explains, when you look at the mental health and substance use disorder rates in the U.S., the number of people suffering continues to grow despite the increasing availability of treatment. Hence, this is a demonstration of how many treatment centers fail to address certain issues that are critical in the recovery process. This is why Blake has dedicated his life to making sure that individuals can receive a more comprehensive and personalized treatment. “We want to do our part in improving the abysmal statistics that are currently being published in this country,” says Blake. By building his own business, Blake has been able to live out his passion:

“There is nothing like watching someone go to treatment all beaten and bruised up (emotionally and physically) and come out looking and behaving like a new person. There is so much possibility ahead of them if they stay on the right path! How cool of an idea is it that we get to be a small part in helping someone find their fire again!?,” Blake exclaims. 

While building his own business has involved a lot of uncertainty and numerous challenges, Blake recognizes the importance of mindset in being a successful entrepreneur. As Blake explains, being an entrepreneur elicits feelings of both pride and fear. While our pride in our work builds up, the fear of the “what if’s” simultaneously occurs. 

“Ultimately, we must remain in the mindset that there will always be the chance for failure, but there will also always be the chance for success. There are no guarantees when it comes to being an entrepreneur. Ultimately, we will get out of it what we put into it and any failure we may experience is only a lesson learned for the next business you start!,” states Blake. 

Currently, Blake is focused on growing Next Level Recovery Associates Inc. and has a plan to expand their educational initiatives to corporate environments and other locations where it is not usual to discuss mental health and addiction. In fact, Blake wants to break the stigma that surrounds mental illness by bringing Next Level Recovery Associates, Inc. into corporations and get important conversations started. 

For Blake and his business partner, Amanda Marino, it is important to differentiate themselves from others by never assuming that any of their clients’ situations or needs can be addressed by a prefixed set of steps. This is why they respect the differences of each client and embrace the differences in experiences so that they can meet their needs in the best way possible. 

“I’ve lost clients to this disease. I’ve lost friends. It’s painful, confusing, and gives you such a strong feeling of helplessness. There are times that it can feel overwhelming and make me question if this is the right field for me but then I remember all of the people’s lives we’ve been a part of that have found long-term recovery. We have a duty to them and, the ones we’ve lost, to keep going and to keep fighting for those that are afflicted with this disorder,” shares Blake. 

To learn more about the amazing work that Blake Cohen is doing through his business, make sure to follow him on Instagram here and check out Next Level Recovery Associates, Inc