Today we’d like to introduce you to Thomas McAlinden.
Hi Thomas, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Im a native New Yorker. My Dad worked at a bar when I was a kid and i started hanging out there from a young age.I was attracted to the whole atmosphere. Everyone in my immediate family has had addiction issues.In 1985 my older brother John died from an overdose in our home,I found my brother dead in bed.It was incredibly traumatic. It destroyed my parents.My Aunt, who lived with us her whole life,died by suicide a few days after my brother John died. I was never the same after that. My drinking escalated to the point where i became violent. I got arrested in 1987 but it didnt stop me from drinking and using substances. My job put me in rehab in 1990. I didnt attain permanent sobriety until 1994.Both my parents passed away during my first few years in recovery.I had my daugher who is 20 years old now in 2005. I had a union job for almost 25 years that i retired from in 2009. I got my first job in treatment when a gentleman who owned a private sober living in Brooklyn NY hired me as a house manager.I learned how to interact with private clients and eventually I was trained to be a sober companion.I worked at that house for 6 years.I started my own company offering recovery coaching and sober companion services to private clients in 2014. Ive travelled around the country and I have done international jobs as well. Ive had stories done on me and my work published in the Wall Street Journal and in major TV interviews in NYC. I employ several people who assist me with my clients.
I had a twin brother,Tim, who passed away in 2020 from a 9/11 cancer. Tim was sober ten months when he passed. I held his hand as he took his last breath. My purpose today is to stay sober and help others though the work my company provides.If i can help at least one family avoid the tragedy that mine faced when my brother John died from addiction then my work has been meaningful. Any further information you may need I will gladly provide.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Getting around the stigma of reaching out for professional help when there are addiction and/or behavioral health issues is still a major obstacle.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Sober Companion NYC?
My company offers recovery coaching and one on one sober companion services to private clients. we are available nationwide and have done international jobs.
Ive been in the field for over 16 years, my experience speaks for itself. I am in recovery over 32 years.
What sets me apart is that I stay in my own lane and rarely collaborate with other providers. My own lived experience with addiction and behavioral health issues is second to none.Im most proud that i have maintained my integrity and ability to separate my professional life from my personal life. The testimonials from clients on my social media pages are something Im very proud of and humbled by.What I want readers to know is that im in this line of work to help families and to save lives. I dont need personal accolades,my work is an avocation.
Pricing:
- We do not have a set fee schedule.
Contact Info:
- Website: sobercompanionnyc.com | sobercompanionlosangeles.com | sobercompanionflorida.com
- Facebook: Sober Companion NYC
- LinkedIn: Thomas McAlinden
- Youtube: Sober Companion NYC-Los Angeles
- Yelp: Sober Companion NYC and Sober Companion Los Angeles
