Built by people who needed this and could not find it

I'm John McKissack, a Peer Recovery Coach at Break Free Recovery. Drawing from my own lived experience and more than five years in recovery, I understand the challenges of rebuilding your life, overcoming setbacks, and discovering a new sense of purpose.

With credentials including CPFS, CCAR, APRS, QBHA, and CFL-1, I combine professional training with compassion and real-world understanding. My approach is honest, practical, and focused on meeting people exactly where they are - without judgment.

I'm passionate about helping others recognize their strengths, overcome barriers, develop healthy routines, and build lasting recovery through accountability, consistency, and meaningful connection. My goal is to remind every person I work with that their past does not define their future and that they never have to face recovery alone.

I've been where you are. Addiction, incarceration, hitting bottom and having to figure out how to rebuild - I lived it, not read about it. That's the foundation everything else is built on.

I'm also trained for this work - Addiction Peer Recovery Specialist (APRS), Qualified Behavioral Health Assistant (QBHA), CrossFit Level 1 Trainer, and 7 Habits Facilitator - because lived experience opens the door, but skill and structure are what actually help you build something real once you're inside it.

My approach isn't about white-knuckling sobriety or just staying out of trouble. It's about accountability, routines that actually stick, physical health, and figuring out who you want to be - then building the habits that get you there. Recovery isn't just about what you walk away from. It's about what you build next. My goal with every person I work with is simple: get 1% better than yesterday. That's it. That's the whole game, one day at a time.