Offering a Hug: A Counselor & Sponsor Guideline

FREE: download, print, & share

A short, printable guideline for counselors, sponsors, and treatment staff who want the welcome to feel safe.

Newcomers are often frightened by hugs. Early recovery is raw. Many arrive with trauma, shame, or a body that has not been safely touched in a long time. This one-page handout helps staff pause before the arms open.

Inside:

• The two questions every newcomer is already asking: What do they want? Why are they touching me?
• Phrases that startle vs. phrases that ask
• What to say when someone is not ready: “No worries. The hug will keep. I’m just glad you showed up.”
• Five staff reminders: ask first, no hug from behind, a frozen smile is not a yes

How to use it:

• Print one for the staff room and one for each counselor or sponsor
• Add it to new-hire orientation and intern packets
• Use it in a 10-minute in-service: read the “instead of / try this” boxes out loud
• Slip it into a newcomer welcome folder next to the free “A Hug Is a Great Gift” card
• Keep a stack at the nurses’ station or front desk for visiting speakers and weekend staff

Print on letter paper. One page. No training manual required.

A hug is a gift. It is never a requirement.

Complements of Day By Day Recovery Resources · PocketSponsor.com