Meet Charles
Certified Life Coach & Recovery Expert
Charles Shedrick is a heart-centered leader whose devotion to service inspired him to join the Army National Guard where he valiantly served for over a decade.
After the honorable completion of his military service, he began his civilian career in logistics. During this time he fell into what seemed like a harmless habit of relying on stimulants to boost his productivity, which led him down a dark road of addiction. After hitting bottom in 1999, he once again found himself in the Army, The Salvation Army, an organization with a mission to empower social justice and serve the community. During his time there he was introduced to the 12-steps. Both of those organizations helped him discover that he needed healing both emotionally and spiritually. He gladly embraced all that he learned about himself as well as the guidance of those who had gone before him. He never looked back and has been sober ever since.
He was so excited about the treatment he received and his newfound sobriety that it was only natural for him to transition into treatment as a career. He knew from the bottom of his heart that his life mission from this point forward was going to be about helping those who suffered from substance abuse disorders to recover. He accepted a peer advocate position at his alumni program while simultaneously studying Addiction Studies at Glendale College completing as a specialist in Alcohol/Drug Studies.
The more he worked on himself and worked with others, he discovered that Sobriety was only the beginning. Soon this newly initiated spiritual seeker was expanding his horizons and seeking additional help and education.
He fortuitously came across a community foundation that provided counseling and coaching using a breakthrough methodology that hybridized complex psychological theories into layman’s terms. The concepts were taught in both group and individual settings. He was expertly guided through that unique process that seamlessly allowed for the uncovering of unresolved childhood trauma. That experience connected him to feelings that he didn’t know he had, feelings that had been pushing him around, imposing limitations upon him in ways that he had never before understood.
The therapists and staff provided him with a kind of unconditional regard that was familial in nature, which allowed for sufficient healing to take place, enabling him to connect with his authentic self, which was a first for him.
He fell in love with the theory and became certified in their modality. That was his first official coaching certification. The training, guidance, and work that he did during his time there as a facilitator and coach created the foundation for his career in mental health. He then went on to complete a second professional Life Coaching certification at The Life Coach Institute of Orange County.
Over the last twenty years, he has facilitated groups in various treatment centers all over Southern California. He leads specialized workshops on the basic text of Alcoholics Anonymous which is known as the “Big Book” which earned him the nickname “Big Book Charles”. In addition to his workshops and groups, he is a gifted counselor and coach who works with individuals, couples, and families. His work is rooted in the values of self-awareness, honesty, and accountability. His fluency in the language of addiction, family systems, and trauma, along with the depth of knowledge gained from his own personal recovery journey make him an incredibly authentic, compassionate, intuitive, and insightful guide.
His life is dedicated to helping people understand why they do what they do - when they do what they do - providing them with alternative choices along with cutting-edge tools to help them break free from the chains of addiction and the complex family dysfunction that accompanies it, empowering them to discover their own untapped strength and infinite potential for freedom and recovery.
​Charles continues to walk his talk by participating in his own recovery and spiritual evolution and continues to volunteer a portion of his time sharing the message.