Built by people who needed this and could not find it

I started Break Free Recovery in 2021 with one clear purpose: to be the person I needed when I was in active addiction. It didn't matter what the substance was - as long as it changed how I felt. I would take it however I could, by any means necessary, just to not feel anything at all.

Addiction is one of the most devastating experiences a person and their family can endure. There's a saying I live by: “To know the road ahead, ask those coming back.” That truth shapes everything I do. My life's mission is to walk back into the trenches and help others still trying to find their way out.

I believe lasting recovery is built on the foundation of mind, body, and spirit. Anything less is like a house built on sand - eventually it collapses, and the cycle continues.

At Break Free, we hold clients accountable and lead by example. We show what real change looks like and help people develop the faith that they, too, can create a new way of life through grit, determination, and belief in something greater than the addiction.

I am a nationally certified Peer Support Specialist and a CCAR Trainer of Trainers.

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.