Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ronnie Costa. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Ronnie , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear the backstory of how you established your own practice.

Starting my own firm wasn’t some perfectly mapped-out plan. It came from frustration, from knowing I could do better—for clients, for families, and for the people doing the work. I walked away from two respected jobs and decided to bet on myself. CounselingUNLMTD was born in 2016… but it didn’t fully take off right away. I let fear of financial instability pull me back into safety. It took a few more years, some tough life lessons, and a whole lot of inner work before I committed to making it real

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

For those who haven’t heard of me or CounselingUNLMTD before, here’s the real story.

I’ve been in the behavioral health and recovery space for over 15 years, but I didn’t come into this field through a textbook—I came through life experience, hard lessons, and a deep understanding of what people actually need when they’re struggling. I started as a recovery coach and companion, worked in residential treatment, and saw firsthand how broken and impersonal this system can be. That’s what pushed me to start my own firm.

CounselingUNLMTD isn’t a traditional counseling office—it’s a nationwide coaching and companion-based service designed to support individuals and families dealing with high-acuity mental health issues, addiction recovery, neurodivergence, or transitions between care. We provide sober escorts, mentorship, transport, family and parent coaching, neurodivergent support, and monitoring. We work directly with clinical teams, hospitals, and private practitioners as an extension of care—bridging the gap between treatment and real life.

We’re not here to sell hope with no plan. We offer structure, support, and accountability in a way that’s human, tailored, and consistent. We’re in the trenches with clients—whether that means helping them get to treatment, creating a safety plan with a family, or walking them through a hard moment at 2AM.

What sets us apart? Simple: we don’t take shortcuts. We don’t hire off Craigslist. Everyone on our team is vetted, trained, and has real-life experience in the work. We’re ethical. We’re discreet. And we’re relentless in our commitment to actually helping people—not just billing them.

I’m most proud of the fact that we’ve helped people who others gave up on. I’ve seen clients go from psych wards to stable housing, from chaos to consistency. And we didn’t do that with gimmicks—we did it by showing up, staying real, and never losing sight of the mission.

What do I want people to know? That this work isn’t just my job—it’s my calling. And if you or someone you love needs help, we’ll show up, meet you where you are, and help get you where you’re trying to go

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

What built my reputation? Showing up consistently, doing the work no one else wanted to do, and refusing to cut corners. I didn’t build CounselingUNLMTD off marketing gimmicks or buzzwords—I built it off trust, results, and word of mouth. Families and clinicians knew that when we said we’d show up, we actually did. No excuses, no disappearing acts, no unqualified coaches just there for a paycheck.

I built a name by doing the gritty, high-acuity cases that others walked away from—and getting results without compromising integrity. The work spoke louder than the pitch. And over time, that reputation stuck. It’s not about being flashy. It’s about being solid. Every time

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

One of the wildest, most defining moments in my career was the time I had to fly to the Bahamas to extract a client who was being held by drug dealers. He’d disappeared off the grid after a relapse, and I got a call from his family in full panic mode. No one knew where he was, only that he was in serious danger.

I got on a plane with nothing but a name, a vague location, and a gut feeling. No backup, no law enforcement, no fancy tools—just experience, instincts, and a promise I made to the family that I’d bring him home.

When I found him, he was a mess, terrified, and being held for owing around eight grand. The people holding him weren’t bluffing—they made it clear if he didn’t pay he wasn’t leaving the island.

I had to think fast. I negotiated, diffused, lied a little, leaned into street smarts and calm presence—whatever it took to keep the situation from exploding. I did my best to keep everything calm and we basically snuck off the island. It was very scary because my phone wasn’t working unless I had WiFi.

We left that island like ghosts. I had him on a plane within hours, and by the next morning, he was in a safe detox facility getting help. That run could’ve gone bad a hundred different ways. But we got out. And he got a second shot at life.

That moment? It sealed why I do this work. This isn’t therapy in an office with a box of tissues. This is boots on the ground, life-on-the-line recovery support. It’s high-risk, high-stakes, and high-trust. And it’s what sets CounselingUNLMTD apart—we go where others won’t. And we bring people back.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://CounselingUNLMTD.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/counselingunlmtd?igsh=cnl0MTYwa3JoaWIx&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1BcAQMS9r2/?mibextid=wwXIfr

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