What is Trauma Recovery Coaching?

As trauma survivors our recovery work is best accomplished in a safe and collaborative relationship of mutual trust and open, authentic communication. My goal as a coach is to use my psychological education, lived experience and relational attunement with clients to act as a guide and supportive peer to each person that I work with. I aim to help you establish a sense of connection and personal safety; to see, hear and understand you as well as to guide you to an understanding of the multitudes of after effects of trauma that may be impacting your life; to identify your strengths and use them to develop adaptive coping techniques; to assist you in setting Recovery Goals and creating action steps that enable you to reach your them. I am not a licensed therapist, therefore I do not diagnose, assess mental health, prescribe or advise on medication or prescribe treatment. Rather, I come to you as a knowledgeable mentor, so that you know that you are not alone. I believe that you know the life that you truly want to live, but it can be challenging to find our way through the confusion and pain that trauma creates.  I am here to help you map your plan to that better place; via the education you need to find the truth about the lies that your trauma told you and to build an honest and healthier view of yourself, others and the world.

What is the difference between Coaching and Therapy?

Trained and certified by the International Association of Trauma Recovery Coaching, we subscribe to the following intention of coaching services and described differences from therapy, as stated by the IAOTRC. We may work with a client individually or as part of a mental health resource team, depending on their needs.  

"There is a difference between therapy and coaching. Depending on where you are in your recovery, you may find tremendous benefits from working with either kind of helping professional.

Trauma Recovery Coaching is differentiated from other types of coaching and therapy in many ways:

We recognize the unique, complex and specific needs of trauma survivors. 

Trauma Recovery Coaching is specifically designed to address trauma.

 The methods, resources and techniques our coaches use are tailored to help our clients recover from the aftereffects of trauma. It is the sole focus of our work.

We teach our coaches about trauma first, then we teach them our coaching model. Other mental health professions and coaching training programs teach counseling, coaching or therapy skills first and then have their students shape those methods to fit around trauma.

As Trauma Recovery Coaches we do not pathologize the trauma responses our clients have.

 We don’t label what they are experiencing as wrong or bad. Instead, we recognize that they are having normal reactions to trauma – which are abnormal experiences. 

We oppose our clients being labeled as disordered or ill 

because they have experienced trauma and have responded in ways that they believed were in service to their survival.

There is no power differential in Trauma Recovery Coaching. 

We work with our clients as peers and equals. Our relationships are mutual, collaborative and intra-developmental.

Trauma Recovery Coaching is always client led. 

Just as we have innate responses to trauma that facilitate our survival, we also have innate capabilities to recover from trauma injury – to respond in ways that help us to reconnect with ourselves, our bodies, our emotions and others. We believe our clients have within them – just as they have the programming to respond and protect themselves from trauma – the tools to heal from trauma, to allow the trauma response to complete and move out of their bodies.

Trauma Recovery Coaches do not ascribe to particular schools of theory or theoretical orientations. 

They recognize that every client is different and every recovery journey is unique. Our clients and their experiences are the framework for their recovery.

As Trauma Recovery Coaching is client led and we do not establish a power differential in our work, we don’t set treatment plans or prescribe a course of activity for our clients based upon our interpretation of what we feel they need. We don’t set goals for when we feel they will be “recovered”. To give our clients answers and to set their path for recovery disempowers them and impedes their recovery, potentially causing further harm.

Instead, we set Recovery Goals with our clients. We believe that inside themselves they know what they need to do to have the life they want to live. They may need resources to uncover it, but the answers exist in them, not ourselves as external forces.

Trauma Recovery Coaches are well versed in understanding the limitations of their profession. 

We do not operate outside of our scope of competence to treat or diagnose mental illness. Nor do we give advice or information about psychotropic medication. We also do not work with minors, families or couples unless we have received specific training in working with those populations.

We have detailed protocols for dealing with the safety issues that arise with trauma survivors who are often dealing with deep emotional pain and shame. 

We are the only mental health and coaching profession to have standardized, detailed safety protocols to ensure every client receives the care they need to cope with behaviors that threaten their health and well-being." - IAOTRC

Who Do You Work With?

Trauma is pervasive in societies worldwide and the impacts on individuals, communities and future generations is devastating. I work with survivors that have an array of life experiences and trauma shows up for them in many different ways.

Many clients I see have histories of:

• C-PTSD
• Sexual Assault 
• Interpersonal Violence
• Childhood Trauma
• Spiritual Abuse/ Cult 
• Narcissistic Abuse 
• Disordered Eating

What is Your Background & Training?

SUPERVISOR LEVEL CERTIFIED TRAUMA RECOVERY COACH: International Association of Trauma Recovery Coaching

SUPERVISOR, MENTOR, FACILITATOR AND TRAINER: International Association of Trauma Recovery Coaching

SEXUAL ASSAULT CRISIS RESPONDER & VICTIMS ADVOCATE: The Blue Bench Hotline and Hospital Response Team

POLYVAGAL THEORY: PESI courses on PVT facilitated by Dr. Stephen Porges 

INTERNAL FAMILY SYSTEMS: Pesi courses on IFS facilitated by Dr Richard Schwartz

TRAUMA AND MEMORY & THE BODY KEEPS THE SCORE: 2 Day live workshop facilitated by Dr Bessel van der Kolk

NARCISSISTIC ABUSE 101: IAOTRC course created and facilitated by Kimberly Weeks, CTRC-S

SPIRITUAL TRAUMA: IAOTRC course created and facilitated by Bobbi Parish, MA, CTRC-S, Executive Director of the IAOTRC 

GROOMING 101: IAOTRC course created and facilitated by Bobbi Parish, MA, CTRC-S, Executive Director of the IAOTRC