When I first began my journey as a trauma-informed coach, I knew that understanding trauma wasn’t enough. I needed to create a space where healing could actually happen—where survivors could feel safe enough to do the deep work without having to relive their pain or prove their story to yet another person.
Over the years, I’ve learned that being trauma-informed isn’t just about what I know; it’s about how I show up. It’s woven into every conversation, every session, and every email I send. SAMHSA’s six trauma-informed principles aren’t just professional guidelines for me; they’re the foundation of how I meet people where they are, believe their truth, and equip them for real life.
Let me share how these trauma-informed care principles come alive in my coaching practice.
Safety: Creating Space Where You Can Breathe
Safety is always my first priority in trauma-informed coaching, but here’s what I’ve learned: safety looks different for everyone.
For some clients, safety means knowing exactly what to expect in our sessions. For others, it’s the freedom to change their mind, to say, “I’m not ready to talk about that today,” without explanation. I never assume I know what makes someone feel safe—I ask.
In practical terms, this means I’m intentional about everything from where we meet (or whether we meet virtually) to how I respond when someone shares something vulnerable. I don’t push. I don’t probe. I let you set the pace. My role is to hold the space while you decide what feels right for you.
I also pay attention to emotional safety. Trauma survivors have often been told their feelings are too much, too dramatic, and not valid. In my coaching space, your feelings are always welcome. All of them. Even the messy, contradictory ones that don’t make logical sense.
Trustworthiness and Transparency: No Hidden Agendas Here
Trust is earned, not assumed—especially when you’ve been through trauma.
From our very first conversation, I’m clear about what trauma recovery coaching is and isn’t. I explain confidentiality and its limits. I’m upfront about my process, my approach, and what you can expect from me. If something isn’t working, I want to know. If you’re feeling stuck or uncomfortable, that’s important information, not a problem to be fixed.
I also believe in being real with you. I’m not going to pretend I have all the answers or that healing from trauma follows a neat, linear path. Sometimes the work is hard. Sometimes we take two steps forward and one step back. I’ll always be honest with you about that—because you deserve transparency, not false promises.
And when I make a mistake (because I’m human and I will), I own it. I apologize. I course-correct. That’s how trust is built—through consistency and accountability.
Peer Support: You’re Not Alone in This
One of the most powerful realizations in trauma recovery is this: you’re not the only one.
While I maintain appropriate professional boundaries, I’ve learned that there’s incredible healing in knowing others have walked similar paths. That’s why I wrote Healing What Hides in the Shadows—to let survivors know they’re not alone, even if they choose to heal privately.
In coaching, I sometimes share (with permission, anonymously) how other clients have navigated similar challenges. Not to tell you what to do, but to show you the possibilities. To remind you that if someone else found their way through, so can you.
I also encourage you to find your people—whether that’s a trusted friend, a faith community, or others who understand your journey. Healing doesn’t have to happen in isolation. In fact, it often can’t.
Collaboration and Mutuality: This Is Your Journey, Not Mine
Here’s something I’m passionate about: I’m not here to fix you, because you’re not broken.
You’re the expert on your own life. You know what you need better than I ever could. My job is to walk alongside you, to ask the questions that help you access your own wisdom, and to reflect back the strength I see in you that trauma may have temporarily hidden from view.
This means we’re partners in this work. You set the goals. You decide what we focus on. You determine what healing from trauma looks like for you. I bring tools, frameworks, and a safe space to explore—but you’re always in the driver’s seat.
I also believe in leveling the power dynamic as much as possible. Yes, I’m the coach, but that doesn’t make me more important or more valuable than you. We’re two human beings, sitting together, figuring out how to help you live the life you want and deserve.
Empowerment: Helping You Remember Who You Are
Trauma can make you forget your own strength. It can convince you that you’re powerless, that you’re defined by what happened to you, and that you’re somehow less than.
I’ve built my entire trauma-informed coaching practice around helping you remember the truth: you are valuable beyond measure.
Every coaching session is designed to help you reconnect with your inherent worth and reclaim your power. We focus on what you can control, not what you can’t. We identify the skills and resilience you’ve already demonstrated—because surviving trauma takes incredible strength, even if you don’t see it that way yet.
I never approach you from a deficit mindset. I don’t focus on what’s “wrong” with you or what needs to be “fixed.” Instead, we build on your strengths. We explore what’s already working. We discover new possibilities you maybe haven’t considered before.
Because here’s what I know: healing isn’t about becoming someone new. It’s about becoming more fully yourself.
Cultural, Historical, and Gender Responsiveness: Seeing All of You
Trauma doesn’t happen in a vacuum, and neither does healing.
Your story is shaped by your culture, your history, your identity, and your experiences of how the world has treated you. I can’t create a truly safe space if I’m not honoring all of who you are.
This means I actively work to understand your unique context—not to make assumptions based on stereotypes, but to truly see you. It means I’m continuously learning about different cultures, experiences, and perspectives. It means I recognize that healing practices that work for one person might not work for another, and that’s okay.
It also means I understand that some trauma is generational, some is systemic, and some comes from being marginalized or othered. I don’t dismiss these realities, and I don’t expect you to heal from collective trauma through individual willpower alone.
For my clients of faith, I honor that. For those who aren’t, I honor that too. For those navigating trauma related to their gender, sexuality, race, or other aspects of their identity, I create space for all of it.
You get to bring your whole self to our coaching relationship—because you deserve to be seen, heard, and valued exactly as you are.
The Heart of Trauma-Informed Coaching
At the end of the day, these six trauma-informed principles all point to the same truth: you matter. Your healing matters. Your story matters.
Trauma-informed coaching isn’t just a set of techniques I learned in a manual. It’s a commitment I make every single day to create a space where healing can happen on your terms, at your pace, in your way.
Because you’ve already survived the hardest part. Now it’s time to learn how to thrive.
If you’re ready to begin your healing journey with someone who will meet you where you are, believe your truth, and equip you for real life, I’d be honored to walk alongside you.
You are valuable beyond measure—and I see that, even if you don’t quite see it yet.
Ready to Experience Trauma-Informed Coaching?
Schedule your free consultation call and let’s talk about what healing could look like for you.
Explore my coaching services: Learn more about working with me
Read my story: Healing What Hides in the Shadows is available now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and IngramSpark.
Recent Comments