What is Trauma-Informed Coaching?

Trauma-informed coaching is a specific approach to coaching that takes into account the impact of trauma on your life and well-being. It involves understanding the ways in which trauma can affect your thoughts, behaviors, and emotions, and adapting coaching strategies and techniques accordingly.

There are several key principles of trauma-informed coaching, including:

1. Recognizing the prevalence of trauma: Trauma is more common than many people realize, and it can have far-reaching and long-term effects on your mental health and well-being. As a result, coaches who are trained in trauma-informed approaches (like all of our coaches) recognize that trauma may be a factor for many of their clients, and take this into account when working with them.

2. Promoting safety and trust: A key aspect of trauma-informed coaching is building a sense of safety and trust with clients. This may involve creating a safe, supportive environment, setting clear boundaries, and being mindful of triggers that may be associated with the client's trauma.

3. Focusing on strengths and resiliency: While trauma can have significant impacts, it is important to also recognize and build upon your strengths and resiliency. Trauma-informed coaches help you to identify your strengths and to develop strategies for leveraging them to achieve your goals.

4. Being aware of power dynamics: Trauma can often involve a loss of power or control, and it is important for coaches to be mindful of this when working with clients. This may involve being aware of one's own power as a coach and working to create an equitable and collaborative relationship with the client.

5. Providing informed consent: Trauma-informed coaches ensure that you are fully informed about the coaching process and have the opportunity to provide informed consent before beginning work together. This may involve discussing the potential risks and benefits of coaching, and ensuring that you feel comfortable and able to participate in the process.

Overall, trauma-informed coaching is an approach that recognizes the potential impact of trauma on your life and takes steps to support your healing and growth in a safe and supportive way. By incorporating these principles, coaches can help you to achieve your goals and build resilience in the face of trauma.

Interested in learning more about our coaching style at Traumastery? We wrote a blog about that too! Check it out here: Coaching vs Therapy. How do I know what’s right for me?

What's Next?

Calling all therapists: Are you drowning and feeling like you don't know how to support your religious trauma or cult abuse clients? It sounds like you need some support and we've got a group just for you. If you are looking for ways to get both education and support, we’ve created our no-pressure community led by a clinical psychologist that specializes in religious trauma and cult recovery. You can read more about and register for A Year of Non-Magical Thinking for Therapists here. 

Calling all survivors: If you are trying to navigate your own religious trauma recovery journey, we have a membership for religious trauma and cult survivors that teaches you how to do that well. We walk you through the mental health outcomes of trauma and teaches you how to deconstruct in a non-overwhelming way. You can join us at A Year of Non-Magical Thinking here.