What is trauma informed coaching?

Trauma informed coaching understands the presence of trauma in the coach - client relationship and in the coaching exchange. In trauma informed coaching the coach, in this case me, understands what trauma is, how it can be present in the coaching experience and how to respond if this happens. All this is always taking place within established coaching boundaries and contracts.

Have you experienced some form of trauma?

The awareness and knowledge of trauma is on the rise and the workings and consequences of trauma in our everyday lives are becoming more and more recognised and understood. Many of us have experienced some form of trauma to a certain extend: a long-term or serious illness; loss of a beloved or close person; loss of an employment/ property/ business/ finances; different types of conflict in the family; some form of bullying; being neurodivergent in the neurotypically set up world is very triggering and as a result traumatising, the list goes on…

Have you bottled up anything?

Unaddressed and unresolved trauma can show up in coaching and hinder the process of making changes, and accessing the personal development and growth one wishes to attain through coaching. Being trauma informed I am also aware as a coach of my own trauma history and I am ensuring that this is not brought into the coaching exchange and interfering with the coaching experience and services I offer in any way. While as a trauma informed coach I have working understanding of trauma, this does not go as deep as the engagement with trauma would go in a specialised therapy, but the awareness and knowledge of trauma is sufficient to identify and define it if it should show up in the coaching.

You are safe with me

Trauma informed coaching also understands the dynamics of trauma triggers and how to work with them and around them in the coaching, as well as the neuro-physiological trauma responses caused by the original situations which induced the trauma. As a trauma-informed coach I understand the utmost importance of my clients' need for safety - this is provided by clear contracting, maintenance of professional and trauma informed boundaries and confidentiality.

In the experience of coaching I ensure that my clients feel safe, so they can explore their survival traits, behaviours and personalities and with support and encouragement, gently advance. This is enabled by me listening out to the signs and symptoms which may be part of an internal trauma system. Trauma informed coaching uses creative approaches for accessing autobiographical information without any aim to be diagnostic - like therapy would be. In trauma informed coaching the clients are invited to explore possible links between the ‘there and then’ and the ‘here and now’, and to reflect on what action in the present is the healthiest and most suitable for the clients’ wellbeing.

What difference does trauma informed coaching make and how it can help you?

Experiencing trauma informed coaching can offer guidance for resilience and solution-forward resolutions for my clients. Trauma informed coaching offers additional tools and support systems around coaching work if moral, emotional, psychological and mental injuries are at play which are holding back the progress of my clients. My ability to hold space for deeper coaching work gives this practice its nuance and strength. Trauma informed coaching works with nervous system regulation, the brain-body connection, behavioural reactions, strong coaching values of integrity and beliefs which are not limiting and suppressing to clients’ experiences and needs.

As a trauma informed coach I will be able to ask you powerful questions which will work through your difficult feelings and hopefully, empower you to discard any feelings of self-judgement and shame too, which may be blocking your wellness and personal development. This will offer you an extra layer of targeted support for your unique needs and also, hopefully provide drive for being able to respond to challenges you may be facing, improve your relationships and live a full and rewarding life after trauma recovery. The main focus of trauma informed coaching is gently changing negative conditions showing up in the coaching work and creating outcomes which will be measurable, generating positive environment for my clients after leaving coaching and creating more established and secure sense of self.