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How to Become the Best Trauma Coach? [2024 Edition]

Trauma is any profoundly distressing or disturbing event that affects one on an emotional level. It can leave one very confused, lost, angry, or hurt. People who have to deal with trauma seldom experience a vast change in their personalities. Their behavior may change abruptly. They may find themselves very disconnected from the rest of the world.

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Often people who experience trauma are unable to get back to their original lives. They feel as if their lives are ruined. Some even lose hope to a great extent which can lead them to take serious steps like suicide. Some further destroy their lives by becoming drug-addicted or engaging in other wrong practices.

Of course, there are therapists and counselors who play a great role in the recovery of therapeutic patients. But the recovery demands a more comprehensive and gradual approach. An approach that not only deals with the past but also makes the person confident about the future. This is where trauma coaching protocols come into play.

Trauma coaches help clients to deal with different types of trauma. They guide on how to heal their wounds and return back to their original lives. They inject hope in the clients and discover ways to make the clients enjoy their present.

Have you experienced trauma in your own life?

Do you want to help others with your success story?

Do you hear from friends and family that you can become a good trauma coach?

Is that a YES? Great, then!

In this article, we are going to cover all that you must know to become a trauma coach. By the end, you will have all the stuff ready that you need to kick-start a phenomenal trauma coaching business. Before we dive in, let’s first understand more about trauma coaching.

What Is Trauma Coaching

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Trauma coaching involves coaching traumatized clients that had a serious unfortunate event.

Such an event can be anything. Drawing from my experience, a Client might consider himself responsible for the death of a close one. A very severe accident which had deeply affected someone. Significant loss in a business that destroyed someone’s entire life. Getting cheated by a loved one etc.

Trauma coaching is a sensitive approach to deal with the anxiety and fear with the clients. With various coaching tools and strategies, trauma coaches help the clients to overcome the pathetic state.

Trauma Coaching Vs Therapy

As an aspiring trauma coach, you must know the difference between trauma coaching and therapy.

The World Health Organization’s understanding of trauma implies that people experience trauma that varies in depth. Some people develop mental illnesses. This prevents them from either moving forward or traveling back. They seem to be stuck. Sometimes, this illness becomes so severe that the patients forget who they are and completely lose their identity and purpose. Therapists are best suited for those at this stage of their lives.

There is this other category of traumatic people who either lack direction or are confused about which path to choose. Such people might have had a mental illness in the past or maybe in the present but it is not so severe that it prevents them from moving freely. From my expertise, coaching through one-to-one interactions are perfect for such people while maintaining ethical standards.

Therapeutics are like surgeons. They are responsible for their mental health and well-being. Coaches, on the other hand, are ready with their first aid kit and skills but they are not physicians.

Our team discovered that a trauma coach’s job includes brainstorming with clients, providing them with information, and examining potential decisions. Therapists may sometimes need to intervene at a deeper level to direct care. A coach never takes that much control over the client’s life. Trauma coaches guide and encourage the clients, but they never command direction.

Many trauma clients sometimes need to switch from therapy to coaching and vice versa. Individuals who have gotten over their mental illness can greatly benefit from trauma coaching. Individuals will have to be transferred to a therapist if they experience a mental crisis.

A good trauma coach will always know when to refer the individual to a therapist.

Who Is A Trauma Coach

Based on my first-hand experience, trauma coaches have a good understanding of how trauma works and affects. This understanding may not be as deep as that of the therapists but it is enough to bring a transformation in the traumatic clients.

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Trauma coaches understand the situations that ultimately lead to the clients’ responses. They are aware of the kind of emotions that play in the background. From their experience, they can figure out what level of support is needed and in which all areas.

They understand how important it is to provide a safe environment for the clients. They know how crucial it is to maintain boundaries and confidentiality. They allow individuals to explore their situations and personalities by providing a comforting space. Such coaches are deeply sensitive to their clients and understand how to make them speak their hearts out loud.

Trauma coaches are able to see the signs and the symptoms that may be a part of the internal trauma system. Through creative approaches and skills, they let the clients explore the links between the past and the present. Based on my first-hand experience, they connect the clients strongly with their present and future. They make the clients reflect on what actions in the present will be fruitful for their well-being.

With a sensitive and gradual approach, trauma coaches guide the clients on the right path. Such coaches act as a solid support system. They coach the clients to overcome the past with coaching strategies and a caring style and approach.

Trauma coaches are responsible for bringing the lives of many distressed souls back on track. Often, such coaches give the traumatic clients a reason to live and cherish what they have.

What Qualities Do You Need to Be a Trauma Coach

In accordance with the ethical standards set out by numerous professional trauma counseling bodies, if you want to become a trauma coach, you must have a few traits in your personality. Let’s take a look at them.

An open-mind

Narrow-mindedness will kill the trauma coaching process. Based on my first-hand experience, a trauma coach must have an open mind. It is easy to judge a situation or make presumptions, what’s difficult is to see the situation from various angles.

Expect Unpredictability

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Trauma coaches deal with clients who are experiencing abrupt changes in their situation and behavior. Their minds and hearts aren’t stable. For some time, you may feel that the client is recovering, but soon you will find just the opposite. Being comfortable with unpredictability and coping with it is extremely important for a trauma coach.

Mental Strength

If you do not prefer to think, talk, or hear about unpleasant things, then this is not the right job for you. It is guaranteed that you will encounter some tragic and horrible stories from the survivors that you are working with.

Understanding Of Trauma

Trauma is different from pain. Pain may affect someone for some time but trauma may have everlasting negative effects. Trauma is complex. It is complicated. So, you must have a clear understanding of trauma.

Compassion And Empathy

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These are the two traits that are a must even if not mentioned explicitly. If you don’t have these you will never be able to connect and help the survivors.

Collaborative And Holistic Attitude

Trauma coaches work with clients to develop an action plan that may fulfill their needs. Based on my first-hand experience, if you are more of a controlling personality and neglect healthy collaboration, you may even experience the client’s progress slowing down.

Ability To Visualize The Future Recovery

One of the most important abilities of a trauma coach is to see the future recovery of the survivors. They help the clients see all the possibilities for their recovery. This helps the coaches to provide the clients with the resources, support, and homework they need to reach there.

What Are The Main Sources Of Trauma?

The latest research in trauma studies shows there are quite a few sources of trauma. Borrowing from that research, I have listed a few that a trauma coach must know. Some of these sources are physically violent; others are psychological. Most trauma clients will be dealing with one of them.

  • Domestic violence
  • Death of a loved one
  • A serious act of violence
  • Natural disasters
  • Rape
  • Serious heartbreak
  • Illness or injury

My experience has taught me that it is not always the case that trauma is caused by being present at a trauma-inducing event. Many people sustain trauma after witnessing it from a distance.

Young children are the most vulnerable to trauma. They should always be psychologically examined after any such event occurs to ensure their emotional stability.

Signs That A Person Is Suffering From Trauma

The first step for you as a trauma coach is to be able to identify the signs of trauma. Recognized methods of trauma coaching suggest that individuals often don’t realize that they are suffering from trauma. Neither their family nor they recognize that. 

From my first hand observation, I have noticed that it is a difficult task for the trauma coach to convince others of the need for trauma coaching. Once you know the signs of trauma thoroughly, it will help you identify the level of seriousness as well as make you confident enough to crack your ideal clients.

Emotional Symptoms

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A traumatic person often appears shaken and disoriented. They would not respond to a conversation like they normally would and will often appear not to present even while speaking. One of the most noticeable trauma symptoms is anxiety. Anxiety can later manifest in problems like mood swings, irritability, poor concentration, etc.

Other emotional symptoms include anger, sadness, and emotional outbursts. Often the victims of trauma direct the extreme emotions that they face towards their family and friends. This makes it difficult for them to handle the person.

Sometimes even close friends and families are unable to notice signs of trauma. So, it is important to talk to someone after the trauma event, even if they show no signs of disturbance. Trauma can occur days, months, and even years after the trauma event.

Physical Symptoms

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Trauma can manifest physically, too. Some physical signs of trauma include paleness, lethargy, fatigue, and a racing heartbeat. In line with evidence-based practices in the field of trauma, the victim may face anxiety and panic attacks that may go out of control in certain circumstances. The physical symptoms of trauma can be alarming, and proper care has to be taken to manage the stress levels after the trauma event.

How To Become The Best Trauma Coach?

In the ever-evolving world of coaching, trauma coaching has emerged as a much-needed discipline. If you’re drawn to helping others navigate the choppy waters of their traumatic experiences, becoming a trauma coach may be the perfect path for you. Combined with my own experiences from my life coaching journey and intensive research, I bring to you the essentials to becoming the best trauma coach.

Educate Yourself

The first step to begin as a trauma coach is to learn about the intricacies of trauma. Speaking from years of experience as a life coach myself, learn about the basics. Understand why the nervous system gets stuck. Know more about the different types and aspects of trauma. Learn the different ways to combat trauma.

Much like an architect needs sound knowledge of the structure to construct a robust building, a trauma coach needs a thorough understanding of trauma and its intricacies. But this isn’t an insurmountable task – your desire to make a difference can fuel your learning journey.

Recognize Trauma

A trauma coach must be able to track the client’s nervous system. This can be done in one session or in multiple sessions. As advocated by numerous professional trauma counseling bodies, an important step in recognizing trauma is to keep in mind the car analogy; whether someone’s foot is on the accelerator, i.e., exhibiting hyperarousal, or on the break, i.e., exhibiting hypoarousal. Hyperarousal means agitation, whereas hypoarousal means dissociation.

The coaches should be able to figure out whether they are able to support the clients. If they can, then they should consider what should be done to get the person back to their comfort zone. Breathing and various somatic exercises can be extremely beneficial here. At the same time, the trauma coach must ensure safety and stability. Also, this must include the continuous processing of trauma memories.

A very important point to keep in mind while dealing with traumatic clients is that motivating them to feel more is not always good. The coach should know when to give the clients a break. The coach must know when to refer the client to therapists if the need demands.

Relate To Trauma

Trauma is the most intense form of stress. It makes one feel helpless and profoundly unsafe. Through our practical knowledge, a trauma coach must be able to relate to the client’s trauma easily. This involves not only relating to the event but also the impact that the event had on the nervous system. 

Your capacity to connect with your client’s trauma story is akin to having a road map in an unknown city. You can navigate through their emotional terrain better when you understand the depth of their experiences.

Trauma coaches must be dynamic in their coaching process so that they can relate to each and every aspect of the client’s trauma. At the same time, such coaches should know their edge of competence so that they can refer clients out when needed.

Make The Coaching Process Trauma-Sensitive

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Trauma coaches must have a trauma-sensitive coaching process. It’s paramount that your coaching process is like a secure blanket, offering warmth, comfort, and, above all, safety. By adopting a trauma-sensitive approach, you ensure your client’s journey towards healing remains unhindered. Such a process includes:

  • Realizing the impact of trauma (in-depth)
  • Recognizing the symptoms of trauma
  • Responding patiently and effectively
  • Taking steps to prevent re-traumatization

Trauma coaches should have a coaching process that ensures that the clients are not getting hurt. To do this, the coaches must be able to recognize and respond well to trauma.

Recognizing trauma means knowing when you are dealing with a dysregulated nervous system. Then, you should identify whether your coaching process is regulated or dysregulated.

Conduct Effective Coaching Sessions

It is important to conduct effective coaching sessions to connect with clients. Having the keen eyes of a detective and being able to identify signs of undiagnosed trauma could make you the pivotal link between your client’s past struggles and their future well-being. Conducting effective coaching sessions begins with setting up the right and comfortable environment. In my coaching practice, I have adopted a strong coaching questionnaire to help me understand the client’s situation.

In the first few sessions, it is very likely that traumatic clients will not communicate. Don’t worry, once the clients get comfortable and can relate to our coaching approach they will start opening up. What is important is that you communicate with the clients in a humble and caring way. Remember that pulling the clients too much out of their comfort zone is always not correct.

Also, too many follow ups and homework can irritate clients. So, take care that your coaching sessions are aligned with the comfortability of the clients.

Identify Undiagnosed Trauma

Sometimes clients follow everything that the trauma coaches tell them to. Still, they fail, and the results of the trauma coaching seem not to be that effective. The clients’ conditions may even turn worse than before. One of the biggest reasons for this is that the coaches are unable to diagnose trauma.

Often it may appear to the coach that things are going well and suddenly they may realize that the results are unexpected (in a negative sense).

So, it becomes important for a trauma coach to identify the signs of undiagnosed trauma. Some of them include:

The Clients Always Move In The Direction Of Stuckness

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No matter how positive the clients try to keep themselves, they face some resistance. They face trouble with attention and focus.

The clients eat well and are active, but they are still tired.

As a trauma coach, you will see that your clients are sometimes eating well and are highly active. Through our practical knowledge, they are taking all measures to feel energetic. Still, in the end, they experience overwhelming fatigue and sometimes great weight loss/gain.

Fear Grips The Clients

Often the traumatic clients are gripped in fear and anxiety when there is no reason to be afraid of. It may appear to the trauma coach that the clients have come out of their fear but this does not happen. Sometimes a past event may seem to recreate in front of them again and again. They may experience the same emotions that they felt then and even worse.

They Become A Magnet For All The Wrong Relationships

A trauma coach may try hard to build healthy boundaries with clients, but often the opposite happens. Such clients constantly attract all the wrong people and end up being victims of toxic people and situations.

Dive Into Your Own Trauma Healing

Self-discovery is the first step towards helping others. Embarking on your personal healing journey can give you the profound wisdom and empathy needed to guide others through their darkest moments. When coaches are able to see their own lives from a biological perspective, they develop stronger intuition and a better lens to see the trauma stored in others. For others, it is important that you start by healing yourself. If you do not do this, you will not be able to see it in others, and they’ll stay stuck.

Make Others Dive Deep And Heal Deep

As a trauma coach, you’ll be a beacon of hope in their stormy sea of trauma. By guiding them to delve deep into their emotions, you’re leading them to their own harbor of healing. Often, the clients don’t have supportive family or friends. Our findings suggest that, even if they have, it becomes difficult for family/friends to bring about any change in the state of traumatic individuals. It is the responsibility of the trauma coaches to be the clients’ guiding lights and carry out family therapy.

Such coaches must do as much as possible so that they can find freedom. Entering this level of healing is not easy. Tapping into body sensations and emotions may feel quite uncomfortable for your clients initially. But, as time progresses and they see the ray of hope, the will to transform will eventually get stronger.

How Much Does a Trauma Coach Charge?

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Trauma coaching is not just about the compensation it offers. It’s about providing invaluable support to individuals when they most need it. That said, knowing the market rate can help you set a fair price for your skills and experience.

Our findings show that most trauma coaches charge between $25 – $75 an hour. Some coaches also have fixed packages rather than an hourly model. Much of what you earn as a trauma coach will depend on some of the factors including:

  • Experience and coaching skills of the coach
  • Market trends of the region
  • Affordability ranges of the target audience
  • The way in which the coach sets the pricing and packaging of the coaching services

Apart from one-to-one coaching sessions, there are other ways through which a trauma coach can earn. These include:

  • Teaching trauma-related courses to both survivors and helping professionals (online or offline)
  • Holding webinars for helpers and families of trauma victims
  • Conducting workshops and creating awareness about trauma
  • Offering additional resources – e-books, video courses, etc.
  • Writing
  • Retreats for trauma survivors

What Certifications Do You Need To Become A Trauma Coach?

Although certification isn’t a requirement, it’s like a golden seal of credibility for your skills and knowledge. It gives your clients added assurance that they’re in capable and certified hands.

Based on our observations, you can take a coaching certification course after completing an ICF recognized accredited coaching program. Trauma-Informed Coaching Certification (TICC) is one such coaching certification program.

Coaching certifications are not always a necessity. Since the US coaching industry lacks regulation, getting certified is not mandatory. More than advanced certification, it is the coaching skills, process, and testimonies of the coach which are important.

However, some clients prefer certified coaches. In this case, it is always good to get certified from one of the top institutes of coaching certifications.

I hope this article added to your existing knowledge of a trauma coach.

In conclusion, becoming the best trauma coach requires a combination of knowledge, skills, and personal attributes. It begins with a deep understanding of trauma, its impact, and evidence-based interventions. Continuous learning and professional development are essential to staying updated with the latest research and approaches. 

Additionally, honing active listening, empathy, and non-judgmental attitudes is crucial for creating a safe space for clients. Developing strong therapeutic relationships, practicing trauma-informed care, and utilizing appropriate tools and techniques are integral to effective trauma coaching. Moreover, self-care and self-awareness are paramount in preventing burnout and maintaining resilience. By embodying these qualities and investing in ongoing growth, one can strive to become the best trauma coach, making a positive and transformative impact in the lives of trauma survivors.

In conclusion, becoming the best trauma coach requires a combination of knowledge, skills, and personal attributes. It begins with a deep understanding of trauma, its impact, and evidence-based interventions. Continuous learning and professional development are essential to staying updated with the latest research and approaches. 

Additionally, honing active listening, empathy, and non-judgmental attitudes is crucial for creating a safe space for clients. Developing strong therapeutic relationships, practicing trauma-informed care, and utilizing appropriate tools and techniques are integral to effective trauma coaching. Moreover, self-care and self-awareness are paramount in preventing burnout and maintaining resilience. By embodying these qualities and investing in ongoing growth, one can strive to become the best trauma coach, making a positive and transformative impact in the lives of trauma survivors.

Conclusion

In conclusion, becoming the best trauma coach requires a combination of knowledge, skills, and personal attributes. It begins with a deep understanding of trauma, its impact, and evidence-based interventions. Continuous learning and professional development are essential to staying updated with the latest research and approaches. 

Additionally, honing active listening, empathy, and non-judgmental attitudes is crucial for creating a safe space for clients. Developing strong therapeutic relationships, practicing trauma-informed care, and utilizing appropriate tools and techniques are integral to effective trauma coaching. Moreover, self-care and self-awareness are paramount in preventing burnout and maintaining resilience. By embodying these qualities and investing in ongoing growth, one can strive to become the best trauma coach, making a positive and transformative impact in the lives of trauma survivors.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What Is Trauma Coaching?

Trauma coaching involves helping clients to deal with different types of trauma. Such coaches guide on how to heal their wounds and return back to their original lives. They inject hope in the clients and discover ways to make them enjoy their present.

Who Is A Trauma Coach?

Trauma coaches have a good understanding of how trauma works and affects people. From their experience, they can figure out what level of support is needed and in which areas. Such coaches help clients cope and work on their well-being.

What Does A Trauma Coach Do?

With a sensitive and gradual approach, trauma coaches guide the clients on the right path. Such coaches act as a solid support system. They coach the clients to overcome the past with coaching strategies and a caring style and approach.

What Certifications Do You Need To Become A Trauma Coach?

You can go for a coaching certification course after completing an ICF recognized accredited coaching program. Trauma Informed Coaching Certification (TICC) is one such coaching certification program. However, coaching certifications are not always a necessity.

Difference Between Trauma Coaching And Therapy?

A trauma coach’s job includes brainstorming with clients, providing them with information, and examining potential decisions. Therapists may sometimes need to intervene at a deeper level to direct care. A coach never takes that much control over the client’s life. Trauma coaches guide and encourage the clients, but they never command direction.

How Much Does A Trauma Coach Charge?

Most trauma coaches charge between $25 – $75 an hour. Some coaches also have fixed packages rather than an hourly model.

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