What Coaches Get Wrong About Trauma (And How to Get It Right)

Let’s cut the bullshit: most coaches aren’t trauma-informed, even if they think they are. Just knowing trauma exists and hoping for the best isn’t enough.

Your clients deserve more. And if you’re serious about helping them, it’s time to get real about what trauma-informed coaching actually means.

First, let’s break down the difference between being trauma-aware and trauma-informed.

  • Trauma-aware: You know trauma exists. You might spot it in a client, and you avoid obvious mistakes like pushing too hard or minimizing their experience.
  • Trauma-informed: You know how to recognize trauma responses, support your clients in real time without causing harm, and protect your own energy in the process.

One is passive. The other is a skillset that changes how you coach on every level.

Trauma-informed coaching isn’t about fixing or diagnosing your clients. It’s about knowing how to hold space for what’s coming up – without making it worse for them or draining yourself.

Holding Space Without Soaking Up Your Client’s Energy

If you’ve ever left a session feeling completely wiped out – or worse, like you’re carrying your client’s emotions around for days – you’re not alone.

This happens because you haven’t been taught how to hold space without taking on someone else’s energy.

It’s not about caring less. It’s about grounding and releasing so you can stay fully present without burning out.

Here’s how:

  1. Ground yourself before every session. This doesn’t have to be complicated. Plant your feet on the floor. Take a deep breath. Picture your energy staying anchored and steady.
  2. Release what isn’t yours. I like to imagine shaking off everything that doesn’t belong to me, like dirt off my boots. It’s simple but powerful.

These little rituals can save you from the emotional hangover that comes from taking on too much. They’ll help you show up stronger for your clients without sacrificing yourself in the process.

Why Trauma-Informed Coaching Matters More Than Ever

Here’s the truth: Clients are craving deeper work. They’re no longer satisfied with surface-level mindset shifts or generic advice.

They want real transformation, and if you’re not trauma-informed, you’re missing an opportunity to meet them at that level.

That’s exactly why I created my Trauma-Informed Coaching Certification.

This isn’t just another coaching course full of theory and buzzwords. It’s a 10-week deep dive into practical tools you can use right away. You’ll learn how to recognize trauma in the moment, respond effectively, and protect your own energy while doing the work.

What you’ll walk away with:

  • Confidence in handling whatever comes up in a session without panicking or second-guessing yourself
  • Tools to help your clients regulate their nervous systems (even when they’re spinning out)
  • A deeper understanding of how trauma shows up in coaching and what to do about it

If you’ve been feeling like there’s something missing in your coaching, this is probably it. 

Trauma-informed work takes your practice from good to life-changing—for you and your clients.

What’s Next?

The coaching industry is changing fast. More clients are seeking trauma-informed coaches. And more coaches are realizing they need these tools to stay relevant and effective. If you’re ready to stop guessing and start coaching at a deeper level, this certification is your next step.

Click here to learn more and enroll.

Final Word

Being trauma-informed isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about knowing how to hold space, how to respond with compassion and clarity, and how to protect your own energy so you can keep doing this work without burning out.

If that resonates with you, it’s time to take the next step.

The next cohort begins Feb. 27. Join us.

Use Your Voice

Know what the difference between launching and announcing is?

Your voice.

Announcing is a Facebook or Instagram post here and there, maybe even adding a Reel or Story. It’s mentioning your offers in passing.

Launching is committing to your truth, no holds barred, using your voice everywhere you can… Because you believe what you have can actually make real change for people and the world.

Most women mention or announce. Precious few launch.

Because most women have lost contact with their true selves, the deeper core of their being, their true voice.

You may have forgotten who you really are.

That happens when you value other people’s opinions more than your own. 

It also happens when you think that in order to succeed you have to fit a mold — or be anything or anyone other than YOU.

Both ideas are bullshit. They destroy businesses. But that’s what many of us are taught as little girls.

We live complex, stressful and often VERY disconnected lives. 

  • We are bombarded by media that convinces us that buying stuff will make us happy, beautiful, successful, prestigious, even more lovable.
  • We are in an industry where so-called successes hold the same standard: Get the car, the clothes, the jet-set life, work on the beach and be beautiful all the time.
  • We are over-exposed to the lie that is perfection. 

It can make us miserable if we see that as the ideal — while our own lives don’t look anything like that. 

It promotes the idea that it’s not okay to be who we are (because we aren’t like the people we idolize).

And it becomes a never-ending game of comparison, where the finish line is continually moved just out of reach.

The good news? You don’t have to play along, dip into that trance and participate in what ultimately becomes your own destruction.

You can choose to actively pursue YOURSELF, which absolutely, unequivocally leads to success.

Meaning: You can have kids, and dirty diapers and college tuition bills, and a messy house and not feel like brushing your hair — and be wildly successful and happy.

In fact, being comfortable in your own skin, feeling no need to dress up, dress down, buy the stuff, speak a certain way, SAY ALL THE RIGHT THINGS, be on all the time, or anything else IS true success and freedom. 

The happiest and most successful people don’t care about other people accepting them, loving them, buying from them. 

Because they accept themselves. 

And they understand that as long as they are true to themselves and their voice, they can’t fail. The clients always show up.

I’ve said this multiple times before: The truth is, it’s very hard to play a role and build a business. It’s pretty exhausting. 

Because you’re always focused on what you think you need to say or do, instead of what comes naturally to you. 

This is where you get stuck — thinking you don’t know what’s right or how to do it. 

That comes from trying to figure out what you think other people want to hear. That’s manipulation. 

It’s much easier – and far more profitable – to just be yourself, check in with who you are and what you know the truth of your expertise is, and share that.

Supporting women with all of the above is my life’s work. If you need guidance from a someone who’s been successful in this industry for almost two decades, I invite you to reach out.

TODAY – July 8, 2024 – is also the last day to join Summer School, where we will work on this exact dilemma. Join us!

It’s scary to change. But nothing is more scary than staying unhappy where you are.