Tag Archive for: trauma informed

Ethical Guidelines for Trauma-Informed Coaching

Trauma-informed coaching is about creating a safe and supportive space for clients, while respecting the boundaries of your role as a coach. Following clear, ethical guidelines helps protect both you and your clients, ensuring the work is impactful and professional.

Bonus: You become the one person who “gets” your clients. This modality, when done with integrity and compassion, builds a undying loyalty and consistent referrals. People just want to feel heard and seen. Help them by becoming Trauma-Informed.

Understand Your Scope

As a coach, your role is to guide, support and empower clients, not to diagnose or treat trauma. Be clear about your boundaries and avoid stepping into therapeutic territory.

Your role involves creating an environment where clients feel heard and validated, while recognizing that deeper trauma processing requires the expertise of licensed mental health professionals.

When working with clients, explicitly communicate your scope of practice at the outset of the relationship. This clarity helps set appropriate expectations and builds trust.

For example, if a client begins discussing unresolved trauma that seems beyond your ability to address, gently explain that while you can support them in specific ways, they may benefit from additional professional help.

Recognize When to Refer

Referrals are a critical component of trauma-informed coaching. Knowing when and how to refer a client to a mental health professional ensures their needs are met ethically and effectively.

Below are key indicators that a client may require additional support:

  1. Intense Emotional Dysregulation: If a client is unable to manage overwhelming emotions during or after sessions, it may indicate the need for therapeutic intervention.
  2. Recurring Trauma Flashbacks: Persistent flashbacks or dissociative episodes are beyond the scope of coaching and require specialized care.
  3. Stagnation or Regression: If a client shows little progress despite consistent effort, it may signal unresolved trauma requiring deeper exploration with a therapist.
  4. Self-Harm or Suicidal Ideation: Immediate referral is necessary when a client exhibits signs of self-harm or expresses suicidal thoughts. Be prepared to act swiftly and responsibly.
  5. Substance Abuse or Addictive Behaviors: These often require comprehensive treatment plans and the involvement of specialized professionals.

Referring a client isn’t a failure. It’s a testament to your commitment to their well-being.

Building a trusted network of licensed therapists, counselors and other mental health professionals ensures you have resources ready when needed. Familiarize yourself with their areas of expertise and maintain open communication to facilitate smooth transitions for your clients.

Providing clients with multiple options, where possible, empowers them to choose the right fit for their needs.

Navigating Ethical Dilemmas

Ethical dilemmas can arise unexpectedly in trauma-informed work. For example, a client may disclose current abuse, self-harm, or suicidal ideation.

Here are key steps to navigate these situations:

  • Prioritize Transparency: Let clients know at the beginning of your coaching relationship about any limits to confidentiality, such as mandatory reporting laws.
  • Client Safety Comes First: If a client’s safety is at risk, take appropriate action. This may involve reporting to authorities, contacting a mental health professional or involving emergency services.
  • Seek Guidance: Consult with a supervisor, mentor or peer network to ensure your decisions align with ethical best practices. Document these consultations for accountability and clarity.

Respect Client Autonomy

Empower your clients to make their own decisions and set the pace for their healing journey. Avoid pushing them to explore areas they are not ready to confront.

This approach fosters a sense of safety and collaboration. Key principles include:

  • Active Listening: Reflect and validate clients’ experiences without judgment or assumptions.
  • Encouraging Agency: Use questions and exercises that help clients identify their own solutions and next steps.
  • Pacing: Allow clients to progress at a speed that feels safe and manageable for them.

Ongoing Education

The field of trauma research is always evolving, and staying informed is essential to maintaining ethical and effective practices.

Commit to continuous professional development by:

  • Attending workshops and conferences focused on trauma and its impacts.
  • Reading recent studies, books, and resources from experts like Bessel van der Kolk (The Body Keeps the Score) and Peter Levine (Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma).
  • Engaging in peer learning through supervision groups or online forums.
  • Pursuing certifications or advanced training in trauma-informed approaches.

By adhering to these ethical guidelines, you create a coaching relationship built on trust, safety, and integrity.

Trauma-informed coaching is a collaborative process that respects the unique journey of each client. When coaches remain within their scope, refer appropriately, and commit to ongoing learning, clients feel supported, understood, and empowered to move forward.

References:

  • van der Kolk, B. A. (2015). The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma. Penguin Books.
  • Levine, P. A. (1997). Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma. North Atlantic Books.
  • SAMHSA. (2014). Trauma-Informed Care in Behavioral Health Services. Retrieved from https://www.samhsa.gov

Ready to become a trauma-informed coach?

Are your clients hitting emotional walls that slow their progress? You know they have incredible potential, but something is blocking their breakthroughs.

In our Trauma-Informed Coaching Certification program, you’ll learn to recognize trauma responses and integrate practical tools that allow you to help your clients push through their emotional barriers for lasting transformation.

Do your clients struggle with stress, burnout, or emotional rigidity that undermines their leadership? Unresolved trauma can impact a leader’s ability to perform at their best. Our Trauma-Informed Coaching Certification program shows you how to recognize trauma in leadership, provide emotional regulation tools and create healthier work environments – so your clients can lead with clarity and confidence.

Do you see clients who are emotionally stuck or overwhelmed but don’t know how to guide them past these roadblocks? In our Trauma-Informed Coaching Certification program, you’ll gain strategies to help your clients work through their emotional barriers—empowering them to find balance, resilience and inner peace so they can thrive in all areas of their life.

The next cohort begins Feb. 27.

Join us and become part of the 1%. Your clients need you now more than ever.

POP QUIZ on trauma-informed coaching

Trauma-informed coaching is not just a trend—it’s a necessity in high demand.

Experts say, year over year since COVID, the need has increased 20% per 12 months with no end in sight.

That’s why I’m hosting a free workshop on Nov. 19, exploring what it means to be a trauma-informed coach. Check it out here.

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Meantime, test your knowledge with these scenarios…

1: Sarah always insists on handling things alone and refuses help, even when she’s clearly struggling with her workload. Is this a trauma response or not? If yes, how do you support your client?

2: Mark finds it hard to trust his team and feels the need to double-check everyone’s work before approving it. His attention to detail is impeccable, but he ends up working late almost every day. Trauma response or not? If yes, how do you support your client?

3: Rachel tends to shut down in meetings when feedback is given, becoming quiet and withdrawn for the rest of the day. Her colleagues assume she’s just not interested in participating. What do you think—trauma response or not? If yes, how do you support your client?

Here are the answers:

Scenario 1: Sarah always insists on handling things alone and refuses help, even when she’s clearly struggling with her workload.

Answer: Trauma Response.

Explanation: Sarah’s insistence on doing everything alone may be rooted in a survival response from past experiences where she couldn’t rely on others. Trauma can lead people to develop a “hyper-independence” as a way to feel safe, often arising from situations where they had to depend only on themselves.

How do we handle it?

Acknowledge and Validate: Start by recognizing her perspective without judgment. “It sounds like handling things on your own feels important to you. That makes sense if it’s worked for you in the past.”

Gently Explore the Root Cause: Ask questions to help her reflect on why she prefers working alone. “Have there been times when relying on others didn’t feel safe or didn’t work out as you hoped?”

Reframe Support: Position help as a tool for achieving her goals, not a weakness. “What if accepting support could give you more time or energy for the parts of your work you enjoy most?”

Scenario 2: Mark finds it hard to trust his team and feels the need to double-check everyone’s work before approving it.

Answer: Trauma Response.

Explanation: Mark’s behavior suggests a need for control, often a response to past experiences where things felt chaotic or unpredictable. Trauma can make people feel safer when they control every detail, and lack of trust in others’ work could be a way of managing underlying anxiety.

How do we handle it?

Scenario 2: Mark finds it hard to trust his team and feels the need to double-check everyone’s work before approving it.

Create a Safe Space: Reassure him that his feelings are valid. “It makes sense to want to ensure things are done right. That must feel like a lot to carry.”

Explore Underlying Fears: Help him identify what’s driving his need for control. “What’s at stake for you if things don’t go as planned? What would feel different if you trusted your team more?”

Introduce Incremental Trust-Building: Encourage small steps toward delegation. “What’s one task you could hand off this week, just as a trial? How would it feel to start there?”

Scenario 3: Rachel tends to shut down in meetings when feedback is given, becoming quiet and withdrawn for the rest of the day.

Answer: Trauma Response.

Explanation: Rachel’s reaction to feedback might stem from previous experiences where criticism felt threatening or unsafe. Trauma can lead people to withdraw or “freeze” when they perceive even mild criticism, as their nervous system may respond as if they’re under threat.

How do we handle it?

Recognize the Emotional Impact: Show empathy for how feedback affects her. “It seems like receiving feedback feels overwhelming at times. That’s completely okay to feel.”

Reframe Feedback: Help her see it as an opportunity for growth rather than judgment. “What if feedback could be seen as support to help you improve, not criticism?”

Coach on Resilience: Provide tools to manage her emotional response. “When feedback feels tough, how do you usually process it? What strategies could help you feel more grounded?”

Empower Through Reflection: Encourage her to reflect on past successes with feedback. “Can you think of a time when feedback helped you grow? How could that perspective help here?”

The key principles of trauma-informed coaching include:

  • Safety: Ensure the client feels emotionally safe and understood.
  • Empathy: Validate their feelings and experiences without rushing to solutions.
  • Pacing: Work at the client’s comfort level, encouraging small, manageable steps.
  • Empowerment: Frame challenges as opportunities for self-discovery and growth.

These approaches create a supportive environment where clients can process, reflect, and begin shifting their behaviors over time.

There’s plenty more to explore and lean into, but this is a good start. If you want to become a certified trauma-informed coach, check out our program. We start Dec. 4.