8 must-haves of a trauma-informed coaching training

It fills my heart that there are so many coaches in today’s world who are actively seeking how to become trauma-informed.

At it’s heart I see this as the learning a compassionate, human-informed approach to supporting clients that is a TRIPLE WIN!

🏅It’s a win for us personally

(as there are so many benefits in our own practice and personal experience of working in a more trauma-informed way)

🏅It's a WIN for our clients

(because it allows us to co-create a safer and more supportive environment for them which helps them engage and get better results) and

🏅It’s a WIN for our society

(because the more trauma-informed human beings there are in the world, the more trauma-informed our world will become). 

If you are searching for a high-quality and comprehensive trauma-informed coaching training then there are some key must-haves that I believe it should have. 

But before I get to this, it’s important to mention that there is no single gold standard definition of a trauma-informed coaching approach.

There is no singular right way to teach coaches how to become trauma-informed.

There are many ways to do this and all teachers will bring different things and new flavours and insights to core principles. 

It matters that you know this and that you choose a program that you feel ticks all the boxes that feel important to you, AND a teacher who you like and vibe with. 

So, with that all said, let me share with you my 8 non-negotiables that I believe every trauma-informed coaching programme should have:

As a coach, you understand the power of coaching to help individuals overcome their challenges and move forward in their lives. However, becoming a trauma-informed coach requires a different set of skills and knowledge outside those often taught in traditional coaching programmes.

To make sure that the trainees who go through Anchored are confident, competent and effective in practicing trauma-informed coaching, Anchored training includes the following 8 must-haves.

1) Understanding the Impact of Trauma

The first must-have of a trauma-informed coaching training is a deep understanding of the impact of trauma on an individual's mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Trauma can manifest in many different ways. Trainees need to learn to recognise the signs and symptoms of trauma so they can help their clients manage their symptoms and find healing.

Trainees should also learn about the physiology of trauma and how it affects the brain and body. Understanding how trauma affects the physiology can help coaches tailor their coaching techniques to the unique needs of their clients. 

2) Creating a Safer and Supportive Coaching Environment

The second must-have of a trauma-informed coaching training is the ability to co-create a safer and supportive coaching environment. 

Trauma survivors may feel anxious or overwhelmed in new situations, so it is essential that coaches create a safe enough space where clients feel comfortable opening up and sharing their experiences.

Trainees should learn how to establish trust with their clients and create a coaching relationship that is built on mutual respect, collaboration and understanding. This may involve attunement, somatic-coaching techniques, co-regulation and boundaries. Coaches also need to learn to recognise and respond to potential triggers that may arise during coaching sessions.

3) Self-regulation for Trauma-Informed Coaches

Coaching can be challenging and coaches must be prepared to take care of their own well-being to avoid burnout and vicarious trauma and to prioritise their own capacity to be resourced and regulated as the best give they can give to themselves and their clients. 

Trainees should be taught to understand and map their own nervous system responses and how to develop self-care practices to support them to be regulated and resourced in their life and work. This may involve somatic practices as well as setting boundaries with clients, seeking peer support, practicing mindfulness, and engaging in regular self-care activities.

4) Developing space-holding and attunement skills

Trainees must learn to attune to their clients' needs, including recognising when they may need to slow down or take a break. This may involve tuning into body language, facial expressions, or changes in tone of voice. Coaches must be able to respond to their clients in a way that feels supportive and empowering.

Developing space-holding and attunement skills also involves learning how to regulate your own emotions and stay grounded during coaching sessions. Trainees should learn how to use somatic techniques to regulate their own nervous system and maintain a clear and present focus during coaching sessions. By developing these space holding and attunement skills, trauma-informed coaches can create a safe and supportive coaching environment that helps clients feel seen, heard, and validated in their healing journey.

5) An understanding of Polyvagal theory

Polyvagal theory describes how our nervous system responds to stress and trauma and how these responses impact our physical, emotional, and mental health. At the core of Polyvagal theory is the idea that our nervous system has three distinct branches or states: the ventral vagal state, the sympathetic state, and the dorsal vagal state. 

The ventral vagal state is associated with feelings of safety, connection, and calm, while the sympathetic state is associated with fight or flight responses to perceived threats. The dorsal vagal state is associated with immobilisation and shutdown in response to extreme stress or trauma.

Understanding these different states and how they impact the body and mind is essential for any trauma-informed coach. By recognising the signs of each state, you can better support your clients in navigating life and developing tools to regulate their nervous system.

For example, if a client is in a sympathetic state, they may be experiencing anxiety, panic, or a sense of being overwhelmed. As a trauma-informed coach, you can help them develop techniques to regulate their nervous system and move into a more resourced or ‘ventral vagal’ state.

Similarly, if a client is in a dorsal vagal state, they may be experiencing dissociation or a sense of being disconnected from their body. In this case, you can help them develop tools to ground themselves in the present moment, such as focusing on their senses or engaging in gentle movement.

Ultimately, an understanding of Polyvagal theory is a must-have for any trauma-informed coaching training because it offers a powerful framework for understanding how trauma impacts the body and mind. With this knowledge, you can support your clients in developing a greater sense of safety and connection, both with themselves and with those around them.

6) Trauma-Informed Somatic Coaching Techniques

Most coaches are trained and oriented to a very top-down(bring to body)/mindset way of working. Whilst this is helpful, it isn't enough when we are practicing trauma-informed coaching. We need to be trained in the use of somatic, or 'body-based/centered' ways of working and supporting our clients, too. These techniques should be designed to help clients resource themselves, regulate their nervous systems, connect to their bodies, manage their symptoms and develop coping skills. 

Some effective somatic trauma-informed coaching techniques that I teach in Anchored include:

• Resourcing

• Pendulation 

• Titration 

• Orienting 

• Nurturing Expansion + Aliveness 

• Relational Psychoeducation 

Coaches need to be trained in how to use these techniques, given examples of these in action and develop their own competency and confidence in bringing them into their own practice. 

7) Cultural Competence

Trauma affects people from all walks of life, and coaches must be prepared to work with clients from diverse backgrounds.

Trainees should be taught to understand how cultural factors can impact trauma and they should also be trained to be aware of potential biases or assumptions they may have about different cultures or communities.

Cultural competence also involves understanding the intersection of trauma with other aspects of a client's identity, such as race, gender, sexual orientation, and ability. Coaches must be prepared to address these issues sensitively and effectively.

8) Trauma-Informed marketing Training 

This is certainly one that you won’t find on another training but in Anchored it is a non-negotiable. 

The world of marketing as we know it has been founded on the values of Capitalism and oppression and there are many shady techniques that have been mindlessly passed on in the marketing world that lack a sense of respect and agency for others and are aimed simply at one thing: making a sale. 

In Anchored we prioritise the importance of learning how to market ourselves in ways that feel authentic and sovereign and are also not designed to (consciously or unconsciously) emotionally manipulate others or shame them into buying from us. We come from the core belief that we get to speak our truth and bring people into our work in ways that are respectful and aligned with their sense of empowerment and agency. 

So many coaches have been given very limited templates and examples of what it means and looks like to market ourselves with the whole human in mind, and it creates a huge stumbling block that can feel confusing and frustrating and ultimately, can stop us from shining our medicine and message out into the world with confidence and clarity. In Anchored my aim is to create a new template for you that feels alive and exciting and supports you to speak your truth and share your magic from a place of your own humanness and that of others. 

And lastly, some food for thought: 

Imagine…

How much your business and coaching practice shift if you had a training that included all of this?

What level of competency and confidence might become more available to you?

And how would that shake-up your business the most delicious and human way? 

⚓️All of this and more is what we cover in my 6-month Trauma-Informed Coaching & Entrepreneurship training Anchored.

Are you looking for a trauma-informed coaching training to take your coaching to the next level?

If ‘YES’ then the waitlist for ‘Anchored’ is OPEN. 

Go get your name on it heres://claire-diane.mykajabi.com/anchored and be the first to know when the doors officially open (we start 24th May 2023).

Or book a connection call with me here to chat and see if this programme is right for you and your business.