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Trauma-Informed Coaching

Trauma-informed coaching begins with the understanding that our experiences shape us. Difficult things we have lived through, whether we recognize them as traumatic or not, can influence how we relate to ourselves, our bodies, our relationships, and the world around us. They can shape our beliefs, coping strategies, behaviors, and the choices we make without always realizing why.

Because of this, I don't believe meaningful change comes from simply telling someone what they should do differently. My approach is about slowing down enough to understand what may be underneath a pattern, behavior, or emotional response. Rather than asking, “What is wrong with me?” we can begin asking more useful questions: What happened? What did I learn from it? How did I adapt? And is that adaptation still serving me today?

I offer trauma-informed coaching and mentorship virtually, working with clients in Austin, Texas, and beyond. My broader work includes life alignment, psychedelic preparation, psychedelic integration, and whole-person mentorship, depending on your goals and the type of support you are looking for.

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What Is Trauma-Informed Coaching?

Trauma-informed coaching is an approach that recognizes how past experiences can influence the way we think, feel, respond, and relate to ourselves and others. Rather than focusing only on changing behavior, it creates space to understand the patterns underneath it.

The purpose of this work is not to endlessly analyze your past or turn every struggle into trauma. Instead, it recognizes that difficult or overwhelming experiences, especially when repeated over time, can shape our coping strategies, beliefs, emotional responses, boundaries, and patterns of behavior.

The purpose of trauma-informed coaching is to understand the experiences and patterns that continue to influence your life today so they no longer have to run it unconsciously. We acknowledge where you have been, understand how you adapted, and build resources for where you are now.

From there, we work to expand your capacity to stay present, regulated, and connected to yourself, while helping your nervous system recognize that responses developed in the past may no longer be necessary in the present. The goal is not change through force or shame, or becoming some perfect or idealized version of yourself. It is becoming more aware, embodied, resourced, intentional, and increasingly able to choose how you want to live.

Understanding Big “T,” Little “t,” and Complex Trauma

Trauma can take many forms and does not always come from a single dramatic event. The terms Big “T” trauma and little “t” trauma are sometimes used informally to describe different kinds of overwhelming experiences.

Big “T” trauma generally refers to events or experiences involving significant threat or danger to our lives, such as serious accidents, major medical diagnoses, natural disasters, acts of violence, abuse, or war.

Little “t” trauma can describe experiences that may not appear catastrophic from the outside but can still have a lasting emotional impact, such as rejection, bullying, instability, unhealthy relationships, abandonment, grief, chronic criticism, or growing up in an environment where emotional needs were consistently unmet.

Complex trauma generally refers to repeated or prolonged exposure to distressing experiences, particularly when they occur within important relationships or over an extended period of time. Rather than being connected to one specific event, the impact of complex trauma can develop gradually and influence things like trust, boundaries, self-worth, emotional regulation, relationship dynamics, coping mechanisms, and the ways we learn to protect ourselves.

These distinctions are not meant to create a hierarchy of trauma or determine whose experiences were “bad enough” to matter. They simply reflect the many ways difficult experiences can affect us, and the reality that trauma touches many lives in different ways.

Trauma-informed coaching recognizes that people can be affected differently by similar experiences and focuses less on what happened and more on understanding how your experiences may continue to influence your patterns, responses, and choices today.

Most importantly, trauma is not defined only by the event itself, but by how the experience affected your nervous system, your sense of safety, and your ability to recover and adapt afterward.

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THE PILLARS OF TRAUMA-INFORMED COACHING

Safety

Safety is the foundation of meaningful work. I want you to feel comfortable showing up honestly, without pressure to disclose more than you are ready for or to move faster than feels right. We work at a pace that respects your boundaries, your nervous system, and your individual process so there is enough stability and trust for real exploration to happen.

Presence

Presence means being fully with what is happening rather than rushing to fix, reframe, or move past it. I listen closely to what you are saying, what you may be feeling, and what seems to be happening beneath the surface. Sometimes you may need perspective or practical tools, and other times you may simply need space to slow down, feel heard, and understand yourself more clearly.

Empowerment

My role is not to tell you who you should be or what your life should look like. I may offer questions, observations, tools, and new perspectives, but the goal is to help you strengthen your own ability to make choices that feel aligned with your values, needs, and direction. The work is meant to build confidence in your own capacity, not dependence on a coach.

Agency

You remain an active participant in every part of the process. You decide what you want to explore, what feels relevant, what does not, and when you are ready to go deeper. Trauma-informed coaching respects your right to choose, set boundaries, change direction, and remain connected to your own sense of autonomy throughout the work.

What Trauma-Informed Coaching Can Look Like

Instead of asking, “How do we change this?” we may explore why a pattern developed, what purpose it once served, and whether it is still helping you today.

Sessions may include exploring repeating patterns, emotional responses, boundaries, relationships, habits, beliefs, or areas where you feel stuck or disconnected. We may also incorporate body awareness, mindfulness, nervous-system regulation, or other somatic practices. These tools can help you notice what is happening beneath the level of thought and develop a deeper understanding of your responses.

The work is always collaborative and adapted to the individual rather than based on a one-size-fits-all method.

Who May Benefit From a Trauma-Informed Approach?

You do not need to identify as someone who has experienced trauma in order to benefit from trauma-informed coaching. At its core, trauma-informed coaching is simply a way of working that prioritizes respect, safety, curiosity, and personal choice.

This approach may be helpful if you:

Feel stuck in patterns you understand intellectually but still struggle to change.
Have difficulty setting or maintaining boundaries.
Tend to people-please, over-function, withdraw, or avoid conflict.
Feel disconnected from your emotions, needs, or internal signals.
Become overwhelmed when trying to make changes in your life.
Struggle with perfectionism, self-criticism, or fear of disappointing others.
Find yourself repeating similar relationship or behavioral patterns.
Want a coaching relationship that feels collaborative rather than highly directive.
Prefer an approach that respects your pace, boundaries, and personal autonomy.

Trauma-informed coaching can also be useful during periods of transition when you are trying to understand who you are, what you want, and what patterns you may be ready to leave behind.

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