What is trauma, and why is trauma-informed coaching so important?

Trauma is a word that has gained traction in recent years. It describes a lasting emotional response that can often result from experiencing a distressing event[1]. Trauma can go on to affect a person’s sense of self, feelings of safety, ability to regulate emotions and form healthy relationships for a long time after the event has taken place. Feelings associated with trauma can include shame, helplessness, a lack of control or power – and sometimes intense fear.

What is trauma?

Above all, trauma is complex. There are many different types of trauma that could prevent someone seeking coaching or therapy to move past whatever it was that happened to them. Trauma can make many different aspects of normal life very difficult – and sometimes impossible – to cope with. There is no set timeframe for trauma to last, neither is there one set of symptoms.

Trauma can last for weeks, months or in more extreme cases, years. It can be caused by all kinds of events, both physical and emotional, that involve danger, stress, pain, discomfort and fear[2]. It can stem from being involved in – or witnessing – accidents, natural disasters, illness, death, violence, abuse, war, imprisonment, terrorism, surgery or difficult childbirth – amongst many other experiences. Physical trauma occurs when the body is injured, cut open or attacked in some way. Emotional trauma affects the mind, getting in the way of the person being able to function emotionally or mentally as they would otherwise wish. It can often accompany bullying, abuse, grief, loss and neglect.

Initial symptoms of trauma can include shock, denial, disbelief and feelings of surrealness. These can then give way to mood swings, anxiety, fear, social withdrawal, feelings of powerlessness, confusion, guilt and self-blame. Those affected can find themselves crying for no reason, or constantly thinking about the event that caused the trauma. People living with trauma can have physical symptoms too, such as difficulty sleeping, a racing heartbeat, panic attacks, muscle tension and gastric problems.

Trauma-informed coaching

There can be a lot of cross-over in people’s minds when it comes to terms such as coaching, counselling, mentoring and so on. However, these are all distinct, valuable roles that trained professionals can play in a person’s life. Each role has its own strengths and weaknesses – and can offer short-term, medium-term or long-term support. It is extremely important that the right person is approached for what the person needs in order to move forward. A coach will not necessarily be able to unpack the same emotional issues as a counsellor, for example. A mentor may not have the coaching skills to help someone achieve what they want to – and could otherwise manage to do so with a coach.

When working with someone who has disclosed trauma to you during coaching, or whom you suspect to be affected by a previous traumatic event, you must be clear as to your boundaries and own areas of expertise. Moving outside your comfort zone to try and help someone else is not only dangerous for them, it can cause you a lot of discomfort and worry too.

Tools such as a written coaching agreement, signed in advance, can help you and your client avoid straying into unchartered territory. Likewise, working with a coaching supervisor to guide your work can help you gain greater clarity into whether you can continue to work with someone, or need to refer them for trauma counselling first[3].

Coaching attributes and the trauma tree

Coaching a client, whether they disclose trauma or not, is a complex process that requires patience, insight and a balanced, careful approach. Coaches must display a number of key skills and personal attributes, including a mind that is open to curiosity, excellent listening skills, the ability to translate non-verbal communications and full acceptance of the client for who they are and what they are saying.[4]

All of these attributes can then inform the coaching process, which can be seen as a tree with many branches growing out of the main trunk. Trauma can be deep-rooted, just like a tree, and have a ripple effect spreading out from the main core across the person’s life. Each area of the client’s life is separate, like a tree branch, but they are all connected and take nourishment from the main trunk and roots.

The stronger the trunk and healthier the roots, the better the branches can function. The better the person can understand the impact of any related trauma for each branch and work on coming to terms with it, the stronger the whole ‘tree’ will become. In the same way, once a coach understands the impact that trauma can have one a client’s neurological, physical and emotional development, the better a position they will be in to work out how each ‘branch;’ is connected, and how healthy its connection is to the main trunk, or core.

When to refer to a trauma therapist

When it comes to coaching, being aware of how trauma is affecting the client is extremely important. Failing to address trauma, or handling it insensitively or incorrectly can make things worse and get in the way of other coaching goals. However, it is also vital to understand where the role of the coach stops and a trauma therapist begins. In order to protect both parties, it can often be far healthier and safer to refer a coaching client to a trauma therapist as soon as any issues begin to appear. This will enable the person to work through often deep-seated issues around trauma that have been stopping them from moving forward with other areas of their life.

If you are interested in finding out more about trauma-informed coaching, or have any questions about it, please do get in touch with me to see how I can help.

[1] Source: www.camh.ca/en/health-info/mental-illness-and-addiction-index/trauma. Accessed 21 November 2023

[2] Source: https://healthmatch.io/ptsd/different-types-of-trauma#what-causes-trauma. Accessed 21 November 2023

[3] Source: The Trauma-Informed Coach, Joanna Harper, published 2022, p142-4

[4] Source: The Trauma-Informed Coach, Joanna Harper, published 2022, p4