Bebe Hansen, a leadership coach and Principal of Presence-Based® Coaching, discusses the vital intersection of trauma and coaching. She highlights the necessity for coaches to adopt trauma-informed practices and recognizethat many clients face complex experiences. Bebe emphasizes the significance of nervous system regulation and the importance of creating a safe coaching environment. The conversation also touches on the evolution of coaching standards and the ethical responsibilities coaches have in recognizing and addressing trauma. A must-listen for anyone in the coaching field!
Coaches must adopt a trauma-informed approach to effectively support clients whose past experiences influence their emotional and physical states.
Recognizing signs of trauma, such as anxiety and emotional detachment, enables coaches to create safe environments that promote emotional regulation.
The integration of physiological awareness techniques helps clients with trauma-related symptoms achieve self-regulation, fostering personal growth and clearer decision-making.
Deep dives
The Intersection of Coaching and Trauma
Coaching is increasingly encountering the intersection of trauma, particularly in the current climate of uncertainty and rapid change. Coaches are becoming more aware of how historical traumas within clients are emerging in coaching sessions, which can affect clients’ emotional and physical states. This growing recognition necessitates that coaches adopt a trauma-informed approach, enabling them to better serve clients whose past experiences influence their present behaviors and feelings. By understanding the signs of trauma, coaches can create environments that foster awareness and emotional regulation, ensuring that clients feel safe and supported during their developmental journeys.
Defining Trauma for Coaches
Trauma can manifest in various forms, and it is essential for coaches to understand its complex nature. Defining trauma as the emotional or physiological aftermath of experiences that exceed one's capacity to cope provides a foundation for coaches to recognize its impact. This understanding allows coaches to identify trauma symptoms, such as anxiety, emotional detachment, or unexplained physical reactions, that may arise during sessions. By fostering mindfulness of these symptoms, coaches can better navigate the coaching process and empower clients to process their experiences constructively.
Coaching as a Space for Healing and Integration
Coaching can provide meaningful opportunities for healing and integration, allowing clients to explore their conditioning while refraining from delving into deep trauma therapy. The presence of a skilled coach can facilitate a supportive environment where clients feel encouraged to address their challenges without being overwhelmed by their past experiences. Coaches have the ability to assist clients in identifying and understanding unprocessed trauma and its effects on current behaviors and decision-making processes. This approach allows for healing to occur in a way that respects clients’ autonomy, enabling them to develop healthier coping mechanisms and a deeper understanding of their emotional landscapes.
The Chiropractic Model of Nervous System Regulation
One effective method for coaching clients with trauma-related symptoms is utilizing physiological awareness and nervous system regulation techniques. Coaches can help clients recognize when their nervous systems are dysregulated, often indicated by emotional fluctuations such as heightened anxiety or immobilization. By guiding clients back into their 'window of tolerance,' coaches can foster self-regulation and re-establish a sense of safety, allowing for clear thinking and decision-making. This process produces not only a reduction in symptoms but also an environment conducive to personal growth and development.
The Evolving Role of Coaching
The coaching profession is evolving, reflecting broader societal changes and the growing complexity of human experiences. As clients face increasingly intense challenges, coaching is expanding beyond its traditional boundaries, urging practitioners to incorporate trauma-informed practices into their work. This evolution has sparked dialogue on what it means to be a coach, emphasizing the need for coaches to balance their roles as both support and guides. Ultimately, the integration of trauma-informed methods into coaching underscores the importance of nurturing a holistic relationship between coach and client, paving the way for deeper healing and effective personal development.
In this conversation with Bebe Hansen we explore the edges of trauma-informed coaching, the role of coaching when trauma presents, identifying signs of trauma, how coaching is evolving and the breadth of competencies, ICF guidelines in relation to trauma and coaching.
Bebe Hansen is a leadership coach, consultant and trainer and the Principal of Presence-Based® Coaching. Bebe stepped into the role of Principal of Presence-Based® Coaching, after working 9 years as teaching and business partners with Doug Silsbee, Founder of Presence-Based Coaching and teaches all levels of their ICF approved certification program, and supports students through the certification process.
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