Trauma Recovery Coaching
Effectiveness,
Ethics and Scope of Practice
Trauma recovery coaching is effective. Look at this article on Psychology Today on a study that shows that coaching is on par with therapy here. While it is a shame that insurance does not yet cover coaching, with the shortage of mental health services worldwide, it is good to know that you can achieve great results with a coach - so, you don't have to see coaching as a last-resort kind of thing you have to choose in the absence of appropriate services; it's already a legitimate option.
Unfortunately, there are many coaches out there who have not been properly trained or made to do enough of their own internal self-examination and self-healing to work effectively with people with trauma histories (which, really, is most of us!). Moreover, there are also too many people with mental heath counselor certifications with the same problem - and you may have seen one of them yourself before coming here.
To address this issue, Bobbie Parrish, a psychologist, created the International Association of Trauma Recovery Coaches and a rigorous certificate program complete with supervision to standardize the training of trauma recovery coaches and provide a more consistent experience for clients. You can rest assured that not only am I up-to-date with my knowledge, I am always working on myself and my practice with other groups of coaches.
Below is information from the IAOTRC website that provides complete information on what a trauma recovery coach is and is not, and what our scope of practice is.
International Association of Trauma Recovery Coaches
Practice Principles
(This is information is directly from the IAOTRC website)
-
Coaches work with clients as equals and peers, not as superiors.
-
Coaches function as guides, mentors and teachers.
-
Coaches are listeners over talkers.
-
Coaches provide endless amounts of compassion and validation to their clients.
-
Coaches do not operate on a traditional medical model. They do not see their clients as broken or in need of fixing. They approach their client as an individual who is having a normal reaction to an abnormal experience.
-
Coaches operate from a strength-based model and believe that their client has the capacity to direct their own healing when provided with the necessary support and encouragement.
-
Coaches focus on helping a client build up their strengths, healthy beliefs, and positive coping strategies rather than extinguishing “negative” behaviors and beliefs.
-
Coaches provide education about trauma to their clients to help them understand and normalize their experiences.
-
Coaches recognize that interpersonal trauma causes individuals to disconnect from themselves, the world and other human beings. They help their client find safe ways to reconnect.
-
Coaches help their clients see the system of beliefs that their abusers groomed them to adopt as their own. They help their client to learn the truth about themselves, relationships and the world.
-
Coaches model healthy behaviors and beliefs with their clients. They also model healthy relationship skills so that clients learn how to relate to others and themselves.
-
Coaches help clients set their recovery goals and together with their clients they set a path to reaching those goals.
Our Coaching Practice
-
We advocate for survivors of trauma in the world at large.
-
We never stop working on our own recovery and seek professional help when necessary.
-
We acknowledge areas of growth in our coaching skills and seek training, information and supervision to build our strengths in those areas.
-
We give back to the survivor community by periodically providing services affordable to those without many financial resources so that high quality coaching services are available to our entire community.
Scope of Coaching Practice
-
Trauma Recovery Coaches do not work with clients who are engaged in behavior that puts their physical safety at risk, such as active alcohol and drug addiction, active and significant self-harming behavior.
-
Trauma Recovery Coaches do not work with clients who are actively suicidal.
-
Trauma Recovery Coaches do not have sessions with clients who are under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Coaches must reschedule clients in that situation and address the drug or alcohol issue at a subsequent session.
-
Trauma Recovery Coaches provide Trauma-Informed Services at all times.
-
Trauma Recovery Coaches do not offer services to clients who require assistance with issues outside of the coach’s scope of competence.
-
Trauma Recovery Coaches seek professional supervision from a qualified Supervisor when they encounter issues in their practice that they are not fully competent to handle.
-
Trauma Recovery Coaches do not diagnose or assess mental health issues.
-
Trauma Recovery Coaches do not provide advice about psychotropic medication.
-
Trauma Recovery Coaches do not work with minors.
-
Trauma Recovery Coaches do not conduct sessions under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Confidentiality
-
Trauma Recovery Coaches provide their services with complete confidentiality. Coaches do not disclose their work with any clients, client records or any client information to anyone without a written consent from their client or a court-ordered subpoena.
-
Trauma Recovery Coaches obtain a written release from their clients upon a client request to share information with another individual, such as a doctor, psychiatrist or hospital.
-
Trauma Recovery Coaches keep accurate, detailed records of their work with clients. They store those records in such a way that does not allow access to them by anyone other than the coach themselves. This includes both written documents and online data.
-
Trauma Recovery Coaches voluntarily serve as Mandatory Reporters. They ALWAYS report current and ongoing abuse to minors and elders to their appropriate local agencies.
Code of Ethics
Each Trauma Recovery Coach certified by the International Association of Trauma Recovery Coaching is held to the following standards. Violation of these standards is grounds for a review, and possibly a removal, of their Certification. Prior to every two-year renewal of a coach's Certification, they must take a review course on the Code of Ethics. It's a vital part of our professional standards.
– International Association of Trauma Recovery Coaching
©2021 Bobbi L. Parish, MA, CTRC-S