GUIDING PRINCIPLES
While there are many possible topics and strategies to include in a coaching practice, Certified Trauma Recovery Coaches focuses on the following guiding principles. These principles are the foundation of an effective and competent coaching practice. When a coach addresses and utilizes these with a client significant healing can take place.
Principles concerning our work with clients
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 client’s set their recovery goals and together with their clients they set a path to reaching those goals.
Principles concerning 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.
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.
Scope of Coaching Practice & Competence
Scope of practice: as coaches credentialed by The International Association of Trauma Recovery Coaching your scope of practice is working with survivors of trauma. For example, we are not providing you with the competency to coach individuals around topics such as weight loss, career performance or hypnosis. Those would all be outside your scope of practice, unless you have those skills from other trainings or educational experiences.
Scope of competence: those areas within the field of trauma recovery which the individual is proficient to coach about, based on education, training, supervised experience, and professional credentials. (The Law Insider) For example, a coach might be competent to coach about childhood sexual abuse based upon their lived experience, training and education but not adoption trauma as they do not have any experience, training or education about that topic.
Trauma Recovery Coaches do not work with client’s 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 always provide trauma informed services which include the awareness of the various impacts of trauma, the variety of ways to recover from trauma, the necessity for and provision of policies and procedures that allow for trauma survivors to safely receive services from them and that actively seek not to re-traumatize survivors. They also provide services that emphasize safety, empowerment, trustworthiness and transparency, peer support, collaboration/mutuality and recognition of client multi-dimensionality
Trauma Recovery Coaches will not offer services to clients where the focus of care would require assistance with issues outside of the coach’s scope of practice or competence.
For example, a client might seek care for trauma related shame, which would be within the coach’s scope of competence. However, they might also be diabetic, which would not fall within the coach’s scope of practice. But because that is not the focus of the coaching relationship, the coach may work with this client.
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, couples or families unless they have that experience and training outside of the Initial, Advanced, Supervisor, Group or NPE Certification Courses or outside of the Association.
Trauma Recovery Coaches do not conduct sessions under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Trauma does not exist in a vacuum. As Trauma Recovery Coaches we must always consider the context surrounding each client’s trauma experiences. We seek to understand our client’s experience by asking about factors that provide that context, such as culture, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status. After we understand each client’s unique experience we hold that context in the forefront of our work with them throughout the coaching relationship. We will also take into account the context of what the client may have inherited regarding these qualities from prior generations.
Exceptions Due to Previous, Concurrent or Subsequent Training
Trauma Recovery Coaches that have training outside of their Association certification may provide services that are compatible with their level of training. For example, coaches who have counseling or therapy degrees may provide therapeutic interventions.
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 unless:
o a client is a danger to themselves or someone one else
o they have written consent from their client
o they receive a valid subpoena
o they must report abuse to an elder, minor or disabled personTrauma
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 serve as Mandatory Reporters in those countries where there are mandatory reporter laws. They ALWAYS report current abuse to minors, the disabled and elders to the appropriate local agencies.
Standards Around the Work of Coaching
Establishing a power differential in a coaching relationship is unethical. Trauma Recovery Coaches work with clients as peers and equals.
Trauma Recovery Coaches treat their clients, as well as their client’s time and money, with respect.
Trauma Recovery Coaches do not discriminate against any race, gender, social class, gender identity or religious belief.
Trauma Recovery Coaches respect their client’s views, ideals and beliefs.
Trauma Recovery Coaches set goals with their clients that reflect their client’s needs and wishes, not those of the coach.
Trauma Recovery Coaches do not allow clients to leave sessions when they are significantly triggered and feeling unsafe.
Trauma Recovery Coaches shall notify all of their clients about the Association’s Professional Standards Committee grievance policies and will not block any client’s efforts to file a grievance with the Committee.
It is the responsibility of each Association Coach to keep their credentials up to date. If any coach allows their certification to lapse, they shall have a six-month period to renew their certification. If that timeframe lapses, they must obtain six hours of one-to-one Supervision with the same Association employed Supervisor, at their personal expense, to review their suitability to renew their credential. If the Supervisor feels the coach has not retained the competency to renew their certification, they will refer the coach to the Professional Standards Committee for the Committee to determine what the coach needs to do to regain their competency.
Trauma Recovery Coaches do not refer their clients to services that they have not personally vetted.
Trauma Recovery Coaches do not abandon their clients in any manner. If they must stop their coaching practice or release any clients they must do so with an explanation and a referral to other coaching providers.
Trauma Recovery Coaches keep up-to-date with research and methodology in the field of trauma, trauma recovery and intervention.
Trauma Recovery Coaches will not conduct sessions while impaired by drugs or alcohol themselves.
Trauma Recovery Coaches will not use another person’s intellectual property without giving/seeking appropriate credit and reference for it.
Trauma Recovery Coaches will have a clearly stated refund policy that is provided to every client who pays a fee – regardless of the type of service they purchase. For example, it could be 1-to-1 coaching, group coaching, a webinar or an online learning course.
Dual Relationships
Trauma Recovery Coaches do not have dual relationships with their clients. They set boundaries with their clients that facilitate the development of their relationship with their clients in sessions and adjunctive healing activities such as support groups. Boundaries are set that actively seek to avoid dual relationships. Dual relationships are defined as relationships where more than one type of relationship occurs between a coach and client – such as also being friends, business partners, cousins or members of the same gym or social circle. See this article for more information on dual relationship.
The Association acknowledges that a complete separation of personal and professional interactions is not always possible. You may live in a small community and shop in the same stores or attend the same social gatherings. In settings such as these, a Trauma Recovery Coach will never acknowledge this individual as a client either to that person or to others present. If the client wishes to name you as their coach that is up to them, but you will not disclose that relationship nor will you contribute to a conversation where your client is disclosing issues the two of you discuss in sessions.
Coaches will never enter into dual relationships that involve a power differential, romantic or sexual relationships involvement, or financial dealings with clients.
Client Safety
Trauma Recovery Coaches set the safety of their clients as their highest priority – both in direct work with clients and when creating any materials for clients to consume (such as curriculum or video content). Safety Risk Assessments are MANDATED to be completed at the beginning of any coaching relationship regardless of the format of delivery of services such as one-to-one, group or weekend retreat coaching.
The delineation between when a Safety Risk Assessment is required and when it is not is if a coaching relationship is entered into. If a coach is providing psychoeducation, which may include discussion that has a natural outcome of greater self-awareness for participants but for which that was not the intent, that does not constitute a coaching relationship.
Some markers of a coaching relationship:
o Is the service marketed as intending to be healing for the participants?
o Is the coach providing interventions that promote healing for individuals such as leading group activities where the focus is on recovery as opposed to learning?
o Is an individual asked to bring their own trauma into the space with the intention of healing it through relating to it in a new way, integrating new knowledge into their understanding of it or re-shaping their relationship to it through discussion or experience AND sharing the results of that work live while the experience is ongoing?
Special Notation Regarding the Use of Psychoactive and Psychedelic Substances in Trauma Recovery Coaching
The Association is still in the process of developing a formal ethical policy regarding the use of psychedelic or psychoactive substances in Trauma Recovery Policy. However, until that policy is developed the Association does not bar it’s coaches from involvement in the use of psychedelic or psychoactive substances in their coaching practices as long as the following criteria are met:
· Such use is legal in the location where the coach is operating
· The coach is FORMALLY trained in the use of such substances in conjunction with Trauma Recovery Coaching
· The coach has legal liability insurance which acknowledges and covers their use of these substances in their coaching
· The coach is not using psychoactive substances themselves at the time of their work with clients who are using psychoactive substances
· The coach follows all safety protocols spelled forth in the training they received to use psychoactive substances in their coaching practice.
· The coach notifies the Professional Standards Committee of their use of psychoactive and/or psychedelic substances in their practice with a statement including where they received their training, what substances they are using, how they are using them and provides both a copy of their Policies and Procedures as well as their Liability Insurance.
The Intersection of Professional and Personal Standards
Coaches will conduct themselves at all times in accord with their professional status and in such a way as neither undermines public confidence in the process or profession of coaching, nor brings it into disrepute, being aware of professional and personal boundaries.
Coaches will not publicly criticize, malign or professionally obstruct another member of the profession, unless there is an issue of public protection and concern which should be addressed through a report to the Professional Standards Committee.
Coaches will be aware of their personal beliefs and biases, including how they can show up uninvited in work with clients. In knowing these things, the coach will not bring personal beliefs and biases into their professional work with clients, holding their beliefs as superior or necessary for the client to also hold.
If a credentialed coach is charged with a crime involving alcohol or drugs, and/or a crime against persons they must report that charge to the Professional Standards Committee, Grievance@IAOTRC.com, within 10 days. The Committee will meet and decide on a course of action, if one is necessary. The coach will have an opportunity to discuss the charges with the committee.
Possible courses of action are a temporary suspension of a credential or deciding to withhold action until the charges are resolved. If the charges are upheld the coach may have their credential temporarily or permanently revoked, depending upon the nature and severity of the crime.
If a coach does not report charges and the Professional Standards Committee becomes aware of them, the coach risks an immediate suspension of their credential and further penalties depending on the nature and severity of the crime.
Failure to Cooperate
Members are asked to cooperate with the Professional Standards Committees complaints process, to provide the Committee with evidence requested as part of a complaints process, and to attend and cooperate with complaints hearings when necessary. If Coaches choose not to cooperate, the Committee will process any complaints without the coaches’ input.
Consequences of a Breach of Ethics
Should a Certified Trauma Recovery Coach violate these Ethical Standards they are in danger of having their certification revoked temporarily or permanently. If a peer witnesses a Certified Trauma Recovery Coach behaving unethically towards a client they may file a report. If a client experiences an ethical violation from a Certified Trauma Recovery Coach, they may file a report. Reports can be filed by contacting the Association’s Professional Standards Committee, at Grievance@iaotrc.com.
Therapy vs Coaching
There is a difference between therapy and coaching. Depending on where you are in your recovery, you may find tremendous benefits from working with either kind of helping professional.
All of us have a journey to make in this life. Sometimes we know exactly where we’re headed but unexpected events occur that cause us to lose our focus, be distracted or become completely debilitated. At other times we don’t have a clue which way we need to head. We’ve become lost or our passion is leading us to change course. In both of these scenarios we can greatly benefit from the intervention of professional help. But what kind?
Some of us develop a mental illness that is so severe that it causes us to either not be able to move forward or to veer completely off course. We are disabled by our illness, either temporarily or permanently. Therapists, with their expertise and experience, are best suited for helping us when we are in this stage of our journey.
Others of us find ourselves in situations where we get stuck in a rut, lose our sense of direction, or become confused at choices in the path before us. We are not disabled by a mental illness, although we may have been in the past or we may have a mental illness but it is not so severe that it prevents us from moving about freely. Coaching through one on one and community interaction is perfect for these individuals.
Therapists are the trauma surgeons, emergency room personnel and paramedics of the mental health and well being community. Coaches have a fully stocked first aid kit and skills to put it to good use, but they are not physicians. Coaching clients may be what I call “the walking wounded” but they have to be ambulatory in order to be a good fit for the coaching process.
A coach comes alongside their client to brainstorm, provide information, and examine potential decisions. A therapist can do all of these things, but they often also need to intervene at a deeper level to direct care, prescribe behavior and make choices on behalf of their client. A coach never takes that much control over a client’s life. Guide and encourage, yes. Command direction, never.
People can, and sometimes need to, move between therapy and coaching. Individuals who have gotten their mental health illnesses under control or in remission can benefit tremendously from individual and group coaching. Individuals who are being coached need to transfer to a therapist if they experience a mental health crisis. A good coach will help a client make this transfer when decompensation occurs, rather than continuing to try to tend to themselves.