Policies & Procedures
Welcome to my coaching practice. It is an honor to be part of your healing journey. I want to take this time to outline my coaching process, disclosures, expectations and business policies.
My Coaching Process
When we work together on your personal recovery journey, it is important that you know that I don’t think anything is wrong with or broken about you. As a survivor of trauma I believe you are having a normal reaction to an abnormal circumstance. When you visit my site as a survivor of betrayal trauma in particular, you may have feelings of loss and grief, fear, anxiety, deep sadness, and physical side-effects from breaches in confidentiality, trust and love.
I believe that you have within you the knowledge you need about how to move forward from your trauma and build the life you love and want to live. I know that you may not believe that yourself right now. I will help you to find that information inside of you. I won’t tell you what to do or how to proceed on your journey because I believe you will know how to move forward with the right support. Also, what might have been right for me might not be right for you. And I don’t want to lead you astray in any way. Rather, I want to empower you to follow your true path.
My role in your journey is to be a source of knowledge, encouragement, validation, and, especially support when you feel overwhelmed and/or lost. Our relationship is one of peers. I’m not an authority figure and will not treat you as someone who has less power than I do. With honor, I follow the Code of Ethics as defined by the IAOTRC (International Association of Trauma Recovery Coaches). https://certifiedtraumarecovery
coaching.com/iaotrc-standards
Confidentiality
Coaching may result in changes in your relationships as well as healthy changes in the types of relationships you form. Zoom is not HIPPA compliant and, therefore I cannot guarantee, with 100% certainty, that information shared through Zoom will be safe from a data breach. However, I do keep all client records secured in ways that anyone other than myself does not have access to them. Anything that you say to me, my notes or any paperwork provided by you or your physician, mental health professional or legal representative (current or past) will be kept confidential. The only time I will break that confidentiality is if I feel you are in danger of harming yourself or another person, if you report abuse to someone (see the next paragraph about my being a Mandatory Reporter) or if I receive a legal subpoena to release your records. As a Certified Trauma Recovery Coach™, I act as a Mandatory Reporter, as outlined by The International Association of Trauma Recovery Coaching. This means that if I become aware that a minor, disabled person or elderly person is currently being abused I am mandated to report the abuse to the appropriate governing agency.
Safety
As a coach, I have limitations on the things we can work through in your recovery. There are some situations I do not have the expertise to help you with. If you are in a place where there are risks to your safety – you are suicidal, significantly self-harming, in the midst of an active addiction – the Association mandates that I help you find someone who is competent to deal with that particular issue. You do not have to stop seeing me, but we must bring in another professional who has the expertise with whatever safety issue is at hand to help you with those issues. This is called our Escalated Care Protocol. I can provide you with additional details if you have questions about this process.
- I will show up on time and be fully present and focused during our sessions.
- I bring trauma-informed training and stay current with research and best practices.
- I’ll walk alongside you as a guide and collaborator. You are the expert on your own lived experience; I offer tools, insights, and structure to support your healing in a way that feels aligned for you.
- I am committed to creating a space that is safe, respectful, and free of judgment.
What I Ask of You:
- Come to sessions open to engaging in your healing and growth at your own pace.
- When possible, give your full attention to our work during session time.
- Let me know if something feels activating or overwhelming so we can pause, adjust, or ground as needed.
- Share what you need from me to support your goals and sense of safety.
- Be as honest and open as you feel able—this helps ensure our work together is meaningful and supportive.
Some coaching packages allow you to spread payments over several months. However, if you choose to stop or exit the package early, the package is canceled immediately—any remaining sessions are forfeited, and any unpaid balance becomes due at that time.
I do not accept private insurance at this time.
If you are in crisis outside of those hours please reach out to your physician or health insurance crisis hotline. You may also reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline available by dialing 988, founded through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
If you are working with me in a group coaching program or have a package where 24/7 chat access is available, our methods of communication will be clarified via our contract.
If last-minute cancellations or no-shows occur repeatedly, we may need to revisit whether this coaching relationship is the right fit moving forward.
If you are struggling with any substance abuse issues I welcome you to let me know so we can talk about it and work to get you any help that you might need. If you do attend a coaching session under the influence of drugs or alcohol I reserve the right to end the session and you will not be refunded. If you repeatedly come to a session under the influence but do not tell me, or fail to acknowledge that you are impaired if I ask you whether you are, this may result in my ending our coaching relationship.
