Trauma-Informed Coaching

Specialty Certificate

Course Description:

This 12-hour certificate equips NBHWC-certified coaches with a trauma-informed lens to support clients impacted by trauma. Participants will explore the physiological, psychological, and behavioral impacts of trauma and learn to adapt coaching approaches to foster safety, empowerment, and resilience. All content is delivered within the NBHWC scope of practice and emphasizes appropriate referral, boundaries, and coach self-regulation.

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Target Audience:

This course is designed for National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coaches (NBC-HWCs) and other health professionals who support individuals impacted by acute or chronic trauma. The target audience includes coaches working in behavioral health, primary care, integrative health, veteran services, community health, and justice-involved settings. It is especially relevant for professionals supporting clients with trauma histories related to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), post-traumatic stress, medical trauma, grief and loss, or systemic and intergenerational trauma.

This course equips coaches with trauma-sensitive, evidence-informed strategies to foster safety, resilience, nervous system regulation, and client empowerment—while staying within the NBHWC Scope of Practice.

Course Overview

Estimated Course Length:  12

CE Credits:  12

CE Information:

Toivoa Coaching has been approved by the NBHWC to provide continuing education for National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coaches.

Course Number: CEA-100118-5

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

  • Define trauma and distinguish between acute, chronic, and complex trauma.  
  • Describe how trauma impacts brain function and health behavior.  
  • Identify signs of trauma responses within coaching sessions.  
  • Explain polyvagal theory in the context of client regulation.  
  • Recognize the six principles of trauma-informed care.  
  • Demonstrate how to create psychological safety in a coaching session.  
  • Apply techniques for co-regulation without crossing clinical boundaries.  
  • Understand how to modify goal-setting in trauma-informed ways.  
  • Determine when and how to make referrals to mental health professionals.  
  • Use somatic awareness techniques to support nervous system regulation.  
  • Practice reflective exercises to avoid coach burnout and secondary trauma.    
  • Understand the role of cultural humility in trauma informed coaching    

Course Schedule:

Module 1: Understanding Trauma (2 hours)  

  • Definitions: acute, chronic, complex, developmental trauma 
  • Big T vs. little t trauma 
  • Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) overview 
  • Common myths about trauma 
  • Individual variability in trauma responses 
  • Survival responses: fight, flight, freeze, fawn 
  • Window of tolerance 
  • Polyvagal basics (coach level) 
  • Effects of trauma on: 
  • emotional regulation 
  • cognition and memory 
  • health behaviors 
  • Stress physiology and chronic activation 

Module 2: Scope, Ethics, and Referrals (2 hours)  

  • Trauma therapy vs trauma informed  
  • Coaching vs. therapy  
  • NBHWC scope considerations 
  • Red flags requiring referral 
  • Ethical decision-making model 
  • Mandatory reporting overview (high-level)? 
  • Boundary setting language 

Module 3: Trauma-Informed Coaching Practices (1.5 hours)  

  • The six trauma-informed principles: 
  • Safety 
  • Trustworthiness & transparency 
  • Peer support 
  • Collaboration & mutuality 
  • Empowerment, voice, choice 
  • Cultural, historical, gender awareness 
  • What each principle looks like in coaching 
  • Readiness vs. Capacity for change 
  • Gentle goal setting 
  • Preventing overwhelm 
  • Working with avoidance 
  • Supporting regulation for behavior change 
  • Flexible planning strategies 
  • Trauma and adherence challenges 

Module 4: Somatic Awareness & Nervous System Tools (1.5 hours)  

  • Consent-based coaching 
  • Recognizing signs of activation 
  • Repairing relational struggles 
  • Inclusive and non-triggering language 
  • Supporting client autonomy 
  • Somatic tools 

Module 5: Trauma Sensitive Communication Skills (1.5 hrs) 

  • Trauma-aware motivational interviewing adaptations 
  • Reflective listening for trauma survivors 
  • Strengths-based reframing 
  • Avoiding pathologizing language 
  • Responding to emotional activation 
  • Grounding and resourcing techniques (coach-appropriate) 
  • Co-regulation vs. fixing 

Module 6:  Cultural Humility & Trauma Informed Coaching (2 hrs) 

  • Historical and collective trauma 
  • Structural contributors to trauma 
  • Trauma prevalence and public health impact  
  • Health Disparities 
  • Health equity 
  • Cultural differences in trauma expression 
  • Bias awareness for coaches 
  • Inclusive coaching considerations 
  • Working with marginalized populations 

Module 7: Coach Regulation & Response to Trauma Disclosures (1.5 hr) 

Content 

  • Vicarious trauma 
  • Compassion fatigue vs. burnout 
  • Secondary traumatic stress 
  • Somatic awareness for coaches 
  • Reflective practice 
  • Personal self-care planning 
  • How to respond in the moment 
  • What NOT to say 
  • Staying in scope 
  • Referral conversations 
  • Managing coach discomfort 

Materials & Instructor Qualifications:

Materials Provided:   

  • Mood Tracking Worksheets   
  • Self Care Worksheets 
  • Co-Regulation Workbook 
  • Peer-reviewed articles and templates   

Instructor Qualifications:    

Jessica Estok, LCDP, CADC, CCTP, MA 

Content Writers: 

Jessica Estok, LCDP, CADC, CCTP, MA 

Katrina Brown, PhD 

Dr. Alex Kirk, Clinical Psychologist, PhD   

Dr. Brenda Buffington, EdD, NBC-HWC   

Christopher King, BA Psychology, NBC-HWC   

Laura Randa, BS Education, M.P.A-Healthcare    

Instructional Format & Assessment

  1. Pre-recorded Lectures/Webinars:   

Video Content: Instructors record lectures, presentations, or demonstrations that learners can watch at their convenience. Including slides, visual aids, and sometimes demonstrations of coaching techniques.   

Narrated PowerPoints: Similar to video lectures, these are often PowerPoint presentations with synchronized audio narration by the instructor.      

2. Reading Materials:   

Articles and Research Papers: Curated readings from academic journals, industry publications, or reputable sources to provide in-depth information and evidence-based perspectives.   

Program Assessment Criteria     

To successfully complete the program and demonstrate mastery in an asynchronous learning environment, participants will be evaluated on the following:   

  • Completion of all modules: All assigned course modules and associated learning activities must be fully completed.   
  • Successful completion of post tests upon completion of each module.    

Accessibility Accommodations:

Closed captioning of all audio and video components. In order to request further accessibility accommodations, please email: CKing@toivoacoaching.com

Participation Costs:  $400

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