Rania Soliman
Faith-Based & Trauma-Informed
Personal Development Coach
What you need to know...
A Life Coach focuses on what’s happening right now in the present moment, what a client wants next, and how that gap can be bridged in different areas of the clients life. Each client is different and unique based on their personal journey and life experiences, therefore their goals will be unique. A Coach challenges, guides, and supports clients in personal and professional development areas of life.
With Trauma-Informed Coaching , there is an understanding of how past trauma can show up in current situations for my clients. Having this background and knowledge, I am better equipped to support my clients in understanding the impact of trauma had and continues to have in their daily lives. This creates an opportunity for ensuring that I lead coaching my clients into a psychologically safe space, where they won't be further traumatized.
1- What Is a Life Coach?
A life coach is a professional who supports clients make progress in their lives in order to attain greater fulfillment. Coaching is all about asking questions, unlike mentoring which is all about answering questions and advising. A professionally trained and certified, Coach will stay in a coaching position of asking questions throughout the session to evoke awareness. The questions are forward and future focused to guide the client towards achieving future goals and to become more self-aware in the process. Coaches use various techniques and modalities. They incorporate mindfulness, self-awareness, emotion regulation, and interpersonal communication. Coaches meet their clients in the present moment and are not in a position to give advice. A coach will clarify specific goals, identify obstacles, and co-create practical action plans with their client. Clients can get coaching in areas like; career goals, personal and professional goals, relationships, recovery work, divorce, parenthood, grief, financial wellness, and many other areas of life.
2-What is trauma-Informed Coaching?
Trauma-Informed Coaching is similar to traditional coaching but it requires more specific in-depth trauma training. It's the practice of understanding how a past trauma can show up for a client in particular areas of life or in a situation that comes up in a coaching session. The coach knows how to support a client in understanding it, and leading the client into a psychologically safe space, where they won't be further traumatized. A Trauma-Informed Coach has a deeper understanding due to the nature of the specific training that is required for any helping professional, to be aware, knowledgeable, and informed. This coaching approach is not required for every client, but in most reason studies, it has been a much needed speciality because past trauma frequently if not always shows up in sessions. A Coach is always listening, observing, and understanding if the presence of trauma or a trauma response is present in the session.
Trauma-Informed Coaches have specific training in client emotional regulation, brain-body connection, behavioral reaction, different types of traumas, leading causes, and subsequent symptoms. Coaches are trained and have learned the proper channels for referral and the growing relationship between clinical professionals, therapists, and counselors. To become a Trauma-Informed Coach, one must have authenticity, self-awareness, strong values, and a set of belief systems that are not restrictive to working in this particular area. Coaches have learned methods to help ‘regulate’ the nervous system, ways to navigate through shame and guilt, by asking powerful questions, and to have the ability to recognize and promote overall wellbeing. Trauma-Informed Coaching is not a substitute for therapy and in recent years, many clients use coaching in addition to therapy but that depends on where they are in their healing journey.
Trauma Informed modalities and practices are a new approach and standard for many helping professions. Specialty Trauma-Informed training and certification are now available to teachers, nurses, police officers, corrections officers, social workers, caregivers, health coaches, medical professionals, and many more. Being Trauma Informed to simply put it, allows professionals to recognize the impact and presence of personal trauma(s) in the history and lives of the people we serve.
3-WHAT IS FAITH-BASED COACHING?
Faith-Based Coaching supports clients to move forward towards achieving a desired change with God in mind. Clients gain self-awareness and move into action towards living an abundant life, personally and professionally with ease and contentment regardless of the outcome. A Faith-Based Coach support clients to refocus and repurpose their efforts to align with God's divine promise, plan and direction for their life. Understanding the concept of a divine plan, is to simply embrace the reality that a soul exists in this world to discover their true purpose in life, and to connect to God through worship and by acknowledging all of His attributes. Clients who desire transformation are willing to become more self-aware and be challenged to overcome negative beliefs that might be holding them back from working towards achieving their life purpose. The beauty of cultivating contentment from a faith-based perspective, is that it's the first step to nourish and support a person to be and feel at ease with God's promise. Contentment is a way of being. It's a place where our mind and heart rests, and when a person practices gratitude and allow room for accepting the good that sits alongside in the midst of the hardship, life can become much easier to navigate.
Faith-Based Coaches frequently use perspective, perception, and values coaching techniques. The goal is to deepen a clients self-awareness and support them as they relate various intervals of life to their life purpose, and their relationship with God. This coaching approach is not for all clients, as faith in God is defined very differently depending on ones own personal religious beliefs, spiritual views, and overall understanding of faith in God. From a trauma informed lens, a Coach is mindful that there is frequently an impact on a persons relationship with God, when trauma is present.
4-What'S the difference between Traditional Coaching and Therapy?
Many therapists are branching out into coaching services, and many coaches advertise services that can frequently come across as a therapeutic approach. Therapists assess, diagnose using the DSM and treat mental illness. They often focus their work on identifying and reducing symptoms. Coaches motivate and encourage people to achieve specific goals which does not involve identifying and reducing symptoms. Coaches often describe their work as being more positive in nature and future focused.
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Therapists are the front line workers of mental health care. Therapists tend to work with clients for longer periods of time than life coaches do. The relationship is different between a therapist and client than it is between a coach and a client. Therapy tends to focus on the past while moving towards the future. Coaching on the other hand is present and future focused.​
5-What'S the difference between
Trauma-Informed Coaching and Therapy?
Therapists operate and provide services under a medical model of care, and Coaches operate under a support and goal oriented model. Therapists work with and treat trauma, but Trauma Informed Coaches do not treat trauma. They are simply aware of all of the nuances of working with clients who have experienced trauma. Trauma Informed Coaching is the practice of understanding the presence of past trauma in the clients present day experience, and know how to use it as a guide for resilience and solution forward focused coaching strategies. Often, clients will need therapy in addition to coaching to support them in between sessions. Many clients have a baseline of working with the trauma, but may need further support to make positive changes in the present and future.
Beginning a coaching journey can be intimidating at first. it's okay to shop around until you find the right coach. I invite to schedule a 30 minute complementary discovery or consultation call to help with your decision process. These calls can provide you an opportunity to ask more questions and address your concerns.
What's The Difference?
A Consultation Call:
A consultation call is best suitable for clients who are new to coaching. This call typically involves discussing you potential goals, challenges, and what you hope to achieve in your coaching journey. It's also an opportunity for the me to assess whether coaching or mentoring is a good fit for you. This call is also for clients or organizations who are interested in support groups or educational services. It's also for parents who are interested in adolescents (minors) coaching options. Additionally, it's an opportunity for us to establish rapport and a chance for you to ask questions, and it allows me to gather relevant information to tailor my offerings/services to better meet your specific needs. We will also discuss logistics and the structure of your session.
A Discovery Call:
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A discovery call is for clients who are familiar with coaching and understand the general logistics and structure of coaching. During our call, we will briefly go your background, motivations, and underlying concerns. A discovery call is more focused on discovering and exploring your inner world and determining the best course of action moving forward in your coaching journey. I focus more on understanding your specific circumstances, emotions, and any obstacles you may be facing. This call helps me gain insights into your unique current situation to determine how I can best support you on your journey.
What a Trauma-Informed Coach can do
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Trauma Informed Coaches anchor their work in the present, not the past. They focus on the client’s current life and how trauma is affecting them today. They utilize coaching strategies to support their clients to build up their strengths, healthy behaviors, beliefs, and positive coping strategies.
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Coaches serve as a guide and support for their clients, and can provide education about trauma and recovery, but this is done outside of the coaching session.
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Many coaches use social media platforms and offer other forms of providing knowledge to support their clients, outside of the traditional coaching sessions.
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Coaches can even set recovery goals, but always operate in a client led manner.
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Coaches do not prescribe or give advice about medication or treatment.
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Coaches do not treat or diagnose their clients.
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Coaches do not work outside their scope of competence.
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Coaches do not work with clients who are at risk of self harm or harming others.