Neuroscience, Coaching and Relational Trauma
Using neuroscience to help our clients heal from the traumatic impact of toxic personalities in their family, workplace and/or intimate relationships
about the course
A Coaching Approach to Relational Trauma
Why work with relational trauma? Short answer, because it’s everywhere. In our clients’ workplaces, families, intimate relationships and even sometimes friendships. The impact of not being safe, seen, valued, understood and cared for in places where we most need and expect it—well, it’s profound. And at BEabove, we have come to see that traditional coaching practices, tools and methodologies often are not the most effective for people in these relationships or recovering from them. As coaches, we need different and expanded understanding and approaches in order to best serve our clients. This program, based on years of work in the fields of neuroscience and consciousness, as well as deep study and personal experience in working with relational trauma, is designed to increase coaches’ knowledge and toolkit in the area of relational trauma as it impacts our clients.
NOTE: For some coaches, this may push the edges of what you have previously deemed appropriate in coaching. If you feel strongly that working with aspects of the human experience, including deep emotions and past history, is out of bounds for coaching, we recommend you do not participate in this program. That having been said, you can count on that we will take a coaching approach—both in terms of mindset and skillset—throughout, and that all tools and approaches are based on the most up-to-date research on trauma and recovery. Additionally, we will look very thoroughly at when and how coaching is appropriate and when it is not.
program cost
Pay in Full:
$2995
Payment plan:
$999
ICF CCEUs
33 total (20 Core Competencies and 13 Resource)
Graduates receive designation of Certified Relational Trauma Coach
Like all our work, this will be an “inside-out” process, with participants bringing their own experience to the table. We ask that you be far enough in your own healing journey already that you can access a strong “observer mind” as you explore your personal experience—however, it will always be by choice and NO ONE will be forced or even encouraged to share anything they are not ready to. Additionally, we will hold confidentiality, with live sessions being recorded ONLY for the participants and leaders involved, and not available for any future use.
Who Is This Program For?
Prerequisites
Coaches who have completed at least classroom experience with an ICF-accredited coaching school (credential is not necessary) who want to expand their knowledge and tools to helping clients with trauma.
When and Where
Program Logistics
WHAT: This hybrid program includes 12 LIVE group sessions and over 20 videos, including 10+ new coaching tools with recorded demos.
WHERE: Zoom
WHO: Maximum 30 people
HOW LONG: Thirteen weeks total: two six-module sessions with a week’s break in between. Each module includes recordings and readings to go through in advance and a live two-hour discussion and practice session.
WHEN: Upcoming dates are listed at the bottom of this page
General Notes
About the Content
Designed for coaches and will address the who, the when and the how of coaching in this area (and how to determine when client needs referral—also see Direct and Indirect Work, below).
Designed as an “inside-out” process—training includes safe opportunities for participants to share and explore the past and present (if applicable) impact of toxic personalities in their own lives.
Somatic work and Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness will be addressed in this program.
Neuroscience will provide the rationale and grounding.
Program Content
What You’ll Learn
Module One:
Working with Trauma in Coaching; What is Relational Trauma?
- Why work with trauma in coaching
- Types of relational abuse
- When to coach and when to refer
Module two:
The Vocabulary and Patterns of Relational Trauma
- The Idealization and Devaluation cycle of abuse
- The vocabulary of relational trauma
- Coaching Tool
Module Three:
The Impact of Relational Trauma on the Client
- Is it co-dependency or something else? The research on “SuperTraits.”
- Cognitive traps
- Complex PTSD
- Two Coaching Tools
Module Four:
The Science of Toxic Personalities
- What is a toxic personality?
- The role of empathy, brain structure, and genetics
- 10 types of narcissist
- Coaching Tool
Module Five:
Working with Trauma as a Coach,
Part One
- The client’s Window of Tolerance
- Approaching coaching differently, the CATSU model
Module Five:
Working with Trauma as a Coach,
Part One
- The Dawn to Dawn model of client stages of awareness
- Coaching Tool
BREAK
between Module Six and Seven
Module Seven:
Working with Clients in
Stage One of Awareness
- Stage One, Dawn: the Dawning of Awareness
- What is typical, how to recognize, what the client needs
- Coaching Tool
Module Eight:
Working with Clients in
Stage Two of Awareness
- Stage Two, Mid-day: Awareness Sinking in
- What is typical, how to recognize, what the client needs
- Coaching Tool
Module Nine:
Working with Clients in
Stage Three of Awareness
- Stage Three, Evening: the Beginning of Acceptance
- What is typical, how to recognize, what the client needs
- Coaching Tool
Module Ten:
Working with Clients in
Stage Four of Awareness
- Stage Four, Night: Acceptance and the Future
- What is typical, how to recognize, what the client needs
- Coaching Tool
Module Eleven:
Working with Clients in
Stage Five of Awareness
- Stage Five, Dawn of a New Day: Lessons and post-traumatic growth
- What is typical, how to recognize, what the client needs
- Coaching Tool
Module Twelve:
Working with Clients in
Stage Six of Awareness
- The role of family and culture
- Human wounds and healing fields–a powerful model for healing
- Coaching Tool
- Completion
Additional Info
Homework: readings and videos prior to each Module, written assignment due at the end of each module. Final written quiz for certification.
Graduates receive Certified Relational Trauma Coach designation upon completion of written quiz.
Frequently Asked Questions
Curious?
Can I take part in this program if I am NOT a coach? How many calls can I miss? Do I have to sign up for the whole program?… and more!
Join Us
New pod starting in the fall – register below.
Have more questions? Sign-up for our free Taste of BEabove with Ann and Ursula.
Hematite Pod
September 18 – December 18, 2025
Thursdays, 11 am to 1 pm US EST
| Live Session | |
| Module 1 | September 18 |
| Module 2 | September 25 |
| Module 3 | October 2 |
| Module 4 | October 9 |
| Module 5 | October 16 |
| Module 6 | October 23 |
| BREAK | October 30 |
| Module 7 | November 6 |
| Module 8 | November 13 |
| Module 9 | November 20 |
| Module 10 | December 4 |
| Module 11 | December 11 |
| Module 12 | December 18 |