How do I get started?

Click here; select the practitioner you would like to work with, schedule your free inquiry call and fill out the form. Please make sure to browse the practitioner profiles so you can make the best choice for you in regard to who you work with. If a practitioner does not have available inquiry call dates this means they are currently not accepting new clients. You can select a different practitioner, check back later to see if their availaibility has opened up, or email us with your request. While we try to honor all requests, we also know that sometimes a practitioner may not have openings in their schedule to accommodate you and a waiting list does not feel amenable. In the case that this would happen we may ask you if you would consider working with another practitioner (which you can agree to or decline).

What is the purpose of an inquiry call and is it required?

The practitioners at the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery offer a free 20 minute inquiry call for you to ask questions about the process of coaching, their approach to coaching, and any other logistical questions you may have. We have found that between each practitioner’s bio on the website and this call, prospective clients often feel more at ease to begin trauma coaching work.

Once a prospective client signs up for an inquiry call with a specific practitioner, the practitioner may send them an email that answers some commonly asked logistical questions; additionally the prospective client will receive paperwork from the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery outlining our policies, procedures, and other important information. The purpose of this information up front is to ensure each prospective client is informed of the services offered, including logistical information such as cost, scheduling, and what they can expect.

Prospective clients are not required to participate in an inquiry call and may opt, instead, to bypass this call and set up an intake appointment. If a client is not interested in participating in an inquiry call, they must still sign up for an inquiry call with the practitioner they are hoping to work with. They will receive an auto-response message that will include directions on how to contact the individual practitioner; the prospective client can then email the practitioner directly and let them know about their desire to move straight to scheduling an intake session.

What can I expect in my first session?

The first session is 90 minutes long (as opposed to the typical 50 minute session). During this session your practitioner will introduce themselves and briefly go over the paperwork to highlight any important policies, discuss payment and scheduling as well as answer any technical questions you might have. When these housekeeping items are out of the way the floor is yours and you can begin sharing what you feel is important for your practitioner to know. Coaching begins the first session; your practitioner will ask you questions and engage in various interventions as is appropriate for you.

How much does coaching cost?

Your initial intake session is 90-minutes and costs $205-255. After the initial session the rate per 50-minute session is:

• Practitioner - $155
• Associate Practitioner - $125
• Interns - $100 including a $40-100 sliding scale

Practitioners and Associate Practitioners also offer a sliding scale with limited availability, a sliding scale based upon need. Each practitioner prioritizes a percentage of their available appointments for individuals in need of a sliding scale for payment. Associate Practiitoners and Interns offer a lower flat rate and have a generous sliding scale in an effort to offer financial accommodations.

Upon scheduling the first session, a $150 (or 60%) non-refundable deposit is due. This amount will be applied to the balance of your first session but will not be refunded if you do not show up for your first session or if you cancel your first session less than 48 hours in advance. Failure to show up for the first session may jeopardize being able to schedule future sessions.

If you opt to schedule your first session at the end of the inquiry call, you will be asked for your credit card information to charge the deposit for the session. This card will be saved in Jane App which is fully secure. The balance of your first session ($105 or 40% of the session rate) will be charged after your first session.

The standard length for sessions is 50 minutes long for individuals (with the exception of the first session) and 90 minutes long for couples and families. We do offer longer (90 and 100 minute) sessions for an additional cost at the request of the individual client.

• 90 minute sessions - $270
• 100 minute sessions - $310

*Prices are adjusted for sliding scale clients based on the agreed upon rate.

Inquiry regarding the sliding scale does not guarantee your spot; this is something that you and your practitioner will discuss. Additionally, if qualified for the sliding scale, your session fee will be reviewed every six(6) months to determine if this is still the appropriate rate for you. Clients who do go more than four weeks in-between sessions, except for extenuating circumstances, may forfeit their sliding scale spot. Please speak with your individual practitioner for more information.

Why do you charge for your services?

We recognize that for many individuals coming out of high control religions, cults, and fundamentalism, a precedent has been set that these groups provide services at free or little charge for members of the group. This is often combined with the expectation that one must use their gifts and talents to serve the group without expectation of compensation. High control religion often requires members of the group to give tirelessly and constantly, without pay, rest, or consideration to other commitments. Many people are required to tithe not only their money but also their time (as volunteers) to their local religious group. This can create experiences of burnout, constant neglect of self and self care, and obligations to the group if you utilize the services that are provided within the group.

Though many clients who work with practitioners at the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery have left these groups and/or deconstructed cognitively from these beliefs, it is common that these beliefs may still live in the body and can impact attitudes, beliefs, and actions around paying others for services rendered, including paying others the prices that others have set based off of education, experience, and comparable services.

Since CTRR is not a ministry or non-profit organization, we do not have donors who give to us to help offset the cost of services. We realize that part of the deconstruction process is paying others for and being paid for the time, energy, and services that we partake in and provide. We encourage clients to process embodied beliefs and actions around finances with their practitioners if this is an area of concern.

Each of the practitioners at the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery have extensive and advanced experience, training, and schooling in their various areas of practice. They have dedicated time, money, energy, and resources to learning more and developing skills to better and more effectively work with clients and work hard to provide for themselves and their families. The Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery desires to compensate practitioners in a fair way and not replicate patterns of exploitation of their skills and knowledge as often happened within high control religious settings. That said, practitioners have graciously agreed to make sliding scale spots available which clients can inquire about to help offset the costs of coaching (please note that each practitioner has a limited number of spots available and inquiring about a sliding scale price does not guarantee that you will receive a lower rate.)

What do I need to do prior to the first appointment?

After submitting the form for your inquiry call you will receive a confirmation in your email with your practitioner's contact information so you can contact them directly with questions as well as an email containing a link to begin reading through and filling out your opening paperwork. Paperwork must be completed prior to the first session. Included in the paperwork are the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery policies; please read through and make note of any questions you have about these policies and don’t hesitate to ask your practitioner at your first session.

After the initial phone call with your practitioner, first appointment is set and your paperwork is filled out and submitted, there is nothing else you must do before your first session.

What types of clients do you see and what areas do you specialize in?

While our coaches are trained in working with a variety of different issues, each coach specializes in working with religious trauma, faith deconstruction, adverse religious experiences (AREs), harm from purity culture, spiritual and religious abuse, the impact of high control religions and cults, and building a new identity after high control systems and relationships. To find out more about each coach and the additional areas they specialize in, please make sure to browse the practitioner profiles so you can make the best choice for you in regard to who you work with.

We desire to accommodate as many people as possible and as such, we have coaches who work with individuals, romantic partnerships, families, other relationships (such as friendzhips), parenting, and group coaching.

How do you practice coaching?

At the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery, we practice an eclectic approach to coaching which means it is highly personalized in an effort to ensure that each client’s needs are able to be met through a variety of techniques, approaches, theories and models. It is our belief that each individual is unique and no one (or two!) approach works for everyone.

Coaching is a collaborative process and you are the expert on your life. As your coach, our job is to offer hope and encouragement as well as be an unbiased supportive perspective, a resource and someone to challenge you towards health and a fuller life.

We work with a wide variety of emotional and behavioral issues but specialize in complex trauma, including religious trauma, faith deconstruction, religious and spiritual dynamics of power and control, purity culture (or other abstinence-only movements), Adverse Religious Experiences (AREs) and building a life and identity outside of religious and spiritual systems. Each member of our team has had personal or professional experience working with religious trauma; most practitioners have both personal AND professional experience.

In addition to working with religious trauma, our practitioners offer people support through a range of issues such as disordered eating, domestic violence, sexualized violence, boundaries, co-dependency, anxiety, and depression, many of which are in combination with leaving high demand/high control systems. We are passionate about helping individuals move towards whole and healthy lives.

What is the difference between crisis counseling and trauma coaching?

Crisis is usually characterized by an overwhelming event that occurs (such as a car accident, death, natural disaster, assault, etc.) which may induce anxiety, panic, confusion, life threat, decrease or removal of basic needs (such as food, water, or shelter), and an immediate increase of intense emotions. In situations where the crisis impacts many people (such as a natural disaster), various services and aid are often deployed focusing on attending to the needs of individuals and helping to stabilize the situation. While crisis and trauma are not the same, crisis can often result in trauma if the threat is ongoing, inescapable, or an individual is not able to return to a place of safety.

Often it is crisis situations that prompt an individual to reach out for supportive services such as counseling, therapy, or coaching. Due to the immediacy of needs in crisis situations, many free services have been developed to help individuals assess their needs and provide tangible support. In most cases, this support is short-term and crisis workers often refer individuals to longer term support and care. If an individual is already working with a mental health provider or support practitioner, they may choose to discuss and process crisis situations with their practitioner.

Trauma coaching (or other trauma resolution and recovery supportive services) tend to focus on the resolution and recovery from long-standing trauma (including crisis situations that are ongoing or may have resulted in trauma). Again, while crisis situations may prompt an individual to seek out support services from a trauma coach, trauma coaches serve a different purpose than crisis support workers. Trauma coaches focus on developing a relationship with the client where longer term support can be provided which can also offer clients a source of support and stability when crisis inevitably occurs.

At the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery, practitioners focus on trauma coaching and do not consider themselves to be short-term crisis counseling providers. While many clients do endure various crisis situations (including crisis being a motivator for beginning coaching work) and process this with their practitioner, we are not primarily a crisis service. This is important as we often get inquiry requests from individuals who are seeking to speak with someone immediately. While many of our practitioners offer a variety of times for inquiry calls and prioritize new client sessions within their schedules, we cannot guarantee immediate availability or responses in the cases of crisis. We encourage individuals to utilize resources in their communities for immediate crisis support in addition to considering working longer-term with a practitioner for ongoing support, trauma resolution, and recovery.

Do you take insurance?/Can I get insurance to pay for my sessions?

Currently, we do not accept insurance. While coaching has many perks regarding the ability to see clients wherever, regardless of their location, insurance companies do not yet reimburse for coaching services.

With this said, there are some places of employment that offer health savings accounts (HSA) or flex spending accounts (FSA) to pay for various physical and mental health related services. To this end, if an individual, couple or family has a HSA or Flex plan, it is possible, depending on the terms of this plan, to use these monies to pay for therapy. Again, make sure to check with your HSA or FSA provider to ensure that coaching sessions qualify for reimbursement. Should they qualify, an invoice can be requested at the end of each coaching session. As with submission for insurance reimbursement, this would require the client to pay the coach up front.

Is this confidential?

Since coaching is a newer field in the mental health and wellness world, there are no specific guidelines and requirements around confidentiality. However, the practitioners at the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery value and emulate the parameters of confidentiality set forth by therapeutic licensing boards and will abide by confidentiality mandates in their work as coaches. To this end, confidentiality of all communications between a practitioner and the client are protected. No information is disclosed without prior written permission from the client. However, there are some exceptions required by law to this rule. Exceptions include:

1. Suspected child abuse or dependent adult or elder abuse. The therapist is required to report this to the appropriate authorities immediately.

2. If a client is threatening serious bodily harm to another person. The therapist is required to notify the police.

3. If a client intends to harm himself or herself. The therapist will make every effort to work with the individual to ensure their safety. However, if an individual does not cooperate, additional measures may need to be taken.​

The Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery employs a virtual assistant who has access to basic information about clients on a case-by-case basis for the purpose of scheduling, placement, invoices/reimbursements and other administrative duties. Our virtual assistant also abides by confidentiality practices and policies set forth by the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery.

Do I have to do a video call? Can we talk on the phone instead?

While we recommend sessions be conducted via video, this is not a requirement. We are committed to ensuring the comfort of the client and recognize that at times a video session may not be possible due to location, privacy, or preference. You can discuss this with your practitioner during the first session and you can always choose and change the medium of your session depending on what feels most comfortable and conducive to you.

Do you offer packages or programs like other coaches?

No. While it is not uncommon for many coaches to offer programs lasting a specific amount of time for a set price, we have found it ineffective to offer this option due to the nature of trauma and healing. There is no minimum or maximum amount of sessions you are required to do with your practitioner and your input in this process is valuable. We encourage each practitioner-client team to decide on a plan that is based on the client’s needs. We encourage all clients to let their practitioner know if they want to increase or decrease time in-between sessions, want to take a break, or end coaching altogether.

How often should I see my coach for a session?

The coaches (also called practitioners) at the Center for Trauma Resolution are different from other coaches in that we schedule each client on a session-by-session basis instead of offering coaching packages. We believe that resolving and recovering from trauma cannot be guaranteed to happen in the span of a 3 or 6 month coaching package (as is the standard for other coaches and their clients). To that end, you and your practitioner can develop a plan for how often to see each other based on your needs, your budget, and your schedule.

While we do not prescribe that a client must come for “x” amount of sessions over “x” length of time, we find that if it works in a client’s budget and schedule, scheduling weekly coaching sessions for (at least) the first couple months can be helpful. These weekly sessions can provide a sense of stability and consistency in working on issues surrounding trauma resolution and recovery. After the first few months, clients may opt to space their sessions out to every other week or every few weeks which can be discussed with the individual practitioner.

What is your cancellation policy?

We have a 24 hour cancellation policy meaning that if you are unable to attend your session we ask for a 24 hour notice in order to avoid paying our cancellation fee which is the full fee of your session. We recognizing that extraordinary/extenuating circumstances do happen; if this is the case, please discuss this with your practitioner to determine whether or not charging the cancellation fee is appropriate. We find that the cancellation policy both honors the work our practitioners do and the time they carve out to work with you individually and we know that when there is a cost we often prioritize it in our schedules. The cancellation fee is an extra incentive to help you prioritize the work that you are doing and your own self care.

You call yourself the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery...what’s the difference between resolution and recovery?

Language is important and helps us understand ourselves individually and collectively. We believe that trauma resolution and recovery are both important aspects of living a whole and healing life. Trauma resolution focuses on resolving trauma that is stored in your body and nervous system. This is done primarily through body-based modalities and other effective interventions to help the body complete the traumatic stress cycle, release the excess trauma energy and restore a sense of safe and social interaction. Trauma recovery focuses on both integrating the resolution of your trauma into everyday life as well as other areas of your life that have been impacted by abuse, harm, and trauma. Areas of recovery may include things like building healthy attachment, boundaries, gaining a sense of self-identity, practical skills in how to navigate the world, learning about healthy relationships, discovering new coping skills, and being able to discover and live from an authentic sense of self.

Do I need coaching?

Life is complicated. Relationships are difficult. Each one of us faces, at many times in our lives, situations that are hard to deal with on our own. Coaching offers an unbiased and supportive perspective that allows you to work through the issues that are present in your life. “Needing” coaching is subjective to the person, however, coaching has been found to be beneficial to individuals, couples and families that deal with relational, emotional, life change, identity formation, and other issues.

Does coaching help?

It is important to recognize, up front, that a person will get out of coaching what they are willing to put into it. As coaches, we are not magicians or wizards; but we are a source of support and outside, unbiased perspective that will help the client be able to work through their issues at hand. If an individual, couple or family is committed to the process significant change can occur.

What is coaching?

Coaching is a collaborative process between the client and the coach. Each session is unique to the individual and their specific goals. While there is no set-in-stone structure, it is standard for the coach to discuss the primary issues and concerns in your life.

It is recommended that when coaching is first started that the client schedule regular weekly sessions with each session, lasting approximately 50 minutes. Coaching can be short term, focusing on a specific issue, or longer term, addressing more complex issues or ongoing personal growth. Read more about our approach to coaching here.

Coaches do not work from a medical model of diagnosing patients’ mental health disorders and/or prescribing treatment. Instead, we value a trauma-informed approach and collaboration with clients to help them learn and develop skills that will support them in reaching their stated goals.

Can’t I just take medication?

Medication can be helpful for certain people in specific situations. It is important to maintain a close relationship with your medical doctor in order to determine the best course of action for you. It is well established that the long-term solution to mental and emotional problems and the pain they cause cannot be solved solely by medication. You can best achieve sustainable growth and greater sense of well-being with an integrative approach to wellness.

What happens if I have an ethical complaint about my coach, who do I contact?

This is a great question and one that we take very seriously. One of the protections that traditional therapy and mental health services offers to clients is boards of accreditation on state and national levels. Essentially, if a client feels that their therapist is harming them, acting unethically, or exerting inappropriate power and control over them, there are structures in place to both protect the client and hold the therapist accountable. Unfortunately due to the lack of parameters around coaching, this same system of accountability is not afforded to clients of coaches.

Due to the majority of our clientele having a background of systemic abuse, power and control, we take very seriously the responsibility we have to prioritize the client’s well-being and recognize that we hold a position of power due to the nature of the relationship.

While we recognize that in any relationship there can be conflicts and tensions, including the relationship between a practitioner and client, we also recognize that some of these issues go beyond what can and should be handled in the coaching space. For instance, while it may be appropriate to discuss, with your practitioner, a preference in the way they verbally respond to something you share with them, frustration with them cancelling a session, or wanting to change some of the interventions that are being used, it may not feel safe to discuss with them a breach of confidentiality or other ethical concerns.

In the case that the client believes there are ethical concerns with the practitioner they may email the center director, Dr. Laura Anderson, to lodge the complaint. Dr. Anderson will ask questions via phone call or email to gain greater clarity on the nature of the complaint and situation and will discuss with the client how to proceed. If Dr. Anderson recommends that she speak with the practitioner in question, she will both let the client know what the nature of the conversation will be as well as reiterate that confidentiality for the client will be respected to the full extent. Dr. Anderson will follow up with the client to let them know the resolution of actions taken with the practitioner. If the ethical concern/complaint is against Dr. Anderson, the client may email the main email to the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery and another practitioner will follow the outlined process with the client until its resolution.

Are you LGBTQ+ affirming?

Unequivocally, yes. We believe all humans— all genders, sexualities, orientations, and preferences are valid, important, beautiful, and deserving.

Are you anti-religion?

In short, no. While we are anti-harm, -abuse, -control, -power, the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery is not anti-religion. We believe that each person is unique, including what is valuable and important for them in matters of faith, religion, and spirituality. It is not the place or goal of the individual practitioner or the Center as a whole to determine what your faith, religious, or spiritual practices (or lack thereof) should look like in your individual life. While discussions of faith, religion, and spirituality are a welcome part of the coaching session, the goal is that the client would be able to figure out what is meaningful and important for them versus aligning with the beliefs or lifestyle of the individual practitioner.

Are you committed to recognizing systems of oppression based on gender, race, body ability, body size, class, etc., and how they may impact the practitioner/client relationship?

In short, yes! We recognize that we live in societies that are built on systems designed to elevate certain bodies and oppress others. The Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery and its individual practitioners are committed to not only recognizing these systems but also inviting clients to deconstruct these systems, when necessary and important (as deemed by the client), in an effort to live a more whole and healing life.