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Dr. Kristin Neff's Website - Self-Compassion Resources
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Glossary of Terms
Life Coaching
Life coaching is a term that describes the experience of receiving support in specific areas of your life from someone who has experience, skills, and/or training in those areas. It’s related to the broader definition of “coach,” which is a person who supports an individual or team in achieving a specific goal. But in this case, that person is supporting you in the context of having a more joyful and fulfilling life. The term “life coach” – unlike the professional designation “counselor” or “therapist” – is not regulated. Because of this, anyone - regardless of experience or training - can offer coaching. This means that “life coaching” is an incredibly wide umbrella under which you might find such diverse offerings as coaching for productivity and organization, coaching for a healthier lifestyle, coaching for creativity or aesthetics or dating or specific goals (e.g. to write a book), and/or coaching that is more therapeutic in nature and supports challenging transitions, healing, relationships, grief, and trauma resolution. Finding an ethical coach with certifications and training in the area in which you’re looking for support is paramount. For lasting change to occur, there has to be safety and trust in the relationship (which is built over time) and the appropriate professional skill set to meet your needs. Not all coach training and certifications are created equal, so be sure to meet with your coach before signing up for sessions so that they can answer any questions you might have. It is crucial that your needs fall within the coach’s scope of practice – meaning that what they specialize in will safely and effectively meet your needs. Most qualified coaches offer a free introductory call for this purpose, and ethical coaches will refer you to another practitioner if your needs fall outside of their scope of practice.
Somatic
The word “somatic” is an adjective that just means “related to the body.” This word is unregulated and can be used by anyone to describe anything. Just as “trauma” is a trending concept, “somatic” is getting used more and more often by practitioners in various contexts to describe their work. “Somatic” only implies that something will be body-related. Somatic Experiencing® (SE™) is a trademarked term describing a scientifically proven therapeutic modality that supports clients to resolve trauma symptoms. If you’re looking for coaching or therapy that includes awareness and exploration of the bodily and felt senses, look for more than just the word “somatic.” Look for professional designations and/or certifications attached to credible organizations.
Trauma
Trauma is defined as a nervous system response to an event that overwhelmed the system’s ability to self-regulate. Trauma is not in the event; it’s a nervous system response. For this reason, trauma symptoms can arise from a variety of different events. You might hear practitioners refer to “Big-T” and “little-t” traumas, which is a way of normalizing that trauma can occur following a variety of circumstances – not only from obviously traumatic events such as war or abuse, but also seemingly benign events (e.g. a child losing sight of their parent in the mall, a routine medical procedure, losing a job, a fall, a fender bender). In the words of Dr. Peter A. Levine: “Trauma has become so commonplace that most people don’t even recognize its presence. It affects everyone. Each of us has had a traumatic experience at some time in our lives, regardless of whether it left us with an obvious case of post-traumatic stress.” “Trauma is a fact of life. It does not, however, have to be a life sentence. Not only can trauma be healed, but with appropriate guidance and support, it can be transformative. Trauma has the potential to be one of the most significant forces for psychological, social, and spiritual awakening and evolution.”