Relational Coaching

 

The conversation around Trauma Informed Practice is trending in education, the mental health and social services professions. Global initiatives and  legislation have begun to form as knowledge around the impact of trauma, and who is affected,  grows. Living Strong Consulting, LLC is at the forefront of connecting Trauma Informed Practices and Cultural Competencies in communities and agencies. Dr. Veirdre Jackson, CEO & Founder of Living Strong Consulting, LLC and the Relational Coaching team, work closely with clients to assist in implementing strategically planned SMART Goals that create systemic stability, sensitivity and safety for all stakeholders. Our Relational Coaching Model provides a hands-on approach that promotes growth by cultivating a Safe, Valued and Heard environment.  

By developing a common language around what it means to be Safe, Valued, and Heard, all stakeholders have the permission to share their perspectives  and gain understanding of the positions of those they work with through active listening strategies. This allows the Relational Coaching Team  to support  organizations in forging an awareness around adversity, toxic stress, bias, culture, inclusion, and equity - in order to encourage healthy growth, support, and lasting change. Cultural Competence is a key factor in creating a Safe, Valued, and Heard environment.  Achieving or approaching cultural competence within an organization, school, or community requires systematic change.  Coaches work to create a framework for professional development, leadership development, climate change, and community engagement.  Living Strong provides the unique ability to create a plan specific to the client through assessments that involve staff participation and feedback. By developing a clear implementation strategy, Living Strong Relational Coaches assist in creating an environment that is conducive to forging connections around trauma sensitivity, cultural awareness, inclusion and equity that encourages healthy growth, support and change.   

 

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Relational Coaching with Living Strong Consulting, LLC is a collaborative partnership between organizational leadership, administration, teams, and the surrounding community. Trained coaches provide support on the use of effective teaching practices, community interaction, and overall culture. 

 

Living Strong coaches work in depth to address entrenched thoughts, behaviors, and emotions that affect climate and culture.  The Relational Coaching process also uses a variety of tools to assess climate, cultural competency, strengths, and areas of growth.  This allows for a  tailored, client-specific plan in every area of need.  Realizing that these areas of operation are codependent on one another, Living Strong has developed a specific process for each area that creates cohesion that will allow them to function well, not only individually, but as a whole.

 

The Relational Coaching Model 

 

Relational Coaching builds a bridge between learning about a Culturally Competent  Relational Coaching is a flexible tool used for meeting the individual needs of companies as they develop best practices. Quality coaching leads to quality staff which results in competent practices!

 

 Goals:

 

• The professional development format and coaching support is designed to increase comfort level, knowledge and skill in engaging administrative teams, staff, parents, and students in conversations about trauma informed competencies and cultural sensitivity

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• The tools and resources of each professional development experience and coaching session are designed to enhance bonding and classroom overall climate, increase  engagement and build positive relationships in order to foster a climate where bias and re-traumatization, due to lack of awareness and understanding, are minimized

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• SMART Goals are  formulated to meet the unique needs of each client. Using the SMART goal acronym (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time Based) creates clear and concise implementation.

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Implementation:

 

Living Strong Consulting uses a Steps of Growth model for coaching administrators, teachers, support staff and students from the place of being hindered to a place of intentional, practice, progress and growth. When working with any educational team, we want them to think deeply about an intentional process for moving through a change project, not just tips and tricks that are often a quick fix and short term.  

 

So often, the mistake is made… "Well, you heard what you need to do so now you should be doing it”... And staff leave a training experience excited but then become disappointed or frustrated with themselves and their teaching experience, because they heard what to do but aren’t seeing the change. In reality, just knowing information only moves a person out of the basement to a place of awareness. There is an entire step to the process that is often missed, and that step is "gaining understanding”,  in order to make informed changes to create intentional, effective action. Through building level assessments, input, and collaboration from teams, we seek to impact climates, classroom practices and educational staff’s capacity, confidence and competence. Coaches present practical steps to examine where teams are, to become aware of what is in their way, in order to gain understanding of functional and dysfunctional patterns and create a plan for action, to create reflective practices from lessons learned, thus foster replication.

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