Building a bridge
My goal is to build a better bridge between the worlds of fitness & mental health. They are so interconnected and equally valuable, but what I’ve come to realize, is that each side is missing pieces of the puzzle. It's time everyone involved saw the whole picture.
For fitpros
Gain a solid understanding of how trauma impacts us & how fitness can heal or hurt
Learn more...
For counsellors
Gain a solid understanding of the pitfalls of fitness & how you can guide your client
there's never been a more important time to recognize
the fitness & mental health gap
Exercise
When fitpros meet with new clients they often feel helpless when their well-intentioned efforts to help a client reach new levels of fitness, lead to someone feeling worse about themselves and quitting.
You might see a person that needs guidance for matters beyond your scope of practice, & be unaware of the resources you are uniquely positioned to provide through movement.
Mental health
When counsellors suggest exercise as part of a mental health plan, they often do not realize the toxic world they are sending their clients into, or the ways exercise can be triggering after trauma.
You might see vast opportunities for post-traumatic growth in a client who seems resistant or not ready, and be unaware of the real reasons they are avoiding exercise.
The gap
After 10+ years of personal training and my own trauma recovery, it wasn't until I was doing my counselling practicum that I saw the how the two blueprints of fitness & mental health actually overlap.
Having a foot in both worlds allows me to fill in the missing pieces on both sides, as well as provide guidance on how fitpros and counsellors can work together effectively.
the world needs you now
Mental health focused fitness is not about changing our body, it is about reconnecting with our body. The traditional fitness world is often not set up in the most mental health promoting way. Whether you are a fitpro or a counsellor, we can help our clients navigate in a healthier way.
Crossing the Bridge
Both sides understand the connection between our two worlds, but neither side crosses the bridge WITH their client. Let me give you a tour of the other side.
If you are a fitpro...
A 2 day workshop that will give you insight into the tools counsellors are using, and the gaps in their knowledge of fitness that you can provide in a way that will promote emotional healing, instead of triggering.
In both workshops we will cover:
- the impacts of trauma on the brain and what that means for body awareness
- how some of the traditional fitness methodologies can reinforce trauma symptoms and keep clients stuck
- the applications of polyvagal theory in fitness and trauma healing (ANS)
- how the cross-stressor adaptation can build resilience and self-confidence
- awareness of the gender data gap and the harm of not addressing it
- awareness of the racial/patriarchal roots of body image
- the importance of HAES and non-diet approaches to nutrition
- how clients use relationship counselling tools to improve the relationship they have with themselves
Unique to the fitpro workshop:
- how to recognize disordered eating habits and when to refer
- how to use movement to help a client regulate and reconnect with their body
- creating autonomy and safety in your workout programming
- how to discuss adding therapy to your client's health plan
- how what your client discovers in therapy can be expressed in the gym
- discussions of case studies from a trainer perspective
- how to use this knowledge and stay within your scope of practice
* 10 BCRPA CE credits
** next scheduled workshop TBA
***group rates & dates for private groups of 5 or more
If you are a counsellor...
A 2 day workshop that will give you insight into the potentially toxic and abusive tactics of the traditional fitness world that even their trainer might not be aware of, and how you can help your client navigate
In both workshops we will cover:
- the impacts of trauma on the brain and what that means for body awareness
- how some of the traditional fitness methodologies can reinforce trauma symptoms and keep clients stuck
- the applications of polyvagal theory in fitness and trauma healing (ANS)
- how the cross-stressor adaptation can build resilience and self-confidence
- awareness of the gender data gap and the harm of not addressing it
- awareness of the racial/patriarchal roots of body image
- the importance of HAES and non-diet approaches to nutrition
- how clients use relationship counselling tools to improve the relationship they have with themselves
Unique to the counsellor workshop:
- the correlation between traditional fitness and disordered eating
- help your client understand why certain types of fitness aren't feeling good
- help your client gain confidence to advocate for themselves in the gym
- help your client find a trauma informed trainer or fitness routine
- how your client's gym experiences can be translated in the therapy room
- discussions of case studies from a counsellor perspective
- how to use this knowledge and stay within your scope of practice
** offered upon request with minimum 3 participants
***group rates for private groups of 5 or more
Do we need trauma informed fitness?
As a fitpro, you are in a unique position to be of service. People often feel stigma around seeking counselling, or feel they cannot afford it. But they will go to the gym to change their life by getting fit.
Reason #1
global increase in domestic violence up 25-33% in 2020 *
Reason #3
1 in 4 Canadian adults were screening positive for anxiety, depression, PTSD in 2021 ***
Reason #2
1 in 5 people have lost a loved one to Covid as of 2020 **
Reason #4
70% of people who could benefit from mental health services will NOT get it ****
As a counsellor, you probably know these stats and you know the value of therapy. What you might not know is how much more effective you can be when clients are able to express what they are learning about themselves through movement in a fitness setting. And if you can work WITH a trauma informed fitpro, there is a lot that comes up in the gym which can be translated in your office.
Welcome to
the KLP
I'm Kate and here's the nitty gritty. I am a certified personal trainer and a registered professional counsellor. I have specialized training for trauma recovery in both fields.
My goal is to share what I have learned from trainings and personal experience in an easy to understand way that will allow you to create more healing journeys for your clients and perhaps even yourself.
Optional bonus training
In my opinion, separating trauma from the unique challenges of a female practicing fitness in a patriarchal society, is impossible.
FULL DAY ADD ON SPECIAL FOR BOTH FITPROS & COUNSELLORS
where feminism meets fitness
If you work with people who identify as female, the term 'optional training' is misleading; this is 100% necessary.
The gender data gap means that the majority of exercising women are trying to force their body to follow programs that were never designed for them.
The societal appearance pressures placed on women from a young age are why we will dive deeper into how Intuitive Eating principles influence trauma recovery.
Body Image
Understanding the racial and patriarchal roots of body image will change how you approach this topic with your clients whether you are a fitpro or a counsellor
Fitness Considerations
If you are a fitpro, you will learn how to build programs for the unique considerations of female bodies. If you are a counsellor, you will learn how to bring awareness of these considerations and how to normalize them.
Women and trauma
We will discuss trauma and abuse as it affects women and how what we discussed in the original workshop applies to this one.
FAQ's for fitpros
What will I get out of this?
not doughnuts - this is virtual ;)
Fitness is rarely just about toning up or losing weight for people. It's about the desire to FEEL different and believing that changing their body can achieve that.
As a trauma informed trainer, you have the opportunity to teach people how they can FEEL different in one workout WITHOUT changing their body.
This workshop is not just about giving you the tools you can share with your clients to do that, it is about giving you the confidence to step out of the traditional 'trainer knows best' role, and allow the client to be the expert of themselves.
Plus 10 CEC's through BCRPA
(If you are registered through a different organization, I am happy to chat with them about whether or not this can provide CEC's)
Does this make me a counsellor?
Definitely not.
And don't worry, the goal is not to put you in situations where you are acting like one.
BUT, as trainers, we are often confided in about the deepest, darkest secrets of our client's body. I've heard deeply personal stories about sexual assault, abortion, chemotherapy... and obviously these experiences have a holistic impact.
This puts us in a unique position to influence how someone relates to their body after trauma. The goal of this workshop is to give you understanding of how you CAN help, and give you tools to navigate those situations without stepping outside your scope of practice.
Will I be certified?
the wild west
There is not currently a standard set for what being a trauma informed trainer means and the first evidence based studies are not set to be released until summer 2022.
So no, this is not a certification program...yet. As things progress, my ultimate goal would be to have this as a specialization or certification, and your investment now would grandfather you in.
Because this is the 'wild west' days of trauma informed fitness, I am offering legitimate counselling insight into the intersection of trauma and fitness, and will provide a badge you can use in your marketing to show that you have invested in this field and are up to date on the latest knowledge. (You can get CEC's now)
Is there ongoing support?
100% YES!
This will not be a 2 day workshop and then you're left to your own devices. You will be getting all the info you learn in a member portal that you can come back to and access at any time.
You will get updated info as we learn more.
You will get ongoing access to me as well as other trauma informed trainer groups.
You will get marketing ideas and support to bring awareness of what trauma informed fitness is to the public.
I envision this as a collaborative team, rather than competition for customers.
Take a tour of the other side
Be on the cutting edge of holistic trauma healing and learn how to meet your fitness or mental health counterpart in the middle, so you can both get your client faster results through collaboration or referral.
Imagine a world where someone recovering from trauma can truly integrate their mental health and fitness worlds with a coach and counsellor who not only speak the same trauma informed fitness language, they speak to each other. There is so much that happens in the gym that can be used in a therapy room and vice versa.
If you've taken this training, (or a similar training), I'd love to add you to a directory of trauma informed fitness professionals who want to connect with each other.
Have you taken the free intro yet?