It’s like God is saying…not yet.

I have been working on a different blog for half a week, and it will not let me write it. Have you ever experienced that?

What is a writer to do when that happens? Well, for me, it is time to speak from the heart. I got my certification as a Trauma Recovery Coach in 2022 with the intent of retiring from the corporate world and following my calling to help trauma survivors be successful in the workplace.

As a trauma survivor, I knew I needed to move slowly to stay within my window of tolerance and not overwhelm my nervous system by trying to work two full-time jobs. I hired coaches to help me gain confidence in writing blogs…thank you, Shirley Davis, and to help me set up my business processes and marketing…thank you, Lisa Maki. I am so grateful for them and all my advisors and peers who have encouraged me and recognized my vision.

When I started working with Lisa to set up my business, I realized I needed a clear and understandable brand. What was I? Was I a trauma recovery coach for trauma survivors in the workplace? Was I a trauma-informed career coach…I was much more than that. Was I a career coach for trauma survivors?

I was able to align my purpose with my lived experience

It has been a process to clearly define who I am and my purpose, but it has been rewarding. I went to the Lord and asked Him to clarify my purpose and mission…and He did. I was able to align my purpose with my lived experience.

I understand what it’s like to struggle with the legacy effects of trauma in my career. I know what it’s like to think there’s something wrong with me because I am not moving up like those younger and less experienced. I know how it feels to be passed over for promotions, to be told to stay in my lane, to be hushed up and told to stand down. I know what it’s like to be unable to regulate my emotions when my manager steals my idea and presents it as his own. I know what it’s like when you don’t get credit or titles for what you know while having newcomers enter the scene who don’t know a thing and being required to train them, and they make more than me. I know what it’s like not to have people willing to invest in me because of the armor I wore that kept people away. I know what it’s like to not feel like I belong in my own company and on my own team. I know what it’s like to not feel like you can trust anyone, especially leadership. I know how frustrating it can be to do everything you can to be promoted, and it’s never good enough.

I get it. Trauma affects us in our careers and how we see ourselves. It causes us to settle for roles we are overqualified for because other people lack the vision to see our brilliance and our capabilities. It causes us to have Imposter Syndrome on steroids and believe that we are not worthy of the promotion we worked so hard for. It causes us to feel threatened when someone offers constructive criticism of our work. It causes us to feel like we are not enough if we can’t hit perfection every time.

That is what it’s like…and it is exhausting. We often go through this alone because we are too ashamed to share our painful thoughts with people. We spend most of our lives working and white-knuckling it through the workweek.

I am emotional right now because the passion is so strong, but I will let the tears flow freely as I share my heart with you. I don’t want all that struggle for you. We have already struggled and survived so much; how is it fair that we continue to be impacted by what we survived?

“I am over you, trauma. You are not going to defeat me.”

I want survivors to be able to look trauma in the face and say, “I am over you, trauma. You are not going to defeat me.” I want to pour myself and what I know into survivors so they can understand what success feels like.

As a trauma recovery career coach, I come alongside you to help you work through the legacy effects of trauma that are showing up in your present and are holding you back from achieving your career goals. This is NOT just a trauma-informed approach, where we create workarounds for trauma symptoms; this is a trauma recovery approach, where we work through those things to resolve them.

I am not going to lie, it will take some work, but it helps to have the support of someone who has been on the same path, just like I did when I hired my coaches.

I want so badly to invest in your career success, but the question I have for you is: Are you willing to invest in yourself? What will it take to convince yourself that you are worth the investment? What will it take to convince yourself that you matter, your voice matters, your story matters, and your life matters? Are you going to show up for yourself? Are you going to advocate for yourself?

That is my heart, and I needed to share that with you. You don’t have to do this work alone. I am here to help. If you are unsure yet but want to stay informed on the programs, tools, and training I offer, sign up for my mailing list.

If you’d like to work with me, you can contact me for a free discovery call. I would love to hear from you and get to know you even more. Until next time, my friends.

Guest Post Disclaimer: Any and all information shared in this guest blog post is intended for educational and informational purposes only. Nothing in this blog post, nor any content on CPTSDfoundation.org, is a supplement for or supersedes the relationship and direction of your medical or mental health providers. Thoughts, ideas, or opinions expressed by the writer of this guest blog post do not necessarily reflect those of CPTSD Foundation. For more information, see our Privacy Policy and Full Disclaimer.

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Cyndi Bennett

Believer. Leader. Learner. Advocate. Writer. Speaker. Coach. Mentor. Triathlete. Encourager. Survivor.
 
Most of all, I am a fellow traveler on the rocky road called, Trauma Recovery. My mission is to minimize the effects of trauma for survivors in the workplace.