Trauma-informed support and resources for Beauty Professionals and their clients.
Beauty Professionals interact with their clients in tender, gentle ways that convey trust and care, which facilitates people opening up and talking about serious aspects of their lives.
I'm Chavisa (sha-vee-sah).
I'm delighted to offer you trauma-informed coaching and consulting.
This beauty industry support service is for you to improve looking after yourself, and it is a resource for you to better assist your clients.
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My work is personalized, confidential and 1:1. I help navigate self-care, stressors, and challenges you may face. I can support you with your own trauma and exposure to client's stressors and trauma.
I teach professionals - in Vancouver and all over the world - how to look after themselves and support and serve their clients and team members through a trauma-informed lens.
Who I Work With
My services are intended for a full spectrum of front-end employees, managers, and leaders. I welcome individuals who want to amplify their capacity.
I am also a resource for you to offer your clients who are struggling
and would benefit from support.
Chavisa's Credentials and Memberships
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An interdisciplinary Master’s degree in social sciences
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A Graduate Diploma in adult education
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Specialization in Gender-Based Violence, Hidden Abuse, Financial Abuse and Post-Separation Abuse
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Certified Trauma Recovery practitioner (CTRC)
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Certified Divorce Coach (International Coaching Federation, CDC)
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Breastfeeding for Health Professionals (LEARRC)
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Certified Jikiden Reiki practitioner (Okuden 奥傳 Level)
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Trauma of Money (TOM certification in progress)
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Ongoing training including trauma-informed interventions and addressing financial abuse.
This expertise allows me to deliver tailored, holistic, comprehensive solutions.
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As a trauma-infomed subject-matter expert, I utilize academic, professional, and lived expertise, including:
Here's what the research says...
"Beauty Professionals reflected somewhat humorously on just how much clients divulged to them...
‘You immediately tell your hairdresser too much, there is no six-month dating period. It’s like date number one, here’s all my darkest secrets and then you progress from there.’
Yet there was also a very serious element to what was sometimes disclosed by clients – which, according to the workers interviewed, included everything from daily stresses, to intimate partner abuse, terminal illness, gender identity issues, mental health concerns...
Addressing the silence: Utilising salon workers to respond to family violence, 2023
Lighten your load.
Resources for your Clients
My goal is to help alleviate pressure within the network.
I provide trauma-informed support services to your colleagues and clients, so you can stay focused on your area of expertise.
If you have a colleague or client who’s struggling and would benefit from added support, feel free to refer them my way.
Want resources? We can send you brochures and discreet stickers for your work washroom.
The prevalence of trauma means that workplaces are affected.
It impacts us, our clients, our colleagues, and our workplace interactions and can, unfortunately, occur in the workplace.
Recognizing and understanding the signs and symptoms and responding to these prevalent experiences can help ease the harm.
It all starts with educating and working on ourselves.
Want tailored training?
These educational workshops are tailored to the realities of Beauty Professionals.
Trauma-Informed Support
I provide confidential, personalized emotional, logistical and practical support, including:
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Emotional processing, including client disclosures
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Staying grounded and centred during emotional intensity
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Navigating challenges: strategic problem-solving
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Skillfully supporting and responding to clients and colleagues
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Communicate in a trauma-informed manner to respond compassionately
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Responding appropriately when someone discloses a traumatic experience
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Incorporating safety considerations
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Stress Management
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Skilled support before and after challenging interactions
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Holistic trauma processing and recovery
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Resources
Benefits:
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Experiencing non-judgmental, compassionate support, help, and care when going through hardship helps reduce the feeling of burden and increases the sense of relief.
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People going through trauma do better with skilled support.
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Increase emotional healing, become healthier, more grounded, and attuned to enhance resilience and wellbeing.
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Increase feelings of motivation, knowledge, empowerment, engagement, and encouragement.
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Access to insightful resources.
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Increases safety, security, and trust in the workplace's ability to support all staff.
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Develop trauma-informed skills and capacity, fostering safety and supportiveness.
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Learn best practices to prevent missteps and help create trauma-informed workplaces.
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Help workplaces avoid labour and resource losses that have an economic impact.
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Identify workplace champions to advance a trauma-informed work environment.
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Evidence-based practices and strategies that foster hope help.
Our services are evidence-informed.
Research findings on trauma in this industry:
2023
Addressing the silence: Utilising salon workers to respond to family violence,
"...Salon workers occupy a unique role with clients (Hill and Bradley, 2010), and it is in the intimate space of the salon that strong client–worker relations involving trust can develop over repeat visits (Eayrs, 1993; Garzaniti et al., 2011). Given the intimate aspects of salon work, it is unsurprising that research shows clients who have experienced family violence are likely to divulge their experiences to salon workers (Beebe et al., 2018; Divietro et al., 2016)."
2023
‘They Didn’t Want to Upset the Client’: Stalking in Hands-on Occupations
"The findings provide empirical research that often young women who work in this industry are impacted significantly by stalking behaviour. Furthermore, these women find it difficult to assert themselves in these roles due to gender differences, patriarchal standards, and toxic work culture."
2023
Vicarious Trauma
"...the trauma she encountered through the people she was taking care of at work was directly impacting her personal life."
2023
“Ain't about the money, ain't about the haircut”: Experiences of servant leadership in black-owned barbershops and beauty salons during the COVID-19 pandemic
"...the pandemic impacting their clients’ mental health...adverse mental health impact was also seen on the stylist as a whole. Another beautician revealed the coping strategies she had to employ when dealing with what her clients might divulge in her chair, potentially leading to her own emotional and mental distress."
"The barber is kind of a friend … in many ways is a counselor, a sounding board. They’re people that are pretty much at every milestone of your life - you go to the barbershop before you get married, before you have a job interview, graduation, unfortunately funerals, any milestone you could think of people frequent the barbershop and go see their barber."
2021
The Mediating Effect of Grit in the Relationship between Resilience and Job Satisfaction of Hairdressers
"...the grit of hairdressers was found to be higher as the age of the hairdresser was older and as the experience of working in the beauty industry increased. As a result of analyzing the mediating effect of grit between resilience and job satisfaction, resilience has a significant effect on grit, grit has a significant effect on job satisfaction...the industry needs to develop and operate various programs that can improve grit in order to improve the job satisfaction of hairdressers."
2021
Hairdressers as a source of social support: A qualitative study on client disclosures from Australian hairdressers’ perspectives
"Hairdressing is one of the few non-health professional occupations where workers physically interact with clients, who are often comfortable in confiding private information to them...as informal confidants...clients disclose information about family, health, identity, mental health and women's health.
...blurring role boundaries; behaving like a therapist and, providing a place of safety and advice, while also maintaining confidentiality. Hairdressers reported feeling undervalued, emotionally drained, and in need of support in their role,"
2020
Trauma-informed care and cultural humility in the mental health care of people from minoritized communities,
"Trauma could be considered a public health crisis due to the frequency and effect trauma has on society."
Offering Customized Trauma-Informed Workshops and Coaching for Beauty Professionals
Tailored to you.
These confidential, personalized one-on-one coaching sessions empower employees and leaders to gain trauma-aware and trauma-informed knowledge, skills, and support. Each holistic, evidence-based session offers practical guidance to strengthen communication and leadership, so you can skillfully assess and manage situations and foster a supportive, responsive work environment.
Learn to recognize trauma signs, communicate effectively, stay grounded during emotional intensity, and avoid problematic interactions that could lead to HR issues. We also integrate basic neurobiology and practical resources—benefiting your own growth. Sessions are available virtually or in person.
We lead specialized workshops on trauma-informed practices tailored to your unique environment. Drawing from academic, professional, and lived expertise, our holistic, evidence-based sessions empower your team to implement trauma-informed principles and policies that integrate seamlessly into daily operations, increasing safety and compassion.
When all staff understand how to recognize and respond appropriately to trauma, they gain tools for wellness, resilience, and longevity—as well as best practices that reduce conflict and address costly HR challenges. These skills help teams thrive. Each session is delivered virtually or in person.
We lead specialized workshops on holistic trauma recovery tailored to your unique environment. Drawing from academic, professional, and lived expertise, our evidence-based sessions empower you to recognize, respond to, and support those experiencing trauma—given trauma's prevalence these skills work to support yourself, your team, and the patients and clients you serve.
Learn to identify signs of trauma, respond effectively, and apply practical somatic techniques that deescalate in order to reduce secondary trauma exposure. These critical life skills enhance wellbeing, resilience, and create a safer, more supportive environment. Each session is delivered virtually or in person.
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The Red Flags workshop helps people spot early warning signs and predictive indicators of abuse or violence in relationships. It teaches how to recognize patterns, act before things get worse, and build skills to keep yourself and others safe.
Sessions are available for individuals and professionals in flexible formats and locations.
This practical training is designed to empower healthy choices and early intervention.
We lead specialized workshops addressing gender-based violence, tailored to your unique setting. Drawing from academic, professional, and lived expertise, we help workers recognize, respond to, and support those impacted—whether it’s a colleague or the clients they serve.
The prevalence of gender-based violence means every workplace is affected. Learn to effectively identify signs, respond compassionately, and use best practices to help ameliorate harms. These skills support staff wellness and workplace culture, while reducing harm and HR issues. Each session is delivered virtually or in person.
Gain deep insight into high-conflict divorce and learn how to respond with clarity and care. These holistic, evidence-based workshops are designed for professionals and draw from academic, professional, and lived expertise.
You’ll gain practical strategies, somatic tools, and trauma-informed approaches to better support those impacted—while reducing harm and HR issues in your workplace. Each session is tailored to your environment and delivered virtually or in person.
We offer a comprehensive suite of trauma-informed services for organizations seeking in-depth, sustained transformation over 9–12 months. Guided by academic, professional, and lived expertise, our integrated program includes an audit, foundational 101 workshops, in-depth workshops, one-on-one coaching, off-site trauma-recovery retreats, and weekly workplace maintenance and restoration sessions.
This evidence-based approach supports your team through every stage, fostering a more resilient, supportive, and trauma-informed organization. All services are tailored to your environment and delivered virtually or in person.
Advance your career with our training for trauma-informed professionals. Designed to help you integrate trauma-informed practices, this evidence-based program empowers you to manage teams more effectively and foster a supportive, responsive work environment.
Gain the skills to address and lessen HR challenges while enhancing organizational wellbeing and team performance. Training is tailored to your needs and delivered virtually or in person.
For more information, including fees, availability and promotional materials, please contact us to discuss.
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