There’s a moment so many caregivers and parents know too well.
They’ve completed a Trauma-Informed or TBRI® Caregiver Training.
They believe in the method.
They’ve seen the videos, underlined the workbook, maybe even cried a little in the process.
And then they go home.
The child’s behaviors are still intense.
The family patterns are still old and automatic.
Everyone is tired, and it’s hard to know where to even start.
This is where the TraumaWise Advocate comes in.
Advocates are the people who stand in that gap between “I understand this in theory” and “we’re living it in real time.”
They journey alongside caregivers and help them translate Trauma-Informed and TBRI® principles into daily life in their specific context.
Why the Advocate Role Exists
Over the years, we’ve heard a consistent theme from caregivers, parents, and other adults caring for vulnerable children:
- “I learned the skills, but our patterns are so entrenched—it feels impossible to change.”
- “I believe in TBRI®, but I’m overwhelmed. I don’t know where to start.”
- “I want to use what I’ve learned, but I’m not confident I’m doing it right.”
At the same time, there are so many caring, skilled people who want to support families on the ground:
They’ve completed Trauma-Informed and/or TBRI® trainings.
They’re already walking with families in real life.
But they feel stuck, thinking, “I’m not a Practitioner or a Trainer… so I guess I just cheer from the sidelines?”
The Practitioner and Trainer routes are beautiful—and they’re also time-intensive and often cost-prohibitive for people who simply want to help families now.
The TraumaWise Advocate Program was created to answer both of these needs:
- To give caregivers situation-specific, practical support, and
- to give helpers a clear, ethical, structured way to use their trauma-informed and TBRI® skillset at the ground level.
What Does a TraumaWise Advocate Actually Do?
A TraumaWise Advocate’s main role is to journey alongside caregivers (of any type) who have received Trauma-Informed and/or TBRI® training and help them implement these practices in their real life: their home, classroom, ministry, or community.
They’re not there to judge, diagnose, or take over.
They’re there to coach, support, and walk-with.
In practice, that can look like:
Coaching & Practical Support
- Offering situation-specific coaching when a caregiver is stuck or overwhelmed.
- Observing real-life interactions (with consent) and providing objective, compassionate feedback.
- Helping caregivers identify realistic starting points instead of trying to change everything at once.
- Co-processing Trauma-Informed/TBRI® worksheets, tools, and training materials so they feel usable, not theoretical.
- Supporting goal setting and prioritization so change feels possible and measurable.
Co-Regulating & Encouraging
- Providing emotional, moral, and/or spiritual support when the journey feels discouraging.
- Offering encouragement that is honest and grounded—not fake positivity, but real attunement.
- Helping caregivers notice and celebrate small wins so they can build confidence and momentum.
Coordinating & Communicating
- Helping communicate Trauma-Informed and TBRI® practices to other adults in the child’s world (teachers, relatives, coaches, etc.).
- Participating in team meetings (like IEPs or wraparound meetings) as an advocate, bringing a Trauma-Informed/TBRI® lens to the table.
- Staying aware of resources—sensory tools, calming activities, connection-building games, and shareable videos—that can support everyone involved.
Creating Contexts for Community
- Leading non-clinical, community-based discussion groups (for example, using books like What Happened to You?, The Connected Parent, The Connected Child) in ways that maintain fidelity to the Trauma-Informed and TBRI® lens.
- Helping caregivers feel linked into a wider system of care—their local Trauma-Informed Community and/or TBRI® Collaborative—rather than isolated and alone.
In short: A TraumaWise Advocate helps transform information into living, breathing practice.
The Advocate Training Journey
The TraumaWise Advocate process is relational and community-based, not just a stack of modules to click through.
Over 3–6 months, participants:
- Dive deeply into the understanding and application of Trauma-Informed and/or TBRI® practices and strategies.
- Learn advocacy skills rooted in respect, collaboration, and empowerment (not saviorism or control).
- Practice strengths-based support, learning to see and name what families are doing well—not just what’s hard.
- Engage in a community of fellow learners who are also on the ground with families and vulnerable children.
It’s a journey designed to grow both skill and capacity—so Advocates can be present in ways that are sustainable for them and deeply supportive for the families they serve.
How Advocates Embody TraumaWise Values
TraumaWise Advocates are living expressions of:
- Felt-Safety – They show up predictably, with clear expectations and a non-judgmental presence.
- Connection – They build trust over time, treating caregivers as partners and experts in their own story.
- Co-Regulation – They bring a calmer nervous system into emotionally charged spaces, helping everyone breathe.
Through A.R.C.H.E.S., Advocates practice:
- Authenticity: No pretending, no superiority—just honest, human connection.
- Respect: Honoring the caregiver’s lived experience and agency.
- Compassion: Seeing behaviors as survival strategies, not moral failures.
- Humility: Remembering they are walking with, not standing above.
- Expansive Leadership: Believing leadership belongs to caregivers too, not just “professionals.”
- System Integrity: Helping align what systems say they value with how they actually operate.
Who Is the Advocate Path For?
- You might be a good fit for the TraumaWise Advocate path if:
- You’ve completed Trauma-Informed and/or TBRI® training and keep thinking,
“I wish I could walk with families as they try to live this out.” - Caregivers, teachers, or community members already reach out to you when things are hard.
- You want to support families at the ground level—in homes, classrooms, churches, and community spaces.
- You don’t currently have the capacity (time, finances, season of life) to pursue more intensive Practitioner or Trainer routes, but you still want to use your skills now.
- You feel a quiet, steady pull toward advocacy, encouragement, and practical support.
You do not have to be perfect, healed, or endlessly available to become an Advocate.
You just need a willingness to learn, to listen, and to walk alongside caregivers with compassion and integrity.
A Question for Your Heart
As you read this, notice your body for a moment:
- Do you feel a sense of relief that there’s a role like this?
- Do you feel a spark of “This is what I’ve been trying to do already”?
- Do you sense a nudge that this might be your next step in trauma-informed leadership?
If so, the Advocate path may be the doorway that allows you to put your love, your training, and your lived experience to work in a more structured, supported way.
–> Learn more and apply for the TraumaWise Advocate path → https://traumawise.com/traumawise-advocate-program/
Applications for the upcoming cohort are open until November 30, 2025.
