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Aware NL

Advocating for survivors. Helping those silenced find their voice.

Trauma Awareness Educator, Certified Trauma Recovery Coach & Registered Cardiology Technologist

Empowering organizations, communities & individuals through trauma-informed education. Contact me today to inquire about my virtual and in-person workshops for your organization and private trauma recovery coaching

01/07/2026

Feedback like this from participants of my Trauma Awareness Educational workshops is part of the reason I keep going 🤍🙏

Now taking bookings for workplace events for February and March.

Contact Denise today ✅

01/06/2026

A gentle reminder for anyone who has a trauma survivor in your life….

You don’t need to fix them.
You are not responsible for their healing.
They don’t need you to solve all of their problems or issues.

All they need is…

For you to not add to their already existing stress, sadness or fear

For you to stay calm, kind and gentle when they are having HUGE emotions

Keep your tone of voice gentle and calm when responding (they have a heightened sense of any changes in your tone of voice or body language)

A safe person who makes them feel like it’s ok to share their emotions

A long hug goes all long way for those who enjoy physical comfort

A small kind gesture to show you care

To not have their feelings and experiences in that moment be met with judgement, anger or unkind comments

To have their feelings validated even if you don’t understand- acknowledge it’s ok to feel and express

Lots and lots of love

It’s really NOT that complicated even when your person is.

When loved correctly, feeling safe is the ONLY and BEST thing you can offer.

I had to reshare this video and I’ve watched it over and over. To witness that little girl go from so sad to so calm just by someone holding space for her and using a gentle voice to communicate was so beautiful.

What if we as adults, behaved this way towards each other during difficult moments? Image how our relationships would change for the better.

Bring on the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (I’m not talking about sandwiches) 😉

01/03/2026

The power of a hug for someone who needs it is his highly underrated

01/02/2026

Here’s the part we often miss —

when someone is struggling, shutting down, reacting big, or pulling away…

it’s rarely “𝘣𝘢𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘳.”

It’s often a 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘂𝗺𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲. ( I k this first hand because I’ve experienced this myself as a trauma survivor)

Our nervous systems learn to protect us in moments of overwhelm, fear, or unmet needs.

What looks like distance, anger, or disconnection is often a signal saying: “𝙄 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡 𝙨𝙖𝙛𝙚 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙣𝙤𝙬.”

In relationships, this can show up as:

• 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙙𝙧𝙖𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙜
• 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚-𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜
• 𝙙𝙚𝙛𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨
• 𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙨𝙝𝙪𝙩𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣
• 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙨𝙠

Healing doesn’t come from shame, anger, or pressure.

It comes from attunement, patience, and presence.

Sometimes the most powerful thing we can offer is not advice —

but regulated energy, compassion, and steadiness.

❌ You don’t have to fix people.

❌ You don’t have to rescue them.

✅ You can simply sit with them until their light feels safe to return.

If this resonates, here’s your gentle reminder…. you’re not broken — you’re human.

I’ve been there too.

And you don’t have to navigate healing alone.

💙 Follow .w.a.r.e.nl for trauma-aware education

💜 DM me if you’re ready for support through trauma-informed coaching

💚 Save or share this with someone who needs a little light today

12/31/2025

Sending love to those who are struggling in silence.

May 2026 bring you healing, peace, unconditional love, happiness and contentment.

12/28/2025

Have you ever had a panic attack and been made feel worse by someone you love who did not respond well?

12/26/2025

It’s okay to not be “Merry and bright” when you are navigating some big life things.

Sometimes all you need is time to feel

12/19/2025

When the body tightens, it’s not asking to be pushed through.
�It’s asking to be noticed.

So many of us were taught to override our instincts to stay safe, connected, or accepted.

Over time, the body learned to speak in tension instead of words.

That tight chest.�That held breath.�That sudden heaviness.
It isn’t a flaw — it’s information.

I explore this more deeply in my latest newsletter, “Tapping into Resilience” (sign up today), and blog, “The Awareness Hub” on our website. We dive deeper into cognitive dissonance, trauma, and why listening to the body matters for healing and for the spaces we work and live in.

👉 Read the full post (link in bio)
�👉 Follow .w.a.r.e.nl for trauma-aware education
� � � � � awarenl

12/17/2025

The number one question I often get about my business after people ask what it is that I do … is this …

“What is trauma recovery coaching?”

My initial answer is always “What it’s NOT”:

It’s not therapy, counselling, or diagnosing

This is it… in a nutshell.

It’s support on a peer to peer level. It can be supplemental to therapy or counselling.

It is working through a client-led experience alongside a coach who is professionally educated and extensively trained on trauma and recovery.

This coach just happens to also have lived experience as a trauma survivor who specializes in nervous system regulation and complex trauma

Have questions? Drop me a message 🥰

🎥

12/12/2025

Some days there are “simple” solutions to regulate your nervous system. (Even when you didn’t know you needed it)

Today it was this. Simple, but profound ♥️

11/06/2025

Safety isn’t something you can demand……it’s something you create.

You can’t force safety into existence.
It’s built slowly—layer by layer—through trust, compassion, and understanding.

In trauma-aware spaces, safety isn’t a checklist, it’s a practice.

It grows every time we listen without judgment, hold space without fixing, and choose empathy over assumption.

💬 How are you building safety—in yourself, your relationships, or your workplace?

11/03/2025

𝘐 𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 ‘𝙗𝙧𝙤𝙠𝙚𝙣’…….

For years, I believed my people-pleasing meant I was weak.

My perfectionism meant I was controlling.

My overthinking meant I was broken.

What I didn’t know then — is that they were trauma responses.

Parts of me that developed to stay safe when safety wasn’t guaranteed.

Healing taught me that what I once saw as flaws… were actually signs of resilience.

Now, when those old patterns show up, I don’t shame them — I listen to them.

Instead of shaming myself for feeling ‘too much’ or being ‘too empathetic, I remind myself that my heart is not the same as those who haven’t lived through my experiences.

I see people, their behaviours and reactions beyond their pain.

Feeling deeply allows me to see people through a lens of love instead of judgement.

Instead of thinking that’s a flaw, I reframe it to acknowledge it’s actually a superpower that gives me the ability to really ‘see’ people and hold a safe space to allow them to feel.

To understand reactions are often responses to not feeling safe.

Can you relate? What’s something you once saw as a “flaw” that you now recognize as a trauma response?

Share in the comments — your story might help someone else feel seen.

(𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘶𝘮𝘢 𝘙𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘊𝘰𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 3 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘷𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘴. 𝘋𝘔 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭.)

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Torbay, NL

Website

http://www.awarenl.com/

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