Dr Noelle Blackman
is a coach, consultant and trainer specialising in the field of trauma informed practice and the role of senior leaders in organisations.
My priorities are to work with organisations, individuals and communities who wish to be part of the change towards making a more compassionate society. One that sees the person first rather than the problems. One that creates what is needed for people to live their best lives, free from permanent fear and trauma.
The focus of my work for many years has been to support autistic people, people with learning disabilities and their families who have experienced extreme trauma. What has become clearer over this time is the extent to which organisations and the people who work in them respond to the emotional pain in people’s lives by defending against being affected by it. This can be seen in the systems and structures that are developed around providing care which, paradoxically, sometimes traumatise and re-traumatise people at their most vulnerable.
My Vision
My work over the last 30 years has led me to focus on the importance of human connection as a fundamental element of wellbeing in all aspects of life.
My vision is to bring human connection through a relational approach into all aspects of health, education and social care in order that organisations and the people who work in them can provide genuinely trauma informed practice.
This includes supporting leaders through coaching and whole organisations through training, reflective practice, consultation and clinical supervision.
Trauma ripples through all relationships it touches, this includes families and organisations. I am keen to focus on enabling organisations to work healthily without burning out their staff, in order that they can really make a difference in the lives of the people they support.
Being human is not easy, there are many struggles that we all face every day. We are all likely to experience trauma in our lives, some people more than others.
There are basic things that many of us are lucky enough to take for granted, that enable us to have a foundation of stability and resilience, so that if we experience a crisis or trauma we are more able to recover and survive. But not everyone has access to these basic needs
I regard the following as basic building blocks of well-being for everyone:
A childhood free from adverse experiences
Somewhere warm and safe that we are able to call home
Nutritious, affordable food
People in their life who they matter to and who matter to them
Physical and psychological safety
Choice over important aspects of life
That their dependents also have access to all of this too
