About Gina | Sexual Abuse Trauma Coach for Women

A little bit about me…

I help women break through the pain and shame of sexual abuse by building a relationship with God. The journey to get me here, as a trauma healing coach for women, has been full of twists & turns. Throughout every stage of my life and career, I’ve always enjoyed helping people. Early in my career, helping people meant working with children. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources with a concentration in Early Childhood Development and a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education.

I’ve worked with kids in many settings, from a nonprofit offering full-time free childcare for single mothers, to volunteer work in Head Start programs. I also taught primary school (kindergarten, first, and second grade) in Title 1 schools where many of my students were children with difficult home lives and dealing with the consequences of living in poverty.

While teaching I began to see a lot of similarities between what my students needed to be successful kids and what I had been learning for myself in my recovery. (Things like how to feel safe, loved, and empowered). I began implementing proven brain science strategies programs for social and emotional learning in my classroom with young children. I was amazed at the miracles I began seeing in my students using techniques such as role-playing and self-regulation strategies for coping and connection. It was so much fun to see their transformation!

Let’s Get to Know Each Otherl

I’ve worked with kids in many settings, from a nonprofit offering full-time free childcare for single mothers, to volunteer work in Head Start programs. I also taught primary school (kindergarten, first, and second grade) in Title 1 schools where many of my students were children with difficult home lives and dealing with the consequences of living in poverty.

While teaching I began to see a lot of similarities between what my students needed to be successful kids and what I had been learning for myself in my recovery. (Things like how to feel safe, loved, and empowered). I began implementing proven brain science strategies programs for social and emotional learning in my classroom with young children. I was amazed at the miracles I began seeing in my students using techniques such as role-playing and self-regulation strategies for coping and connection. It was so much fun to see their transformation!

During my time in graduate school and throughout my teaching career, I also conducted fun, playful, interactive workshops for parents and teachers focused on social and emotional, and brain-based discipline. I enjoyed leading these fun interactive workshops and knew that wherever my career led, I’d be able to use the skills I learned in these workshops to help others.

In 2010, after being in recovery for 7 years, I started having flashbacks of being sexually abused as a child. This was a shock to me, but at the same time, it was also a relief because it explained a lot of why my life had been so chaotic.

I chose to take time off from my career to heal. I had a strong sense that all the issues that I had been facing for so long (such as anxiety, low self-esteem, difficulty relating to those who are in authority, etc.) despite my sobriety were holding me back. I was stuck in fear and the belief that I was “just crazy”. All of this was preventing me from feeling successful in my career and living a joyful life.

During this time off, I decided that I wanted to do something on my own. I wasn’t sure what it was so I took some time praying and worked with a spiritual mentor. She helped me deepen my relationship with God and learn how to hear Him. All of this was preventing me from feeling successful in my career and living a joyful life. I needed a breakthrough.

The Bridge to Breakthroughs is Born

One day while I was praying, both the title of my upcoming book, “The Emptied Heart” and my program titled, “The Bridge to Breakthroughs” and the entire concept came to me quite quickly.

I knew without a doubt that I was meant to be a Trauma Healing Coach and create a coaching program for sexual abuse survivors.

This was backed up by realizations from my healing journey, such as:

No universal group program for women who have been sexually abused exists like AA, ALANON or NAR does for alcoholics and drug addicts
Knowing that it was my relationship with God that helped me for so long in my recovery, I realized that I could not heal from the revelation of childhood sexual abuse on my own. I couldn’t find a program or therapist who included God on that journey of healing from sexual abuse. I either found a spiritual mentor or a therapist but no one incorporated both.
Many therapists don’t have the training in to help people heal from complex chronic PTSD (which many sexual abuse survivors suffer from).

The Bridge to Breakthroughs^© trauma healing coaching program combines all of the proven tools that I know work (since they were effective in my recovery) with in-depth brain science and research around transforming trauma to triumph, so that you can find your breakthrough.

I am ready for breakthroughs

I Understand Your Struggle

I am here to help you if you are suffering with shame from sexual abuse and struggling to find joy in your life.

I get it since I am not just a Trauma Healing Coach, I am also a survivor.

I understand the negative life-altering impact that sexual abuse can have. I’ve experienced psych ward stays, drug addiction, fear of being crazy, suicide attempts, seizure disorder due to dissociation, and repeated abusive relationship patterns.

I get the shame we can feel about what we’ve done to find love and belonging only to end up feeling unsafe, unloved, and alone.

I know what it’s like to feel so ashamed of yourself that you don’t even want to be a “self.” I know what it’s like to feel hopeless and lost, dealing with utter fear that seems suffocating trying to hide the obsessive thoughts of being crazy or not good enough.

I know what it’s like to want to get better and yet still be struggling because you can’t get the help that you need. So many counselors are not informed about chronic complex trauma and as a result, no matter how many hours you spend in therapy you still don’t feel any better or experience breakthroughs.

I understand the longing for freedom from the fear and self-hatred and a safe loving spouse and meaningful work.

I am here to create a safe space for you to say, “Me too,” without feeling paralyzed by shame and fear. I can help you instead understand yourself with compassion and admiration and even start to feel like it’s fun to be you! You can create the joy in your life that God wants for you and that you deserve.

I know what is possible when you experience breakthroughs and overcome shame and suffering since I’ve done it myself. I’m proof of it as I am living a joyful, purpose-filled life.

I have a fulfilling healthy marriage with my husband. The relationship is safe and fun, I feel heard and seen, and we have intimacy and respect. I have two adorable rescue kitties, Buddy (named after Buddy the Elf) and Toast (named after…well, toast!). I love to be outside and enjoy being in the water, especially playing in the ocean. I love my white canvas Ked sneakers. In fact, I’ve gotten a new pair every spring for the last 30 years (even though my twin sister and daughter make fun of me for it and I hate when they get dirty!) I love kickboxing and watching my favorite shows Friends and Impractical Jokers. I have an immensely satisfying career and most importantly I have a profoundly loving relationship with myself and God.

I understand emotionally, spiritually, mentally what you as sexual abuse survivor need to move past your pain. I also understand that healing doesn’t have to be horrific and joy is possible. I am here to empower you to offer that to yourself.

Your peaceful, playful, purposeful life is possible.

Let’s make healing and happiness happen together.

I Am Ready