About
What's in a name?
Coyra/Coira: a Gaelic word meaning churning waters.
I love water, its ability to soothe and invigorate, its ever-changing potential.
It also happens to be an amalgamation of my faithful friends: Coca (feline) and Lyra (canine). The three of us have been on a journey for several years; animals teach us so much. They remind me to reconnect with my own primal needs and to listen to my body. We communicate on a ‘body’ and energetic level that goes beyond any capacity of speech.
My understanding of trauma has been shaped by Lyra’s post-traumatic behaviours and I am indebted to her allowing me to observe her reactions, her uncensored ‘shaking it out’ after an activating event, her self-soothing, her re-regulation. Learning to create a safe space in order to co-regulate with each other has been a daily lesson.
Equally integral, Coca, with her healing purrs and love of sleep reminds me that sometimes I need to sit and watch and rest.
Coaching v. therapy
Having experimented with both, my experience is that therapy-based models are more past-focussed, with an aim of ‘fixing’ or ‘working through’ something in a client/therapist setting. This has value and there are times when I will recommend a more therapy-based route instead of coaching.
Coaching is a partnership led by you. My offering is to hold the space for you, to be alongside you, to contain and hold, to encourage and facilitate your explorations. Our focus will largely begin with the present moment – the topics asking for attention now will serve as a gateway into deeper explorations.
I don’t approach a session with a ‘what’s wrong’ attitude. Rather, my belief is that we are all individuals already in possession of the resources we need to continue our road of self-actualisation. I will support you in learning how to access those resources and then allowing your body to facilitate the natural shifts and next steps.
Credentials
Rebecca Norris
coach | mediator | barrister
Wild at heart: Passionate about all things nature and animal-related. I love growing vegetables. I value rigorous thinking and creativity and am a keen musician with theatrical pursuits. I have seen the transformational effect of body-oriented work in my own life, as well as the lives of those I have had the privilege to support.
Certified body-oriented coach: The Somatic School, accredited by the International Coaching Federation.
Certified in integrative somatic trauma therapy: The Embody Lab, including studying with world-leading experts in trauma such as Dr. Peter Levine & Dr. Pat Ogden.
Co-Founder of Trauma Informed Law: training, empowering, and supporting legal professionals to navigate trauma-based responses
Barrister with 14+ years’ London-based experience: specialising in crime, business crime and financial regulation, representing board-level executives and well-known international corporate institutions in leading litigation and contentious regulatory investigations. I spent time at the independent Bar, employed within legal firms and working in-house for global investment banks.
Thorough understanding of business dynamics: 12+ years representing global corporate institutions including extensive advice in relation to risk, reputation and business-led decision-making, personal experience setting up and running a successful business and charity, attendance at Harvard Law School Executive Education Programme, including completion of multiple MBA modules.
Motivated academic approach and love of learning: First-class law degree, Corpus Christi College, University of Cambridge, with particular interest in jurisprudence and philosophy – the big life questions: why are we here? why do people do what they do? what is the intersection of morality and the law?
Qualified mediator: The Society of Mediators, committed to trauma-informed conflict resolution and communication.
15+ years working with trauma and distress, including:
- working with incarcerated individuals and groups, including those involved in serious gang violence (UK and Jamaica);
- providing support and education in relation to stress, overwhelm and burnout in corporate workplaces;
- developing a programme of support and education in relation to distress and trauma in the context of giving evidence;
- working with individual coaching clients to provide body-oriented coaching specialising in the aftermath of trauma;
- supporting those affected by domestic abuse, including developing education tools and safeguarding policies for leading international law firms; and
- participating in local and global wellbeing committees within corporate institutions.
Commitment to serving to some of our most vulnerable members of society, including:
- co-founding 3 Pillars Project, which develops and delivers sports-based mentoring programmes within the criminal justice system;
- conducting pro bono work in Kingston, Jamaica with disabled inmates and those without legal representation; and
- involvement in multiple death penalty appeal cases.
For further details please see my LinkedIn profile or contact me directly.