About Us
Our Mission
Our Vision
Orenda: A supernatural quality believed by the Iroquois to be present in all people and objects that allows them to affect change on themselves or the world around them.
Our Values
Inspiring Change by Skillfully Supporting Survivors of Trauma on a Global Scale
- Altruism: giving is receiving.
- Social Responsibility: if we can do something, we should do something.
- Integrity: do the right thing for the right reason.
a holistic Human-First Approach to Addressing Trauma
The goal of this program isn’t to show you how to “save” people or to give you quick “tricks” to use when supporting trauma survivors.
This is a comprehensive, holistic program based on decades of experience in working with survivors of trauma.
Our goal is to help you empower trauma survivors and support them in a professional capacity - all while making a sustainable living.
Asynchronous
This course is designed to be accessible no matter where in the world youā€™re located. All of the lessons, assignments, and worksheets can be done at a time thatā€™s convenient for you. We will have live sessions to dive deeper into certain topics and help you practice your skills, but most learning will occur on your schedule.
Present-Oriented
orenda Coaches focus on the here and now. Survivors will work with their coaches either as an addition to psychotherapy or on its own in effort to build on strengths of the survivor while working towards goals. Orenda Coaches work with their clients assuming goodness and capacity in all people while building on the unique characteristics of each individual.
Skills-Based
Orenda teaches coaches how to work with their clients on developing Skills to better manage their symptoms. This approach is distinctive from psychotherapy in that there is no engagement with the trauma story. Coaches support their clients in getting stronger, feeling better, and working towards becoming their best selves.
Meet Athena
The Orenda Project:
Our Story
Athena has been working in social services for over 30 years, with the past 17 being dedicated to trauma and related conditions. She founded Integrative Trauma Treatment Center (ITTC) in 2012, which is an outpatient mental health care clinic that provides care for trauma and dissociative disorders. She provides training and consultation for providers who work with these populations and is currently enrolled in a doctoral program in pursuit of her Doctor of Psychology (PsyD). Athena was the developer and presenter of the Multicultural Trauma Training (MTT) in Kigali, Rwanda, which was a platform for mental health care providers to learn about trauma alongside colleagues from the region. Her work locally and internationally has illuminated the scarcity of accessible, quality, mental health supports on a global scale. The Orenda Project was founded as an effort to expand global capacity to provide informed-support to survivors of trauma. The term “Orenda” originated with the Iroquois – it is defined as a magical, mystical characteristic unique to each individual that allows us to influence internal or external change in the face of challenge.
