Orenda: A Global Vision

Hello from Athena! Introducing the Orenda Project

Hello! First and foremost, thank you for your interest in The Orenda Project. I wanted to offer a personal greeting and share more about what Orenda is all about, why I created it, and when registration will launch. As of August 1st 2022, you can register for the course offerings here: https://theorendaproject.mykajabi.com/education.

What is Orenda all about?

The meaning of the word Orenda says it all – it is defined as a mystical or magical quality that exists in all things and allows them to affect change upon themselves and the world around them. Orenda is a term coined by the Iroquois – which reminds me – I would like to acknowledge that Orenda was created on the traditional lands of our Native American peoples, and I would like to pay my respect to elders both past and present.

The term captures how I think about people. I generally assume goodness, strength and capacity in all – my job is to support those I serve in finding their own gifts. I can say with humility that I believe my gift is the ability to see the shining spot in others without having to look very hard. I can also say with confidence that this capacity is not unique to me – it is often shared by others who are drawn to the field of helping.

Orenda goes beyond the individual. The overarching goal is to expand access to informed helpers in the area of trauma on a global scale. The problem we are trying to solve is the worldwide mental health care crisis. There is overwhelming demand and not enough trained people to begin to scratch the surface. This is an even more profound in developing parts of the world.

Orenda aims to help on a large scale by:

– offering scholarships to those who reside in low and middle income countries

-creating a course that is globally accessible + self-paced

-creating a course this is affordable, especially in comparison to other coaching certification courses.

Why Orenda was created

Gosh. Where to begin.

I have specialized in working with trauma and dissociative disorders for 16+ years now. I started Integrative Trauma Treatment Center – or ITTC (www.traumacenternw.com) 10+ years ago.

Prior to that I spent another 15 years working with people with developmental disabilities.

Prior to that, I was a kid with a colorful history.

As part of my work at ITTC, I did a bit of professional travel and offered some trainings on the topic of trauma in Kigali, Rwanda. I will write more about these experiences in future blogs + newsletters (stay tuned!), but the most important thing to share with you is how profoundly open my eyes became to the depths of human capacity in the face of unimaginable tragedy. Additionally, the clientele and staff at ITTC continue to inspire me in ways I cannot even begin to articulate here (but, again, stay tuned…).

There are plenty of people who want to help and are capable of doing so. The vast majority of people around the world do not have access to the educational requirements necessary to be a psychotherapist.

We have to do something. And we can.

Orenda hopes to help Certified Trauma Coaches work with people who have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or related conditions while earning a living for themselves and families.

I also hope that coaches will be utilized by psychotherapists, in schools, in organizations, in hospitals, and in communities. We need to beef up our human resources and while psychotherapy is absolutely necessary, it isn’t enough.

This is the why behind Orenda.The course was designed to be as accessible as possible to as many people as possible.

Certified Trauma Coaches can change the trajectory of the future together. One person at a time.

When will Orenda launch?

Soon! Registration will open August 1st, 2022. Our first live course will occur in September, but meanwhile you can get started on the content right away.

 

You do not need a college education.

You do need a computer or access to one.

You do need access to the internet.

You do need a good heart.

Until we can get the course translated into other languages, you do need to be able to understand and speak English.

And, a desire to be a part of something bigger than yourself wouldn’t hurt!

“You cannot swim for new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore.” ~William Faulkner