Hi, I’m Crystal Coates, and I’m so glad you’re here.
For the past 24 years, I’ve lived inside the world of therapeutic caregiving—the real, messy, beautiful, exhausting, hope-filled work of raising children who carry early trauma and often experienced in utero drug exposure.
I am both an adoptive and biological parent, and like many caregivers, I stepped into this journey with a wide-open heart and a fierce desire to help my children heal. What I didn’t expect was how much I would be stretched, reshaped, and challenged along the way.
I became what I lovingly call an “expert mistake maker.” Not because I didn’t care—but because therapeutic parenting is hard, nuanced, and rarely looks like traditional parenting. Over the years, every misstep became information, and every breakthrough—no matter how small—became a lifeline. And so, over 24 years ago I began to immerse myself in researching trauma, attachment theory, child development, evidence-based parenting approaches designed for children with complex histories, and I completed the National Training Initiative provided by the Center for Adoption Support and Education (C.A.S.E.).
Eventually, my lived experience led me to pursue a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology. My personal and professional worlds have informed each other in powerful ways. I understand the science, but I also understand the nights lying awake wondering if you’re doing enough… or too much… or the wrong things entirely. I also learned how difficult it was to find professionals along the way who understood the journey and really knew how to help.
I created this space for caregivers who need what I desperately needed years ago:
A shame-free, judgment-free space
Validation for the emotional reality of parenting kids with trauma
Compassionate guidance that actually works in real homes—not just on paper
Attachment-strengthening tools that honor both the parent’s and the child’s nervous system
Support from someone who truly gets it
If you’re an adoptive, foster, step, or kinship parent navigating big behaviors, trauma responses, attachment wounds, or burnout, you’re not alone—and you’re not failing. You’re carrying something incredibly heavy, and you deserve support that is knowledgeable, practical, and deeply human.
My mission is simple:
To help caregivers show up with confidence and connection, while also tending to their own needs along the way.
You are worthy of support.
Your story matters.
And together, we can build something stronger than trauma—attachment, hope, and meaningful change.
I’m honored to walk beside you.
Coaching Disclaimer:
The coaching services described on this website are not psychotherapy, mental health treatment, medical care, or a substitute for professional counseling. While I bring extensive experience and training in trauma-informed care and parenting, I am not acting as a therapist in my coaching role. Coaching focuses on education, skill-building, insight, and support. If at any time your needs would be better served by mental health treatment, I will provide a referral to a licensed provider.