Evie Rose, Voices From the Scars
Introduction: This capstone examines various coping mechanisms and survival strategies utilized by individuals who have experienced repeated sexual trauma. Sexual trauma can have severe and long-lasting effects on survivors, impacting their emotional, mental, and physical well-being. Understanding these defense mechanisms provides vital insights for both the client and the coach that can further facilitate the psychotherapeutic healing process.
Significance: Understanding that the behaviors I had once viewed as dysfunctional were, in fact, brilliant survival mechanisms changed everything for me. It allowed me to release shame and self-blame, and instead embrace compassion for the parts of myself that fought so hard to stay alive. As I moved through my healing, I found myself more able to offer that same compassion and clarity to my clients. The recognition that trauma responses are not signs of weakness, but signs of strength, became a turning point in both my personal growth and my professional work. Gestalt enables clients to recognize their inner processes while developing connections with other people. It enabled me to accentuate the impact of somatic awareness on my healing journey with Gestalt.
Purpose: The intent of this capstone is twofold. The first is to document my personal transformation as I explored the unconscious patterns that shaped my life and chose to intentionally shift them. And secondly, to share the impact of this process on my work with clients, particularly how identifying and reframing coping strategies created space for growth, healing, and empowerment in their lives as well.
Setting and Participants: The setting is a private, individual coaching session with Melisa Pearce, psychotherapist and founder of the Equine Gestalt Coaching Method™ (EGCM™), that occurred on the Touched by a Horse™ (TBAH™) campus located in Elizabeth, Colorado. This trauma-informed environment created a safe space for deep self-exploration. I was the client in this session, which became the foundation for insight and change in both my personal journey and client practice.
Capstone Description/Process: In November 2020, I had a coaching session with Melisa Pearce, who used Gestalt principles to help me explore my coping mechanisms and the survival strategies I developed in response to past trauma. These strategies had protected me, but I needed to understand them better.
Melisa helped me to stay present, leading to valuable insights about the body-mind connection. I learned to listen to my body’s messages and worked through areas that I had been hiding. At one point, my body shook uncontrollably, and I felt an urge to flee. However, with Melisa’s support, I knew that I was safe.
In a later session, when Melisa asked me a question, I struggled to comprehend her words, feeling lost and dissociated due to past trauma. Gestalt therapy helped me confront my “unfinished business,” enabling me to be present and evaluate whether my patterns still served me. This process allowed me to shift from unconscious reactions to conscious awareness.
I later introduced this approach to my clients, helping them identify their coping behaviors, explore their origins, and decide if these behaviors were beneficial. Together, we focused on building self-trust and resilience for healthier responses.
Capstone Results/Impact: This process brought about powerful changes in my life and in the lives of my clients. I became more present, grounded, and aware of how trauma lived in my body and behaviors. Clients began to name their patterns without shame and recognized how these responses had protected them. We all began to move from reaction to choice; from a place of surviving to one of living fully. Emotional regulation and self-compassion increased, while judgment and confusion decreased. The most impactful realization was that I am not broken. I am someone who survived, adapted, and is now choosing to heal. This reframe became a source of strength, and it changed how I live and work every day. With this new insight and understanding, I was able to let go of self-criticism and judgment. The use of my coping mechanisms and survival strategies was transformational by providing me with the protection I needed to process and release my trauma.
Capstone Evaluation: I evaluated this capstone through reflective journaling, professional feedback, and observed changes in my clients. The increased ability to self-regulate, name emotional responses, and use intentional tools instead of old coping strategies marked the progress made. Client feedback confirmed a deeper emotional presence and greater self-empowerment.
Future Directions: I will continue incorporating trauma-informed tools into my coaching work, particularly those rooted in somatic awareness, Gestalt, and the Posttraumatic Growth framework. I have developed trauma-sensitive retreats and continue sharing this work with others.
Acknowledgments: I am deeply grateful to Melisa Pearce for her wisdom and for holding space in a way that allowed me to feel seen, safe, and supported. Thank you to my clients, who inspire me with their courage and vulnerability, and to the Touched by a Horse community and coaches for walking this path with me. To Jaclyn and Thomas Manzione for their editing efforts.
References:
Cala, C. (2016). Posttraumatic growth and sexual violence: A literature review. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma.
Dussault, É., et al. (2025). A qualitative evaluation of a mindfulness-based intervention for complex trauma survivors. Mindfulness.
Pearce, Melisa (2019). What the Heck is Gestalt? Elizabeth, CO: Touched by a Horse, Inc.