KOA Trauma informed holistic and somatic wellbeing

TRAUMA INFORMED INTEGRATIVE SOMATIC WELLBEING AND COACHING

Empowering you to make lasting changes with a holistic, integrative, collaborative approach.

KOA values and principles

  • Trauma informed principles
  • Safety
  • Trustworthiness
  • Choice
  • Collaboration
  • Empowerment

The 3 phase model of trauma intervention:

  • Safety and stabilisation
  • Processing
  • Integration and connection

The intention of all my offerings is to encourage individuals to find more helpful ways to cultivate greater self awareness, discover practices which regulate their nervous system and develop more compassion.  My work is underpinned by integrated, holistic soma focussed practices. All of my offerings are trauma informed and my priority is to hold safe enough spaces where people can be themselves without judgment. 

Yoga and Wellbeing Edinburgh

ABOUT ME

My name is Corinne Wilkie-Fessler, also known as Cori, welcome to my website, I am a trauma informed holistic and somatic practitioner based in Edinburgh, Scotland. I am the founder and face of KOA. Originally from Switzerland, I have been living in the UK since the age of 13 and in Scotland for over 15 years, which I consider my home. With a diverse background that includes living in South Africa, France, USA, England, and now Scotland, I identify as ethically Swiss and culturally British.

My services include somatic practices, embodied practices, compassionate mind practices, sound therapy, reiki, yoga, systemic coaching, and mindfulness. I am passionate about working with individuals in a trauma informed way, providing choices and collaborating based on their unique needs.

I love working with people and currently work as a social worker as well as run my KOA business.  I have been actively involved in the social sector since 1998. My professional experience includes working in early years education, social care, counselling, trauma support, criminal justice, substance misuse, mental health, and coaching. Currently, I work in community justice with a small team that has a trauma-informed and therapeutic approach. In this role, I co-facilitate groups, provide one-on-one interventions for change, and conduct mindfulness development sessions for social workers. I have served as a national mindfulness forum chair and currently hold positions as a mindfulness and compassion specialist national trainer and a trauma ambassador. I regularly offer trauma sensitive mindfulness practice sessions and professional development trainings for criminal justice staff.  I am deeply committed to sharing trauma informed practices and advocating for this approach. By combining my work in the social sector with the services offered through KOA, I am able to integrate my transferrable skills and continue growing as a professional. Community engagement and accessibility are core values in my practice.

Yoga & Reiki in Edinburgh

In 2001, I completed training in person-centred counselling at Rape Crisis in Aberdeen, Scotland. Following that, I dedicated four years to assisting survivors of sexual abuse and rape, working as a counsellor. During this time, I also worked as a social worker in community justice and substance misuse, which ignited my passion for working with people. As I continued to grow as a professional as well as personally, I found myself drawn to enhance my skills and acquire expertise in the wellbeing sector. In 2013, I embarked on my professional journey in wellbeing by undertaking Postgraduate training in systemic coaching supervision/family constellation work. I then obtained qualifications as a reiki master (for both animals and humans), a yoga teacher, a sound therapist, a mindfulness teacher, an advanced trauma sensitive mindfulness practitioner, a trauma informed yoga and embodied resilience teacher, just to name a few. My decision to pursue a diverse range of training was driven by my intention to develop a toolbox of varied interventions, enabling me to work holistically with my clients.

As part of KOA role, I have worked in education, charity, community, and corporate settings. I am known for my dedication to community offerings, such as mindful walks for women and women’s circles in Edinburgh, in fact I currently offer nervous system regulation sessions as community offerings for the Salisbury Centre in Edinburgh. Scotland. I thoroughly enjoy collaborating with other professionals, and you will often find me co-facilitating various retreats, workshops, and events.

I am a big believer in continuous professional learning and think I am a life long student. As I have evolved so has my work and my journey as a professional as well as individual has encouraged me to approach all my work through a trauma informed lens. I have personally experienced trauma and understand the importance of being heard, witnessed, and healing. My own experiences have strengthened me professionally, as I have implemented and tested all the practices I teach. Engaging in mindfulness and embodied practices daily is now an important part of my self-care routine. I am trauma informed, having received training in trauma within my community justice role to specialist level, including completing training to be a trainer in the Survive and Thrive UK trauma program. I engage in regular clinical supervision and continue to undertake training in trauma within my professional role. I have completed advanced trauma-sensitive mindfulness training, and trained with experts like David Treleaven, Bessel Van Der Kolk, and Peter Levine. I completed an Integrative Somatic Trauma Therapy course in 2023 with The Embody Lab and will complete a Postgraduate Certificate in Traumatic Stress Studies with The Trauma Research Foundation in August 2024, led by Bessel Van Der Kolk. In addition, I am scheduled to finish my Compassionate Mind Training with Balanced Minds by the end of 2024 which has included training in compassion focussed therapy theory. The journey for me continues and in 2025 I will start my psychotherapeutic counselling training at Queen Margaret University, here in Scotland.

Central to my work is helping individuals understand their nervous system, manage reactions, and regain a sense of control. I firmly believe that with the right support, we can all thrive and resilience is cultivated through meaningful connections. I am registered with various organisations such as the European Coaching Association, SARA, UK Reiki Federation, UK Mindfulness Teacher Register, Yoga Alliance, and I am fully insured. Working with me, I meet you where you are, I approach my work through a trauma informed lens and I encourage you to tap into your resources. My work is all about nervous system regulation and awareness; are you ready to empower yourself?

My training
  • Compassionate Mind Training with Balanced Minds including an introduction to compassion focussed therapy, supervision and the full train the trainer training
  • Trauma Research Foundation 72 hour Certificate Program in Traumatic Stress Studies
  • EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) & TFT (Thought Field Therapy) Tapping Certification Course
  • Treating Trauma With the Felt Sense Polyvagal Model: Advanced Strategies To Harness the Power of the Body’s Natural Healing Process with Jan Winhall
  • The Embody Lab: 60 hour Integrative Somatic Trauma TherapyTraining (ISTT)
  • Peter Levine: Healing trauma training
  • Polyvagal theory training with Stephen Porges: Neural Exercises for Safety and Connection with Dr. Porges
  • NHS Education for Scotland (NES): Survive and Thrive national trainer training
  • Trauma Project, Scotland: Training day
  • Golden Mandala Yoga-Soma Institute: 80 hour Trauma-Informed Yoga & Embodied Resilience Teacher Training
  • David Treleaven : Strengthen Your Trauma Sensitive Skills in Critical Times 4 part series
  • David Treleaven trauma sensitive mindfulness advanced level training. The Complete Trauma Sensitive Mindfulness Training Program:
 Part One
Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness: The Introductory Guide to Recognising Trauma, Responding Skillfully, and Preventing Retraumatisation 
Part Two
Advanced Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness: Widening the Window of Tolerance and Supporting Trauma Recovery
  • Moving Forward Making Changes group facilitator training
  • Trauma Project, Scotland: Creating trauma systems and environments module
  • Trauma Project, Scotland: Wellbeing & Self Care module for practitioners training
  • Trauma Project, Scotland: Recovery in Relationships Module
  • Trauma Project, Scotland: Towards Trauma Enhanced Practice training
  • NHS Education for Scotland (NES): trauma training level 1 & 2: Developing your trauma skilled practice 1: understanding the impact of trauma and responding in a trauma informed way
Developing your trauma skilled practice 2: trauma in children and young people
  • Mindfulness Now: Teacher training, 8 week Mindfulness programme and accredited mindfulness teacher training. Mindfulness Now training covers MBSR, MBCT, integrative mindfulness styles.
  • Mindfulness based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Diploma, 200 hour training
  • Animal Reiki Scotland: The let animals lead method of Animal Reiki level 2
  • Sound Healing Practitioner Training including sound massage qualification level 1 & 2
  • Sound Healing practitioner online training
  • Yoga Nidra Network: Total Yoga Nidra Immersion Experience: comparative and creative forms of Yoga Nidra training
  • Yoga Alliance recognised 100 hour YIN and Restorative Yoga Teacher training
  • Yoga Alliance recognised 200 hour Vinyasa Yoga Teacher training
  • Reiki Maya Centre, London, UK: Reiki Master certification
  • Yoga foundation training
  • Reiki Maya Centre, London, UK: Reiki levels 1 & 2 certification
  • Systemic structural constellation intervention and coaching training
  • Postgraduate Diploma in Systemic Coaching and Team Supervision, BSO/ECA recognised
  • Swiss recognition course for UK Social Work qualification
  • Asset 4 Level Diploma, Child psychology diploma (Distance learning course)
  • Youth Counsellor training, specialised counselling via e-mail and text
  • Postgraduate Diploma in Applied Social Studies and Diploma in Social Work, Diploma, BASW/SSSC recognised
  • Victim support, Aberdeen, UK: Victim Support Scotland volunteer foundation training
  • Rape Crisis, Aberdeen, UK: Rape and Sexual Abuse Counsellor training, person centred counselling
  • Aberdeen University, Aberdeen, UK: Master Degree of Arts in Sociology and Social Sciences 

Links to the organisations/schools I have trained with most recently:

https://balancedminds.com
https://www.theembodylab.com
http://www.anetai.co.uk
https://traumaresearchfoundation.org
https://mindfulnessnow.org.uk
https://davidtreleaven.com
https://www.nes.scot.nhs.uk/our-work/trauma-national-trauma-training-programme

Pricing guide

Pricing guide (these prices may vary)

Coaching, reiki, bespoke 1to1 session:
All 60 minute 1to1 sessions £60 full price, £55 community price option
All 90 minute 1to1 sessions £90 full, minimum community price £80

All first coaching or bespoke 1to1 sessions are 90 minutes for the first session to allow time for the intake process

Package of 6 sessions (first session 120 minutes, following 5 sessions 60min) £350

Other:
Sound journeys: £15 for 60 minutes, £20 for 90 minutes, 2 community spaces per session

Surrender series 4×4 hour sessions over 4 months :
Each course: £250 per person and 1 community option £200 space per course
Sign up for 2 courses £400 for both
Includes workbook at discounted rate, one 1to1 session 50% off, an intake connection call, ongoing support

The retreat day: £70 full price, community spaces available

Surrender workshops: £25 per person or £20 community space option

I aim to offer services that are accessible so if finances are a struggle for you right now, please do contact me direct to discuss community options.