Meet Rhonda Velez of Spring Hill TN

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rhonda Velez

Hi Rhonda, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
2002 changed everything. I was pregnant with our second child, excited to grow our family. But in March, our world shattered, our daughter was diagnosed with a rare heart condition and passed away just two and a half hours after birth. As we grieved, we still had to show up as parents for our four-year-old.

After eight weeks of maternity leave, I was relieved to return to work, hoping for some normalcy. Instead, I found my severance letter on the photocopy machine. In just eight weeks, I had lost both my daughter and my job. There was no avoiding the weight of grief. I had to face it, walk through it, and somehow keep going.

Visiting the cemetery, I noticed graves without headstones. I knew firsthand how expensive burial costs were, and while my family helped with ours, many parents didn’t have that support. One day, I told my husband, “We’re going to help parents buy gravestones.” He looked at me, stunned. “How? You just lost your job, and I’m working three jobs already.”

But I was determined. I started making soaps and sugar scrubs in my kitchen to raise money for headstones. That’s where it all began. What I didn’t realize then was that this journey wasn’t just about financial help, it was about walking alongside grieving parents, offering hope, and eventually coaching women through loss so they could find healing and step into freedom.

As I continued to help others, I realized my own healing journey needed deeper attention. My mentor often says, “You can’t take people further than you take yourself,” and that truth hit home. I immersed myself in understanding my own story, uncovering places of harm that needed healing.

In 2023, I became a Certified Trauma-Informed Coach. This coaching style isn’t about modifying behavior or dismissing the hard parts of our stories; it’s about engaging them. When we confront our pain, we find healing. And when we heal, we can fully step into our calling and purpose.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Healing isn’t a straight path. Whether it’s big trauma or small trauma, the journey is ongoing because our brains don’t always recognize that we’re safe. I often coach people who say, “I thought I was done healing,” but the truth is, we’re always a work in progress.

I still grieve the loss of my daughter, and I don’t think that will ever fully go away. But the difference now? When the triggers come, I don’t stay stuck as long. Healing doesn’t mean we never feel the pain, it means we learn how to recover, again and again.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a Trauma-Informed Coach, helping people find freedom by engaging their stories. My role isn’t to fix anyone but to illuminate the parts of their journey that need attention, guiding them as they navigate their past and step into their calling and purpose.

What sets me apart is my deep belief that true healing comes from engaging, not avoiding, our stories. I walk alongside my clients, helping them uncover the places where they’ve been stuck so they can move forward with clarity and confidence.

What I’m most proud of? The clients who have courageously chosen to do the hard work, whether stepping into entrepreneurship, embracing motherhood, strengthening relationships, or simply finding peace in who they are. Seeing them step into their purpose is the greatest reward.

What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
COVID changed everything, especially how we view mental health. Studies show that depression and anxiety increased by 25% globally during the pandemic, forcing many to sit with their thoughts in ways they hadn’t before. The stigma around mental health has started to fade, and more people are recognizing the importance of addressing their stories.

Over the next 5-10 years, I believe trauma-informed coaching will become something people actively seek out. We all need safe spaces to process, heal, and be heard—places where we’re not judged or “fixed” but truly seen. As awareness grows, more people will lean into this kind of work, not just for healing but for real, lasting freedom.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.rhondavelez.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realityoflife02?igsh=bThwdWI4dXJvY2d6&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1BQ1XVNq7Q/?mibextid=wwXIfr
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhonda-velez-414a7026?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
• Other: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/24-carat-conversations/id1468700502