The T.R.U.E. Method

Is Trauma Running Your Life?
Discover the T.R.U.E. Method™, a 25-week trauma recovery path created by Chaplain Edward J. Spence, Marine veteran and trauma coaching . Learn how to overcome anxiety, emotional pain, and trauma patterns using tools like journaling, or having the need for grief coaching, and personalized support. Specifically for Firefighters, EMS, Police Officers, Hospital Staff, and Trauma exposed in general. We will walk you through this one day at time, one step at a time right next to, and at YOUR pace.

Executive leadership You choose the path we take.

Leading as a whole person

This is not a college theory seminar, and it is not a productivity clinic. This is you, a human being with real authority and real responsibility, choosing to meet your team where they are. The work is to lead people with clarity and courage and to earn their trust through consistent action. In Transformative Leadership Made Simple: Unlock Self-Mastery and Lead with Purpose, I teach a four-part model that brings a leader’s full self to the job. The model is the Quadrangle of Leadership. It is simple to understand and demanding to practice. The four roles work together, and none can be ignored without cost.

The Manager: execution and stewardship

What this is: the caretaker of the day to day. You protect the budget, align work to policy, and keep the trains moving.
How to act: set clear standards, define the scoreboard, and inspect what you expect. Begin each week with priorities that fit the real capacity of the team. End each week with a short review of outcomes and lessons learned.
What to say: here is the mission for this week, here is who owns what, here is how we will measure it, and here is when we will review results.
What to watch: schedule health, budget health, risk logs, quality checks, and on-time delivery.

The Leader: vision and ignition

What this is: the keeper of meaning. You help people see why the work matters and where it is going.
How to act: tell the story of the mission until it lives in the team’s mouth, not only in yours. Connect goals to customers, communities, and the company's future.
What to say: team, this is the hill we will take and why it matters. If your culture responds to bold imagery, you can say it this way and mean it: we are going to hell and we will put it out and we will bring people home. Then, show the path step by step so courage has structure.
What to watch: whether your people can repeat the vision in their own words, whether decisions match the stated priorities, and whether energy rises when the vision is named.

The Coach: development and readiness

What this is: the builder of people. You grow skills, confidence, and future leaders.
How to act: create growth plans for every team member. Teach the skills that will be needed for the next mission, not only the current one. Pair training with immediate practice.
What to say: here is what winning looks like for you this quarter, here are the skills we will build, and here is how we will practice them together.
What to watch: skill acquisition, cross-training coverage, internal promotions, and the number of leaders your team produces for the rest of the company.

The Servant Leader: example and care

What this is: the conscience of the team. You lead by example and remove friction so others can do their best work.
How to act: make it safe to speak the truth. Ask about their day and mean it. Teach practical critical thinking, not empty buzzwords. Model humility, discipline, and steadiness. Recognize excellence in public and correct with dignity in private.
What to say: what do you need from me to do your best work, what is getting in your way, what have I missed, and how can we make this easier and better together
What to watch: psychological safety, idea flow, recover from mistakes, and peer-to-peer recognition.

Working with Gen Z and early career professionals

Set the standard: explain responsibilities in plain language and tie them to the mission.
Teach the why: connect tasks to outcomes so effort feels purposeful.
Give real accountability with real help: clear expectations, short feedback loops, and specific coaching.
Build confidence through wins: assign achievable challenges that stretch ability and celebrate progress that is earned.
Practice patience and humility; many of these team members have never worked in a setting with serious consequences. Your calm consistency will teach adulthood better than any lecture.

Your weekly rhythm that drives results

Monday start: confirm three to five priorities per person and the deliverables that prove completion.
Daily touch: quick stand-ups that surface blockers and confirm the next step.
One on ones: meet each person regularly for progress, coaching, and care. Listen first.
Scoreboard: visible measures of quality, speed, cost, safety, and customer impact.
Recognition: name specific behaviors that match values and move the mission.
Review and reset: end the week with truths learned and adjustments made.

How to know it is working

People can state the vision, the current priorities, and their role without notes.
Work finishes on time with fewer surprises and higher quality.
Ideas and problems surface early because people feel safe and responsible.
New leaders emerge from your team and take on larger missions.
Retention improves because people experience growth, respect, and results.

The choice in front of you

If you invest in your people, they will invest in the mission and in one another. Your team will become a powerhouse of execution, creativity, and honest communication. If you do not invest, you will get compliance without commitment and average results at best. The decision is yours. Lead as a whole person. Be the Manager who executes, the Leader who inspires, the Coach who develops, and the Servant Leader who elevates. Meet your team where they are, bring them forward one step at a time, and build something worthy of their talent and your title.

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This is a working playbook for real teams. Clear priorities, steady coaching, honest communication. I will meet you where you are and guide you step by step.

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Grieving, I am Here to Help Support You in Your In Grieving Journey.

You can view my profile on the Grief Support Center National Directory

https://www.griefsupportcenter.com/new-york/oakfield/grief-support-provider/chaplain-edward-spence

a resource connecting people to grief support professionals nationwide, here: https://www.griefsupportcenter.com

Explore the Grief Support Navigator Tool at

https://www.griefsupportcenter.com/grief-support-navigator-tool to

find tailored resources and support options.

Visit the Grief Support Center Blog at

https://www.griefsupportcenter.com/blog

for valuable articles on navigating grief, coping strategies, and connecting with support.

Explore the Grief Support Navigator Tool at

https://www.griefsupportcenter.com/grief-support-navigator-tool to

find tailored resources and support options.

Visit the Grief Support Center at

https://www.GriefSupportCenter.com

to learn about grief support groups, therapy, and resources for those navigating loss.

I know grief from both sides. Thirty-five years ago my son Nathan died in a motor vehicle accident. For twenty-eight years the sorrow shaped my days until I received the help I needed. I understand the ache you carry.

I also know this road as a trauma and grief coach trained through college-level study and years of practice. I will walk with you one step at a time. We will use steady, practical tools that calm the body, focus the mind, and keep love present as you rebuild a life that can hold both memory and meaning.

As a chaplain, I only discuss faith if you invite it. Your convictions and your pace lead the way. My promise is to stand with you, to listen carefully, to teach the skills, and to guide you with clarity and compassion.

What our work will look like:

We meet at an agreed rhythm and set a simple plan for each week.
You learn and practice tools such as grounding, breath training, body awareness, thought and story work, grief rituals, memory honoring, sleep and daily routine supports, and gentle movement.
If you raise it, we integrate your faith traditions. If you do not, we proceed with the same care and respect.
We measure progress, adjust what is not working, and keep what brings relief and strength.

What I ask of you:

Show up, even on hard days.
Practice the tools between sessions, even in small amounts.
Be honest about what helps and what hurts so we can adapt the plan.
Give yourself permission to heal while keeping your loved one honored.

You will not be asked to forget. We will honor your loved one and strengthen the part of you that is still called to live, love, and lead a healthy life. I will be with you every step of the way.

Book Now

“Nationwide Trauma-Informed Coaching for First Responders & Veterans."

The T.R.U.E. Method

"Welcome to Spence’s True North: Guiding You Through Trauma.

"Trauma Recovery with the T.R.U.E. North Method: A Proven Pa

Marriage counseling

Executive leadership You choose the path we take.

Leading as a whole person

Learn More

Grieving, I am Here to Help Support You in Your In Grieving Journey.

The only way to do great work is to love what you do.

Our Partners

Affiliations

Certifications

BMHC, BCCTR, AAETS, CMCPLC, CPCA

Contact Us

Drop us a line!

Spence's True North, LLC

“Nationwide Trauma-Informed Coaching for First Responders & Veterans."

The T.R.U.E. Method

"Welcome to Spence’s True North: Guiding You Through Trauma.

"Trauma Recovery with the T.R.U.E. North Method: A Proven Pa

Marriage counseling

Executive leadership You choose the path we take.

Leading as a whole person

Learn More

Grieving, I am Here to Help Support You in Your In Grieving Journey.

The only way to do great work is to love what you do.

Our Partners

Affiliations

Certifications

BMHC, BCCTR, AAETS, CMCPLC, CPCA

Connect With Us

Contact Us

Drop us a line!

Spence's True North, LLC

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