My Philosophy

Who I Am and Why I Can Help You

At seven years old, I went to my first accident scene when a truck hit a tree at a high rate of speed in front of our house. My mother hurried me to the wreck and put a tiny baby girl in my arms — a child who had been thrown through the window. She told me to keep pinching the baby's cheeks so she did not fall asleep. That day branded my heart. People suffer. People need others to make sacrifices. They need steady hands and a calm presence when everything is broken and in chaos.

In the years that followed, loss visited again and again. Classmates, neighbors, relatives and friends taken too soon. Those early losses formed my conscience and my internal compass. I knew I had to do something about the pain and suffering.

United States Marine Corps

In 1987, I answered the call to serve my country. From 1988 to 1993, I served on active duty as an Aviation Ordnance Munitions Technician with MALS-32 and MALS-14, and then as a Marine Security Guard. After active duty I stayed in the USMCR with India 3/25 out of Buffalo NY from 1993-1999. The Corps forged discipline, courage, and an unbreakable devotion to the team. This shapes how I coach — when dealing with trauma, we are a team and we do it together.

Firefighter and Paramedic

From 1994 to 2010, I served at the City of Batavia Fire Department as a professional firefighter, paramedic, and acting lieutenant. I pulled people from smoke-filled rooms and mangled vehicles. I held hands with the trapped, cut families out of twisted steel, and worked codes on living room floors. Then September 11th cut me extremely deep. I lost a classmate and two firefighter brothers I grew up with. I reenlisted in an infantry unit and deployed to training — until I broke my back and spent a year in a wheelchair. My infantry brothers deployed without me. Twelve soldiers from my combat brigade did not come home.

The Day I Held My Son Nathan

Nothing on this earth prepared me for the day I held my six-month-old son, Nathan, in my arms, dead and cold, after a major car accident and a devastating head injury. There are losses that language cannot explain and cannot carry. What remains is the long quiet after — when everyone leaves and their lives turn back to normal, while your mind is still in the bowels of hell, reliving it every single day. That very long road of learning how to breathe again on the inside of an honest story that is a nightmare — and then choosing to live again — is the road I walk with my clients.

Walking My Own Trauma Journey

In 2018, I finally said yes and was an inpatient at the Batavia VA PTSD Clinic. That season taught me to breathe again, to sit with pain without letting it rule me, and to move forward with purpose. I could finally remember the funny stuff again. I started feeling emotions again. I learned to communicate effectively with my wife Wendy again. I did the work, and I was getting my life back.

Edward and Wendy Spence

Chaplaincy, Coaching, and Spence's True North

I became an ordained and licensed chaplain, studied trauma-informed coaching, cognitive behavioral coaching, leadership coaching, and marriage communication and conflict resolution. I earned board certifications and continued to learn — because people deserve excellence. In 2021, I founded Spence's True North to bring evidence-informed coaching and steady care to those who carry heavy burdens. Since then, I have walked with over forty clients, including veterans, first responders, leaders, couples, and families.

How I Coach and What You Can Expect

I work with people who are ready to regain control, unlock their potential, and turn pain into purpose. My coaching is practical, structured, and compassionate. We start with your goals, clarify what matters most, and build simple routines that create actual results in daily life.

You did not do this to yourself. What you are experiencing is not a flaw, a failure, or a weakness. This is your body and your mind doing exactly what they are designed to do after a life-altering event. My role is to help you regain control of your frontal cortex — with empathy and steady support, providing a safe place to understand your body's signals and start to shift from survival mode toward healing, traumatic growth, and finally mental strength.

Faith support is available upon request. Coaching services only. Help first — I do not bring up religion unless the client does first.

Training and Credentials

• Board-Certified Master Mental Health Coach
• Board-Certified Professional Life Coach
• Certified Trauma-Informed Life Coach
• Certified Cognitive Behavioral Coach
• Certified Critical Incident Stress Manager, ICISF
• Certified Master Christian Life Coach, AACC — Light University
• Board-Certified Suicide Prevention Specialist, AACC — Light University
• Diplomate — American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress
• Certified Police Chaplain — California Practical Chaplains Association
• American Red Cross Disaster Spiritual Care, Crisis Chaplain & Supervisor
• International Board of Christian Care Member
• International Christian Coaching Institute Member
• International Critical Incident Stress Foundation Member
• American Academy of Christian Counselors Member
• NICABM Member