Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Lee Cordell.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My name is Dr. Lee C. Cordell, I’m a doctor of nursing practice (DNP), adult acute care nurse practitioner (adult ANCP), and certified clinical trauma professional (CCTP).
If you’d told me 15 years ago that I’d be running 3 businesses and be the CEO/founder of an educational Institute, I don’t think I would have believed you!
My original plan for my professional life was to work as a Nurse Practitioner. I went through over a decade of schooling to obtain my Doctorate of Nursing Practice and was practicing at the bedside and teaching at the graduate level when I got the itch to start my entrepreneurial journey.
I started out in network marketing in 2013 and had good success in 2 different companies. However, after several years I realized that my favorite part of that business model was the coaching and mindset support I was able to give to the clients and new team members that I served! In 2018 I started my life/mindset coaching business and continued to serve clients part-time while I worked my full-time job as an NP.
In 2019, I created a 2nd business, The Write Planner Co., a planner, and accessory company.
In February 2020 (3 weeks before the pandemic hit), I made the decision to transition out of my nursing career and full time into my coaching/speaking/mentoring business. It was an interesting time- by May 2020 my business had quadrupled, and in December 2020 I worked my very last shift in the hospital.
Since then, I’ve continued my personal 1:1 coaching business, and in September 2021 I founded The Institute for Trauma & Psychological Safety (ITPS). Our Institute has already served hundreds of people in the mission of creating safer, healthier, more mutually beneficial relationships and communities.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The ride has definitely been bumpy and taken several detours along the way!
I had 3 young children when I started my businesses. Navigating the prioritization of my family while also working diligently to grow 3 businesses has definitely been an opportunity for LOTS of growth and learning!
I was blessed to have a loving husband who put his own career on hold for several years while I navigated school and entrepreneurship. Being the sole income provider for a household of 5 brings a lot of stress on its own, and I’m so grateful for how we partnered up to support each other through the journey- my husband is now the Executive Assistant for ITPS and will be heading up the creation of the nonprofit arm of our business!
Something many people don’t know is that my reason for founding ITPS was just as personally driven as it was professionally. I suffered from depression and anxiety from the age of 9, and was diagnosed with complex PTSD several years ago, and so my experience of childhood trauma and its long-term impact has definitely affected how I showed up in my business.
Going through my own healing journey was one of the hardest and most impactful things I have ever done, as I no longer have a diagnosis of anxiety OR depression! The relief I now feel in my brain and my body is something I strive to share through my work with as many other humans as I can.
For all the twists and turns my journey has taken, I truly feel like I’ve ended up exactly where I am supposed to be.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Institute for Trauma & Psychological Safety?
Our Mission at ITPS is to empower people in the development of safe, healthy, and shame-free professional and personal relationships.
My team and I are a group of diverse, highly trained humans who have over a century of combined experience in the executive/corporate, healthcare, higher education, and entrepreneurial spaces.
We offer a variety of services at ITPS-
Educational: We offer short courses on infusing trauma-informed practices into your personal and professional life. Areas of focus include entrepreneurship, intimate relationships, parenting, coaching, and the provision of healthcare.
Certificates/Teacher Trainings: We have a 9-month Trauma-Informed, Psychologically Safe (TRIPS) Certificate program, and an 18-month TRIPS Teacher Training program
Consulting: We work with businesses and organizations of every size and structure to increase employee/client satisfaction, decreased turnover, and successfully move through times of significant stress and change.
My favorite part about our business model is the level of accessibility, as we truly believe that every human deserves to live life in a trauma-informed way. We are committed to removing barriers to access for anyone desiring to learn more, from “no questions asked” scholarships to “pay what you can” opportunities. We also offer an incredible library of free resources and content for those desiring to learn more.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
The thing that brings me the most joy is seeing the “lightbulb moment” people have when they learn that they can change how their past painful experiences are affecting what they are doing in the present.
So many of us have been taught that things “just are the way they are”, so helping others shift to a more empowered, self-accepting viewpoint is such an honor.
Seeing/feeling sunshine is also the quickest way for me to get a hit of joy (something I don’t take for granted in our Ohio winters!)
And then getting to hug and hold my loved ones is a huge source of happiness for me as well. I travel a lot for my work, so those moments of snuggling on the couch as a family are very important to me!
Contact Info:
- Email: hello@institutefortrauma.com
- Website: www.Institutefortrauma.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/becomingtraumainformed
- Facebook: facebook.com/institutefortrauma
- Other: www.leeccordell.com
Image Credits
Heather Moran
Chaylene Hardy
