Your Story Begins Here

Who I Am:

Hi, I’m Brenda Palmer — a certified trauma-informed coach, certified grief coach and educator, and mother whose work is rooted in both professional study and lived experience.

My path to creating Salt and Hollow began through my own seasons of grief, burnout, and rebuilding. As a woman living with ADHD and someone who has navigated complex trauma, domestic abuse, CPTSD, and loss, I understand the deep ache of trying to heal while still showing up for life.

For over 5 years, I have supported others through coaching and education, helping them reconnect to their body’s wisdom, rediscover safety, and begin to trust themselves again. My approach weaves together compassion, somatic awareness, and evidence-based tools that invite gentle transformation at your own pace.

I am a Certified Grief Coach, trained through From Grief to Gratitude Coaching Certification by Dora Carpenter — an ICF-accredited program that emphasizes compassionate, heart-centered support for those navigating loss and life transitions.

I am also currently completing my Somatic Trauma-Informed Coaching Certification through The School of Trauma-Informed Coaching and Positive Psychology with Caroline Strawson, integrating nervous system regulation and body-based awareness into my work with clients.

In addition, I am pursuing an End of Life Doula Certification with Lifespan Doulas, expanding my ability to companion individuals and families through end-of-life transitions and the sacred work of grief and remembrance.

My background includes experience in education, polyvagal-informed practice, and Internal Family Systems (IFS)-inspired methods, allowing me to support the emotional, cognitive, and embodied dimensions of healing.

Together, these pathways shape the Salt & Hollow approach — a grounded, compassionate, and trauma-informed space where grief is met with light and understanding.Whether you are moving through grief, anxiety, or the quiet exhaustion of long-term survival, my work honors both the science and the soul of healing- meeting you where you are, and helping you find the light that still lives within the hollow.

My Approach:

At Salt & Hollow, my work is rooted in the belief that grief is not something to fix or move past — it’s something to be witnessed, tended to, and gently integrated. Grief touches every part of who we are — body, mind, and spirit — and it asks for slowness, softness, and presence.

My approach weaves together somatic and trauma-informed coaching with a compassionate, real-world understanding of what it means to live with loss, change, and the quiet ache of what’s been left behind. Together, we explore the language of your body and emotions — learning to listen, to honour, and to hold space for what still hurts.

I don’t offer quick solutions or linear steps through pain. Instead, I offer steadiness — a grounded, heart-centered space where you can unfold at your own pace, feel seen in your story, and rediscover the light that continues to live within you, even in the hollow places.

This is gentle work, sacred work — where grief is met with light and understanding.