Cara Harms, Founder and CEO / Trauma Informed Coach / Author on Influential Women
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Influential Woman · Professional Training and Coaching

Cara Harms

Founder and CEO / Trauma Informed Coach / Author, Renewed Perspectives

Columbia, MO 65202

1Year experience

Certifications · Degrees · Memberships

Cert Life Coaching Certification Cert Certified Coach License License No. 25-17722

Her Story

About Cara

Cara Harms is a trauma-informed coach, speaker, author, and consultant dedicated to helping veterans, first responders, and leaders build resilience, heal from trauma, and lead with greater intention. As the founder and CEO of Renewed Perspectives, she empowers individuals and organizations through holistic coaching, leadership development, and workplace consulting that integrates emotional wellness, mindset transformation, and practical strategies for lasting personal and professional growth. She is also the host of The Super-Human Resilience Project podcast, where she advocates for mental health awareness and trauma-informed leadership.

Harms brings decades of frontline experience to her work. She began her career serving five years as a military police officer before joining the State of Missouri corrections system, where she spent 37 years in progressively responsible roles, including crisis intervention, hostage negotiations, training, and curriculum development. Her extensive experience working in high-pressure environments exposed her to the realities of cumulative trauma while strengthening her expertise in communication, conflict resolution, and human behavior. Following her retirement from corrections, she transformed those experiences into a mission of helping others navigate adversity with resilience, compassion, and renewed perspective.

In addition to her coaching and consulting practice, Harms is an accomplished author whose work includes self-help books such as Dear Anxiety, We Need to Break Up as well as several novels, including Cold Harbor and Fail. She also serves as a mentor with Warriors' Ascent, supporting veterans and first responders living with post-traumatic stress and other invisible wounds. Through her writing, public speaking, coaching, and advocacy, Harms continues to champion trauma-informed care, emotional resilience, and people-centered leadership, creating safe spaces where individuals and organizations can heal, grow, and thrive.

Her Interview

Ten minutes with Cara

01What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?

Just be strong enough to stand on your own. Be intelligent enough to know when you need help. And be brave enough to ask for it.

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