Kayla Gatto-Christofferson
Kayla Gatto-Christofferson, Founder and President of the Onyx Victor Foundation, is a dedicated psychology student at Walden University with a strong commitment to understanding human behavior and supporting others on their path to healing and growth. Her journey into coaching developed organically through years of supporting friends and members of her community in accessing critical resources and navigating personal challenges. From guiding individuals through domestic violence situations to offering support during grief, she became a trusted source of stability, clarity, and encouragement. These experiences highlighted her ability to lead with discernment, communicate effectively, and inspire meaningful change, ultimately shaping her decision to pursue a career as a life coach and advocate.
Building on this foundation, Kayla has pursued formal education to deepen her impact, earning her bachelor’s degree in psychology while continuing to refine her coaching practice. Recognizing that individual struggles are often shaped by broader systemic factors, she is committed to advancing her education by pursuing a master’s degree in social work, with the goal of becoming a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. This next step reflects her dedication to creating lasting change not only at the individual level but also within the larger systems that influence community well-being. Her academic training, combined with real-world experience, provides her with a balanced, informed, and compassionate approach to helping others.
Based in Virginia Beach, Virginia, Kayla is open to on-site, hybrid, and remote opportunities across North America where she can continue to grow professionally and contribute meaningfully. She brings a thoughtful, analytical mindset paired with a deep sense of empathy and purpose. With a clear vision for her future and a passion for empowering others, Kayla Gatto-Christofferson is building a career centered on advocacy, healing, and transformative impact for individuals and the communities they are part of.
• CPR Certification
• First Aid Certification
• Bachelor's in Psychology from Walden University
• Golden Key Honor Society Member
• Golden Key Honor Society
• Onyx Victor Foundation (President-Founder)
• Food drives and food banks volunteer
• Speaking and training for local Guardian ad Litems and juvenile judges on foster care and trauma
• Onyx Victor Foundation grief support programs
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to several key influences in my life. My professor, Dr. Graham, has had a big part in my life over the last 4 years. My children, believe it or not, have been incredible teachers - I'm a single mother of four children, and they teach you so many things and really promote growth and healing in you whenever you don't even realize that that's what they're doing. And of course, my mother has been a huge inspiration. She is a beautiful black woman who has survived breast cancer, and she has become a beautiful person, a foster parent, adopting children, and just became a love and a light for the people around her and people that she didn't even know, opening her door and her heart to them. That's where I got my open door policy from.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would tell her to not think that she has to be polished. She's probably already coaching people in her life and doesn't even realize that that's what she's doing. Coaching takes time, and you have all the time in the world. You learn what you need to learn and continue learning after you get your certifications. Don't let society tell you that you're not good enough to be who you know that you are at your core. I would also advise anyone who wants to start coaching to educate yourself so that you can have kind of a one-up that you can add into your coaching to make it out of the ordinary. Everybody wants to be a coach now, so you can make your coaching your own extraordinary thing through education.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Journey as a life coach specializing in trauma and grief recovery for women, sharing how their personal experiences with losing a son and surviving domestic violence led them to pursue this field. They explained how their initial community work helping friends access resources evolved into formal coaching and education, including obtaining a psychology degree and pursuing a master's in social work to become a licensed clinical social worker. The speaker identified founding their nonprofit for grieving families as their most notable professional achievement.
training on foster care and trauma, volunteer work, and education in psychology. They described their nonprofit organization, the Onyx Victor Foundation, which provides grief support services to parents and siblings who have lost children. The speaker also mentioned their plans to pursue a master's degree in social work to enhance their coaching practice with somatic therapy.
Locations
Onyx Victor Foundation
Virginia Beach, VA 23462