— Life Coach // Trauma Coach // BJJ Coach
— 3rd degree Black Belt (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu)
— Entrepreneur // Small Business(es) Owner
— PhD in Clinical Psychology (2007)
Born and raised along the bayous of South Louisiana, Ellender attended Jesuit High School of New Orleans before pursuing higher education abroad (California, New York, Florence [Italy]). Ellender trained heavily in martial arts and earned his Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in 2008 before starting his martial arts academy back in his home town. He transitioned from clinical psychology to Life Coaching in 2022, and now draws from his personal experiences in psychology, martial arts, and entrepreneurial endeavors to offer coaching programs for local and online clients.
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"Life is too short to remain unhappy, unsure, and unfulfilled. I am here to help ambitious clients develop the skills and mindset to achieve more fulfilling lifestyles and relationships. Allow me to help you remove the obstacles standing in the way of your goals!"
- Coach Ernest Ellender, PhD
A little about Coach Ellender
Experiences relevant to Coaching
Education Background
2007 - PhD in Clinical Psychology (Palo Alto University)
1999 - BA in Psychology (Nicholls State University)
1995 - BA in English (Nicholls State University)
1991 - Jesuit High School (Magna Cum Laude)
Martial arts journey
2008 - Black Belt in Guerrilla Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ)
2008 - Opened Evolution Training, LLC (martial arts academy)
2021 - 3rd Degree Black Belt
Entrepreneurial Endeavors
2007 - Evolution Training, LLC (Martial Arts & CrossFit Studio)
2010 - Ernest Ellender, PhD, LLC (Private practice)
2022 - Ernest Ellender Life Coaching
2024 - Author of This Is How We Heal from Painful Childhoods
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The mainstream full-time employee life has its benefits of security, well-defined hours, and health/retirement benefits. Stepping outside of this system to chase personal dreams can be daunting, exhaustive, and genuinely risky in many ways. In addition to running his small businesses, Coach Ellender has assisted clients in opening over a dozen local small businesses.
"I hold great admiration for those bold and ambitious individuals who are willing to take the challenging path of entrepreneurship. Considering the numerous challenges of just the past decade (Hurricanes Ida, COVID lockdowns, historic interest rates, etc), small business life is challenging indeed!"
- Ernest Ellender, PhD
15-Years as Clinical Psychologist
Ellender started his post-graduate psychology occupation as Assistant Director of the Counseling Center at Nicholls University (2 years) as well as Adjunct Faculty teaching graduate level psychology classes (7 years). In 2010, he joined a private clinic in Thibodaux where he worked for ten years before entering solo private practice as a psychotherapist and life coach.
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Ellender's career in psychology offered a solid foundation of formal education and over 20 years of experience helping individuals struggling with various mental health issues.
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"I remain forever grateful to the hundreds of amazing people that I both served and learned from throughout my academic training and years as a clinical psychologist."
- Ernest Ellender, PhD
Author project
This Is How We Heal from Painful Childhoods:
A Practical Guide for Healing Past Intergenerational Stress & Trauma
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After years of assisting individual clients, Ellender wanted to reach beyond his local communities and contribute to the broader population of trauma survivors worldwide. So he got busy writing, and as with any worthy endeavor, the final result was worth the considerable (7+ years) effort!
"It is my hope that individual survivors, family members, friends, and therapists alike will benefit from the book's 20 rules that prevent family trauma and dysfunction from unwittingly passing down to the next generation."
- Ernest Ellender, PhD
Coaching and beyond
Ellender began his shift to life coaching in 2020, taking quickly to the new opportunities (and fewer restraints) that the field offers.
With online coaching made more accessible due to the COVID lockdowns, a broader audience became available. This meant that Ellender could focus on his topic of greatest professional interest... overcoming the obstacles of generational family traumas and dysfunction as a Trauma Coach.
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"I love the efficient and action-oriented pace of coaching ambitious clients determined to make significant changes in their lives as they strive for their loftiest goals!"
- Ernest Ellender, PhD