🏔️ Welcome to 2nd Ascent Coaching
Hi, I’m Gary Lougher, founder of 2nd Ascent Coaching. I works at the intersection of trauma, evolutionary mismatch, and toxic culture—guiding people who feel out of sync with the modern world back to something real. Drawing from lived experience, soul-deep inquiry, and the wisdom of the natural world, I invite you into a new kind of rebellion. One rooted in presence, self-compassion, and wild aliveness.
With over 30 years of coaching and leadership experience, I’ve supported corporate turnarounds, helped leaders build growth cultures, and walked alongside people recovering from burnout, trauma, and disconnection. Today, I combine trauma-informed coaching, leadership development, nature-based learning, and storytelling into a new kind of education—one that nurtures realignment, renewal, and reconnection.
My coaching philosophy is rooted in the belief that reconnection—to self, others, and nature—is the key to living a fulfilling and meaningful life. Whether I’m working with a child and parent through Heroic Kids, helping an executive rediscover purpose through Conversational Leadership, or guiding someone through a season of growth with Rewilding Your Soul, the heartbeat of my work is the same: to help people rise into the next chapter of their lives with clarity, courage, and wholeness.
🌍 Who I Serve
At 2nd Ascent, my offerings are as diverse as the clients I serve. Whether you're:
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An individual ready to break free from perfectionism, burnout, or disconnection
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A leader seeking to inspire authentic, sustainable growth
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A parent or mentor nurturing the next generation of resilient, emotionally intelligent kids
...you’ll find guidance, tools, and support to help you make your next ascent.
🌿 A Philosophy Grounded in Integrity and Experience
Eighteen years ago, at the age of 38, I began my own second ascent—choosing sobriety after a two-decade struggle with alcohol. That journey, made possible by the guidance of compassionate coaches and the rediscovery of nature, became the foundation for everything I do today.
I now hold certifications in:
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Trauma Recovery Coaching – International Association of Trauma Recovery Coaching
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Nature-Informed Therapy – Center for Nature Informed Therapy
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Sleep, Stress, and Recovery Coaching – Precision Nutrition
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Nutrition for Metabolic Health – Precision Nutrition
These qualifications reflect a commitment to a whole-person approach—blending science, wisdom, and real-world experience in every course and coaching conversation.
🔹 Explore The "Four Core" Programs
🌲 Rewilding Your Soul
In a culture that pulls us away from our natural rhythms, this 90-day journey helps those experiencing burnout reconnect with joy, clarity, and vitality. Combining nature immersion, trauma-informed coaching, and Deep Health principles, Rewilding Your Soul is a return to the life your body and soul were built for.
🧠 Trauma Recovery Coaching
Through a compassionate, science-based approach, I help clients understand how trauma shapes their lives—and how to gently reclaim their sense of safety, agency, and self-trust. We explore the roots of emotional survival patterns and create new, life-affirming ways of relating to your body, your past, and your future.
💬 Optimal Leadership
Leadership is no longer about control—it’s about connection. My Conversational Leadership model and courses like Creating Growth Mindsets and Cultures Through Conversational Leadership help organizations cultivate purpose-driven, emotionally intelligent teams. We work from the inside out to create sustainable change in people and culture.
🦊 Heroic Kids
This nature-based, story-rich program helps children—and the adults guiding them—develop courage, emotional intelligence, and resilience. It’s not just a course—it’s a shared journey of becoming, where families grow stronger together and kids learn to lead with heart.
❤️ Why I Do What I Do
At the heart of it all is a mission I live by:
To help people rise.
To create a school that reconnects.
To build a world where we all remember we belong.