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Trauma-Informed Leadership and Workplace Culture Insights
Tools, language, and implementation guidance for leaders building safer, more accountable workplaces.
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Start With These!
Start here if you are leading culture change, supporting staff well-being, or navigating conflict. These three posts teach the core tools we use in training and implementation.
All posts
Healing Through Mindfulness: Slowing Down & Asking for Help
What does healing look like? We often think the answer will be sold to us in pretty packaging, but the truth is that healing requires...
Shenandoah Chefalo
Apr 2, 20245 min read
Discover the Power of Trauma-Informed Change: Transforming Lives & Organizations
Trauma-informed change is a revolutionary approach that acknowledges the far-reaching impact of trauma on individuals, communities,...
Shenandoah Chefalo
Feb 27, 20243 min read
11 Practical Tips for Building Secure Attachments and Healing from Trauma in Relationships
Understanding attachment theory helps us make the important first step of the trauma-informed paradigm shift. Once we make the shift, we...
Shenandoah Chefalo
Feb 20, 20246 min read
Trauma-Informed Attachment Theory: How Childhood Experiences Impact Adult Relationships and Attachment Styles
Attachment styles can help us understand how our trauma impacts our relationships—and what we can do about it. I work with many...
Shenandoah Chefalo
Feb 13, 20244 min read
7 Characteristics of a Healthy Relationship
Whether you’re considering your romantic, platonic, or professional relationships, knowing these 7 characteristics of a healthy...
Shenandoah Chefalo
Feb 6, 20244 min read
9 Phrases That Build Trust at Work (What to Say, Not Just What to Do)
Use these 9 ready-to-say phrases to build trust and psychological safety at work—plus when to use each one and what to avoid so it lands well.
Shenandoah Chefalo
Jan 30, 20244 min read
5 Secrets to Personal Growth No One Tells You
People are always asking me: what do I do to heal my trauma? And people are always disappointed when I tell them the answer. Why? Because...
Shenandoah Chefalo
Jan 23, 20244 min read
Words of Affirmation: 7 Things You Didn't Know You Needed to Hear
Sometimes, we know we need something, but we don’t know what that thing is. You might find it here. In the journey of self-discovery and...
Shenandoah Chefalo
Jan 16, 20243 min read
Trauma Brain Explained: The Neuroscience of Trauma
We often discuss feelings, cultural practices, and relationships in trauma-informed systems change—but don’t let that fool you. Trauma is...
Shenandoah Chefalo
Jan 9, 20245 min read
15 Tools to Stay in Your Executive Functioning
If you’re someone who’s always looking for one more trauma-informed resource to add to your toolkit, you’re in luck. This list of 15...
Shenandoah Chefalo
Dec 19, 202310 min read
One Life-Changing Trauma Informed Approach You Can Implement Today
Of all the trauma-informed phrases I use, “yes, AND” might be the most common. “Yes, AND” represents a way of thinking that is essential...
Shenandoah Chefalo
Dec 12, 20234 min read
7 Subtle Self-Harm Strategies You Might Do
This blog discusses self-harm and suicide, which can be sensitive topics to many readers. Please establish your safety before reading,...
Shenandoah Chefalo
Dec 5, 20237 min read
9 Types of Safety Most People Don’t Know About
Safety is a crucial topic for trauma-informed systems, and understanding how your community defines safety is no small task. If I asked...
Shenandoah Chefalo
Nov 28, 20237 min read
Why is Safety Important in a Trauma Informed Approach?
No matter what model you use, SAMHSA or Sanctuary, safety is a core value of trauma-informed care. Safety is arguably one of the most...
Shenandoah Chefalo
Nov 21, 20235 min read
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and Blackfoot Beliefs
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is an important and often-referenced concept in trauma-informed care. It often stands alone—yet, to be...
Shenandoah Chefalo
Nov 14, 20233 min read
JADE at Work: How to Spot Defensiveness and De-Escalate Fast
Use JADE (Justify, Argue, Defend, Explain) to spot trauma-driven defensiveness at work and respond skillfully with scripts that reduce escalation and build safety.
Shenandoah Chefalo
Nov 7, 20233 min read
What Are the 12 Executive Functioning Skills?
Trauma disconnects us, making it difficult for us to access the parts of our brain responsible for executive functioning skills. When we...
Shenandoah Chefalo
Oct 31, 20234 min read
The Science of Substance Use: Trauma and Addiction
There is a strong connection between childhood trauma and addiction, which is why preventative trauma-informed interventions are crucial...
Shenandoah Chefalo
Oct 24, 20233 min read
Building Resilient Organizations: Lessons in Trauma Informed Change and Organizational Resilience
If we want to create real change, we have to zoom way out to look at the issues, solutions, and goals from a systems perspective. We also...
Shenandoah Chefalo
Oct 17, 20236 min read
Unraveling Financial Trauma: How Our Past Experiences with Money Affect Our Attitudes & Behaviors
Talking about money is taboo, but we need to have difficult conversations if we want to improve our relationships with our wallets....
Shenandoah Chefalo
Oct 11, 20236 min read
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