Trauma-Informed Leadership and Workplace Culture Insights

Use these 11 trauma-informed boundary phrases to say no, pause conflict, set work-hour expectations, and protect wellbeing without escalating tension.

Learn the trauma triangle and how workplace reenactments show up in teams under chronic stress. Identify the common roles, spot early signs, and use practical interruption strategies that protect trust and accountability.

All human beings are born with a capacity for empathy, but ultimately, empathy is a learned behavior—much like language. Just as language...

Understand the four pillars of emotional intelligence and how they show up in real workplace behavior. Includes practical examples for leaders, supervision conversations, and team communication under pressure.

In the trauma-informed care space, we often reference trauma-informed values. While we can refer to values within the TIC space broadly, there are specific models that we teach our clients, including SAMSHA’s 6 Guiding Principles and the Sanctuary 7 Commitments. The values outlined in these guides provide structure for organizations new to trauma-informed care, and they’re an essential piece of the work for any trauma-informed leader. So, we’re going to explore these values i

Recognizing trauma responses is an important skill for trauma-informed leaders to learn—and knowing these common trauma responses is a great place to start. When we view the world with a trauma-informed lens, we can identify two distinct states of mind or headspaces. Of course, this is an overly simplified model that helps us understand the neurobiology of trauma —but it can help us easily identify when someone (including ourselves) is experiencing a trauma response. These t

If you asked me what the single most important aspect of trauma-informed implementation is, I’d say it’s much more complex than that. But then I’d say safety at work . To be fair, there are a lot of moving parts when we aspire to create safety at work. It’s not an easy task to undertake. From encouraging employees to develop individual safety plans to creating a comprehensive organizational safety plan , truly establishing safety at work can take years to achieve. It’s a lot

Establishing safety at work is one of the most important aspects of creating a trauma-informed workplace, but creating safety is easier said than done. When we discuss trauma-informed beliefs, practices, and values, we often explore big-picture concepts and systems. While this is an essential piece of the work, sharing specific, actionable steps can often improve our understanding better than big-picture ideas can. Here are some concrete and relatively simple ways to create s

When we discuss implementing trauma-informed change, the conversation largely surrounds how we live trauma-informed values. How does our behavior reflect our values? What about our lifestyle choices, how we engage in relationships, or our attitude toward life’s challenges? When we reflect, we recognize that there are many ways we live trauma-informed values, but there are also many areas where we can improve. So, once we’ve identified the areas we’d like to change, the questi

If you take a look at history, it’s obvious that cultural change happens slowly. Many of the changes we experience hardly feel like changes at all. They happen gradually over the course of a lifetime, and they elude our attention. But when we shift our perspectives and take an intentional, measurable, and trauma-informed approach to cultural change, we discover that it is not only larger and faster than we initially believed—it is also more impactful, more achievable, and mor

A trauma-informed framework for shifting toxic workplace culture. What leaders must change in norms, communication, and accountability to build trust and safety.

A safe and healthy workplace is the goal—but there is a concerning number of toxic workplaces out there. Is yours one of them? There’s a common dynamic where executive teams turn a blind eye to problems while those without power can see the glaring issues of a toxic workplace unfolding before their eyes. Today, we discuss nine common signs of a toxic workplace—and how to solve each issue with a trauma-informed approach. 1 High Turnover Rates Usually, when an employee leaves a

In most circles, safety plans are discussed as a tool for suicide prevention. While they are certainly a great resource for people who may experience a crisis such as suicidal ideation, safety plans are a self-care tool that proves useful in less extreme situations as well. Whether you’re someone who would benefit from a personal safety plan or you’re interested in implementing an organizational safety plan for your workplace, this introduction to safety plans is a great plac

There’s a common belief that some workplaces are trauma-free. While it’s true that some vocations—such as healthcare workers and first...