Trauma-Informed Leadership and Workplace Culture Insights

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...

We often discuss feelings, cultural practices, and relationships in trauma-informed systems change—but don’t let that fool you. Trauma is a science, and our emotional experiences can have lasting physiological and neurological impacts. In the realm of trauma-informed care and systems change, understanding the close connection between trauma and the brain is pivotal. Whether you work with populations who are at a high-risk of exposure to trauma or you yourself are healing from

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 trauma-informed tools includes great coping strategies, mindfulness exercises, and grounding activities. Practical Trauma-Informed Tools for Resilience and Executive Functioning When we’re stuck in our trauma, we can’t access our executive functioning. It’s why we sometimes act in ways that don’t make sense (or in ways we’re not proud of). No ma

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...

This blog discusses self-harm and suicide, which can be sensitive topics to many readers. Please establish your safety before reading, including your mental, psychological, emotional, and safety. Self-harm is a topic that's often discussed in hushed tones, if at all. When we talk about this common warning sign for crisis (which often goes hand in hand with passive or active suicidal ideation), many people’s minds immediately jump to the more extreme forms of self-destructive

Safety is a crucial topic for trauma-informed systems, and understanding how your community defines safety is no small task. If I asked...

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 important pillars (if not THE most important pillar) of shifting towards a trauma informed approach. Here’s why. This isn’t the first time we’ve talked about the importance of safety at work , and it won’t be the last! Trauma-informed change is centered on the concept of trauma healing, and safety is crucial to healing. Actually, that might be

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...

We need to work to live, but is work negatively impacting our well-being? For most of us, work allows us to meet some of our basic needs: such as a stable living situation, healthcare, and nutritious food. The issue is that, for most of us, work also contributes to toxic stress, compassion fatigue, and burnout, which negatively impacts our mental, emotional, and physical health. If I asked you this question: “How do you feel about your job?” How would you respond? If your ans

Start here: Want the full set of trauma-informed tools for leaders? Visit our Trauma-Informed Leadership Toolkit for scripts, boundary phrases, regulation tools, and practical next steps. There are tons of trauma-informed tools out there to help you integrate trauma-informed practices into your everyday life, and today we’re going to focus on powerful questions. Trauma-Informed Tools: Powerful Questions & TIC Coaching Powerful questions are a core component of trauma-inform

As a trauma-informed consultant, I work with trauma-informed phrases and ideas every day—and here are some of the most common phrases you'll hear me say. Start here: Want the full set of trauma-informed tools for leaders? Visit our Trauma-Informed Leadership Toolkit for scripts, boundary phrases, regulation tools, and practical next steps. These seven phrases distill some complex trauma-informed topics into understandable and actionable phrases that can help you embed the T

Universal precautions at work means leading as if anyone may be carrying trauma or chronic stress. Learn why it matters for communication, psychological safety, and follow-through plus 11 trauma-informed leadership habits you can use immediately.

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

Committing to trauma-informed work can be a real challenge. Most trauma-informed practices involve cultural changes and large-scale...

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

“ Neuroscience research shows that the only way we can change the way we feel is by becoming aware of our inner experience and learning to befriend what is going on inside ourselves.” - Bessel Van Der Kolk Trauma-informed care is impossible without self-awareness. Anyone who practices TIC needs self-awareness, and most of us would benefit from greater self-awareness. In this complete guide to self-awareness, we’ll explore why self-awareness is core to the trauma-informed mode

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

Download this newsletter as a printable PDF: Monthly Reflections In August, many of us prepared for or began the 22-23 school year as we balanced personal, professional, and cultural stressors. Whether you worked through loss, reflected on your past, began a new journey, or processed the collective trauma of military conflict and restricted abortion access, now is the time to recognize the growth you accomplished. Be proud of yourself and celebrate your wins. Looking Ahead As

Trauma-informed leadership is crucial if you want to accomplish trauma-informed change in your organization. Here’s some expert advice on how you can become a trauma-informed leader. 1 Acknowledge that cultural change is just as important as technical change When we talk about organizational change, our problem-solving brains are often focused on technical change. We ask, “ What processes can we put in place to prevent this issue?” when we should be asking, “What cultural

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