Universal Precautions in Practice: 11 Tips for Trauma-Informed Leaders
Universal precaution is a useful trauma-informed tool that helps us live our values and create safety at work.
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The Art of Trauma-Informed
A Systems Transformation Blog
Shenandoah Chefalo
- Mar 21
- 3 min
What is Universal Precaution?
Universal precaution is a trauma-informed practice that helps us live the trauma-informed value of safety. When we use universal...
195 views0 comments
Shenandoah Chefalo
- Mar 14
- 5 min
What is Vicarious Trauma… and Do You Have It?
Also referred to as compassion fatigue, vicarious trauma is a major contributor to chronic stress, especially for those who work with...
223 views0 comments
Shenandoah Chefalo
- Mar 7
- 6 min
Trauma-Informed Perspectives on Feminism
March is Women’s History Month, and this month we celebrate all women. For Women’s History Month, let’s take some time to reflect on and...
141 views0 comments
Shenandoah Chefalo
- Jan 30
- 6 min
10 Books for Cultural Humility: A Black History Month Inspired Reading List for TI Leaders
February is Black History Month, so this week, we’ve curated a reading list for trauma-informed leaders to increase their cultural...
287 views2 comments
Shenandoah Chefalo
- Jan 17
- 3 min
What is a Collective Disturbance?
Most of the time when we talk about trauma, our minds go to individual trauma: the trauma that we or someone we know has personally...
226 views0 comments
Shenandoah Chefalo
- Jan 4
- 5 min
11 Trauma-Informed Boundary Phrases to Use at Work
Trauma-informed leaders know that healthy boundaries are essential for healthy relationships—in and out of work. But setting and...
1,022 views0 comments
Shenandoah Chefalo
- Dec 21, 2022
- 9 min
The Trauma Triangle: How Fostering Awareness of Reenactments Builds Resilience
The basic concept surrounding trauma-informed care is this: We all have trauma. Some of us are at a higher risk of experiencing trauma....
337 views0 comments
Shenandoah Chefalo
- Dec 13, 2022
- 6 min
9 Reasons Why Your Work Team Shouldn’t Be a Family
We’ve all heard it: “our team is a family.” Organizations across every industry use this language. From non-profits to corporate teams,...
425 views0 comments
Shenandoah Chefalo
- Dec 6, 2022
- 5 min
9 Tips for Staying Motivated on Your Trauma-Informed Journey
Committing to trauma-informed work can be a real challenge. Most trauma-informed practices involve cultural changes and large-scale...
165 views0 comments
Shenandoah Chefalo
- Nov 29, 2022
- 4 min
Empathy is a Professional Superpower
All human beings are born with a capacity for empathy, but ultimately, empathy is a learned behavior—much like language. Just as language...
208 views0 comments
Shenandoah Chefalo
- Nov 22, 2022
- 4 min
The Four Pillars of Emotional Intelligence
If you read last week’s blog, you might remember that we touched on social-emotional learning, which is closely tied to emotional...
222 views0 comments
Shenandoah Chefalo
- Nov 1, 2022
- 5 min
The Complete Guide to Trauma-Informed Values
In the trauma-informed care space, we often reference trauma-informed values. While we can refer to values within the TIC space broadly,...
208 views0 comments
Shenandoah Chefalo
- Oct 18, 2022
- 5 min
7 Tips to Reach Someone During a Trauma Response
Last week, we discussed how to recognize trauma states at work. The classic fight, flight, freeze, and appease trauma responses can...
1,060 views1 comment
Shenandoah Chefalo
- Aug 16, 2022
- 6 min
7 Tips to Create Cultural Change at Work through a Trauma-Informed Lens
If you take a look at history, it’s obvious that cultural change happens slowly. Many of the changes we experience hardly feel like...
443 views1 comment
Shenandoah Chefalo
- Aug 8, 2022
- 4 min
Paradigm Shifts to Change Toxic Workplaces: How Shifting Perspectives Impacts Company Culture
There is a common trend where organizations acknowledge that we need change. They see the value in DEI work, and they genuinely want to...
384 views2 comments
Shenandoah Chefalo
- May 31, 2022
- 4 min
How Trauma-Informed Employers Can Foster a Sense of Safety at Work
There’s a common belief that some workplaces are trauma-free. While it’s true that some vocations—such as healthcare workers and first...
346 views0 comments
Shenandoah Chefalo
- May 24, 2022
- 3 min
Coping Mechanisms: Shame & Guilt as a Survival Skills
When we experience a traumatic event, shame and guilt are common survival skills we rely on. Like the flight, fight, freeze and appease...
361 views0 comments
Shenandoah Chefalo
- Apr 13, 2022
- 2 min
How to Build Resilience: Connection to Faith and Cultural Traditions
Last week, we talked about building resilience through positive and stable adult relationships. Today, we’ll explore how a deep...
14 views0 comments
Shenandoah Chefalo
- Mar 14, 2022
- 4 min
Trauma Brain: How Our Survival Instincts Keep Us Stuck
Connecting Fight Flight Freeze to Trauma Brain and what is happening in the world.
70 views0 comments
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