When you hear trauma-informed, you might automatically think of health professionals, particularly mental health professionals, in their interactions with patients. But trauma-informed practice is equally important in all professionals, from health care to education, justice, human services, and even the corporate sector. It’s particularly important in leadership roles. Why? Let’s start by understanding what trauma-informed really means.

Most of us have experienced a difficult colleague. Maybe they constantly miss deadlines, avoid important meetings, take excessive days off, or seem irritable and withdrawn when discussing workplace issues. Whether we’re in a leadership position or simply a co-worker, how we respond makes a world of difference to workplace culture and relationships. If the response is not observed through a trauma-informed lens, it’s easy to label them lazy, grumpy, or disrespectful.

What Exactly Is Trauma?

Trauma is a word that often elicits a strong association with major and tragic life events, but it’s more than just experiencing accidents, violence, or natural disasters. Of course, these incidents are major traumas, but trauma can also be more subtle, often invisible, but no less distressing. Chronic stress, emotional neglect, systemic inequality, or even repeated microaggressions in the workplace all contribute to a trauma experience and consequently trauma response. In simple terms, trauma is any experience that overwhelms a person’s ability to cope and affects more people than you might expect. Soberingly, studies estimate that 75% of adults have experienced a traumatic event at some point in their lives and by the age of 17, 62-68% of young people will have been exposed to at least one trauma. So, those who have experienced trauma are certainly in the majority, but not everyone will have ongoing negative poor mental health or PTSD as a result. However, those who do have adverse reactions to trauma will benefit from a trauma-informed response in the workplace.

Having a Trauma-Informed Mindset

Understanding trauma and taking a trauma-informed approach in the workplace doesn’t mean offering therapy to work colleagues in distress. It’s about recognising a trauma response and thinking, behaving and responding in a way that demonstrates empathy, awareness and safety. When you’re trauma-informed, you’ll be better able to build strong, trusting relationships at work and create a workplace environment that minimises re-triggering stress responses caused by previous trauma. You’ll find yourself contemplating what might be triggering this person to react in a certain way, instead of asking, ‘What’s wrong with them?’ It’s a small but powerful shift that leads to greater insight and, as a result, a more considered and compassionate approach to conflict in the workplace.

Its Significance in Every Industry

As explained earlier, you don’t need to work directly in mental health care to benefit from learning trauma-informed practice. Many professionals, including educators, managers, healthcare workers, and even customer service specialists, will experience improved workplace dynamics with this approach. Teachers will be more equipped to identify and respond to students’ problematic behaviours. Managers can better support their employees and avoid workplace burnout. Similarly, health care professionals can improve patient care, and customer service personnel can de-escalate conflict competently with an understanding of trauma-informed practice.

6 Key Principles of Trauma-Informed Practice

In a trauma-informed workplace, you’ll notice six important principles at work, including:

Safety

Psychological safety is created when a person feels safe taking interpersonal risks, such as speaking up, admitting mistakes, and sharing their ideas without risk of embarrassment or retribution. When you’re trauma-informed, you will create environments where people feel physically and emotionally secure. As a result, you’ll see enhanced team performance, higher employee retention and improved innovation.

Trust

Those with trauma-informed practice build trust through consistency and clear communication. Trustworthiness in a workplace promotes psychological safety, reduces the incidence of misunderstandings and encourages open, respectful relationships, even during times of stress and change.

Support

Trauma-informed workplaces encourage shared experiences, which promote healing and connection. The sense of community this brings strengthens team dynamics and helps people feel seen, valued and supported in their personal and professional lives.  So, due to vulnerability being met with empathy rather than judgment, workplaces experience improved morale and productivity.

Collaboration

Because trauma often leaves people feeling powerless, collaboration is crucial in trauma-informed practice. Collaboration means involving others in decision-making and valuing everyone’s unique perspective. Leaders should avoid a top-down leadership style, implementing the following strategies instead:

• Seek input from team members at all levels in the organisation
• Encourage shared decision-making
• Be transparent about workplace processes and expectations
• Treat clients, colleagues and staff as equals rather than subordinates

Empowerment

When possible, give employees agency so they feel you respect their decisions. This is particularly important for those who have experienced trauma because of their need for a sense of control. In professional workplaces, this might look like:

• Providing options rather than orders
• Involvement in decisions that affect their work or well-being
• Encouraging feedback and actively listening
• Avoiding coercion, even if it’s subtle.
• Giving people agency and respecting their decisions.

Sensitivity

Sensitivity and inclusivity are crucial to trauma-informed practice because a person’s background, including their culture, race, gender, identity, sexuality, religion and socio-economic status, can profoundly influence how trauma is experienced. Being sensitive to and aware of cultural norms, historical and systemic injustice, inclusive language, and stereotyping is critical to a truly diverse workplace where all individuals feel valued and thrive.

 

We hope these principles help you start making a difference in your workplace. But if you want to dramatically improve your professional relationships and workplace outcomes, consider a comprehensive professional development course, like our Certificate of Trauma-Informed Care.

Certificate of Trauma-Informed Care

Whether you work in health care, social work, community services, education or corporate settings, this course is ideal for creating more compassionate, effective workplaces. You’ll learn how to apply evidence-based strategies to prevent vicarious trauma in children, adolescents and adults.

 

Can we help you with trauma-informed practice? Simply contact one of our Course Consultants today at 1300 76 2221 or via Live Chat for information and support.