Psychological Safety and Identity: Why We Can’t Separate the Two

Not too long ago, a prominent voice in the psychological safety space made a bold statement: "Psychological safety is what DEI should have been." While this framing may resonate with some, for me, it felt incomplete. It ignored a fundamental truth—identity cannot be divorced from psychological safety.

As someone who operates at the intersection of psychological safety and identity, I know this to my core. My work, my lived experience, and the lives of so many others tell a different story: our sense of safety—emotional, physical, and psychological—hinges on who we are, how we show up in the world, and how the world responds to us.

A Threat to Safety for So Many

As the promises of the incoming administration become clearer, so do the threats they pose. Deportation, the dismantling of DEI initiatives, the rollback of women's reproductive freedoms, and the stripping away of LGBTQIA rights—all of these are existential threats. They threaten not only our freedoms but also our ability to feel safe in our homes, workplaces, and communities.

For those who may be seen asFo “un-American,” the danger of being profiled and targeted simply for existing looms large. Members of these communities face a growing fear as promises of unchecked police immunity surface. These are not hypothetical risks. They are lived realities for many, and they underscore the urgency of understanding psychological safety as deeply tied to identity.

The Role of Organizations in Supporting Psychological Safety

Organizations—whether professional or personal—have a responsibility to address these threats and their impact on employees and community members. To fail to do so is to abandon the very people they claim to serve and support. Psychological safety isn’t just about creating a space where people feel comfortable sharing ideas or admitting mistakes. It’s about ensuring that people feel safe existing—that their identity won’t put them at risk in the workplace, in their neighborhoods, or in society.

The Weight of Multiple Identities

As someone who holds multiple marginalized identities, I feel this weight every day. The intersection of my race, gender, and lived experiences informs my work and my advocacy. I cannot pretend that the world is neutral or that psychological safety exists in a vacuum. My clients—many of whom hold similar intersecting identities—don’t have the privilege of ignoring these realities either.

Psychological safety is about more than policies and workshops. It’s about culture. It’s about taking a stand when the rights and freedoms of others are at risk. It’s about recognizing that the next four years will require organizations to show up for their people in ways that go beyond lip service or performative gestures.

The Next Four Years: A Call to Action

The next four years will test us. It will be a time when psychological safety will hinge on identity more than ever before. If we want to create workplaces—and communities—where everyone feels safe, then we must be intentional. We must build cultures where individuals, regardless of race, creed, gender, or religion, feel supported and valued.

This is not a theoretical challenge; it is a moral imperative. Organizations that fail to address the intersection of psychological safety and identity will lose not only their people but also their credibility.

Why I Do This Work

For me, this is personal. This is why I show up every day. It’s why I work with organizations to create inclusive environments and why I coach individuals to navigate systems that often feel stacked against them. I know what it feels like to question your safety in spaces that claim to value you. I also know what it feels like to thrive in spaces that truly do.

For many, psychological safety can be a lifeline. It’s what allows us to show up, to contribute, and to exist as our full selves. And for those of us whose identities put us at risk, it’s what allows us to simply breathe.

I know we don’t have the privilege of ignoring the intersection of identity and psychological safety. And if you’re reading this, I hope you know it too. Let’s do the work—together. The stakes are too high not to.

If your organization is ready to take a stand and truly support psychological safety for all employees, let’s talk. This work is not easy, but it is essential.

Sacha Thompson is the founder of The Equity Equation, LLC, a boutique diversity coaching and inclusive culture consulting firm. With more than 20 years of experience within the education, non-profit, and tech industries, Sacha’s work involves removing barriers or providing support to achieve equity. She helps executives and leaders have meaningful dialogue and coaches them on the necessary, long-term changes that develop institutional cultures of inclusion. She was most recently featured in Newsweek, Business Insider, and MSNBC’s The Cross Connection.