Trauma-Informed Care For These Times

It's almost become hyperbolic to talk about the times we are in. These times encompassing these intensified few years including the historical traumas of a global pandemic, wars, genocide, human rights violations, and more.

There are so many events and environments both globally and in our own backyard that are inducing trauma and toxic stress both on an individual and collective level.

I don't believe in 'big T and little t' trauma (listen to my recent podcast on this topic here).

Creating binaries, authority over determining what is trauma and what is not for someone, and perpetuating hierarchies only further promotes exclusion and inequities-the conditions in which trauma thrives.

I believe there is a spectrum. Of course, someone living in a war-torn country is going to have a greater and more complex impact of trauma than someone who is watching it on the news.

But there is still an impact. And that spectrum of impact is an important nuance and understanding for us to hold as trauma-informed leaders.

Trauma-informed care is not conditional.

It cannot be an approach offered to some and not to others.

Creating exclusions, conditions, and hierarchy of people’s humanity and trauma is not what this approach is intended for.

I say this often because it bears repeating: we cannot use the same tools that cause trauma to prevent, mitigate or heal it.

We cannot accept that individual trauma exists while denying the realities of systemic and the collective trauma that surrounds us.

Trauma-informed care teaches us how to hold the nuances and complexities of our humanity while also being clear that we cannot tolerate people, collectives and systems that actively dehumanize.

So how do we lead with a trauma-informed lens during 'these times'?

Well first, we must acknowledge 'these times' and not deny or act as if the world is not experiencing a myriad of stress and trauma.

An expression of trauma-informed leadership is the capacity to hold these understandings.

It's about learning how to practice responsiveness over-reactivity and to choose courage over comfort to be with what the world urges us to turn away from.

Here are 5 trauma-informed considerations for leading during collective trauma:

• Acknowledge the reality it might not be your reality but it is the reality of many and we are all witnessing it constantly unfold on our screens. Rather than avoid the topic because it is uncomfortable or you're afraid of what it might bring up, instead acknowledge it. You don't have to be an expert (no one is expecting you to be anyway). Acknowledge that what we are collectively experiencing right now is not 'normal' or 'okay' and that we of course are going to be impacted by it.
• Practice the pause whether we are experiencing crises directly or indirectly, our nervous systems are impacted. Many of us are waking up with the news, seeing it in our scrolls, discussing it with our colleagues, etc. When the nervous system is dysregulated, it activates a fight, flight, freeze or fawn response that can generate social, emotional, cognitive, physical or behavioral reactions. As a leader, how can you pause in order to respond rather than react? Pausing allows us to slow down in these times when everything is going at warp speed. Take a breath, go for a walk, listen before speaking. Slow it way down.
• Check In everyone is going to have a different response to the collective trauma unfolding. Many may have personal connections or be more directly impacted than others. But we cannot deny the reality that we are all in some way impacted. Create opportunities to check in with folks. A simple, 'how's everyone doing?' before the meeting starts can allow everyone to pause as well as acknowledge the realities of what is occurring all around us. But be sure to remember to honor choice in this process and that some folks may not feel safe sharing and that's okay.
• Encourage Care in whatever form that may be. The compounded and accumulative stress in our own backyards, on our phones and around the world is not normal. What is normal is feeling exhausted, uncertain, worried, sad, angry, etc. Normalize and humanize these feelings and encourage people with reminders to care for themselves. If you are someone who has decision-making power, help make these choices for care possible by ending meetings early, canceling them all together, more breaks, etc.
• Permission to be human 'these times' are also compounded by each individual's lived experiences and so, there's just a lot going on. When our nervous system is dysregulated, we may have a harder time focusing or remembering things. We may feel more agitated or frustrated. We may feel more grief, lethargy, numbness. As leaders, we can first acknowledge everyone is going to have a different response and that is okay. And second, we encourage to practice permission to honor our humanness in these times. Increase communications by offering more reminders, extract the extra stuff that may bog people down, and offer A LOT of grace.

It's important to remember that trauma-informed care is a bi-directional approach-it includes YOU. So be sure to apply these practices to yourself as well.

No one has a script for how to lead during compounded collective traumas.

But what we do have is a comprehensive approach that we can lean on to give us a guide on how to lead with more empathy.

Trauma-informed care is the way for us to know how to lead during the times of the unknown.

Are you a leader of a company or team that desires to adopt an integrative trauma-informed approach? Learn more about my private training options for teams and companies.

For more education and resources listen to A Trauma-Informed Future Podcast.

Curious and want to learn more? I love connecting with fellow social impact leaders. Feel free to DM me or schedule a virtual coffee chat here.