The Benefits of Trauma-Informed Workplaces: Supporting Employees, Strengthening Organizations, and Serving Clients
- themothercorp
- Mar 18
- 7 min read
Introduction
Implementing trauma-informed practices and trauma recovery training in the workplace is a strategic approach that benefits both employees and the clients they serve. By acknowledging the prevalence of trauma and its impact on individuals, organizations can create supportive trauma-informed environments that enhance employee wellbeing, productivity, and job satisfaction by investing in educational training workshops and one-on-one trauma-informed leadership coaching. Trauma-informed practices and trauma recovery processes equip workers with the skills to be able to effectively support clients impacted by trauma, reducing exposure to exacerbated traumatic responses and foster a supportive and humane experience. This not only improves client outcomes but also reduces stress for workers, as they are better equipped to manage challenging situations, ultimately leading to a dual benefit that enhances both employee and client wellbeing.
Trauma Awareness in Workplaces
Holistic, evidence-based trauma-informed practices and trauma recovery skills equip professionals, leaders, and facilitators with the knowledge and skills to recognize the impact of trauma and respond appropriately. This approach improves and builds safety, stability, and trust throughout the workforce, improving team cohesion and collective goal achievement. By acknowledging that trauma can affect anyone, workplaces can create supportive environments that benefit both employees and the clients they serve.
The Impact of Trauma on Workforces
Trauma happens to 70-90% of adults one to five times in their lives. We spend a significant portion of our waking lives at work. As such, workplaces are impacted by trauma.
Data shows that the experience of trauma can produce stress, strained workplace relationships, absenteeism, presenteeism, burnout, retention challenges, high turnover, and increased disability and compensation claims. Trauma affects the ability to meaningfully engage with our colleagues and clients, productivity, and overall workplace morale. Implementing Trauma-informed Educational Workshops and Trauma-Informed Coaching for Professionals helps mitigate these risks and sustain the capacity to support both employees and clients effectively.
Implementing Trauma-Informed Practices
Trauma-informed frameworks strengthen workforces by fostering environments that promote safety, trust, and long-term sustainability for both staff and those they serve. These frameworks provide a structured approach to integrating trauma-informed practices
Core Trauma-Informed Competencies
Our Trauma-Informed Services include the following competencies:
· Realize: Understanding what trauma is and how it affects individuals, groups, communities, and families.
· Recognize: Identifying the symptoms of trauma.
· Respond: Implementing a trauma-informed approach company-wide.
· Resist re-traumatization: Understanding how past approaches may have been trauma-inducing and how toxic and stressful environments can interfere with the healing process.
Trauma Recovery Processes to Enhance Wellbeing
Trauma Recovery Workshops cover evidence-based practices to support individuals experiencing trauma that are grounded in neurobiology. Understanding how trauma impacts our brains enables workers to implement strategies that provide effective support to advance emotional regulation. With solid embodied skills workers gain confidence to both look after themselves and their clients in times of distress.
Trauma Recovery Strategies
· Recognizing signs of trauma: Understanding how trauma presents as behaviours and impacts relational interactions
· Communication Skills: Approaches that build trust and to support emotional regulation.
· Establishing safety and boundaries
· Providing effective support: Equipping workers with the skills to support clients in managing and containing trauma responses in ways that foster support and enable effective de-escalation—ensuring responses do not intensify, which serves both the client and the provider..
Supporting Workers Through Client Interactions
Workers who engage with clients experiencing trauma may face unique challenges, including the emotional impact of responding to client disclosures. It is essential for organizations to provide resources and support to help workers manage their own wellbeing. This includes training on self-care strategies, access to one-on-one Trauma-Informed Leadership Coaching, and relevant resources.
We work with organizations to skillfully build effective safety nets, including best-practice recommendations for company EAPs, to support workers in sustaining their capacity to engage with trauma-impacted clients.
Have you gotten my free Guides? Get them now
Sustaining Trauma-Informed Leadership
Leadership plays a crucial role in implementing and supporting trauma-informed practices. Ensuring access to education and one-on-one coaching, and workplace policies and practices that incorporate trauma-informed principles strengthens professionals' ability to work safely and effectively.
Leadership Priorities
· Developing and implementing trauma-informed policies and practices
· Providing ongoing trauma-informed educational training
· Recognizing safety is both physical and psychological
· Creating a workplace culture that is stigma free and encourages and recognizes that asking for support and using resources is a strength. Leadership leads by speaking to organization about their personal experiences getting support and provide resource access information. This includes setting up access to EAP so that there are no barriers and all staff are fully enrolled without gatekeeping.
· Effective trauma-informed communication skills are taught and modelled
· Embedding trauma-informed resources: Including one-on-one trauma-informed workforce coaching, team debriefing, and structured self-care practices within the workforce, such as Trauma Recovery Retreats and Trauma-Informed Weekly Workplace Maintenance and Restoration Sessions
Benefits of Trauma-Informed Workplaces
Adopting trauma-informed practices in the workplace offers numerous benefits:
1. Improved Employee Wellbeing: Employees feel seen, supported and valued demonstrate better mental health, reduced absenteeism, and lower turnover rates.
2. Enhanced Productivity: Employees are more engaged and productive, with improved focus on tasks, as well as increased creativity and innovation.
3. Positive Organizational Culture: Fostering a culture of compassion, respect, and support enhances team cohesion, morale, and job satisfaction.
4. Better Employee Relations: Trauma-informed communication reduces conflicts and improve relationships among employees and between staff and management.
5. Resilience and Adaptability: Organizations are better equipped to handle changes and challenges, with employees being more adaptable and resilient.
6. Increased Productivity: Organizations productivity is linked to employees feel seen, supported and motivated.
7. Reduced Absenteeism: Lower absenteeism rates result from creating and providing effective mental health resources and creating a safer workplace environment physically and emotionally.
8. Higher Employee Retention: Employees feel valued and supported, leading to improved retention rates.
9. Enhanced Psychological Safety: Ensuring employees feel secure in expressing thoughts and concerns without fear of dismissal or retribution.
10. Better Mental Health and Wellbeing: Prioritizing mental health and providing supportive environments help manage stress and prevent burnout.
Benefits for Clients
Trauma-informed practices also significantly benefit the clients served by these organizations:
· Effective Support for Trauma-Impacted Clients: Workers are equipped with the skills to support clients in a way that reduces the risk of escalating trauma responses, providing a more effective and supportive experience.
· Improved Client Outcomes: Clients receive tailored support that addresses their unique needs, enhancing relational trust and engagement in services.
· Increased Client Satisfaction: Clients feel seen, understood and supported, leading to higher satisfaction rates and better outcomes.
· Enhanced Client Safety: Trauma-informed environments provide clients physical and psychological safety, reducing the risk of re-traumatization.
· Better Client Engagement: Clients are more likely to engage in services when they feel safe and understood, leading to more effective interventions.
Testimonials
This non-profit shares their experience of their first The Mother Corp Educational Workshop for their clients:
“Chavisa was a guest facilitator and speaker with our program. Her presentation was well prepared, grounded in knowledge of the systemic challenges participants would be facing, and very client-focused. She worked with the participants, answering questions as they popped up, offering suggestions and information based on her experience. Chavisa was approachable, relaxed, and very well informed, all of which put our participants at ease. What we really appreciated is how she took simple or familiar ideas and was able to present them in a fresh way that was practical and applicable. Participants left feeling empowered, seen, and focused. We will definitely be inviting her back for future workshops or facilitated sessions as the opportunity arises.”
They proceeded to invite The Mother Corp back to train their full team of program facilitators on trauma-informed practices and trauma recovery processes, sharing this,
"It was clear you were confident, well prepared, well researched and professional and I really liked your delivery."
At The Mother Corp, we deliver tailor-made presentations to engage both your clients and staff.
Conclusion
Trauma-informed workplaces benefit all industries by reducing stress-related impacts and fostering an environment that supports both staff wellbeing and client outcomes. Trauma-informed approaches provide essential skills for staff to managing stressors, prevent burnout, and foster supportive professional environments thus improving workforce retention. Embedding structured, evidence-based trauma recovery practices into workforces is of benefit to both staff and the clients they serve. Educational workshops on trauma-informed practices and trauma recovery processes are a proactive and strategic investment in organizational health and resilience, leading to thriving organizations and healthier communities.
Take the Next Step
Ready to transform your organization with trauma-informed practices?
At The Mother Corp, we offer comprehensive trauma-informed and trauma recovery educational workshops tailored to meet your organization's unique needs. Our workshops are available both in-person and virtually, providing a flexible solution for your team. Contact us today to learn more about how our expertly designed programs can support your team's growth and resilience.
Staying In Touch
For professionals, join my newsletter here and get your Trauma-Informed Workplace Best Practices Guide here.
For Individuals
We are committed to ensuring people are meaningfully accompanied through hardship.
For one-on-one support, please get in touch for a free call:
Secure email: themothercorp@proton.me
or book here
Let's stay connected, join my newsletter here and grab your free Holistic Self-Care Guide.
If you know a person or organization who would benefit, please share this with them.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Chavisa Horemans, MES, CDC, CTRC
Chavisa Horemans is a trauma-informed consultant specializing in evidence-based, holistic support for individuals navigating complex challenges.
She holds an interdisciplinary Master’s degree in social sciences and a Graduate Diploma in adult education. Her areas of expertise include Gender-Based Violence, Hidden Abuse, Financial Abuse, and Post-Separation Abuse.
Chavisa is a Certified Divorce Coach (CDC, ICF), specializing in supporting parents involved in high-conflict disputes.
She is also a certified Trauma Recovery Practitioner (CTRC), helping individuals process and recover from trauma. She continues to deepen her knowledge through ongoing training in trauma-informed interventions.
For secure communication, she can be reached at themothercorp@proton.me.
Please join my community for individuals: join me here to get started.
For professionals, click here to get started.
If this resonates, please reach out.
If you know someone who would benefit, please share this with them.
Comments