Becoming Trauma-Competent Leaders
Pillars of Trust-Based Relational Intervention
Connection
Felt Safety
Regulation (emotional & physiology)
Traumatic stress is toxic.
Types of trauma: acute, chronic and complex developmental trauma
Remember, when our stress response system is over-activated, our brains and bodies pay a steep price.
Trauma damages our ability to do incredibly important things.
To address the impact of trauma, we must increase felt-safety.
Safety is fundamental - on every level we must, of course, be physically safe to live well. However, in order for our brains to relax, be calm, be working completely and functioning at their best, we need to feel safe as well. Just because we ARE safe doesn’t automatically mean that we will FEEL safe. Similarly, removing a threat doesn’t always produce the desired felt safety.
Trauma destroys trust; Connection rebuilds.
We cannot give what we do not have.
Keeping up with the pace and circumstances of life and work can feel overwhelming and take a huge hit on our physical and emotional health. What gets in the way of your caring for yourself?
We can’t keep up with the fast pace without rest.
Rest is much more than sleep. Four types of rest: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.
Build in margins.
Make sense of your own history.
Debrief difficult experiences.
Evaluate how you cope.
Trauma-Informed TIPS:
The first step to becoming trauma-informed is awareness. We must “see” and acknowledge the existence of trauma and its impact on people around us. Only then can we respond with the compassion of Christ.
The first goal of a person who is becoming trauma-informed is to understand the life-altering impact of trauma. Trauma causes chronological age and developmental stage to be out of sync. To avoid frustration, set your expectations to align with a youth’s developmental age.
Learning the signs of the fear brain is key to a trauma-informed response. Look for:
An inability to discern right from wrong.
An inability to voice needs or recognize needs in others.
A quick or irrational reaction of fight, flight, or freeze.
Dilated pupils.
A tense body or clenched jaw.
An increase in the startle response.
When you recognize these signs of fear in yourself or others, make a plan to increase feelings of peace and safety. Pray for God’s peace, practice deep breathing, give or gather more information, or minimize other stress or distractions.
When you see a child or teen using a protection strategy (i.e., manipulation, violence, aggression, control, or triangulation), ask yourself: What are they afraid of? Increase felt safety by relaxing your own body, speaking in a calming voice, and lowering yourself below their eye level. Even sitting quietly in a youth’s presence can calm them. Proactively teach new tools and remind them to use them.
Take regular time to pause during the day and assess how the world and its chaos impact you. For one-minute, mentally scan your body and heart for areas of distraction or tension. First, bring your mind to your present reality. Then, look for the needs of those around you and be present.
Becoming trauma-informed is a journey, not a destination.
