Trauma shows up everywhere, including at work. According to the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, at least 70% of US Adults self-identify as having one or more traumatic experience in their lifetime. Now add the traumatic experiences of spouses, children, parents, and other loved ones. With an issue this pervasive, why aren't we talking about the impacts of trauma on the workplace and team culture? The truth is, many of us don't want to talk about our traumatic experiences at work or may not make connections between past trauma and current challenges. And that's perfectly okay! Organizations don't need either to effectively address trauma in the workplace, what they need is Trauma Informed Workplace Cultures. My name is Stephanie Lemek. I'm a former HR executive on a mission to help build Trauma Informed Workplace cultures where everyone can be successful. Regardless of past trauma.
Join us for a conversation with Justin Clifford, CEO of Bereave- a ground-breaking start-up dedicated to helping organizations, managers, and individuals better navigate death, loss, and grief. We talk about grief at work, Bereave's work, and how to better navigate grief at work as a leader and as someone experiencing loss.
Many look forward to the holidays, but for many of us, they also bring a mix of stress, joy, and trauma triggers. In this special episode, we discuss how we can navigate the challenges of the holidays and focus on caring for ourselves this time of year (and beyond).
Join us for a quick discussion on Attachment styles and how they show up in the workplace. Learn more about attachment styles here and you can even take a quiz to determine your own here.
With last week's election results and the corresponding fallout, we wanted to take a break from our regular schedule programing and take a few minutes to highlight some post-election self-care practices.
As we work to build trauma informed workplaces, it's important to acknowledge the significant and unique impact of military experiences on individuals and how they show up in the workplace. In this episode, we discuss the importance of supporting veterans and their family members in the workplace and the power of Trauma Informed practices to do just that through the whole employee journey.We are lucky to have Matt Poepsel, PhD join us to share his own journey as a veteran and talk about how we can support all veterans. Check out Matt's work on his website, on LinkedIn, and his book, Expand the Circle, Enlightened Leadership for our New World of Work.
Join us for a powerful conversation with Jennifer Laurie, Founder of Equitable HR Guild and Chief People Officer at StartOut. Jennifer's work to create a more equitable future of work and her lived experience as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community make for an important and actionable conversation on equity in the workplace and beyond. Follow Jen on LinkedIn and find the amazing resources from Equitable HR Guild here.
Join us for a high-level discussion of the concept of Institutional Betrayal and also how we can move to something greater- Institutional Courage. Also, make sure and check out The Center for Institutional Courage for more information and free resources.
Join us for a conversation on career transitions and how trauma shows up as we navigate these big changes! Dr. Kyle Elliot is a Trauma-Informed Career Coach. Learn more about his work on his website and LinkedIn.
Elections and the anxiety that comes with them are top of mind- join us for a conversation about the real phenomenon that is election anxiety and what we can do to address it both organizationally and within the workplace.
Join us for a conversation on mental health at work with one of the leading voices on this topic- Melissa Doman, MA. Melissa is an Organizational Psychologist, Former Clinical Mental Health Therapist, and Author of Yes, You Can Talk about Mental Health at Work. If you are interested in learning more about Melissa's work and how she can support your organization, check out her website.
Although it might seem like a surprising topic as we look at trauma informed workplaces, humor actually plays an important role in creating more supportive cultures. Join Peter Phelan and Stephanie Lemek for a conversation about humor as a coping mechanism and a powerful tool in the workplace and beyond. You can also find more about Peter's work at VaulesCulture here.
We kick off season 3 of the podcast with a conversation on the power of communication with the co-founders of Proactive Conversations, Belma McCaffrey and Jessica Belsky. Listen in to learn more about their methodology and how it can help organizations and leaders build more psychological safety in their organizations, and contribute to trauma informed cultures. We even chat about the challenges of communication around this election cycle.
Join us for a great conversation with Rita Ramakrishnan, ACC, ACTC, Founder of Iksana, Fractional Chief People Office, and Executive Coach, to discuss Neurodiversity in the workplace and how, with the proper support and resources, it can become a superpower.
Unfortunately, most of us have experienced manipulation at work- a 'two-faced' colleague or a leader who takes advantage of our desire to grow and succeed. In this episode, we're joined by Chief People Officer and Start-up Advisor, Alex Seiler to dive into the Jeykll and Hydes we encounter in the workplace and a better understanding of managing manipulation at work - including checking in on our own behavior.
More and more research points to Psychedelics as a powerful tool when it comes to trauma recovery. Unfortunately, a lot of misconceptions also exist about the use of psychedelics. Join us for an amazing conversation with Steven Huang, Founder, Set the Setting, and Director, Social Justice at MAPS (Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies). Make sure to follow Steven's work and more on his substack!
Join us for a very special episode where host and Wounded Workforce Founder & CEO, Stephanie Lemek works through live coaching using The Bounce Back Blueprint created by Jen Fox, Founder, Orgsavvy consulting.
Join us for a conversation with Kelly Mackin, CEO of Motives Met and Author of Work Life Well-Lived to talk about how our motives help us better understand how to create a work-life that best serves our overall well-being and how leaders can use the Motives Met Pathway to better understand and provide for their teams. Follow Kelly on LinkedIn, the Motives Met website, and purchase Work Life Well-Lived here.
Join us for a conversation with Jessica D. Winder on caregiving at work, the realities of what employees face when needing to care give as parents and elders- the so-called sandwich generation, and what a better support system can look like in the workplace. You can also pick up a copy of Jessica's book here and her new interview course here.
Emily Golden is an experienced Leader and a Master Certified Coach through ICF. She is also a certified Trauma Informed Coach. She shares her experiences as a leader, coach, and parent and provides amazing insights on how to bring a more trauma informed approach to all areas of your life in our conversation. Learn more about Emily's work on her LinkedIn or her Website. You can also check out Emily's book, The New Golden Rule.
We took a little (unexpected) break during Season 2, but we are back at it! Listen in to learn why. The Trauma Informed Workplace Practitioner Certification May 29th - Self- Care and Resilience Virtual Workshop
If you are like me, the end of Q1 of this year snuck up on you. For this week's podcast, we walk through a quick self-reflection and goal-setting activity together. If you'd like, you can follow along and use this worksheet to work through it as well.
Join us as Dr. Colleen Saringer, PhD, Workplace Wellness Expert chats with us about Social Determinants of Health and their relevance in the workplace and designing workplace wellness and benefits programs.
We are honored to have Cytandra Hoover join us for this episode as we talk about social impact and the workplace. Cytandra shares her story and unique perspective on the workplace, colored by her experiences traveling and supporting those experience crisis on a global scale. Learn more about Cytandra and her work here.
Unfortunately, Layoffs have become all too common experiences, both for employees and employers. Join us for an important and insightful conversation with Lisa Frisica on how employers can better navigate layoffs and how to navigate the loss of a job as an individual.
Join us for a conversation with Anessa Fike, Author of "The Revolution of Work," Founder & CEO of Fike + Co., and Fractional Chief People Office. We're talking about Anessa's experience, her new book, and how the workplace needs to change to benefit us all. You can follow Anessa on LinkedIn and apply to join the Revolution of Work Think Tank Here.
Join us for the season 2 kick-off of the Trauma Informed Workplaces podcast to explore the power of self-acceptance and self-compassion. We talk a lot about self-awareness as a tool for improvement and growth, especially in the workplace. Self-awareness is important for us all, especially for leaders. However, without self-acceptance, self-awareness can only take us so far in our development. When coupled together, self-awareness and self-acceptance are one of the most powerful development combos. Link to the self-compassion quiz referenced in the episode here.
Join us for highlights from the second half of the season!CW: Childhood illness
Join us for highlights from the first half of the season! CW- trauma, death, Covid-19 pandemic, childhood sexual abuse, sexual assault
Join our host and special guest, DEI expert and Speaker, D'Janae Robinson as we explore the final principle of trauma informed workplaces- Cultural, Historical, and Gender Issues.
Without humility, it is very difficult for individuals and organizations to acknowledge their errors, missteps, or different perspectives that showcase potential harm. The openness and appreciation for others ingrained in our definition of humility is key in the recognition of harm and missteps. However, humility alone is not enough. Without meaningful action and acknowledgement to correct harm, the issue remains and often festers- getting worse and creating new issues often impacting even more people. Responsiveness works hand in hand with humility to complete this trauma informed principle.Join us for a powerful overview of how humility and responsiveness are key in creating trauma informed workplace cultures.
Join us for a powerful conversation with Samreen McGregor, Executive Coach and author of "Leader Awakened", You can learn more about Samreen's work with leaders at www.turmericgroup.com and purchase her book here .
The holiday season can be a magical time, it can also trigger stress, burnout, and even trauma responses. In our special episode, we talk about common challenges during the holiday season and how to leverage tools to cope with them.
Because a lack of control or helplessness can be so tied to trauma, empowerment is one of the most important principles in creating a trauma informed workplace culture. Creating empowerment in your organization is pivotal to building a trauma informed culture and is done through the components of choice, strengths leveraged, recognition and growth.
Join us for a conversation with Maude Moreno, Founder of Yoga and Wellness with Maude as we discuss her career journey and her commitment to wellness and well-being at work.
For this week's episode, we'll be discussing collaboration as a principle of Trauma Informed Workplaces. You've probably talked a lot about collaboration at work before- but I promise, not like this. We'll be talking about talking about systems, structures and processes and power imbalances that get in the way of effective collaboration and trauma informed cultures.
Join us for an amazing conversation with Katharine Manning, Author of 'The Empathetic Workplace' and President, Blackbird about her work to build trauma informed workplaces. You can learn more about Katharine's work on her website and you can purchase her book here. Katharine also shares some resources in the discussion, here is a link to those as well.
In this episode, we discuss the third principle of trauma informed workplaces - community. Learn more about why community is so important to building trauma informed cultures and how organizations can help foster community in an authentic way in the workplace.
CW: Childhood Sexual Abuse Join us for a discussion with Christi Pilutik on how to support survivors of trauma and how workplaces can better support both those with experiences of trauma and those who are supporting loved ones with traumatic experiences. If you or someone you love has experienced sexual violence, you are not alone and there are resources available to you. RAINN | The nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization RAINN Hotline -800.656.HOPE Allies In Healing: When the Person You Love is a Survivor of Childhood Sexual Abuse https://a.co/d/8I0bhij
In this episode, we explore the second principle of Trauma Informed Workplaces- Trust & Transparency. Learn why trust is so important and how to navigate the delicate balance of transparency as a leader as highlights from this episode.
Content Warning- Please note this episode deals heavily with the Covid-19 Pandemic, healthcare, illness, and death. Join Stephanie for a conversation with DNP, Adia Sikyta as she reflects on her experience as a medical professional, mother, daughter, and granddaughter during the Pandemic. In the shared experience of the pandemic, we get a glimpse of how individualized traumatic events and experiences can be. In this singular, global event are innumerable, individual experiences and impacts.
CW: While not detailed, this episode references physical violence, including gun violence, domestic violence, and natural disasters.Safety is the foundation of a trauma informed culture; because when we are unsafe, it's hard to be focused on much else. More likely than not, you've talked about safety at work. However, most likely those discussions were focused on a single aspect of safety, versus the overarching concept as it relates to building a trauma informed workplace culture. As we look at Safety in the context of trauma informed workplaces, it is best represented by a three-legged stool; built by the three legs of physical safety, psychological safety, and financial safety. If any of the three are missing or damaged- your stool won't work, and you won't be able to build a robust, trauma informed culture on it.Here's a link to the resources referenced in the article. - re:Work (rework.withgoogle.com)
Welcome to our inaugural episode of Building Trauma Informed Workplaces! In this episode, we cover the definition and concepts of trauma, why organizations should care about trauma, and trauma informed workplaces. This information is the foundation of our work to build trauma informed workplaces and will help us work from the same place as we discuss more in future episodes.
Subscribe Now and Don't Miss our first Episode dropping September 13th! Trauma shows up everywhere, including at work.According to the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, at least 70% of US Adults self-identify as having one or more traumatic experience in their lifetime. Now add the traumatic experiences of spouses, children, parents, and other loved ones.With an issue this pervasive, why aren't we talking about the impacts of trauma on the workplace and team culture?The truth is, many of us don't want to talk about our traumatic experiences at work or may not make connections between past trauma and current challenges. And that's perfectly okay! Organizations don't need either to effectively address trauma in the workplace, what they need is Trauma Informed Workplace Cultures.My name is Stephanie Lemek. I'm a former HR executive on a mission to help build Trauma Informed Workplace cultures where everyone can be successful. Regardless of past trauma.