What is Trauma-Informed Facilitation?
Trauma is invisible damage that is carried in the body, a wound you cannot see. It's a survival response that takes the form of overwhelm, embodied memory, or stuck energy. As facilitators, we often encounter people in our meetings who are having a trauma response. As humans, our neurons mirror one another– if someone else is stressed, we reflect it.
A great facilitator can be a lightning rod that can handle what is said and absorb the impacts. If people know the facilitator will keep them safe, they are more likely to bravely engage in the challenge or conflict. Trauma-informed facilitation is a muscle that can be formed, and it requires sitting with discomfort and slowing down. It also requires that facilitators take care of their own wellness. Our team recently took a series of workshops with Chris Langeler of CL Strategic to build our skills in trauma-informed facilitation.
Learn more about Trauma-Informed Facilitation.
