{"id":48606,"date":"2026-06-01T12:11:17","date_gmt":"2026-06-01T10:11:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/circlesforconnection.be\/?p=48606"},"modified":"2026-06-22T12:39:44","modified_gmt":"2026-06-22T10:39:44","slug":"trauma-in-the-workplace-beyond-the-buzzword","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/circlesforconnection.be\/en\/trauma-in-the-workplace-beyond-the-buzzword\/","title":{"rendered":"Trauma in the Workplace: Beyond the Buzzword"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\u201cTrauma is not caused by the event itself, <\/em>but rather develops by the failure of the body, mind, spirit and nervous system to process extreme adverse events\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

Peter Levine<\/div>
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Has Trauma become a Buzzword?<\/span><\/h3>\n

Inflation<\/span><\/h4>\n

Are we using the word <\/span>trauma<\/span><\/em> too casually<\/strong> these days? Sometimes it seems as though everyone is traumatized.<\/span><\/p>\n

Other terms related to psychological suffering<\/strong> (e.g., abuse, boundary violations, bullying, narcissism, toxic leadership) are also used liberally in the workplace and, as a result, risk losing their meaning.<\/span><\/p>\n

The harmful effect<\/strong> of this is that those who have truly been deeply wounded by overwhelming experiences may feel that their suffering is not being taken seriously.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thanks to the growing number of books on trauma and the popularity of authors such as Gabor Mat\u00e9, individual trauma<\/strong> has become relatively familiar to the general public.<\/span><\/p>\n

(I am sometimes surprised that participants in training programs, for example, know what the \"Window of Tolerance\" is and how they can regulate themselves through breathing.)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Types of Trauma<\/span><\/h3>\n

The most widely recognized form is acute or shock trauma<\/strong> (<\/span>Trauma with a capital T<\/span><\/em>). This refers to a single, overwhelming event that exceeds your normal coping mechanisms. Your life trajectory is abruptly and forcefully interrupted (e.g., a natural disaster, car accident, or rape).<\/span><\/p>\n

Research and literature emphasize the physiological imprint<\/strong> that overwhelming experiences leave on our bodies. After such an event, the body remains in survival mode. Life energy becomes frozen.<\/span><\/p>\n

Less well known is trauma with a small <\/strong><\/span>t<\/em><\/strong>.<\/strong> This results from the accumulation of difficult-to-bear experiences. These are chronic stressors that persist over time (e.g., neglect, subtle bullying, toxic management styles, ongoing conflicts, microaggressions). This form of trauma is less visible but can be just as destructive as shock trauma.<\/span><\/p>\n

Today, there is also growing attention to developmental and attachment trauma<\/strong>. These are the wounds sustained during childhood due to a lack of safety, support, or attention (Complex PTSD).<\/span><\/p>\n

(And then there are also collective trauma, systemic trauma resulting from structural discrimination and threat, and intergenerational trauma.)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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\"How do I teach my body that the fight-flight response is for life threatening situations and not for answering an email?\"<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

Rebecca Stahl<\/div>
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Traumatic Responses Are More Common Than we realize<\/span><\/h3>\n

Reactive behavioral patterns often reveal when people are operating in survival mode<\/strong>. This stress-driven, threat-based behavior on \u201cautopilot\u201d tends to be repetitive.<\/span><\/p>\n

People who have been wounded in the past are more likely to become triggered again later in life. Their response to a situation may then be disproportionate<\/strong> and no longer aligned with the reality of what is happening. This also occurs in the workplace.<\/span><\/p>\n

Protect<\/span><\/h4>\n

Most people are familiar with the fight-or-flight response<\/strong> in dangerous situations. The body becomes mobilized (hyperarousal). This may look like speeding up, wanting to fix things immediately, agitation, emotional outbursts, intensity, aggression, or storming off. In this state of the nervous system, there is a sense that \u201cI can do something\u201d (\"I can\").<\/span><\/p>\n

When someone perceives (!) a situation as life-threatening, the body may shift into the next protective system: freeze<\/strong>. This can manifest as immobilization, collapse, mental disengagement, giving up, numbness, disappearing, or shutting down (hypoarousal).<\/span><\/p>\n

In these physiological states of protection, we are unable to connect with others. The social engagement system of the nervous system is effectively offline. What dominates here is a sense of incapacity<\/strong> (\"I can't\").<\/span><\/p>\n

Less widely known but very common (my practice is full of it!) is the <\/span>fawn<\/em><\/strong> response<\/strong>: people-pleasing behavior, adapting yourself to others, being easy-going, not daring to say no, and not expressing your own needs.<\/span><\/p>\n

This survival response is activated when you are trying to avoid danger, fear conflict, or ensure that you stay out of trouble. Afterwards, this response often leads to significant feelings of shame and frustration<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

In my work with conflict<\/strong>, everyone is, by definition, operating in a \"protect\" mode.<\/span><\/p>\n

Connect<\/span><\/h4>\n

In a safe environment, the nervous system resides in what is known as the <\/span>ventral vagal state<\/em><\/strong> (Porges): a condition of inner calm, mindful presence, and relative ease.<\/span><\/p>\n

In this regulated state<\/strong>, you feel connected to others, remain curious, can listen attentively, and show empathy. You are able to think clearly, generate creative solutions, and act consciously.<\/span><\/p>\n

When we are under stress, the body responds before the rational mind can catch up<\/strong>. The prefrontal cortex (your rational thinking capacity) only joins the process later.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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\u201c<\/em>Trauma, in essence, is all about overwhelm and broken connections. (\u2026) <\/em><\/p>\n

Trauma can result from shock, <\/em><\/p>\n

and also from a series of painful and difficult experiences which can be cumulative over time.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

Angwyn St Just<\/div>
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Trauma in the Workplace<\/span><\/h3>\n

Organizations can also experience different forms of trauma<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Some examples:<\/span><\/p>\n