Trauma-Informed Leadership & Workplace Culture
Supporting organisations to understand how trauma, adversity, and life experiences can influence behaviour, wellbeing, communication, and performance at work.
People do not leave their life experiences at the workplace door. Experiences of trauma, adversity, grief, loss, illness, domestic abuse, discrimination, or significant life events can all influence how individuals communicate, respond to stress, build relationships, and perform at work.
Trauma-informed workplaces recognise these realities without making assumptions or placing responsibility on managers to become therapists. Instead, they focus on creating psychologically safer environments where people feel respected, supported, and able to thrive.
This training provides practical, psychologically informed guidance to help leaders, managers, and organisations better understand behaviour, respond with compassion, and build healthier workplace cultures.
Why This Training Matters
Many workplace behaviours are interpreted as poor performance, disengagement, conflict, or resistance without considering the wider context of an individual's experiences.
Whilst managers are not expected to diagnose or treat trauma, understanding how adversity and stress can influence behaviour helps create more compassionate, effective, and psychologically safe workplaces.
Trauma-informed leadership is about responding with curiosity rather than judgement, recognising the importance of safety, trust, communication, and appropriate support, whilst maintaining clear professional boundaries and organisational expectations.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the training, participants will be able to:
Understand the principles of trauma-informed practice in the workplace.
Recognise how adversity and significant life experiences can influence behaviour and wellbeing.
Respond to employees with greater confidence, curiosity, and compassion.
Strengthen psychologically safer workplace cultures.
Balance empathy with professional boundaries and organisational responsibilities.
Know when additional support or signposting may be appropriate.
Apply trauma-informed principles within everyday leadership and management.
What We'll Explore
Training can be tailored to the needs of your organisation, leadership team, and objections
Common topics include:
Understanding Trauma-Informed Practice
What it means to be trauma-informed in the workplace
Understanding trauma, adversity, and stress responses
How life experiences can influence behaviour at work
Recognising common stress and coping responses
Myths and misconceptions about trauma
Responding with curiosity rather than judgement
Employee Wellbeing
Recognising the impact of stress and adversity
Supporting colleagues through difficult life events
Promoting resilience and wellbeing
Preventing burnout and compassion fatigue
Understanding boundaries and role limitations
Knowing when to signpost for additional support
Leadership & Management
Trauma-informed leadership principles
Building trust and psychological safety
Compassionate leadership and communication
Managing performance whilst maintaining empathy
Balancing accountability with support
Leading teams through uncertainty and change
Psychological Safety & Workplace Culture
Creating psychologically safer workplaces
Developing cultures of trust and respect
Reducing stigma around mental health and wellbeing
Supporting openness without oversharing
Embedding compassionate workplace practices
Strengthening team wellbeing
Communication & Relationships
Having supportive workplace conversations
Active listening and effective communication
Managing challenging behaviours with compassion
Building psychologically safe team relationships
De-escalating difficult situations
Creating inclusive workplace cultures
Applying Trauma-Informed Principles
Practical workplace scenarios and case studies
Reflecting on leadership and organisational culture
Identifying opportunities for positive change
Developing practical action plans
Embedding learning into everyday practice
Sustaining trauma-informed approaches over time
Who Is This Training For?
This training is suitable for:
Senior leadership teams
Managers and supervisors
HR professionals
Mental Health First Aiders
Wellbeing champions
Team leaders
People professionals
Organisations looking to strengthen workplace culture and employee wellbeing
No previous knowledge of trauma-informed practice is required. The training is designed to provide practical, accessible guidance that can be applied confidently within everyday leadership and workplace settings.
Delivery Options
Training can be delivered in a format that suits your organisation, workforce, and objectives.
Options include:
In-person training at your workplace
Online workshops and webinars
Hybrid delivery
Lunch-and-learn sessions
Conference presentations and keynote talks
Leadership development programmes
Team development workshops
Multi-site organisational roadshows
Bespoke organisational workshops
I work with organisations across Liverpool, the UK, and internationally. Training can be delivered in person, online, or through a hybrid format depending on your needs.
Whilst face-to-face delivery often creates greater engagement and discussion, particularly around sensitive topics, online delivery can offer flexibility for larger organisations, national workforces, and international teams.
For organisations operating across multiple locations, training can also be delivered as part of a workplace roadshow programme.
Please note that all training is delivered in English. Travel outside Liverpool may incur additional travel and accommodation costs, which will be discussed and agreed in advance.
Tailored to Your Organisation
Every organisation is different.
Training can be tailored to reflect your sector, workforce, organisational objectives, and existing wellbeing initiatives. Sessions can be adapted to support leadership development, manager confidence, psychological safety, organisational change, and employee wellbeing.
Whether you're looking to introduce trauma-informed principles across your organisation or strengthen existing workplace practices, each programme is designed around your team's unique needs and challenges.
Policy, Guidance & Communication Support
Training is often just one part of creating a more compassionate, inclusive, and informed workplace culture.
Alongside training delivery, consultancy support is available for organisations developing trauma-informed guidance, wellbeing strategies, manager resources, communication plans, and employee support pathways.
Support can also include the development of accompanying communication materials and training resources to help embed learning, increase awareness, and signpost employees to available support.
Examples include:
Trauma-informed workplace guidance
Manager support resources and toolkits
Participant workbooks and training handouts
Reflection and action-planning resources
Intranet content
Awareness posters
Employee information leaflets
Business cards and signposting materials
E-shots and internal communication campaigns
Materials can be tailored to reflect your organisation's branding, existing policies, and support pathways. Additional consultancy and design costs may apply.
Delivered By Kate Auguste
Kate Auguste is an Integrative Psychotherapist (MBACP), workplace wellbeing trainer, and Trustee of Liverpool Bereavement Service.
Drawing on a background spanning psychotherapy, leadership, and over two decades within creative and corporate environments, Kate brings both psychological expertise and practical workplace understanding to every training programme.
Alongside her work in psychotherapy and workplace wellbeing, Kate has a particular interest in how life experiences, adversity, and psychological wellbeing influence behaviour, relationships, communication, and performance within the workplace.
Based in Liverpool, Kate provides workplace training for organisations across Merseyside, the UK, and internationally.
She has delivered wellbeing, bereavement, and workplace training, workshops, and consultancy for organisations including Merseyrail, Regenda Group, Leonardo Hotels, NHS Talking Therapies, and Liverpool Bereavement Service.
Her approach combines evidence-informed psychological insight with practical workplace application, helping leaders, managers, and organisations develop psychologically safer, more compassionate, and more resilient workplace cultures.
Depending on the scope, size, and objectives of the programme, training may also be delivered alongside trusted associates and specialist collaborators, allowing organisations to access a broader range of expertise and perspectives where appropriate.
Enquire About Trauma-Informed Leadership & Workplace Culture
Whether you're looking to strengthen leadership capability, build psychologically safer workplace cultures, support employee wellbeing, or develop trauma-informed approaches across your organisation, training can be tailored to your team's needs.
To discuss your organisation's needs, request a bespoke proposal, or explore training options, please get in touch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Every organisation is different, so training can be tailored to your people, culture, and objectives. Below are some of the questions I’m most commonly asked. If you’d like to discuss your organisation’s needs in more detail, please feel free to get in touch.
-
Trauma-informed leadership training helps organisations understand how trauma, adversity, and significant life experiences can influence behaviour, communication, wellbeing, and performance at work.
Rather than teaching managers to become therapists, the training focuses on creating psychologically safer workplaces, strengthening compassionate leadership, and responding to employees with confidence whilst maintaining professional boundaries.
-
Training can be delivered as a short awareness session, half-day workshop, full-day programme, or as part of a wider wellbeing or leadership development initiative. Content and duration can be tailored to your organisation's requirements.
-
Yes. The training is particularly valuable for senior leadership teams, managers, HR professionals, Mental Health First Aiders, wellbeing champions, and anyone responsible for supporting employee wellbeing or leading people within the workplace.
-
raining can be tailored to your organisation's needs and may include trauma-informed leadership, psychological safety, understanding stress responses, compassionate communication, supporting employees through difficult life events, workplace wellbeing, professional boundaries, organisational culture, and practical approaches to building psychologically healthier workplaces.
-
Yes. Every organisation is different.
Training can be tailored to reflect your sector, workforce, organisational objectives, existing wellbeing initiatives, and leadership priorities. Sessions can be adapted for senior leaders, managers, HR professionals, Mental Health First Aiders, or wider staff groups.
-
Yes. Training can be delivered in person at your workplace, online, through a hybrid format, or at a venue of your choosing.
I work with organisations across Liverpool, the UK, and internationally, delivering training for workplaces, conferences, wellbeing events, leadership programmes, and Mental Health First Aider networks.
For organisations operating across multiple locations, training can also be delivered as part of a workplace roadshow programme. All training is delivered in English.
Any travel, accommodation, or venue-related costs will be discussed and agreed in advance where applicable.
-
Yes. The training complements Mental Health First Aider development programmes by helping MHFAs understand trauma-informed principles, recognise the impact of adversity, strengthen supportive conversations, and develop confidence in responding appropriately within the boundaries of their role.
-
Yes. Consultancy support is available for organisations looking to strengthen workplace communication, leadership capability, manager guidance, employee support pathways, and organisational approaches to wellbeing and psychological safety.
This may include the development of guidance documents, communication resources, manager toolkits, and workplace support frameworks tailored to your organisation's needs.
-
As every organisation is different, training and consultancy are quoted on a bespoke basis. Fees depend on factors such as session length, group size, location, and any tailoring required.
If you'd like to explore options, please get in touch to arrange an initial conversation. I’ll then provide a tailored proposal and quotation based on your organisation’s needs.
Payment is made by invoice, with details provided upon booking.
-
Cancellation terms vary depending on the scope and scale of the booking. Full details will be provided within your proposal and training agreement prior to confirmation.
Trusted By
