What to look for in staff wellbeing training for teams who work with trauma
Susana Carr
If you manage a team that works with trauma, you have probably been asked to "do something" about staff wellbeing. Maybe sickness is creeping up, or people seem tired in a way a long weekend doesn't fix. You might lead a domestic abuse service, a refugee and asylum project, a mental health team or a social care team. Budgets are tight everywhere, so whatever you book needs to be worth the time you are taking people away from the work.
I'm a registered social worker and I now run staff wellbeing workshops for frontline teams. Here is what I think good training looks like, and what I would ask before booking anyone, including me.
It works with the body as well as the mind
A lot of wellbeing training is advice: look after yourself, take your breaks, notice the signs of burnout. All of that is sensible. The trouble is that when someone has just come off a distressing call, stress pushes the thinking part of the brain offline, and that's the part that weighs up good advice. Heart rate is up and the body is still braced.
That is why I think good training should give people something physical to do, a way of calming the nervous system from the body upwards. Breathing techniques and EFT tapping both aim to work at this level. Whatever the method, staff should understand why it helps when thinking clearly feels out of reach.
People practise in the room
If staff only hear about a technique, most of them won't use it when it matters. Under pressure we fall back on what is familiar. Good training gives people enough practice during the session that the technique already feels familiar by the time they leave.
In my own workshops, everyone taps along with me rather than watching.
Nobody has to share
In teams that work with trauma, some people will be carrying experiences of their own. They may not want to talk about them at work, and they shouldn't have to. Training that relies on people opening up in front of colleagues can leave someone more exposed than when they arrived.
Ask how the trainer handles this. In my sessions, no one has to share anything personal. People can tap along while privately thinking of a difficult moment from work. It helps if someone is happy to offer a general example for the group, but this is always optional.
It is honest about the evidence
Be wary of anyone who promises that a single session will fix burnout or heal trauma. Wellbeing tools can help, and the research on some of them is encouraging, but good trainers are clear about what is known and what isn't.
I've written about what the research on EFT tapping does and doesn't show in Does EFT tapping actually work? What the evidence says. I'd rather a team chose tapping with their eyes open.
Staff can use it the next day
The test of any training is what happens on Monday morning. Look for something short enough to use between appointments or on the walk back to the car. If a technique needs twenty quiet minutes and a calm room, most frontline staff will never find the time.
It treats regulation as part of practice
This is the point I care about most. When staff are regulated, they think more clearly under pressure and stay connected to the people they support. In domestic abuse and safeguarding work, that affects how well risk is assessed. In refugee and mental health work, it affects whether someone feels heard.
So the best training doesn't stop when the session ends. Look for ideas on how managers can model regulation and how the team can keep practising together, for example in supervision or team meetings. I've set out the case for managers in more detail in Making the case for nervous system regulation.
Questions to ask before you book
- What will staff be able to do differently the day after the session?
- How much of the session is practice?
- What happens if someone finds the content difficult?
- Does anyone have to share personal experiences?
- What does the evidence say about the approach, and what doesn't it say?
- How can we keep this going after the session?
Where my workshops fit
I built my workshops around these points. I explain what happens in the brain and body under stress, then teach EFT tapping as a practical regulation tool staff can use during and after difficult work. Sessions run online or in person, from a 90-minute taster to a full day.
I work with teams in domestic abuse services, refugee and asylum services, healthcare, supported housing and schools, as well as social work and social care.
If you would like to talk about your team, get in touch. You can see formats and prices on my workshops page, or try the free three-minute tapping session yourself first.