Facilitating With a Trauma-Informed Lens
by Eva Jo Meyers (www.evajomeyers.com)
Someone in tears, another unable to follow the conversation, someone else not showing up at all – we have all experienced these scenarios in our virtual meetings. As we struggle through the constant stream of
stressful news, the uncertainty of what the next quarter will look like, and the sheer exhaustion of conducting all of our interactions through a screen, our overwhelm can easily lead to extreme anxiety and burnout.
One powerful response to mitigate this lies in using trauma-informed practices in our virtual meetings. Originally developed to support PTSD in veterans of the Vietnam War, the practices are designed to help foster resiliency and recovery in groups and individuals who have experienced extreme distress (not dissimilar to our current reality).
By integrating these practices into our meetings, we can positively impact our collective well-being – rather than compound our overwhelm – each time we launch our communication platform.