296 - The Power of Trauma Awareness in Design and Facilitation with Rachael Dietkus

Everyone who steps into our workshop room brings their own experience. An emotional backpack of mosaic stories, hardships and histories - some, more traumatic than others.

But the weight of trauma demands a special kind of care: far beyond empathy, we must show up with a deep sensitivity and respect that fosters non-triggering, inclusive spaces.

Rachael Dietkus knows this better than most. As a social worker-designer and the first trauma-informed subject matter expert at the White House, she’s been at the helm of understanding some big, complex social issues - from masked gun violence, to how racism shows up in healthcare.

This week, Rachael teaches us her craft of trauma-informed design, peppered with brilliant anecdotes, thoughtful insights and guidance - there’s lots to learn, think about, and apply. 

Find out about:

• What it means to facilitate with trauma sensitivity
• The importance of rejecting rigidity to make space for deep, meaningful conversations 
• The key difference between therapy and facilitating therapeutic exchanges
• The importance of eliminating the element of surprise when dealing with complex issues
• How to foster safe spaces that don’t demand a vulnerability of participants 

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Links:

Watch the video recording of this episode on YouTube.

Connect to Rachael Dietkus:

LinkedIn

Website

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