Understanding how past experiences shape present workplace challenges and what ethical HR leaders can do about it
Beyond Surface-Level Support
Every HR professional can relate to this scenario; a staff member’s attendance comes to their attention and needs to be addressed somehow. What if your employee’s challenges hail from issues stemming all the way back to childhood, which are being triggered by current events?
As the working world continues to recognise that staff’s wellbeing doesn’t just encompass work-related issues, but personal matters such as adverse childhood experiences (ACE’s), this evolving awareness continues to influence how we present ourselves at work. ACE’s are traumatic experiences that have occurred in childhood. This could include things like violence, abuse or neglect. The groundbreaking study that took place in the 90s proved a powerful connection between 9 specific adverse experiences and the significant impact they have on later life.
A wellbeing service that encompasses a ‘trauma-informed approach’ is now becoming critical. This type of support recognises that struggles which impact employees are not limited to when they clock on and off.
Understanding Trauma-Informed Care in the Workplace
Trauma-informed care is a fundamental shift in our perspective of what employee support looks like. Rather than ask “What’s wrong with you?”, it’s about asking “What’s happened to you?”. This subtle but powerful nuance focuses the conversation in a completely different direction – one that demonstrates empathy and support.
The research backs this up: studies have shown that approximately two-thirds of adults have experienced at least one ‘ACE’. This translates to the majority of your workforce carrying around invisible burdens whilst trying to perform at their best.
By becoming a trauma-informed employer, your staff counselling service should mirror the six core principles of: safety, trustworthiness, transparency, support, collaboration, empowerment and be culturally considerate. By embodying these, it creates an environment where staff feel secure enough to explore potential deep-rooted causes of distress, rather than touch on surface-level presenting ‘symptoms’.
How ACEs Show Up in the Workplace
Trust and Authority: If a staff member has experienced abuse, this may result in their struggling with authority figures, in particular, how they perceive management. Although this may be perceived as defiance, it could be an archaic (at the time, crucial) coping strategy from years ago.
Hypervigilance and Concentration: Environments such as open-plan offices or highly populated areas may be a struggle for those who have been affected by trauma due to the noisy environment. This could impact their ability to remain effective for long periods of time because their threat systems are always on ‘high alert’.
Emotional Regulation: Staff with ACEs can react quite differently to conflict. Changes such as restructures might trigger high anxiety, not because of job security, but a basic fundamental sense of not feeling safe anymore.
If colleagues are impacted by unresolved trauma, it will undoubtedly permeate every aspect of their lives, including work. Spreading to the wider team via communication and presenting challenges such as interpersonal conflict with no apparent and obvious connection.
Why Trauma-Informed Talking Therapy Makes a Difference
Here at The Listening Centre, we apply a trauma-informed approach to everything we do. This means that all of our counselling team are primed to identify trauma signs and respond accordingly. By creating a safe space, this enables your staff to explore these difficulties.
We approach our talking therapy service by integrating different methods that we know work well. This might mean that for someone coming to explore anxiety that hails back to childhood, we may combining:
- Attachment-based theory to understand historical relationship patterns
- Somatic techniques to help clients self-regulate when triggered
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to develop helpful coping strategies
- EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) to work through traumatic events
The Reality of What We’re Working With
What employees present in talking therapy often paint a very complex picture. Much of what is explored is personal: challenging relationships, family issues, loss or anxiety. We find only a quarter are purely work-related and the rest are a mixture of both.
Our results speak for themselves: 93% of staff referred to us feedback that they’ve met their therapeutic goals, 99% would recommend us, and 81% state that our services have directly impacted their ability to sustain attendance, or return to work sooner than anticipated. These are incredible statistics!
The EMDR Difference: Processing Trauma at Its Root
EMDR is a specialist type of talking therapy and has proven effectiveness in helping people process trauma-related issues. EMDR helps people in a very specific way and requires additional training for counsellors to undertake.
The reason EMDR is so effective is that it works relatively quickly in comparison to other talking therapies. We often find that people can feel much better as a result of this approach, rather than take years to work through very difficult life experiences.
What Makes Us Different
Our NHS Talking therapy services provide a ‘stepped-care model’ of therapy. Whilst this might be satisfactory for people with relatively straightforward presenting issues, this service often excludes people who may need higher levels of care for complex challenges.
When other services might turn people away for being ‘too complex’, we would never waver on our commitment to help anyone in distress if we are able to. The main differences in how we work are:
- No complexity exclusions: We believe everyone deserves appropriate support
- Rapid access: Quick response times versus variable NHS delays
- Personalised methods: We adapt to each person’s unique needs rather than following rigid protocols
- Flexible duration: Efficient outcomes while offering comprehensive support when needed
Flexible Support: One Service, Multiple Options
Given that everyone’s needs differ, a trauma-informed, integrated approach means we can offer a complete EAP provision for organisations who have nothing currently in place and are just starting out on their wellbeing strategy.
Some of our customers have recognised that what they already have in place may not be enough. So for complex matters, we fill that gap. Because you only pay for what you need, this is ideal to have as a safety net as and when you need it.
The benefits of this approach are:
- Complete accessibility: No one turned away for complexity
- Cost-effective: Pay only for the support that is actually used
- Administrative streamlining: One service relationship covers your needs
- Partnership approach: We work collaboratively with HR teams, providing transparency about service delivery whilst maintaining absolute confidentiality about therapeutic content
What is the Business Case?
Aside from Health and Safety requirements, there are compelling reasons why our services are essential for workplace wellbeing:
- Reduced absence: Our data shows a direct impact on work attendance
- Improved performance: When people aren’t managing unresolved trauma, they have more capacity for creativity and collaboration
- Better retention: Genuinely supported employees are more likely to stay
- Enhanced team dynamics: Individual healing improves overall function
We are able to prove our interventions work, and for many staff members referred to us for support, in under six sessions! Our rapid access means that we help people when they need it most, quickly.
How To Create Psychologically Safe Workplaces
This is not about turning HR professionals into counsellors. It means creating environments where staff feel psychologically safe. Safe to be human, to know that it’s normal to struggle and then ask for help when they need it – and get the right help!
A holistic approach would involve helping managers to understand what this looks like on a day-to-day basis. Being able to spot signs of distress, normalise difficult topics and create clear pathways to accessing help is an excellent way to start shifting towards a healthier culture.
Investing in Staff’s Potential
By supporting your employees via a trauma-informed approach, you’re recognising that resilient and thriving workplaces don’t happen by accident. By choosing to work with services like ours, you’re ensuring that complex issues may require complex solutions; and as we all know, our staff are our most valuable asset – they’re worth investing in!
We will never turn away anyone for being ‘too complex’, we know that this is merely a sign that someone is human. All staff deserve the type of help that meets them where they are, not what a service provider dictates.
Ready to Transform Your Workplace Wellbeing Strategy?
Why choose us?
- Complete flexibility: Whether you need comprehensive EAP provision or specialist support to enhance existing services
- No one turned away: We see complex cases as opportunities to demonstrate personalised support
- Rapid access: Quick response when help is needed
- Proven outcomes: Outstanding client satisfaction and workplace impact
- Personalised treatment: Multiple therapeutic modalities tailored to individual needs
- Partnership focus: Transparency about service delivery whilst maintaining absolute therapeutic confidentiality
Contact The Listening Centre today to discuss how our trauma-informed, integrative approach could support your team’s wellbeing and your organisation’s success.
Visit us at: https://thelisteningcentre.co.uk/talking-therapy/
Sources
- Felitti, V. J., et al. (1998). Relationship of childhood abuse and household dysfunction to many of the leading causes of death in adults. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 14(4), 245-258.
- SAMHSA. (2014). Trauma-Informed Care in Behavioral Services. Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) Series 57.
- Hughes, K., et al. (2017). The effect of multiple adverse childhood experiences on health: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The Lancet Public Health, 2(8), e356-e366.
- NHS England. (2025). NHS Talking Therapies for Anxiety and Depression. Available at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/mental-health/adults/nhs-talking-therapies/
