Page 16 - 2019-2020 Leader Manual

Noticing Us Toolkit: Tips for Creating Emotional

Safety

Be predictable
 Follow the same routine. Predictable = safe.

Start calm
 Recover calm. Take time to calm yourself. Participants with trauma-histories will notice
your tone of voice, your stance, your non-verbal cues. Your calm is catchy. Your upset is
distressing.

Help participants practice calming
 Teach participants the basics of calming down (Noticing Me/Us). This helps participants
recover from distress and increase resilience to distress.

Give choice
 Trauma gives no choice. When you give participants choice they learn that they are not
helpless. Making choices strengthens the belief that “I can make changes to my life.”

Harness laughter
 Laughter soothes emotional pain. Fun games, face to face games, laughter all help the
body recover from trauma.
 Build connection. Find things in common with participants. Your presence is part of the
healing in a participant’s life. Start with shared interests.
 Fast track learning names.

Bridge
 Keep connection going when you are apart. Do this by “bridging” between the end of one
session and the beginning of another. Try, “We will meet again in two days,” or “I will be
thinking of you when I see that show that we both like” or “Let me know how that project
went. I am looking forward to hearing about it.”

Understand
 Help participants understand themselves. Think, “All behaviour is communication.” Look
for positive intentions (what is behind this?) “If this participant COULD do better, he/she
WOULD do better.”

Leader Manual, Social Programs, Calgary Neighbourhoods page. 16