Building Psychological Safety in the Workplace: Cultivating Trust, Inclusion and Resilience

This two-day experiential training invites participants to explore what psychological safety looks, sounds, and feels like in their organizational context. Through guided discussions, self-assessments, and applied learning activities, participants will examine how fear, hierarchy, and unprocessed trauma can inhibit communication, collaboration, and innovation.

Drawing on evidence-based frameworks and trauma-informed principles, this program helps participants identify the relational conditions that allow people to speak up, make mistakes, and share ideas without fear of judgment or reprisal. Participants will practice concrete strategies to build inclusive, trust-based teams and to challenge processes that hinder safety and well-being for both clients and staff.

“Know” Knowledge & Understanding

• Understand the concept of psychological safety and its evidence-based links to team performance, innovation, and staff well-being.
• Identify the four stages of psychological safety and their application in human-service settings.
• Recognize how power dynamics, hierarchy, and past trauma can influence perceptions of safety and communication in the workplace.
• Understand the neuroscience of threat and belonging, and how stress and fear impact openness, creativity, and engagement.

“Do” Apply Skills & Practice

• Apply psychological safety principles to strengthen trust and collaboration within teams and between departments.
• Practice communication strategies that model transparency, empathy, and curiosity during feedback or conflict.
• Engage in role-plays and case scenarios that simulate real-world challenges, including giving constructive feedback, addressing power imbalances, and navigating team mistakes.
• Develop practical action plans to embed psychologically safe practices into meetings, supervision, and daily interactions.

“Be” Professional Growth & Transformation

• Embody a leadership mindset rooted in humility, curiosity, and accountability.
• Commit to shared responsibility for safety, understanding that trust and inclusion are ongoing practices, not static outcomes.
• Cultivate self-awareness and emotional regulation to remain grounded and open when facing tension or feedback.
• Contribute to workplaces that model dignity, equity, and respect, enhancing the well-being of both older adults and those who support them.