What Is Workplace Trauma and the Most Effective Way to Support Employees?

Understanding Workplace Trauma

Workplace trauma is an often-overlooked factor that can have a profound impact on an employee’s wellbeing, productivity, and ability to function effectively. While many organisations have made strides in employee wellbeing by introducing occupational health departments and Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs), one critical gap remains—how workplace trauma is addressed.

A First-Hand Experience of Workplace Trauma

When I worked as the Head of People for British Airways Holidays, I was also studying solution-focused psychotherapy and hypnotherapy. As I deepened my understanding of the mind, I started to see why so many organisations struggled to create real, lasting change in employee wellbeing.

A perfect example was a member of our team—let’s call her Eleanor—who had a high absence rate due to severe anxiety and panic attacks. Despite having access to Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) through our EAP, the problem persisted. Wanting to apply what I was learning, I asked Eleanor if she would be open to working with me voluntarily. She agreed, and what unfolded changed both of our perspectives on trauma treatment.

During our sessions, Eleanor shared that her anxiety stemmed from a deeply traumatic experience—she and her husband had been held at gunpoint while on holiday. Although the event had passed, her mind and body still perceived danger, keeping her in survival mode. As a result, she developed panic attacks and struggled to function in day-to-day life.

Over just a few sessions, using hypnotherapy to process the trauma, we saw incredible results. Her panic attacks stopped. She was able to attend concerts and be in busy environments—things that had been impossible for years. Her attendance at work improved drastically. The transformation was undeniable.

Why Traditional Approaches Fall Short

What struck me most was that what I achieved with Eleanor in just a few sessions would have taken much longer with traditional talk therapy—and, in some cases, could have even re-traumatised her. The common approaches to workplace trauma—EAPs, counselling, and CBT—are helpful for general mental health challenges but are often not enough to truly resolve trauma. Here’s why:

• Talk Therapy Can Reinforce Trauma – Repeatedly discussing traumatic events without a method to process and release them can strengthen the neural pathways of distress rather than resolve them.

• CBT focuses on Thoughts, Not the Nervous System – CBT helps with cognitive restructuring, but trauma is stored in the body. Without addressing the physiological responses, the fear and overwhelm often remain.

• Medication Alone Doesn’t Resolve Trauma – While medication may ease symptoms, it doesn’t reprocess the traumatic event or change the body's response to perceived threats.

The Hidden Cost of Workplace Trauma

Unprocessed trauma affects more than just the individual—it impacts the entire workplace. Employees struggling with workplace trauma often experience:

• Chronic absenteeism

• Reduced focus and productivity

• Increased stress responses (panic attacks, anxiety, emotional reactivity)

• Difficulty handling workplace pressure and deadlines

• Physical health issues due to nervous system dysregulation

As organisations strive to build psychologically safe workplaces, addressing trauma must go beyond basic mental health initiatives. The good news? There is an effective solution.

The Ego’s Role in Keeping Trauma Stuck

One of the biggest reasons trauma persists is the role of the subconscious mind and the ego. The subconscious will always reinforce what it believes to be true—if someone unconsciously believes the workplace is unsafe due to past experiences, their nervous system remains in high alert mode.

As I often say, the ego is like a security guard trying to be the CEO—it operates out of fear, trying to protect the person, but in doing so, it keeps them stuck in hyper-vigilance and overwhelm. This is why simply telling someone “you’re safe now” or offering logical solutions isn’t enough. Their body and subconscious need to be rewired to truly move forward.

Why Trauma Keeps Employees Stuck

The brain has a way of sloppy pattern matching, where it connects past trauma to unrelated present situations. A loud voice in a meeting, a conflict with a manager, or the pressure of a deadline can re-trigger old trauma responses, causing anxiety and avoidance.

The mind makes assumptions based on past experiences, and if those experiences were traumatic, it creates a loop of stress and fear.

The Most Effective Way to Support Employees with Workplace Trauma

My experience with Eleanor—and thousands of similar sessions since—has reinforced a critical point: trauma can be resolved much faster and more effectively when approached correctly.

This is why I developed Treating Workplace Trauma the Easy Way, a low-cost programme designed specifically for organisations that want to bridge the gap in employee wellbeing and offer trauma-informed solutions that actually work.

Our approach:

• Uses fast, evidence-based techniques to process trauma without re-traumatising employees.

• Employees don't have to say a word, or have their camera on for rapid results!

• Focuses on regulating the nervous system rather than just changing thoughts.

• Provides long-term transformation, not just symptom management.

By equipping HR leaders, wellbeing managers, and People & Development professionals with the tools to properly support employees, we can create a thriving, resilient workforce.

Take the Next Step

If your organisation is committed to improving employee well-being, it’s time to address workplace trauma in a way that truly makes a difference.

Book a free consultation call today to learn how Treating Workplace Trauma the Easy Way can help your team. Let’s create workplaces where employees feel safe, supported, and empowered to thrive.