Trauma Informed Mediation - Guidance for Mediators and Ombuds Working In Traumatized Communities
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For mediators and ombuds working in traumatized communities, it is critical to have an approach that is trauma sensitive and trauma informed. Trauma is extremely complex and multi-layered. For our purposes we will address only a few essential aspects. These include:
- Basic understanding of the nature and effects of trauma
- Basic understanding of vicarious or secondary trauma
- Basic practices for self care
When we join a company, partnership or team, our expectation is that everyone involved will exhibit professional behavior toward us and each other. Instead, it’s highly possible that we may become one of the more than 60 million adults in the United States who are affected in some way by bullying behavior at work.
What kind of behaviors are we talking about? Our definition is any interpersonal behavior that causes emotional distress in others sufficient enough to impede their productivity or disrupt organizational functioning. It isn’t just a personality conflict — it’s a chronic pattern of disrespectful behavior.