When incidents happen that affect employees and disrupt a company’s culture of wellbeing, kindness and mutual support, inviting an external psychotherapist to consult on how to restore some basic principles of safety and compassion amongst staff can be reassuring. Reassuring not only for the managers leading the response, but in ways that can create ripple effects throughout the organisation.
In the aftermath of a critical incident, organisations often focus understandably on practical matters: policies, procedures, investigations and communications. Yet alongside these practical considerations are the emotional and psychological impacts that can be felt across teams. Anxiety, speculation, distress, anger, guilt, helplessness and uncertainty can all emerge in different ways.
Part of my role is to help organisations think about the conscious and unconscious dynamics that can emerge following a critical incident. A traumatic event can affect not only the individuals directly involved, but also the wider culture of a workplace. By helping groups and leaders make sense of these dynamics together, it becomes possible to think more clearly about what employees may need in order for a sense of safety, consistency, comfort and trust to be restored within the workplace.
Critical Incident Support provides organisations with a psychologically informed space to understand the impact of a distressing event, consider how individuals and teams may be affected, and respond in ways that promote dignity, containment and recovery.
Sometimes what people need most is not a complex intervention, but a thoughtful response that restores a sense of choice, kindness, stability and human connection.
As a UKCP Registered Psychotherapist, I provide Critical Incident Support and organisational consultation, helping staff and leaders think together about the impact of traumatic events on individuals, teams and workplace culture.
To discuss how Critical Incident Support may benefit your organisation following a distressing event, please get in touch.