EMMA M. CHURCHMAN, MDIV

Speaker, Bestselling Author, Mentor and Spiritual Advisor

A trauma-informed organization is one that operates with an understanding of trauma and its negative effects on the organization’s employees and the communities it serves and works to mitigate those effects.

Traumatic events in the world, personally, as well as within your organization can have a huge impact on employee productivity. If your business was impacted by a natural disaster for example, like the LA fires, or Hurricane Helene, your employees may be struggling to function day-to-day because they feel unsafe. They need help with reducing stress, and creating psychological safety in the workplace.

In a recent study, Google found that psychological safety, more than anything else, is critical to making a team work.

For employers, understanding what trauma is and how it can impact employees is an essential part of offering the right kind of support. According to the most recent Mental Health Index by TELUS Health (2023), 33% of workers in the U.S. have experienced trauma with a lasting negative impact on their mental health.

Because the workplace can help or hinder the state of an employee's mental health, it's imperative for employers look inward at their work environment and ensure it's promoting belonging and a sense of personal control among employees. As a lack of control is one of the factors that exacerbates a trauma response, employees with autonomy at work will perform better, which will improve mental well-being. When a workplace is a safe, supportive space, even employees who do not disclose personal traumas or request help from their employer can see it as a place of refuge.

My keynote talks and workshops help to create a trauma-informed workplace and psychological safety for your organization.

Recognized as a Top Executive Coach by the Coach Foundation, Emma has mentored thousands of entrepreneurs, leaders, business owners, and executives over the past twenty-five years in trauma recovery.

She is a nationally certified Trauma Chaplain, with a Master of Divinity degree and is a PhD candidate in Conscious Business Ethics. Emma is the creator of a Trauma Recovery Certification Program. She is the author of The Deep End of Hope in the Wake of Helene: 40 Days and Nights of Survival and Transformation (GracePoint Publishing, Feb. 2025) and another book about being raised by mental illness: How she survived and eventually thrived despite growing up in a family where it was hard to exist (GracePoint Publishing, Oct. 2025).