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In a 5-minute video, Jenée Johnson shares the connection between healing trauma and mindfulness.
In this segment from the Wisdom 2.0 Conference in San Francisco in 2019, Jenée Johnson reflects on her experiences working with trauma in challenging environments and discusses how mindful leaders can aid in trauma recovery. You can either watch the video or read the transcript provided below.
San Francisco is currently experiencing one of the most severe housing crises in the nation. The San Francisco Department of Public Health is responsible for safeguarding the well-being of the city’s residents. We have come to recognize that our operations often contribute to trauma, not only for the communities we assist but also for our own staff.
Many times, we operate in bureaucratic silos, leading to demoralization and a lack of trust. The workplace can be harsh, so we have embarked on a mission to transform our approach from one that induces trauma to one that is trauma-informed, ultimately evolving into a healing organization that centers on trust, compassion, and empathy while being mindful of our service delivery.
We focus on the essential question—not, “What is wrong with you?” but, “What has happened?”
We focus on the essential question—not, “What is wrong with you?” but, “What has happened?” This shift invites compassion and allows us to recognize strengths amid challenges.
During my time as a trauma trainer in a maternal adolescent health unit, I observed that although the workforce was eager to understand trauma, they lacked the capacity to effectively engage with the significant work ahead of us. This led me to realize that in order to become trauma-informed, we must first become a mindful organization. Mindfulness must be the foundation upon which trauma-informed practices are built.
I approached the trauma leader and mentioned an organization known for integrating mindfulness into the workplace, the Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute. After attending their program, I began my journey to become a trained instructor and later took on the role of program innovation leader focusing on mindfulness, trauma, and racial equity.
I realized that to be trauma-informed, we first needed to foster a mindful organization.
Mindfulness, trauma, and racial equity are interconnected. Our organization can often be a disheartening place to work, particularly for people of color, who consistently show poorer health outcomes across various metrics. This highlights our need to sincerely confront issues of racial equity. Addressing these challenges requires individuals to be grounded and resilient, especially when facing discussions about white fragility that can disrupt meaningful conversations.
To propel the dialogue forward, it’s essential for all of us to cultivate resilience, and mindfulness serves as the necessary pathway.
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