Identifying and addressing complex trauma suffered on the job can be challenging. Human resources might provide mediation or disciplinary action, but ultimately that assistance originates from within the same structure that fostered the situation in the first place. Thankfully, a growing number of trauma-informed consultants, coaches, and trainers are applying their skills to the world of work, transforming corporations and institutions into safe, respectful, and inclusive cultures for all.
On this episode of Transforming Trauma, Emily Ruth has the pleasure of chatting with Adriana Leigh, founder and principal consultant at Adriana Leigh Group Consulting (ALG). The pair discuss Adriana’s own struggles with generational trauma and institutionalized trauma, trauma in the workplace, and Adriana’s work in gender-based violence prevention. Adriana also shares observations from her roles as a human rights lawyer and facilitator in diversity and inclusion, gender equality, sexual harassment, and working with international organizations such as the United Nations Aid Organizations and private sector entities.
“I worked in the human rights field, particularly discrimination and harassment prevention, and with many clients that dealt with different forms of trauma,” Adriana begins. She witnessed firsthand how abuse built up for those she represented and herself. “I dealt with issues of bullying from older men when I was a young, unseasoned lawyer, making assumptions about me as a young woman.“ Those adversarial experiences ultimately lead Adriana to concentrate her professional efforts on a more holistic approach to equity and empowerment.
ALG doesn’t disrupt bad behavior via punitive policies. Instead, Adriana and her team collaborate with clients to create a culture of awareness, building a robust relational capacity amongst stakeholders. “I'm not a therapist; I’m a consultant, trainer, and facilitator. My tagline is bringing inclusion, respect, and safety to life,” she says. To that end, ALG offers assessments, policy development, coaching, and micro-learning sessions rooted in its 4-R model, which invites participants to regulate, recognize, respond, and reflect. It’s a trauma-informed approach that resonates across gender, sexual orientation, class, race, and religion. “Over time,” Adriana confirms, “folks who might not have understood, understand a little better.”
Transforming Trauma is grateful to Adriana for introducing our audience to her heart-centered, trauma-informed solutions to organizational culture issues and demonstrating the power of curiosity to heal the collective.
GUEST CONTACT AND BIO
Adriana Leigh is an award-winning global thought leader on organizational gender equity and the prevention of gender-based harassment and discrimination. She brings 19+ years of diverse experience as a human rights lawyer and facilitator in gender equity, sexual harassment, and gender-based violence prevention, diversity, and inclusion. Based in Montreal, Canada, she works internationally with the United Nations, international aid and development organizations, as well as the private sector to build sexual and gender-based harassment-free, trauma-informed, and inclusive environments and relations through training, policy and reporting process development, and thought leadership. Her work has been showcased by the Sexual Violence Research Initiative, World Pulse, Charity Village, and Brainz Magazine, among others.
You can listen to this episode on the Transforming Trauma website, on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
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