The past two months have been an incredibly busy and rewarding time for our team at Barker Hutchinson. We’ve had the privilege of delivering trauma-informed training to a range of professionals, including investigators, HR professionals, and staff and advocates from post-secondary institutions. The demand for trauma-informed approaches continues to grow among regulatory bodies, global organizations, and beyond, and we’re honored to be part of this critical shift.
A Look Back at Our Recent Training Sessions
Over the past couple months, we’ve had the opportunity to contribute to several events that put trauma-informed principles into practice:
We partnered with Human Resources Professionals Association to put on a webinar for their members titled Lessons Learned Conducting 400+ Sexual Misconduct Investigations. The session offered a candid reflection on the complex realities of investigations work: what we’ve learned, challenges we’ve faced, and how a trauma-informed lens has helped us navigate difficult moments with greater care and accountability.
We ran a training session for the investigative team at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, focusing on practical tools and techniques for integrating trauma-informed approaches into regulatory investigations.
We provided the first of three training sessions on trauma-informed practice to the World Health Organization’s global investigative team. We were joined by Dr. Jim Hopper to explore the neurobiology and impacts of trauma and we’ll be delivering our next session on the practical application of trauma-informed practices to their team later this month.
We presented at Osgoode Professional Development’s Responding to Campus Sexual Violence course alongside a multidisciplinary group of campus leaders, advocates, and legal professionals.
Each of these events offered unique insights and sparked meaningful conversations about what it truly means to embed trauma-informed thinking into our work.
Reflections and Takeaways
Several key themes emerged in the above sessions that reinforced the importance of trauma-informed investigative work:
- Building Trust Through Transparency
Reducing unpredictability is one of the most impactful ways to create a psychologically safe environment. Investigative processes can be intimidating, and uncertainty often exacerbates stress for complainants, registrants/respondents, and witnesses. Clear communication about what to expect—both from the process and from us—can make a significant difference in reducing anxiety and fostering trust. - Avoiding Unintentional Harm in Interviews
Even well-intentioned investigators can inadvertently cause harm through the language they use or in the way they frame questions. Simple shifts such as reframing “why” questions to “what” questions to avoid inadvertently implying judgement and framing difficult questions by including the context of why we are asking them can help minimize re-traumatization and empower interviewees to share their experiences in their own way. For instance, “What led you to make a report at this time?” comes off as factual and curious, whereas “Why didn’t you report this at the time?” could be interpreted as implying judgement. - Understanding the Intersection of Trauma and Memory
Understanding how trauma affects memory is crucial for investigators. Trauma can cause a person to form fragmented or inconsistent memories, which some may misinterpret as the witness being unreliable. By being aware of how traumatic memories are encoded and stored, we can prevent misjudgments and create space for fairer, more informed assessments of testimony. - Leveling Power Imbalances
Many participants, particularly those in equity-deserving communities, may feel an inherent power imbalance when engaging with an investigator. We can help shift the dynamic and encourage more open dialogue through small but intentional actions such as giving interviewees choices throughout the investigation process, using plain language, and validating emotions that come up in an empathetic and neutral way (think – “I appreciate this is difficult to talk about, thank you for sharing this with me”, rather than “I’m so sorry this happened to you”). - Balancing Sensitivity to Trauma with Investigative Rigor
A trauma-informed approach does not mean a compromise on thoroughness. It’s about asking the necessary questions in a way that prioritizes dignity, respect, and psychological safety. Investigators can create a safe space and still ask the difficult questions, if they ensure those questions are asked with care and intention.
Moving Forward
Our recent training sessions reaffirmed that trauma-informed principles are not just beneficial but essential in investigative work. Whether we are addressing workplace misconduct, regulatory complaints, or campus sexual violence, taking a thoughtful, trauma-informed approach leads to better outcomes for all parties involved.
We look forward to continuing these conversations and supporting organizations in embedding trauma-informed practices into their investigation processes. If your team is looking to enhance its approach, we’d love to connect and explore how we can help.
