Trauma-Informed Design Workshops for Designers, Researchers & Changemakers
An online workshop series that helps you integrate trauma-informed practice into your design work so you can design with care and sustain your wellbeing.
Next offering:
Module 1. Understanding Trauma in Design Contexts
Format: Live online, interactive, 90 minutes
Who it’s for: Designers, design researchers, civic leaders, community managers, and professionals in emotionally demanding work.
About the Workshop
This is an educational, applied learning experience for professionals involved in research, co-design, or high-impact project work. You’ll gain practical knowledge and skills to:
Recognize how trauma and stress influence participant behaviour
Apply ethical, trauma-informed practices in your work
Maintain your own wellbeing while engaging with high-exposure projects
This is not therapy or trauma treatment, and personal trauma sharing is not required.
Who this workshop is for
This workshop is designed for professionals who:
Conduct research, co-design, or user experience work
Lead programs with high participant exposure or emotional complexity
Want to integrate ethical, reflective practices into their work
Seek to sustain presence, resilience, and grounded professional judgement
Workshop modules
You can participate module by module, starting with Module 1. Each module is interactive, reflective, and grounded in real-world application.
Module 1 — Understanding Trauma in Design Contexts (Upcoming)
Duration: 90 minutes, interactive, practical
Goal: Build foundational literacy on trauma, stress responses, and how they appear in research or co-design settings.
Learning Outcomes:
Identify different types of trauma and how they may indirectly influence participants
Recognize cues of stress and nervous system activation without pathologizing
Map your own “silent load” in research or project work
Apply a trauma-informed lens in observation and decision-making
Participate in reflective peer exercises
Module 2 — Trauma-Informed Research Practices & Ethical Considerations
Goal: Learn practical methods for designing research that supports psychological safety, autonomy, and ethical engagement.
Learning Outcomes:
Design trauma-informed research protocols and choice points
Plan for psychological safety before, during, and after sessions
Apply trauma-informed language and micro-skills
Adapt interview scripts to foster dignity and autonomy
Recognize cues for pausing, redirecting, or stopping sessions ethically
Module 3 — Researcher Wellbeing: Vicarious Trauma & Self-Regulation
Goal: Build awareness of the emotional and ethical load in research and learn strategies to maintain your own wellbeing.
Learning Outcomes:
Identify how repeated exposure to distress impacts cognition, mood, and relationships
Recognize somatic signs of emotional overload
Apply individual and team-level self-regulation strategies
Use structured reflection tools to process emotional impact
Sustain ethical judgment and research quality over time
Module 4 — Trauma-Informed Practice in Action: Simulations & Applied Scenarios
Goal: Apply trauma-informed principles in simulated research and design scenarios.
Learning Outcomes:
Respond to participant behaviours (withdrawal, overwhelm, defensiveness, oversharing) with grounding and supportive presence
Interpret participant behaviours through a trauma-informed lens
Synthesize sensitive findings ethically
Plan upcoming projects integrating choice, safety, and systemic considerations
Commit to actionable practice changes in your work
About the Facilitator
Hitomi Yokota, Founder of Cocoro Colab, is a licensed psychotherapist and service designer with over a decade of experience bridging trauma-informed care with human-centred design. She founded Cocoro Colab to provide the education designers and researchers need to engage with sensitivity, care, and ethical awareness.
Credentials:
Registered Psychotherapist (CRPO)
Master’s in Interdisciplinary Design Strategy
Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counselling
Specialized trauma-informed training (including EMDR, IFS, Somatic Experiencing, Somatic Embodiment, DBT).
